Combustion,Burners&

Furnaces

AncientSriLankanFurnaces
MonsoonSteel!

SmallScaleVersions

Thebasicconceptofafurnace

ClassificationofFurnaces

ModernIronSmeltingBlastFurnace

AbrahamDarbyspioneeringfurnace

OtherTypes

RegenerativeGlassSmelter
Flashfurnaceforalumina,limeorcement

mixedfeedvertical
shaftlimekiln
FlashSmelterforCopperSmelting

Reducingkiln(mineralsandsindustry)

CombustioninFurnaces
Fuelisadmittedthroughburners togenerateheat
Itisnecessarytoensurethatadequate airissuppliedforcompletemixing
andthattheburnerisdesignedtomixthefuelandairstreamseffectively
andefficiently
Atthesametimetheamountofexcessairshouldbeassmallaspossible to
maximizethermalefficiencyandminimizetheproductionofsome
pollutants.
Somesmallburnersaredesignedtopremixthefuelandairpriortoignition,
butmostindustrialburnersaredesignedfordiffusionmixing
Inadiffusionburner,anyairthatispremixedwith,orconveys,thefuelis
termedprimaryair.
Thebalanceoftheairrequiredforcombustionissuppliedthroughoneor
moreseparatechannelsorductsand,dependingontheirrelativelocations
withrespecttothefueljet,aretermedassecondary,tertiary,etc.,air.

EntrainmentofAir&BurningFuel

Theinitialjetvelocityisnormallyhighenoughtoproduceaturbulentflowstream.
Frictionoccursbetweentheboundaryofthejetanditssurroundings,causingthe
surroundingfluidtobelocallyacceleratedtothejetvelocity.
Theacceleratedairisthenpulledintothejet,thusexpandingit.Thisprocessis
knownasentrainment.
Themomentumfluxofthejetcontrolstheamountofairentrained,andthe
processcontinuesuntilthevelocityofthejetisthesameasthatofits
surroundings.

Theentrainmentrateofafreejet:
.

0.32

=massflowrateofjetfluidatthenozzle
=massflowrateofjetfluidatdistance
fromnozzleduetoentrainment
=densityofnozzlejetfluid
=densityofentrainedfluid
=diameterofnozzle.
Q. Assuming complete combustion at 10% excess air
conditions what will be the length of a raw natural gas
flame issuing into stagnant air with a density of 1.2928
kg/Nm3 , at the same temperature, at a rate of 1.5 kg/s
through a 100 mm diameter nozzle?

1.5 kg/s
0 0.7615 kg/Nm3
1 1.2928 kg/Nm3
0 100 mm
1.5

1.5

1.1

9.751

.
.

The stoichiometric air requirement of the natural gas is

9.751 m3/m3 , with a density of 0.7615 kg/Nm3 .

0.32

28.81
1.5

0.32

1.2928
0.7615

0.1

4.6

28.81 kg/s

TypicalBurnerDesigns

(partial)PremixGasBurner

TypicalFurnaceOilBurner(watercooled)

GasBurnerTypes
Premixedburners fuelandmostoftheairaremixedtogetherpriorto
passingthroughthenozzle.
Turbulentjetdiffusionburners fuelandmostoftheairareintroduced
separatelyandaremixedwithinthefurnace.Combustionisthencontrolled
bytherateatwhichtheairmixeswiththefuel.
NB:Premixing&Flashback
Premixburnerwillonlyoperatewithinclearlydefinedlimits.
Sincethemixtureiswithinflammablelimits,thereistheriskthattheflame
frontwilltravelbackthoughthenozzleorflashback.
Flashbackispreventedbyacombinationoftwotechniques:
Maintaininganozzleexitvelocitythatexceedstheflamespeedofthefuel.
Usinganozzledesignthatis,ineffect,aflamearrestor.

