Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Agenda
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Introduction
Air/Fuel Ratios
Fundamentals of Burners
Fundamentals of Furnaces
Furnace Tuning and Use of Analyzer
NOx and Advanced Burner Design
Field Tuning of Heaters
Q & A and Wrap-up
Course Objective
To ensure that everyone fully
Course Topics
Combustion Essentials
Basic Burner Designs
Furnace Types
Draught
Heater Tuning
Low NOx Burner Designs
Combustion Essentials
What is Combustion?
A chemical reaction between fuel and
oxygen producing heat.
Air is usually the source of oxygen.
The chemical reaction produces flue
gases
Fuel Components
Gas, Oil and Coal are all basically a
mix of Hydrocarbons.
During combustion these break down
progressively as some parts burn
more easily.
The most important components are
Carbon and Hydrogen compounds.
Other Components
In addition to the Carbon and
Chemical Formulas
In formulas we will use the following basic
components
Carbon = C
Hydrogen = H2
Oxygen = O2
Nitrogen = N2
Water = H2O
Carbon Dioxide = CO2
Methane = CH4
Note on Calculations
Each component in a formula is a Molecule
(of gas)
A Molecule of any gas occupies the same
Volume
The number of Molecules is therefore the
same as the number of Volumes
All calculations are therefore Volumetric,
including measured Gas Analyses
e.g. 2 CO = 2 volumes of CO
Heat
Where does the heat come from?
Heat
+
C + O2
CO2
Examples Of Combustion
For Basic Fuel Components
with Air
C + O2 + 3.75N2 CO2 + 3.75N2
2H2 + O2 + 3.75N2 2H2O + 3.75N2
S + O2 + 3.75N2 SO2 + 3.75N2
Example - Combustion Of
Methane
+ Heat
Stoichiometry
The technical term used to define the
theoretical amount of air or oxygen
required for complete combustion of
a fuel is the Stoichiometric ratio.
e.g. - for a typical Natural Gas the
Stoichiometric Ratio is approximately
10 volumes of Air to one of Gas.
Excess Air
Because of many factors, including
Stoichiometric Air
Example
Sample Points
On-Line Analysis
The oxygen analyser is located in the
stack.
This analyser measures in the gas
stream, so it indicates what we call a
WET analysis since water vapour is
present.
Air leaks between the firebox and
stack affect the readings.
23222524
30183271
Hydrogen (H2)
275325
Carbon Monoxide (CO)321
321
Wobbe Index
This is a factor used in the design of
Premix Burners only.
It is based on Calorific Value and
Density.
If 2 gases have the same Wobbe
index they should work equally well
in the same premix burner.
Products Of Combustion
Water Vapour - H2O
Carbon Dioxide - CO2
Sulphur Dioxide - SO2, SO3
Carbon Monoxide - CO
Unburned Hydrocarbons - UBC
Nitrogen Oxides - NO, NO2
Flame Speed
Another important factor in
1.48
Ethane
2.30
Propane
2.78
Butane
2.85
Hydrogen
9.30
Carbon Monoxide
1.70
So
why
have
burners?
Process Heater
Burners
Natural Draught
Air is pulled through the burner by draft
created by the heat in the furnace and
stack (explained in a later section).
Since air velocity is low we need to use
the energy in the gas (typically at 1
barg) to improve the gas/air mixing.
We have 2 basic ways we do this.
Premix Burners
Fuel pressure drop occurs in the gas jet.
Gas velocity in venturi induces part of
the air so air flow adjusts with gas flow.
Fuel and primary air mix before the
nozzle.
Secondary air mixes in burner throat.
All domestic gas burners are premix,
including cooking appliances.
Premix Burner
Disadvantages
Can only accept small variations in
GAS NOZZLE
FLAME
HOLDER
separately or together.
Inner tile stabilizes oil flame with controlled
primary air.
Gas burners stabilize in secondary tile throat.
Oil guns remove easily for cleaning while gas
burners are in service.
Gas burners can also be maintained while oil
burners are in service.
GAS TIPS
Combination Burner
Limitations
Oil guns need frequent maintenance.
Oil firing problems can cause fouling
of gas tips.
Total capacity of burner is set by air
flow available, so firing gas and oil at
the same time requires both fuels to
be limited to give correct total Heat
Flow.
Gas pilots
Most process burners use a pilot to
Pilot Burner
Furnaces
A furnace is basically an insulated box lined
with tubes containing the process fluid.
We fire burners inside the box to heat the
tubes by a mixture of radiation and
convection heat transfer.
There are many different furnace designs
depending on the process application and
the companies involved.
The next 2 slides show some basic types.
Heater Types
Heater Types
Heater Parts
Burner Locations
Depending on the heater layout burners
Heat Transfer
(a) - Radiation
In the firebox we get heat transferred
Heat Transfer
(b) - Convection
Hot gases passing over tube surfaces
Process Flow
In most heaters the coolest fluid is
Furnace Draught
Natural Draught burners depend on the air
flow being created by the difference in air
pressure between the inside of the heater
and outside.
