Category Archives: Latest News

On March 1, 2018, PFR Engineering released FRNC-5PC v9.3. Version 9.3 includes a number of enhancements, upgrades and new features. Following are some highlights:

1. Introduced a new radiant model which includes refractory emissivity. Program will use a default emissivity of 0.8 or one input by the user.
2. Changed the Peak Flux calculation to the second and third rows of Firebox and Shock coils. This will make them more accurate and less conservative for tube design.
3. Added the option to input nominal pipe size. Based on the user input for this, the program will determine the average tube wall thickness to use.
4. Added a new graphical output that shows the Flue Gas Temperature-Heat Duty curve with the Temperature-Heat Duty curve of each Convection Section coil below it. This flue gas-process temperature plot clearly identifies approach temperatures and pinch points.
5. Added a new printout for firebox floor flux density. This firing rate density is a key variable in designing burner layouts and size of the firebox.
6. Reduced the tolerances used to determine convergence in the various calculation loops. Thus, heat duties, bridgewall temperatures, etc. will be slightly more accurate.
7. Changed the “Radiant Flux Multiplier” input from being a Peak flux to Average flux ratio to a direct multiplier to the radiant peak flux. In this capacity, the multiplier is essentially the same as the “Fl” parameter used by many engineers.
8. Allowed negative values to be input for Stack or Convection damper resistances. This is a good way to simulate ID fans.

If you would like additional information about FRNC-5PC v9.3 or any of the other PFR Engineering software products, please email us at query@pfrengineering.com

On August 28, 2017, PFR Engineering released REFORM-3PC v8.0.1. Version 8.0.1 adds many of the same enhancements and functionalities that have recently been added to FRNC-5PC, PFR’s flagship software. Following are some of the other improvements made to REFORM-3PC:

1. Added the ability to launch REFORM-3PC from a command prompt or from an Excel macro, outside of the GUI itself.
2. Changed the numeric values in the ‘Output Spreadsheets’ from text to true numbers.
3. Improved the Quick-Edit panel to alert the user when terrace-wall heights do not add up to the overall tube length, or when secondary reformer air stream composition, GTE composition, fuel composition, or percent fuel combusted at different firebox levels do not add up to 100%.
4. Added an option to automatically open the Full Output file after program execution, instead of the ‘Output Spreadsheets.’
5. Made a slight change to the combustion air composition to be consistent with the FRNC-5PC program, since both programs are used in tandem to simulate the Reformer Firebox (REFORM-3PC) and the Reformer Convection Section (FRNC-5PC).
6. Increased the maximum reformer feed inlet pressure that is allowed.
7. Added versatility to the Output Plots by allowing the user to control what variable to put on the X-axis and what variable to put on the Y-axis.

If you would like additional information about REFORM-3PC v8.0.1 or any of the other PFR Engineering software products, please email us at query@pfrengineering.com

On March 30, 2017, PFR Engineering released FRNC-5PC v9.2. Version 9.2 includes a number of enhancements, upgrades and new features. Following are some highlights:

1. Added Therminol® fluids to built-in stream properties. Users can choose a specific Therminol fluid and the properties will automatically populate a Physical Property Grid.
2. Added the ability to Run an FRNC-5 simulation from outside the FRNC-5 Graphical User Interface (GUI), such as from the DOS Command Prompt or from an Excel® spreadsheet macro.
3. Added more Tube Material selections, bringing FRNC-5 up-to-date with the API RP-530 tube material stress curves.
4. Added a flue gas Draft Summary table to the program output results. All of the draft-related values (losses and gains) are now shown for all furnace sections.
5. Simplified the choice of a unit basis for Process Stream Compositions. The previous list of different units effectively resulted in either Mass, Mole, or Liquid Volume basis, so those options are now the only ones allowed. This eliminates some previous confusion.
6. Manifold fittings can now be used for all-Liquid process streams, in addition to the previously-allowed all-Vapor streams.
7. Now allow stream Property Grids to be exported from the FRNC-5 GUI to an Excel template, which then allows users to easily add or remove Pressures or Temperatures and then re-import them into the GUI. The GUI itself does not provide this functionality.

If you would like additional information about FRNC-5PC v9.2 or any of the other PFR Engineering software products, please email us at query@pfrengineering.com

On November 3rd, 2015, PFR Engineering released FRNC-5PC v9.1.  Version 9.1 includes a number of enhancements, upgrades and new features.  Users will see valuable increases in functionality in this new release.  Following are some highlights:

1. Increased the number of Steam Injections points from one to three.  The multiple injections can be for the same process stream or for different process streams.
2. Added a new graphical output for Flow Regime Maps.  The location of each tube with two-phase flow in the heater is shown on the Baker or Fair Map.
3. Increased the number of separate Tube IDs from 20 to 89.  Also allowed 89 separate Tube emissivity and Tube Roughness inputs as well.  This will allow more complex transfer lines to be modeled.
4. Allowed a 4th Method to input Physical Property Grids.  Users may now enter data directly into an Excel spreadsheet (a template is provided) and then port the data into the GUI screens.
5. Improved the navigation from field to field in the middle Quick-Edit pane.  It is especially easier and more intuitive to navigate around drop-down menus.  Changed the behavior of the auto-recovery function of the GUI.  After a crash, the program no longer erases the backup file when the GUI starts up.
6. Added new inputs to allow the user to input multipliers to the average heat flux  (convective and radiant portions) and to the peak heat flux (radiant portion only) that are calculated by the program.  This allows the user to over-ride the peak/average flux ratios, if desired.
7. Increased the number of separate Fuel Specifications (i.e. Fuel IDs) from 6 to 20.

If you would like additional information about FRNC-5PC v9.1 or any of the other PFR Engineering software products, please email us at query@pfrengineering.com

PFR Engineering is proud to announce the release of REFORM-3PC v8.0.  This new and improved version introduces the ability to automatically link REFORM-3PC fireboxes to FRNC-5PC convection sections.  Users will no longer need to go through the hassle of running multiple simulations between REFORM-3PC and FRNC-5PC in order to get a single set of results.  REFORM-3PC v8.0 will do the work for you, saving time and frustration.

In addition, REFORM-3PC v8.0 has all of the usability upgrades that were so popular in the FRNC-5PC v9.0 release: the QuickEdit window, graphical output functionality, and more.

Finally, PFR has improved the technical accuracy of REFORM-3PC through such improvements as the addition of variable terrace wall heights and a required tube wall thickness calculation.

For a full list of the enhancements available in REFORM-3PC v8.0, please click the link below.

REFORM-3PC v8.0 Enhancements

If you would like additional information about REFORM-3PC v8.0 or any of the other PFR Engineering software products, please email us at query@pfrengineering.com

On February 22, 2014, PFR Engineering Systems, Inc. will mark it’s 40^th year in business.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our present and past customers for their business, support & loyalty, without which PFR Engineering could not have reached this milestone.

On April 1st, 2013, PFR Engineering released FRNC-5PC v9.0.  Version 9.0 includes a number of enhancements, upgrades and new features.  Users will see significant increases in productivity and functionality in this exciting release:

1. “QuickEdit” Feature – The “QuickEdit” feature is a significant upgrade to the graphical user interface (GUI).  The middle pane of the GUI, which traditionally displayed information about the selected input screen, is now editable, saving time and mouse-clicks.  Users can edit fields without having to double-click into the input screen and shuffle through window tabs.
2. “QuickAdd” feature – Users can now add features (Fireboxes, Coils, etc.) with a single mouse-click in the QuickEdit window.
3. Graphical output functionality – The graphing function allows users to plot any two variables from the tube-by-tube output, giving them the ability to quickly and easily evaluate their results visually.  Graphing functionality is also available for physical property grids.
4. Added flexibility in modeling complex flue gas flow paths – This feature allows users to keep flue gas streams separate through parallel furnace sections.  Users can now easily model a number of new scenarios that previously couldn’t be done in a single case.  For example, multiple heaters with a common stack or air preheater can now be modeled in a single case.
5. API Heater data sheet output
6. Model “once-through”, boiler-type tube configuration with a single Coil Section
7. Allow Firebox O₂ concentration to be specified on wet or dry basis
8. Option to fix the Air Preheater flue gas exit temperature
9. Allow users to enter a separate “Average radiating temperature to bridgewall temperature difference” for each Firebox
10. Add ESCOA 2002 Heat Transfer and Pressure Drop correlations for finned and studded tubes
11. Allow β (free refractory to equivalent cold-plane area ratio) input for convective coils
12. Allow removal of flue gas at any point in heater via negative gas stream option
13. Expanded Physical Property Grids
14. New Fitting/Header input interface
15. Calculate Firebox Heat Losses based on insulation parameters, Firebox Casing temperature, and Firebox average refractory temperature
16. User-input multiplier for heat loss calculation for any Furnace Section
17. Allow Fuel Flow Rate to be input in S.I. units
18. Expand length of Input/Output file names to 255 characters
19. Allow Fuel Flow Rate to be input in S.I. units
20. Expand length of Input/Output file names to 255 characters

If you would like additional information about FRNC-5PC v9.0 or any of the other PFR Engineering software products, please email us at query@pfrengineering.com

On February 1st, 2012, PFR Engineering released REFORM-3PC v7.0.  Version 7.0 includes several important updates to the REFORM-3PC computer program:

1. Overhauled the Licensing System to discontinue the hard lock security keys.  Now the program is protected by a software security lock.  The program is activated by entering a product activation key which will be verified automatically via Internet on PFR’s server.  The license is good for a particular PC only and can not be shared or passed around (unless it is a network license.)  In this way, users can better control the program’s usage within their company.
2. Changed program architecture such that administrative rights are no longer needed to run the program.  The INI file and all required files are now stored and accessed in the Install directory.  The program does not need access to the WINDOWS directory nor to the SYSTEM directory.  Program can now be successfully installed in any Install directory that the user chooses. This new installation procedure overcomes many of the problems associated with the tighter security controls and permissions instituted by Win 7.
3. Added a warning that informs the user when his license has less than 30 days before it expires.
4. Fixed a printout problem which gave an incorrect heat loss result for the transfer line between the primary and secondary reformer when the user does not input a value for the temperature drop in the transfer line.
5. Numerous programming changes to accommodate the latest C++ Compilers and the latest Fortran compilers.

If you would like additional information about REFORM-3PC v7.0 or any of the other PFR Engineering software products, please email us at query@pfrengineering.com