Great Southern Technologies / Heater Services

A Technical & Service Driven Heater Company

Great Southern Technologies (GST), an InServ Company, is a specialty engineering company that encompasses unique creative & custom design methodologies to improve direct fired heaters and auxiliary equipment. GST incorporates optimal constructability methods for every project, allowing for minimum turnaround duration and cost. The integrated concept that makes up InServʼs core business objective affords the ability to provide the client a single source from concept to installation. This reduces potential problems during installation and eliminates the risk of back charges.

What Our Great Southern Technologies
Heater Team Can Do:

New API-560 Direct Fired Heaters Revamp API-560 Direct Fired Heaters Non-API Direct Fired Heaters Flameless Heater Heater Analysis & Tuning Auxiliary Equipment Selective Catalytic Reduction System Combustion Air Preheat Systems Waste Heat Recovery Sysytems Emergency Response Inhouse CFD Modeling GST Tight Sealing Observation Doors Spare Parts Operator Training

New API-560 Direct Fired Heaters

GST is able to design, engineer, fabricate, and install the majority of combustion heat transfer equipment utilized by the refinery and petro-chemical industry. With strong expertise in manufacturing and construction, optimized fabrication techniques are applied that result in minimal field installation cost and schedule. In addition, extensive performance studies have paved the way for innovative and unmatched process design techniques and solutions.

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Revamp API-560 Direct Fired Heaters

Each heater is unique and encompasses its own challenges when attempting to modify it to expand or enhance the unit’s performance. With GST Retrofit Services’ real-life/hands-on experience, we truly understand the challenges and potential benefits associated with revamping existing units. In addition, the collaboration of GST and a large vendor network, optimal planning and project development are executed to ensure the most cost-productive approach and minimal shutdown time can be achieved. The ability to handle a project to the highest level from design to execution is unmatched in the industry. The following is a brief listing of the types of projects:

Convection Section Replacement
Coil Replacement or Modification
Ultra Low NOx Burner Installation
New APH Installation Projects
Existing APH Replacement or Revamp
Custom Tube Support Design and Replacement
Damper Replacement
Expansion and/or Performance Improvement
Heater Skin Replacement
Emergency Response

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Non-API Direct Fired Heaters

Non-API direct fired heaters are primarily utilized by the upstream and mid-stream markets where fuel gas composition is relatively constant and requires minimal operator presence. These are different from their API560 counterparts in that non-API heaters coil design affords a greater amount of convective heater transfer in the radiant section. In addition, the forced air design allows the units to be compact, short stack, and require minimum provision to access different areas of the unit.

These Non-API units can be radiant only designed, or an additional convective section can be added to increase heater efficiency. They are also skid mounted for easy mobilization and equipped with a fully automated air and fuel control system.

The flexibility of these systems allow the ability for GST to offer three (3) standard sizes that cover design capacities from >1 to 28 MMBtu/hr absorbed duty. Furthermore, given our unique experience in the industry and expertise with fired heaters, GST can custom design a non-API heater to fit the project specific needs.

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Flameless Heater

Cool Combustion / Flameless Heater

Great Southern Flameless (GSF) is dedicated to providing the most advanced solutions available to meet end user’s fired heater process and emissions goals.

Applying flameless technology to direct fired refinery heaters presents several unique design challenges. GSF has developed innovative technology that creates flameless combustion at radiant flux rates and flue gas temperatures common to refinery process heaters. GSF’s new technology also meets the industry’s stringent requirements for safety, reliability, operability, and maintainability.

This patented technology permits a wide range of operation (fuel type and turndown) and a wide selection of heater types. GSF now offers a conventional process heater design that can also be operated in Flameless mode for extreme NOx reduction (down to 3-8 ppm) without an SCR. Flameless heater technology improves efficiency (91% – LHV) significantly increases run lengths, reduces fuel consumption and decreases CO2 greenhouse gases by 10-20%.

GSF is dedicated to leading the industry into the next generation of fired heaters. GSF will work with the end user to design and build new heaters or retrofit existing heaters to be safely operated in both conventional and flameless modes.

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Heater Analysis & Tuning

The ability to truly understand how custom design equipment performs can be only achieved through comprehensive heater studies that incorporate "real" operating characteristics identified through field testing. This service extends well beyond simply obtaining board data. A GST thorough field data gathering and analysis confidently identifies actual conditions of any manufacture's equipment which are carried to future performance predictions. Through countless heater evaluations, GST has developed proprietary software that allows the ability to incorporate state-of-the-art engineered solutions to all process heaters including black oil services such as Crude, Vacuum, Cokers, and Visbreakers.