OilBurners
Premixburnersarelimitedtoveryvolatilefuelssuchasnaphthaand
kerosenewhich,owingtotheirhighcost,havelittleindustrial
application.
Oilburnersconsistofanairregistertocontrolthecombustionair
flowandameansofstabilizingtheflameandtheatomizer.Anigniter
mayalsobeprovidedtoassiststartup.
Theatomizerisacriticalcomponentofanoilburner

Atomizers

Classificationofoil
burnersbyatomizer
type

Atomizers
Contd.,

Examplesofmedium
pressureandtwinfluid
atomizers

FlowAcrossAtomizers
Theflowthroughpressurejetatomizersisgivenbyamodifiedversion
ofBernoullisequation:
.
Q=theflowrate/

=exitorficediameter/ =thefuelsupplypressure/ =aconstant

Itiscommonintheindustrialfieldtocombinetheconstant, ,and
,intoasingleconstantthatcharacterizesthe
theorificediameter,
atomizer.ThisconstantisknownastheflownumberFN:
.

Thedropsizeproducedbyapressurejetatomizerisstrongly
dependentonthefuelviscosityandthesurfacetension.

CoalBurners

Typicalopenendedpipe
kilnburnerarrangement

Typicalpulverizedcoalburnerwithauxiliaryoil
firingforrotarykilns

Furnaces

TypesBasedonDraught

ABoxTypeNaturalDraughtFurnace

AnInducedDraughtFurnace

TypesBasedonDraughtcontd.,

AForcedDraughtFurnace

ABalancedDraughtFurnace

TypesBasedonConfiguration

TypesBasedonConfigurationcontd.,

TypicalBurner/FiringArrangements

AirPreheatingArrangementsinFurnaces

ThermalConsiderations

HeatTransferinFurnaces
Convective Heat Transfer
Radiative Heat Transfer

Moleculesandatomsemitelectromagneticwaveswhenathighenergylevels
correspondingtohightemperatures;thisreleaseofenergyallowsfortheatomor
moleculetoreturntoalowerenergystate.
CombustionproductsH2OandCO2 arePolarmoleculesthatemitradiationat
elevatedtemperatures:N2 &O2 donotemitradiation.

Q.
A small oxidized horizontal metal tube is placed in a very large furnace enclosure with
firebrick walls. The metal tube has an outside diameter of 1 inch, a length of 2ft, a
surface emissivity of 0.6, and its surface is maintained at 600oF. The hot air in the
furnace is at 1500oF and the furnace brick walls are at 1350oF. The convection heat
transfer coefficient for the horizontal tube is 2.8 Btu/h.ft2.oF
[ = 1.714109 BTU hr1 ft2 R4]
Calculate the percent of total heat transferred by radiation

FlameTemperature
Flametemperatureisthetemperatureattainedbythecombustionof
afuel.Thistemperaturedependsessentiallyonthecalorificvalueof
thefuel.
Atheoreticaloridealflametemperaturemaybecalculatedassuming
completecombustionofthefuelandperfectmixing.Butevenwhen
completecombustionisassumed,theactualflametemperature
wouldalwaysbelowerthanthetheoreticaltemperature.
Thereareseveralreasonsforthis,chieflythedissociationreactionsof
thecombustionproductsathighertemperatures(greaterthanabout
1370C),whicharehighlyendothermicandabsorbanenormous
amountofheat,andheatlossesbyradiationandconvectiontothe
wallsofthecombustionchamber.

RelatedCodes API560
DesignConsiderations
Tubes
Headers
Piping,Terminals,AndManifolds
TubeSupports
RefractoriesAndInsulation
StructuresAndAppurtenances
Stacks,Ducts,AndBreeching
Burners,Sootblowers,AndDamperControls
CentrifugalFansAndDriversForFiredHeater
Systems
InstrumentAndAuxiliaryConnections
ShopFabricationAndFieldErection
Inspection,Examination,AndTesting

Operation&Control:
FlowControl

PressureControl

TemperatureControl

CombustionAirControl

PilotGasControl

FuelGasControl

FuelOilControl

FuelControl 1

FuelControl 2

AtomizingSteamControl

EnvironmentalControl

AirPreheatingControl