Burner fuel, properties

Desired burner fuel performance characteristics and fuel properties which affect performance are provided in TABLE 3-17. 

Table VI shows the range of properties of grades 1, 2, and 4 burner fuel oils marketed in the United States in 1974 (9). Most of these fuels were also marketed as diesel fuels (JJ,9). The shale-oil types C-B and T-T diesel fuels would, respectively, fit with the grades 1 and 2 burner fuels. The shale-oil S-M diesel fuel would also fit with the grade 2 burner fuels. The shale-oil fuel oil fraction had a distillation range resembling the grade 2 fuels, but its viscosity was intermediate between those of the grade 2 and grade 4 fuels.

TABLE VI. - Range of properties of distillate burner fuels produced in the United States during 1974... 

Van de Kamp, W. L., and Daimon, J. "Cemflame 2 Further studies on the Effect of Burner Design Variables and Fuel Properties on the Characteristics of Cement Kiln Flames." International Hame Research Foundation Doc No. F/97/y/3, Livorno, Italy, 1997. 

All these properties depend on the furnace configuration (refer to Figure 3.4), burners, fuel type and how the firing is carried out. The major part of the energy is transferred by radiation, so the furnace acts as... 

The major U.S. manufacturers of coal-fired burners have put significant effort into design improvements (particularly in materials). Results with low-NO coal-fired burners have been mixed. NO, reduction is a function of boiler geometry, fuel properties, and boiler operation. Not all existing boilers can be economically retrofitted with low-NO coal-fired burners. The retrofit can be complicated and may require windbox redesign. Operation and maintenance of low-NO coal-fired burners requires more operator attention and upgrading to microprocessor-based burner controls is advisable. Also, low-NO, coal-fired burners may increase CO and unbumed carbon emissions. 

For other physical properties, the specification differences between diesel fuel and home-heating oil are minimal. Note only that there is no minimum distillation end point for heating oil, undoubtedly because tbe problem of particulate emissions is much less critical in domestic burners than in an engine. 

The properties linked to storage and distribution do not directly affect the performance of engines and burners, but they are important in avoiding upstream incidents that could sometimes be very serious. We will examine in turn the problems specific to gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel and heavy fuel. 

CTF 50 and 400 indicate approximate preheat temperature, F, for atomization of fuel in burners (terminology used in British Standard B.S. 1469). Properties depend on distillation range, as shown, and to a lesser extent on coal source. 

Viscosity is an important property of residual fuel oils, as it provides information on the ease (or otherwise) with which a fuel can be transferred from storage tank to burner system under prevailing temperature and pressure conditions. Viscosity data also indicate the degree to which a fuel oil needs to be preheated to obtain the correct atomizing temperature for efficient combustion. Most residual fuel oils function best when the burner input viscosity lies within a certain specified range. 

No. 2 fuel oil has properties similar to those of diesel fuel and heavy jet fuel used in burners where complete vaporization is not... 

As for similar additives for jet and gas-turbine fuels, the literature is sparse on those distillate fuel-oil additives reported to have definite beneficial influence on actual combustion and is confined largely to claims that certain stability improvers also reduce carbon deposits in preheaters and on burner tips. However, a recent report indicates that ferrocene has recently been groomed for a job as combustion catalyst in home heaters (15). As mentioned previously, this substance is reported to have excellent properties for prevention of carbon formation (2). 

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