Feasibility & Construction Planning
Engineering Design / Project Development Packages
Coker Heater Modeling with Flux Mapping
On-Line Decoking
Performance Improvement Study
NOx Reduction Optimization Study
Mechanical Integrity Study
Plant Wide Efficiency Study
Plant Wide NOx Reduction Study
Specification Confirmation Survey

Great Southern Technologies (GST), through extensive field study work on a variety of heater styles, can assist with tuning fired heaters for optimal process output and for environmental regulatory compliance. Our onsite approach to tuning heaters allows for concise adjustment of heater settings such as burner air registers and stack damper positioning to bring the heater to its design conditions for optimal performance. This service can be provided on an annual schedule to meet yearly EPA monitoring requirements. While onsite GST provides guidance to the operations team on how to properly adjust these settings to maintain long-term performance of the heater. GST tuning services include natural draft, forced draft, and balanced draft systems.

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Auxiliary Equipment

Selective Catalytic Reduction Systems

Combustion Air Preheat Systems

Waste Heat Recovery Systems

If you are considering installing a new or improve an existing preheat SCR system, please contact Great Southern Technologies with your inquiry, 918.258.5300.

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Selective Catalytic Reduction System

Great Southern Technologies offers analysis services on SCR’s to provide cost-efficient solutions to reduce emissions to that of the client’s needs. GST has a proven record of analyzing a heaters performance, whether that be current or future conditions, and determining whether the existing SCR is suitable to meet those requirements. GST will collect field data on the SCR system using trusted and calibrated testing equipment around the entire unit and associated flue gas source. This onsite testing supplies GST the data to confirm actual performance. Using GST’s onsite collected data, boundary conditions are developed and afford the ability to apply these true parameters to modifying or replacing the existing system.

Along with providing engineering solutions, recommendations, design, and field services, Great Southern Technologies offers the following value for SCR systems:

Proven track record assisting clients with existing SCR problems as well as selecting new equipment for SCR systems.
Assist clients with SCR specifications in order to meet plant regulatory requirements.
Through many years of experience in the industry, GST has developed a lot of experience in heater SCR systems.
Diverse contact list and personal relation with vendors to meet Approved Manufactured Lists.
Supply material to fit the plant scheduled turnaround at cost-effective pricing.

If you are considering installing a new or improve an existing preheat SCR system, please contact Great Southern Technologies with your inquiry, 918.258.5300.

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Combustion Air Preheat Systems

Great Southern Technologies provides engineering and field services with onsite testing of existing air preheat units that are incorporated within fired heater systems. Along with generating heater profiles from the field testing, GST also collects data for each operating component involved in the air preheat system. Data collected for each APH component aids in a thorough and accurate analysis of how the system is operating. Onsite testing with GST calibrated instrumentation gives us a competitive advantage over other heater companies. As other companies rely on information from the DCS and/or field instrumentation, GST collects field data from the unit. Once GST has tested the air preheat system, our proprietary programs create models of the unit that accurately represents how it was operating the day of testing. With an in-depth analysis of the unit, GST will identify any air preheater and associated component’s problems which compromise performance. GST provides recommendations that will improve the overall system.

For new heater applications, GST will determine if an air preheater would be beneficial to the unit while meeting all other heater specifications. GST’s proprietary program models new air preheat systems for heater optimization. GST looks at each system as a new opportunity to use advanced technologies to develop unique solutions that best fit the client’s needs while also following API 560 standards.

GST’s in-house CFD modeling capabilities also provides confirmation of equal air and flue gas flow distribution through the ductwork at the APH inlets and outlets for optimum APH system design.

Along with providing engineering solutions, recommendations, design, and field services, Great Southern Technologies offers the following value for APH systems:

Proven track record assisting clients with existing APH problems as well as selecting new equipment for AH systems.
Assist clients with APH specifications in order to meet plant regulatory requirements.
Through many years of experience in the industry, GST has developed a lot of experience in heater APH systems.
Diverse contact list and personal relation with vendors to meet Approved Manufactured Lists.
Supply material to fit the plant scheduled turnaround at cost-effective pricing.

If you are considering installing a new or improve an existing air preheat system, please contact Great Southern Technologies with your inquiry, 918.258.5300.

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Waste Heat Recovery Sysytems

Waste Heat Recovery Systems

Great Southern Technologies can provide the best services to improve, modify, or create a WHRU based on hands-on experience with the WHRU units. In-field testing provided by GST allows for a thorough analysis and understanding of the WHRU performance. Proprietary GST instrumentation allows GST to collect operating data from the WHRU and compare to the original design to determine the unit’s design. If the unit is underperforming, GST will determine the cause and apply the best and most cost-efficient solution to bring the WHRU performance up to standards.

Along with providing engineering solutions, recommendations, design, and field services, Great Southern Technologies offers the following value for WHRU systems:

Proven track record assisting clients with existing WHRU problems as well as selecting new equipment for WHRU systems.
Assist clients with WHRU specifications in order to meet plant regulatory requirements.
Through many years of experience in the industry, GST has developed a lot of experience in heater WHRU systems.
Diverse contact list and personal relation with vendors to meet Approved Manufactured Lists.
Supply material to fit the plant scheduled turnaround at cost-effective pricing.

If you are considering installing a new or improve an existing WHRU system, please contact Great Southern Technologies with your inquiry, 918.258.5300.

