About Us

FIS, Sugar Land, TX

FIS, Sugar Land, TX

Founded in 1996 in Sugar Land, Texas, Furnace Improvement Services (FIS) delivers specialized engineering and consulting services focused on improving the performance, reliability, and efficiency of fired heaters and boilers. Our mission is to help refiners lower energy costs, increase unit throughput, and reduce NOx emissions through practical, data-driven solutions.

Originally established to conduct fired heater studies and troubleshoot operational issues, FIS has grown into a full-service provider offering design, revamp, and turnkey heater supply. Since 2002, we have delivered new fired heaters on a turnkey basis—backed by deep technical expertise and a commitment to safety and performance.

With offices in Sugar Land, Texas, and New Delhi and Pune, India, our global team supports clients across the oil, gas, and petrochemical industries. 

Colorful hexagons with text outlining work principles: 'High Quality Technical Work', 'Keep Schedule', 'Do it Once, Do it Right', 'Round the Clock Work'.
A colorful infographic with four interlocking puzzle pieces, each containing different text. The green piece says 'Engineering Studies,' the blue piece says 'Fired Heater Design Training,' the yellow piece says 'Revamping Fired Heaters,' and the red piece says 'Supply of New Heaters / WHRE.'

Modern Challenges in Fired Heater Design—and FIS’s Technology Advantage

Many fired heaters today are still designed using methods rooted in 1940s-era technology. Most vendors rely on legacy design correlations developed by Lobo and Evans—despite the fact that burner technology has evolved dramatically. Over the past 75 years, the industry has moved from short-flame premix burners to advanced ultra-low NOx (ULNB) burners, which produce flames up to four times longer. These changes significantly affect heat release patterns and firebox dynamics, yet heater design practices have not kept pace. As a result, many heaters built to API 560 standards struggle with performance and reliability issues.

Furnace Improvement Services (FIS) addresses these challenges head-on. We align our heater designs with modern burner technology to deliver better performance, efficiency, and emissions control. Our patented inclined firing system is specifically engineered for ULNBs. It optimizes firebox geometry to accommodate longer flames and promotes uniform heat distribution throughout the radiant section. We also perform Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modeling as part of our standard design process to ensure optimal burner selection and performance.

All FIS-supplied heaters include these technology enhancements—at no additional cost. You don’t just get a heater; you get a modern, performance-optimized system.

Additionally, our proprietary smart damper system addresses one of the most persistent issues in heater operation: reliable draft control. Traditional dampers are often the weakest link, allowing tramp air to enter and destabilize combustion. FIS dampers feature robust construction and dual pneumatic actuators for precise, dependable draft management—eliminating tramp air and improving overall heater efficiency.