Internally inspecting fired heater process tubing presents a persistent challenge for many owner/operators.
These systems are often considered unpiggable due to a combination of geometric, operational and economic constraints. Factors contributing to this include:
During operation, fired heater tubes are subjected to extreme temperatures and pressures. Over time, this can lead to fouling build-up, wall loss, creep damage and other degradation mechanisms.
In the absence of credible fired heater tube inspection, operators are left without reliable integrity insight. This creates a situation of unquantifiable residual risk, where decisions are made with incomplete information and potential failure mechanisms remain undetected.
To overcome these challenges, Cokebusters developed and patented the single-module intelligent smart pig.
This untethered, bi-directional and battery-powered fired heater inspection system was specifically designed to navigate complex geometries that defeat conventional inspection technologies. By integrating all functionality within a single compact body, the intelligent pig is able to traverse tight bends, diameter changes and restricted access points commonly found in fired heater tube circuits.
The smart pig utilises ultrasonic (UT) inspection technology to gather high-density wall thickness and internal radius measurements throughout the tube coil or structure. Water flow is used both to propel the tool and as the ultrasonic coupling medium, enabling efficient, non-invasive internal inspection with minimal modification to the asset.
This industry-leading invention marked the foundation of a continuing development programme spanning more than 20 years, resulting in multiple generations of patented inspection technology.
The current intelligent pig platform is capable of rapidly scanning both internal and external tube surfaces across a diameter range of 1.5” to 12” internal diameter, delivering high-quality inspection data in systems previously considered inaccessible.
The compact, single-bodied design allows inspection of non-standard fired heater geometries including:
Alignment appendages ensure the tool travels concentrically within the tube, guaranteeing high-quality and reliable ultrasonic data acquisition. These alignment features can be tuned for tube sizes between 1.5” and 12”, supporting bespoke inspection applications.
Cokebusters’ fired heater inspection services can accurately identify and quantify a wide range of integrity threats, including:
High-density data acquisition provides significantly greater coverage and insight when compared with conventional handheld UT inspection methods.
Fired heater inspection can be delivered as a standalone fired heater inspection service or as part of Cokebusters’ patented combined decoking and inspection methodology.
Inspection tools are deployed using the same access arrangements as mechanical decoking operations, allowing inspection after cleaning or parallel inspection during decoking campaigns. This flexibility enables inspection strategies to be tailored to asset condition, operational objectives and outage constraints.
By combining mechanical decoking and in-line inspection within a single coordinated operation, Cokebusters provides operators with both restored performance and verified integrity insight.
Inspection data can be presented in numerical, graphical and C-scan formats and supports fitness-for-service and remaining life assessments in accordance with API 579 / ASME FFS-1 standards.
