What You Need to Know About Industrial Burners

What You Need to Know About Industrial Burners: Types, Application, and More

If you’re not already familiar with industrial process equipment, industrial burners might seem otherworldly. You may even picture an old-timey steam-filled boiler room as boilers and burners are often used interchangeably in conversation. However, there are critical differences between the two pieces of industrial equipment.

In this blog, we take a closer look at industrial burners, everything from the different types, their functions, applications, and more – that way you’re better prepared when you need to upgrade your burner system. 

What are Industrial Burners?

Industrial burners are a key component of every heating system. They provide temperature control throughout entire manufacturing facilities, as well as other heating processes during manufacturing. The mechanical devices mix fuel and air together and use an ignition device to provide a platform for combustion. This means that good reliability, high efficiency, and low emission are the target for both equipment users and machinery manufacturers.

How do Industrial Burners work?

From the exterior, burners might just look like a hunk of metal to an untrained eye. However, inside the burner, there is an array of processes taking place. A burner is designed to produce a flame of a specific length, shape, and capacity. These requirements are driven by the needs of the application. Often, this means the burner is firing into a combustion chamber, perhaps alone, or perhaps with several other burners.

The device is used to mix oxygen with fuel to achieve controlled combustion. Fuel is injected into the system using a burner tip, which is essential to the heating process. The burner produces a specific flame and heat-release pattern that can be controlled within the combustion chamber, making it ideal for heating, melting, manufacturing, and steam production, among other things.

What are the Different Types of Burners?

Most people are familiar with typical cold air burners, which are found most often on residential properties. However, there is a multitude of burner types; the ones most commonly used in residential and commercial applications are:

• Cold air burners: These types of burners are found typically found in residential devices like gas ranges and furnaces.
• Hot air burners: These types of burners preheat incoming air using a central heat-exchanger device.
• Regenerative burners: These burners use a pair of burners to alternate between firing and exhausting, preheating a regenerative heat exchanger box to create hotter preheated air.
• Oxy-fuel burners: These burners use pure oxygen to burn with fuel instead of combustion air.
• Self-recuperative burners: Exhaust hot gases at the same time they are firing. The hot exhaust gas is used to preheat the combustion air, again for greater efficiency and lower emissions.
• Direct-fire burners: Designed to fire directly into the open furnace or oven.
• Indirect-fire burners: Designed to fire into radiant tubes. The heat radiates from the tube to increase the furnace temperature. This method is used in applications where the products of combustion must not come in contact with the work product, or if the work product is liquid or semi-solid.
• Package burners: Typically contain all necessary components for safe operation in one easy-to-install package. The blower is mounted directly to the burner, as is the fuel manifold. The installer mounts the burner, connects the fuel, and should be ready to start.

Every industrial heating boiler commonly used in heating processes relies on an industrial burner. Industrial burners allow different types of facilities to control an open flame for a wide range of applications. Burners are most commonly used in industrial settings for heating purposes, as a means to generate steam or supply thermal energy, or applied in manufacturing processes and industries — including automotive, major appliances, food and beverage, petrochemical, power, chemical, and more.

Additionally, they are used for other applications, such as:

• Providing heat to boiler systems
• Welding
• Heating liquids/fluids
• Creating chemical reactions
• Melting metals
• Recycling
• Glass blowing

Benefits and Drawbacks of Industrial Burners

Like any other industrial equipment piece, there are benefits and drawbacks to using industrial burners in your facility. One main reason that their use is so widespread across industries is the power of their performance. Industrial burners allow for the rapid production of heat and energy compared to other heating solutions.

Industrial burners are also great for a broad range of applications because they allow for overarching control of heat levels and production. The type and level of combustion produced by the burner are also able to be controlled. This way, they can be used across a variety of applications within your facility.

Another great thing about industrial burners is that they require very little maintenance over time. The major drawback of the system is that when care is necessary, it can be extremely costly. Facilities should factor in potential unforeseen problems so that the repairs don’t overtake the budget or cause significant downtime.

There is a wide range of reasons to upgrade your current industrial burner equipment, but one of the most critical considerations is productivity levels. It’s often cited that increased heat levels allow for maximized production, mainly when your facility’s processes include melting different metals. By installing efficient, industry-leading process equipment in your facility, you can quickly increase productivity levels and significantly reduce your bottom line.

Selecting the Right Industrial Burner

When it comes down to it, your burner is an essential part of your facility’s operations. If it’s no longer operating up to par, it is probably time to consider replacing your existing burner equipment.

During the selection process, you have to ask yourself: What am I trying to achieve using my new industrial burner? Are you aiming to increase production, reduce fuel consumption and emissions, improve the machinery’s reliability, or mitigate maintenance costs? There are several ways to apply the benefits of an industrial burner to your facility’s processes.

Once you have a clear understanding of your industrial burner’s application within your facility, you can select the right industrial burner to improve your processes significantly. When choosing your next industrial burner, consider the following components:

• Capacity
• Turndown performance
• Flame geometry
• Temperature
• Mounting
• Ignition