Industrial Burners | Aluminum Industry FAQs

Below is a list of frequently asked questions about industrial burners and combustion systems in regards to the aluminum industry.

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Question: How can I increase my furnace efficiency?

Answer: A number of variables must be looked at. Burner air preheat is one – a cold air burner is less efficient than a hot air burner. Regenerative burners offer the highest air preheats, often within 300°F of the furnace temperature. Recuperative burners offer lower air preheats.

Burner placement on the furnace is another – appropriately positioned burners help to maximize heat transfer to metal and minimize heat loss out the flue.

Furnace pressure control also affects efficiency.

A thorough analysis of each furnace design must be done to optimize its efficiency.

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Question: What is typically required for maintenance on a cold air system?

Answer: For a melter, check the port and baffle for pluggage due to metal splash. For all furnaces, verify that safety systems (shut off valves etc.) are functioning properly. Periodic lubrication of valves should be performed per manufacturer’s specifications. Check that air to fuel ratio is within operating specifications. Check flame safety system is operating properly per manufacturer’s specifications.

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Question: What is typically required for maintenance on a recuperative burner system?

Answer: In addition to the checks given above for a cold air system, the recuperator must be checked for cracks, significant air leaks which can affect furnace perfomance, especially with cold side metering. Ensure your system is tuned correctly because savings can be substantial.

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Question: What is typically required for maintenance on a regenerative burner system?

Answer: Periodic cleaning of the media beds may be required, depending on fluxing practices. Preventive maintenance should include greasing of all butterfly valves, verification that all cycle valves and trim valves are operational, flame safety system checkout, etc.

Improvements in regenerative system applications and designs have significantly reduced maintenance issues with these systems.

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Question: What is a regenerative system?

Answer: A regenerative system is comprised of one or more pairs of burners which alternately fire and exhaust furnace gases and the accompanying control system. The burners, when firing, act much like a recuperative burner with extremely high air preheat temperatures. When exhausting, the burner air and gas flows are shut off and a suction fan pulls exhaust gases through the burner and through the attached media case which acts as a heat retention device. The media within the case then acts as a heat exchanger in the firing cycle, providing the high air preheats. Regenerative burners are available with lower NOx emissions than comparable cold air burners; overall NOx production can be reduced significantly through reduced fuel used due to increased efficiency (from the 40% range for cold air firing to the 70-80% range for regenerative firing).

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