Fossil Fuel Combustion Processes

It is relevant to quote one of the main conclusions of the year 1989 World Energy Conference in Montreal: “Fossil fuels will carry on meeting most of the worlds rising energy demand”. We must therefore be committed to employing them more rationally. This needs a thorough perceptive of combustion phenomena, careful design of combustion devices, and fine-tuned process of the combustion tool.

One of the maximum opportunities for industrial fuel conservation is given by enhanced combustion efficiency of the fuel-burning tools in energy systems like boilers, procedure dryers, heaters, kilns, incinerators, steam generators, and so on. The most significant factor in optimizing combustion is to make sure that the correct mixture of fuel and air is supplied to the combustion procedure.

Whereas, hypothetically, ideal “stoichiometric” combustion must take place whenever the chemically accurate oxygen is supplied to the combustion procedure, the following primary considerations contribute to “incomplete” combustion:

• Chemical equilibrium
• Chemical kinetics

Additionally, the following practical variables might adversely affect combustion:

• Air and fuel pressure
• Air and fuel temperature
• Humidity  
• Type of fuel  
• Heat of combustion  
• Moisture
• Specific gravity
• Viscosity
• Ash content
• Burner condition
• Fan condition
• Linkage wear
• Fire box design