The Complete Guide to Industrial Burner

What is Industrial Burner?

From a basic point of view, industrial burners are devices employed to mix fuel and air (or oxygen) to perform controlled combustion while providing a distinct flame and heat-release pattern. The generated heat is used to manage the temperature within a combustion chamber to the application setpoints. If you’re unfamiliar with industrial process equipment, industrial burners might look otherworldly. Burners and Boilers are often used interchangeably, but there are significant differences between these two industrial equipment. Here we will take a closer look at industrial burners’ applications and functions.

From the outside, burners might look like a bunch of metal to an inexperienced eye. However, there is an array of processes taking place inside the burner. Oxygen mixes with fuel in the device to obtain controlled combustion. The burner tip injects fuel into the system, which is required for the heat process. The burner provides a unique flame and heat-release pattern that can be regulated within the combustion chamber, making it perfect for manufacturing, heating, melting, and steam production.

Industrial burner retrofits or upgrades can provide emissions reduction, energy savings, and increased controllability without the extra expense of renewing the entire boiler. If the boiler is in good working condition and has been routinely maintained, simply updating or replacing the burner can be a cost-effective answer to upgrading your boiler’s operation. The variety includes conventional burners, low NOx, Ultra-Low NOx and duct burners for different applications. It would help if you kept in mind that fuel, capacity, and emissions requirements are essential criteria in deciding the burner that best satisfies your application.

What is Industrial Burner Types?

Burners usually include the following types:

• Regenerative.
• Cold air (ambient air).
• Hot air (recuperative).
• Oxy-fuel.

Most people know the cold-air burners kind. Among these are the burners seen on domestic devices such as ranges and gas furnaces.

Hot-air burners utilize primary heat-exchanger equipment to preheat inlet combustion air.

Regenerative burners use a pair of burners that vary between exhausting and firing. We can reach higher air preheats by using an integral regenerative media box/heat exchanger.

Oxy-fuel firing employs pure oxygen to burn with the fuel rather than combustion air. Oxy-fuel firing burners have high thermal efficiency, low fuel usage and less CO2 emissions. However, the operating expenses are typically higher because of the cost of supplying oxygen.

Various types of technologies and types are available within each of the four categories presented. Good burner aspects will moderate the negative features for the four options. Environmental requirements, increase in production, cost restrictions, and reliability necessities have made burner manufacturers develop innovative technologies. For example, regenerative technologies have improved dramatically. Ultra-low-NOX designs were designed to meet industry demands.

What is Industrial Burner Working Principles?

When we ask about the working principles, the burners burning the fuel in a controlled situation and transferring the generated heat homogeneously to the presented channel is done with a combustion chamber. The produced heat energy by the flame is transferred to the point where the power is required through a combustion chamber.

The burner has a motor powered by electrical energy to run the fan for feeding combustion air to the burner. For the liquid fuel burners, the engine also transfers the fuel to the oil pump and then to the fuel nozzle at high pressure.

Fuel is stored under control in gas burners with solenoid valves and regulators. There is a high-voltage transformer for creating the spark required for the first ignition. By reaching the fuel to the ignition head, the blown air to the combustion in the main body of the burner combines homogeneously by the turbulence system, and the ignition and combustion take place.

An electronic Combustion Control Relay controls pre-sweeping, ignition time, flame control, fuel amount, on-off or gradual or proportional operation of the burner safely in the appropriate time and steps.

By regulating air and fuel mixtures, the maximum efficiency is obtained by making delicate adjustments with the tools on the burner to guarantee safe and effective combustion.

The electronic progress in burning control, the production of new devices and fuel-air mixtures at the best level due to the Uret turbulence systems have decreased the exhaust gas emissions to a minimum, and the produced heat has been greatly improved.

How do I Choose an Industrial Burner?

With so many different applications and the expanded complexity of processes, selecting the best burner for a heat processing application can be challenging. However, Careful selection can prevent downtime and may lead to saving money.

Choosing the proper burner for a unique application takes practice, and You should consider quite a few variables to ensure a proper operation of the burner.

Calculate Capacity_ capacity is known as burner rating and is determined as the range between the maximum and minimum BTUs released from a burner with a steady flame and proper combustion.

When choosing a burner, make sure that any burner types you consider have enough capacity for the particular process. Too small capacity can lead to a less workload and stop the combustion system from reaching the necessary temperature. Low power can lead to downtime as a result, which hits a company’s financials directly. Too much capacity could mean overkill for an application, meaning you are spending for a burner, not applying it to the power level it was designed for. Understanding the capacity demands and guaranteeing the burner can meet them will support us to prevent problems with production.

Take Turn Down into Account_ Similar to burner capacity, it is essential to know what turndown performance is required for a particular application. The ratio of maximum capacity to the minimum capacity is known as burner turndown. For example, suppose you have a burner with a maximum capacity of 10 million BTU/hr and a minimum 100,000 BTU/hr capacity. So, it means that your turndown ratio is 10:1.

Turndown is a burner’s ability to manage various load sizes. The turndown for a burner needs to be equal to or greater than the turndown that is wanted for a particular application. Not having sufficient turndown can cause damage and problems to the process.

Tote Up Temperature Needs_ The third section of consideration in burner selection is the process temperature. The selected burner must have temperature performance to satisfy the requirements of the application. Burners are classified into two types: low temperature and high temperature. Low-temperature burners work principally below 1000°F (538°C).

Ponder Process Details_ Except for the temperature and the burner, it also is essential to understand the features of the process and all the specific requirements. For example, if the circumstances warranted an indirect fire system, an easy way to reach this goal is to fire into tubes. Tube firing is not feasible with every burner, so it is vital to know the method in detail. They can be a critical factor in burner selection.

Figure Out Flame Geometry_ When selecting a burner, ensure that burner has the proper flame geometry to fit a specific chamber. For example, a long flame can cause impingement. The burner guidebook can help you decide the appropriate geometry.

In addition, when firing into a chamber, it is essential to be aware of cross velocities and backpressure. Back Pressure can influence overall burner performance. Too much back pressure can prevent air or gas from flowing to a burner. Cross velocity causes lighting and flame stability issues, but it can be restricted by employing a secondary sleeve.

Master Mounting_ One of the most simple but often neglected areas of proper burner performance and maintenance is mounting. Two types include in-duct and wall-mount burners.

• Wall-mounted burners are more straightforward to access, allowing easier maintenance. However, wall-mounted burners lead to being affected by cross velocities.
• In-duct burners are inserted in the duct, which means it is more challenging to access. However, they are suited to manage the cross-velocity issues related to wall-mounted burners.

The particular application will help define the mounting required.

Investigate Ignition_ Ignition is an extra point of consideration that looks obvious, but it is often ignored. Either pilot or direct spark can light burners, while some burners provide both methods. But same as in many other cases, the application itself will prescribe which way is best.

In conclusion, several unique considerations should be kept in mind when choosing a burner. Aside from the burner features outlined, other factors influencing burner pick are:

• Relevant national standards and codes.
• Available emissions requirements.
• Fuel type.
• Area rating (for example, hazardous duty).

Some items are listed in the product instructions. Others might not be so clear or are more in-depth.