TABLE OF CONTENTS A burner is a device for liberating heat by the combustion of fuel. Fuels are predominantly hydrocarbons, which release their heat exothermically when oxidized in a controlled manner. The most freely available oxidant is air, which contains only 21% oxygen, the remaining 79% being nitrogen which does not contribute to the process. The nitrogen, because it is heated at the same time, reduces the maximum flame temperature that would have been possible with a pure oxidant. Similarly, the combustion products, when discharged from the process, contain the inert nitrogen, which increases the volume of the gases and hence the sensible heat loss.
A burner, then, comprises a means to inject the fuel, a fan to provide the air for the combustion reaction, a register or flame stabilizer assembly which provides for the mixing of air and fuel and the stability of the flame, and a means for controlling the air-fuel ratio and fuel input. In addition, on automatic burners, a burner management system is necessary to ensure programmed start up and shut down together with supervision while firing via a flame detection system and interlocks to prove that certain parameters are maintained such as air and fuel pressure. An almost infinite number of types of burner have developed over the years, but broad categories exist characterized by the type of fuel being burnt, the principle of the fuel injection and mixing system, and often the application for which they were designed. The...
