Petrochemical Combustion and Heat Transfer Consultant

Technical Consultant #2381

Low-NOx burner retrofits, heater rebuild and revamp projects, heater control, safeguarding and flare replacements.
Repair and revamp of thermal reactors and incinerators in sulfur recovery (SRU) units, energy efficiency improvement, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and on shore gas projects.
Design and trouble-shooting of fired and unfired heat transfer equipment.
Research and development, on oxy-firing in process heaters and boilers for CO2 control and sequestration.
Fuel-flexible burner system (patent pending); anti-coking tube coating for heaters in coking service.
Lead in the development of Shell internal and industry standards and best practices.

Educator

Training programs on combustion and heat transfer equipment.
Fired Process Heater course.
Fired Process Heater Troubleshooting.
Perform heater simulations for a mid-western USA refinery to help evaluate revamp options.
Waste heat boiler for IRPC.
Application of advanced thermal imaging techniques for trouble-shooting of heat transfer equipment.

Undisclosed Company, Principal Technical Consultant, Present

Supply comprehensive heater support.
Delivering fired equipment technical support for combustion and heat transfer training courses for clients.

American Flame Research, Present

Serving as General Chairman of (AFRC) managing AFRC's Industrial Combustion Symposia.

Shell Global Solutions, (U.S.), 2014

Shell Technology Center (STCH), Houston, TX, 2009 - 2013

Shell Americas, 1993 - 2008

Led the Heat Transfer Technical Discipline Network (HT-TDN).
Oversaw the Shell Thermography Team.
Lead investigator in several Shell-funded research and development projects with high benefit potential for the Company.

Special Achievements

Comprehensive heater review for Petrotrin (the Petroleum Company of Trinidad and Tobago).
Received twelve special recognition during 25 years at Shell.
Acknowledgment for research and development work (oxy-fired process heaters anti-coking coating for heaters in coking), resulting in patents.
Introduced new technology for application within Shell (two of these were related to heat exchangers - anti-fouling coating for water-cooled HEX and Cal Gavin inserts for an air-cooler at Deer Park Refinery). Establishing pigging as superior to shot-blasting for the decoking of hydrocracker heaters.
Technical support to sulfur recovery units (leading the solution development following a fire in SR-3 Claus Reaction Furnace, and for SR-5 burner trouble-shooting.
Flare support (DP Coker flare.
Fired heater technical support (CO heater support at DP in 1997, GOHT heater throughput improvement at Deer Park Refinery.
Heat exchanger support (Process Gas Cooler redesign for the hydrogen plant at Deer Park refinery and an overhead condenser redesign for Puget Sound Refinery).

Academic and Professional Affiliations

General Chairman of American Flame Research Committee (AFRC), coordinating and managing AFRC's Industrial Combustion Symposia.
American Petroleum Institute (API) Sub-Committee on Heat Transfer Equipment.
Heat Transfer Technical Discipline Network (HT-TDN) for Shell in the Americas.

Awards

Received Presidential Award of Excellence at Shell twice: once on behalf of Shell

Thermography Team during a three year period performing comprehensive heater review.

Publications

Reviewer of Publications

Patents