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Emergency Response

Fired heaters can be considered the heart of a refinery or process plant. Therefore, if the unit is abruptly shutdown due to fire or internal explosion damage, every hour of operation lost is costly. These types of projects require orchestrating a number of different disciplines in a prompt manner and this can be difficult to coordinate. For instance, structural inspection, construction services, engineering and manufacturing are often necessary to adequately address this type of emergency project. GST is the only company that encompasses these disciplines under one roof; including having shop space readily available.

There are various types of Emergency Response Services that GST can provide.

Damage Inspection & Repair Scope Definition
- All required disciplines will arrive on site no more than a day after notification.
Fabricated Tube Support Design & Replacement
- Capable of providing replacement tube supports in 2-3 days.
Expedited Material Replacement and Delivery
- Massive vendor network ensures the ability to locate stock material.
Immediate Mobilization of InServ Construction Services
- Both Union and Non-Union Construction Services are available.
Complete Turnkey capability for damages exceeding the fired heater

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Inhouse CFD Modeling

CFD analysis is the numerical simulation of mass, momentum, and energy transport through fluids. The results from CFD are typically plotted or graphed to visualize operating variables and parameters throughout the heater, not just at isolated probe locations. This approach often reveals aspects of heater performance that are hidden because they cannot be seen with the naked eye or because they occur far away from probes and monitors.

Whether for new designs or revamps, we can use CFD modeling to evaluate custom solutions to determine the best strategies for your unique service conditions and minimize the risks of applying innovative design concepts.

With our combination of in-house experience and CFD modeling, we are able to simulate any fired heater configuration of burners, process tubes, and auxiliary equipment to evaluate many important heater characteristics, including:

Interactions between flue gases and flames
Tube skin heat transfer and temperature profiles
Flue gas patterns and identification of recirculation regions and dead zones
Flue gas temperatures and flame characteristics
Maps of oxygen concentration and other flue gas components
Plume dispersion prediction
Ductwork flow distribution
Ammonia injection distribution in SCR systems

The integration of field testing and GST’s proprietary software with CFD analysis means you can have confidence that we are modeling your actual operating conditions.

At GST, our CFD simulations complete the package of theory, field observations, and years of experience to bring you the highest level of complete analysis and solutions.

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GST Tight Sealing Observation Doors

This unique tight sealing observation door was originated by GST and developed based on years of field testing and working with end-users to provide safe viewing of the burners and radiant coils while also provide means to perform IR inspections. GST has installed hundreds of these doors starting in 2005.

5″ X 9″ and 8″ X 16″ cast heater sight doors (custom sizes available)
Tight seal heater sight ports for improved heater efficiency and reduced NOx emissions
High-temperature glass permits viewing the burners without air leakage
Lightweight: 45 lbs. maximum aluminum door
Double-hinged design allowing door body and glass to be opened for IR scanning and cleaning of inside glass surface
Insulated stainless steel shutter to protect the glass from direct radiant heat and limit soot build-up
Fully assembled

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Spare Parts

Operator Training

As a company founded on decades of experience with fired heater analysis, troubleshooting, testing and balancing heaters in the field, GST offers operator training covering all aspects of heater operation. Operator training covers both historical development of direct fired heaters (with an emphasis on API units), heater optimization, operation, and how to anticipate and troubleshoot heater issues. The training utilizes both classroom and field instruction in the plant to build both context and practical understanding of fired heater operation.

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safety driven company

Great Southern Technologies continues to focus on safety. Our expectation is to be incident free on every job.

safety driven company

Great Southern Technologies continues to focus on safety. Our expectation is to be incident free on every job.

We’re proud of the work we do and the companies we’re able to_

Field Studies

Through countless heater evaluations, GST has developed proprietary software that allows us the ability to incorporate state of the art engineered solutions to all process heaters, including black oil services such as Crude, Vacuum, Cokers, and Visbreakers.

Schedule a Call

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Great Southern Technologies / Heater Services

A Technical & Service Driven Heater Company

What Our Great Southern Technologies
Heater Team Can Do:

New API-560 Direct Fired Heaters

Revamp API-560 Direct Fired Heaters

Non-API Direct Fired Heaters

Cool Combustion / Flameless Heater

Heater Analysis & Tuning

Auxiliary Equipment

Selective Catalytic Reduction System

Combustion Air Preheat Systems

Waste Heat Recovery Systems

Emergency Response

Inhouse CFD Modeling

GST Tight Sealing Observation Doors

Spare / Replacement Parts

Operator Training

safety driven company

safety driven company

Field Studies

Schedule a Call

Connect With InServ

Great Southern Technologies / Heater Services

A Technical & Service Driven Heater Company

What Our Great Southern Technologies Heater Team Can Do:

New API-560 Direct Fired Heaters

safety driven company

safety driven company

Field Studies

Schedule a Call

Connect With InServ

What Our Great Southern Technologies
Heater Team Can Do: