Abstract: When the radiant furnace tubes of the ethylene cracking furnace operate for a long time under severe working conditions, the failure mechanism involves tube carburization, bulging deformation, crack fracture, etc.; the bulging phenomenon of the tubes is more obvious in cracking furnaces with gasphase feedstock.With the occurrence of furnace tube bulging, the risk of penetrating cracks in the furnace tube is elevated, which could lead to emergency shutdown of the unit. In order to effectively mitigate such risks, one petrochemical company employed an intelligent inspection system to carry out comprehensive crawling inspections on furnace tubes during cracker maintenance and for the first time obtained the surface information such as bulging data for the entire domain of the furnace tubes in service for ethylene cracking in the industry.Through a crossanalysis of furnace tube bulging and carburization data, the close correlation between bulging and carburization is further validated. In addition, the above inspection data can be utilized to optimize production process parameters and prepare datadriven plans for furnace maintenance and tube replacement, providing data support for enhancing production efficiency and reducing shutdown risks.

Key words: ethylene cracker, furnace tube bulging, intelligent inspection