The reason the pressure is different is that
the air inside the heater is hotter than the
air outside.
Since hot air is lighter it rises and reduces
the pressure inside the heater.
Furnace Draught
Typically the temperature in a firebox
is 500 - 800C.
At this temperature the draft increases
by about 2.5 mm water for every 3
metres of firebox height.
If we have a convection section we
need more draught above it to
overcome the pressure drop through
the tube bank.
10ft
column of
cold air
=
0.15w.g.
Furnace Draught
The temperature in the stack is
More on Draught
We need just enough air to burn our
fuel properly.
We do not want any air to get in
except through the burners.
Any air which does not pass through
the burners just absorbs some of the
heat available and throws it away up
the stack.
Smallest
Draught
Heater Tuning
Before Tuning
Before tuning make a full check of
Heater Tuning
TARGET
OXYGEN
23%
START
CHECK DRAFT
HIGH
LOW
CHECK O2
CHECK O2
TARGET
HIGH
LOW
HIGH
LOW
CLOSE STACK
DAMPER
OPEN AIR
REGISTERS
CLOSE AIR
REGISTERS
OPEN STACK
DAMPER
RETURN TO START
RETURN TO START
CHECK O2
HIGH
CLOSE AIR
REGISTERS
LOW
ON TARGET
RETURN TO START
OPEN AIR
REGISTERS
RETURN TO START
GOOD OPERATION
START
TARGET
OXYGEN
23%
CHECK DRAFT
TARGET
CHECK O2
HIGH
CLOSE AIR
REGISTERS
LOW
ON TARGET
RETURN TO START
OPEN AIR
REGISTERS
RETURN TO START
GOOD OPERATION
Heater Tuning
Heater Tuning
Heater Start-up
During start-up draught is low as
Heater Tuning
Fuel Gas Valves
light-off.
If any valves are not completely open then the burners are
not all firing at the same rate.
Gas pressure trip settings are established on the basis that
valves are fully open.
If a trip setting interferes during normal operation it should
be checked and may be changed, provided that the burner
stability is checked at the revised setting.
If an individual burner gives a problem with the valve open
then the problem should be investigated. On many burners
there are small gas jets which can plug easily and will affect
flame stability.
2.
Heater Tuning
Heater Tuning
Heater Tuning
Summary
firebox.
We need all the burners in each heater to be
operating with the same amount of fuel and air.
This means air doors set equally, gas valves full
open, and clean gas tips.
If there is a stack damper, it should normally be
set to give a draft of 0.1 maximum at the heater
arch.
Some heaters may still need more draft to get
enough air through the burners.
NOx Formation in
Combustion
In ambient conditions
Nitrogen is an inert
gas
NOx Formation in
Combustion
In hot flames we get
Thermal NOx
Fuel NOx
Thermal NOx
Created from atmospheric Nitrogen
Formation controlled by the breaking of N2 molecules
to reactive nitrogen atoms by the supply of heat.
The N atoms then react with available Oxygen to form
NO.
Thermal NOx formation rate is dependent
on peak flame temperature and oxygen availability.
Controlling Reactions
Thermal NOx
NOx definitions
The primary component formed in a flame is NO.
In the atmosphere this NO converts to NO2, which
Fuel NOx
Some fuels contain fixed Nitrogen as
Reducing Flame
Temperature
Slow down fuel / air mixing
Inject cooler inert gases into the flame
(steam or recycled flue gas)
Increase the excess air
Reduce air below stoichiometric
Sub-Stoichiometric Primary
Combustion
Presence of CO and H2
Flame Cooling in Second Stage
Works with Gas or Oil
Long Flames
Complicated Air Adjustment
Fuel Composition affects
Performance
Higher Excess Air Required
Limited NOx Reduction
Flame
Combustion Product Injection
"Compact Flame
Tolerates gas variations
3. Combustion Product
Injection
Secondary gas pokers are above the
burner tile
They induce furnace gases into the
Secondary flame
Oxygen is reduced but temperature
increases, maintaining flame
dimensions well
4. Compact Flame
High excess air primary flame gives
strong core to flame
Controlled secondary mixing and
recirculation keeps flame relatively
compact
Turndown is limited
Stability sometimes a problem
Small Gas Port Size
Effectiveness of NOx reduction
depends on fuel properties
Recycle Gas
Flue Gas
Burner
Recycle Gas
Furnace
the furnace
Cooler gases travel down wall around
tubes to the floor
Gases have only Excess Oxygen and
relatively low temperature
Lighter fuel gases run at higher pressure /
velocity, maintaining recirculation levels
Flame Retention
Primary gas induces inert gas into the
burner throat.
Flame holder mixes limited air with fuel
and recirculated gases to give a fuel-rich
zone around the outside of the flame
holder for high stability
Balance of air passes through centre of
flame holder to mix into the primary flame
Staged Fuel
Staged fuel induces more inert gases
into flame
Mixing is delayed by the fuel-rich
zone on the outside of the primary
flame