Overview
EN ISO 13705:2012 (ISO 13705:2012) provides requirements and recommendations for the design, materials, fabrication, inspection, testing, shipment preparation and erection of fired heaters, air heaters, fans and burners used in general refinery service. Adopted by CEN and published by SIST, this European-adopted ISO standard applies across the petroleum, petrochemical and natural gas industries. It is explicitly not intended for the design of steam reformers or pyrolysis furnaces.
Key technical topics and requirements
The standard covers a broad technical scope relevant to fired-heater systems, including:
- Design considerations - process, combustion and mechanical design guidance for fired heaters in refinery service.
- Tubes and headers - material selection, tube support, extended-surface tubes, plug headers and return bends.
- Piping, terminals and manifolds - allowable movement, load considerations and material guidance.
- Tube supports and structural elements - load limits, stress curves and mechanical design rules (including normative annexes).
- Refractories and insulation - brick, castable, ceramic-fibre and multi-component linings.
- Stacks, ducts and breeching - static design, wind-induced vibration and material guidance.
- Burners, fans and auxiliary equipment - burner requirements, sootblowers, fans/drivers, and damper controls.
- Instrumentation and connections - flue gas, air and process temperature instrumentation, tube-skin thermocouples and access provisions.
- Shop fabrication and field erection - fabrication practices, coil handling, painting, preparation for shipment and site erection.
- Inspection, testing and certification - weld/casting examination, component testing and final reports.
Important annexes include equipment data sheets, a purchaser’s checklist, shop-assembly recommendations, stress curves, fan and air-preheat system guidance, and procedures for measuring heater efficiency.
Practical applications and users
This standard is intended for professionals involved in the lifecycle of fired heater systems in refineries and petrochemical plants:
- Design and process engineers specifying heater performance and materials
- Mechanical and combustion engineers developing burner, fan and ductwork systems
- Fabricators and EPC contractors following shop fabrication and erection practices
- Inspection and quality-control personnel applying testing and certification criteria
- Facility owners/operators and maintenance teams referencing recommended materials, insulation and inspection intervals
- Purchasing and project managers using equipment data sheets and the purchaser’s checklist
Using ISO 13705 helps ensure safe, reliable and code-compliant heater installations and promotes consistent procurement, fabrication and commissioning across refinery projects.
Related standards
- Developed by ISO/TC 67 and adopted as EN ISO 13705:2012; consult relevant pressure design codes, local regulations and complementary ISO/CEN standards for piping, pressure vessels and safety systems when implementing this standard.
Keywords: ISO 13705, fired heaters, refinery heaters, burner design, refractory insulation, heater fabrication, heater inspection.
