100 Energy Conservation Guidebook

FUEL OIL-BURNING SYSTEMS

Fuel oil is a very common form of fossil fuel that can be effectively
burned to produce heat. Comfort heating systems that employ this type
of fuel are found widely in commercial, industrial, and residential build-
ings today. The use of fuel oil is primarily the result of convenience and
the cleanliness of oil when compared with coal. In the northeastern sec-
tion of the United States, fuel oil is a major source of energy for many
comfort heating systems.
Fuel oil is a by-product of petroleum refining. It is graded according
to the amount of distillation performed during its production. Grades
range from 1 to 6 with the number 3 omitted. Lower-grade numbers
contain fewer impurities and are more expensive. Number 1 and 2 oil
is best suited for comfort heating system applications. No. 1 fuel oil pro-
duces 133,000 to 137,000 Btu/gal, with No. 2 developing approximately
136,000 to 142,000 Btu/gal. Higher-numbered oil grades are thicker,
produce higher Btu/gal values, and are used primarily in industrial
heating applications.
Heat produced by natural gas or fuel oil is achieved by essentially
the same basic type of system components. This includes such things
as a burner, fuel igniter assembly, combustion chamber, heat exchanger,
thermostatic control, venting, a blower fan, and a duct network. Figure
4-18 shows a forced-air fuel oil-fired comfort heating furnace with its
outside jacket removed. Central systems of this type range in heating
capacity from 85,000 to 200,000 Btu per hour. In addition to its use in the
central heating type of system, fuel oil is used to energize unit heaters in
industrial and commercial buildings. Figure 4-19 shows an assembled
oil-fired unit heater.

Fuel Oil Burners

The burner assembly of a fuel oil furnace represents the primary
difference between gas- and oil-fired heating systems.
The basic reason behind this difference is in the physical state of
the fuel being used. Fuel oil in its liquid state simply does not burn very
effectively. For burning to take place, it must either be heated to produce
a vapor or mixed with air. Vaporizing is rarely used in comfort heating
systems because it is somewhat difficult and expensive to achieve. Atom-
izing, which is a fuel/air mixing procedure, is used in nearly all comfort
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Figure 4-18. Forced-air oil-fired furnace. (Courtesy of The Williamson

Co.)

heating system installations today.

A fuel oil burner assembly is used primarily for combustion. The
mechanical function of this unit is responsible for breaking oil into a
fog-like mist. This can be achieved by (1) forcing air and oil under pres-
sure through a nozzle, (2) forcing oil out the end of small tubes attached
to a rotating shaft, or (3) passing oil over the lip of a rapidly rotating
cup. In practice these methods must either employ an electric motor to
produce shaft rotation or develop air pressure for the mixing process.
A large number of these burners are small compact assemblies that can
be readily attached to the combustion chamber. Figure 4-20 shows a
representative low-pressure oil burner assembly unit.
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Figure 4-19. Oil-fired unit heater. (Courtesy of Modine Manufacturing

Co.)

Pressurized burners
are made up of an elec-
tric motor, a blower, a
pump, and a fuel unit. The
blower is attached to the
motor shaft and develops
air for mixing with the
oil. A fuel pump is used
to develop pressure ac-
cording to the design of
the system. Low-pressure
units respond to a range
of 1 to 15 psi, whereas
high-pressure systems
may reach levels of 100
psi. The fuel unit contains

Figure 4-20. Fuel oil burner assembly.

(Courtesy of The Carlin Company)
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a pressure-regulating valve and a filter for straining foreign particles

from the fuel.
In an operational sequence, when heat is called for by the ther-
mostat, a solenoid-controlled fuel-level valve opens to admit fuel into
the line from the storage tank. It first passes through a filter strainer
where any existing solid particles are removed from the fuel before
it is applied to the pump. Outflow of the pump must be at a selected
pressure level according to the design of the system. An in-line pres-
sure-regulating valve follows the pump and maintains the pressure
at a desired operating level. Fuel then proceeds under pressure to the
fuel nozzle.
This nozzle simply changes pressurized fuel into tiny droplets
which are ejected and mixed with air from the blower. A 10,000-volt
spark developed by a high-voltage transformer is used to ignite the
atomized fuel at this point. The burning process starts and is continuous
as long as fuel is being supplied. When the heat demand of the ther-
mostat setting is met, fuel flow ceases and the burner shuts down. The
unit then remains in a ready state waiting for the next heat demand.
A second basic type of oil burner assembly employs the rotary
principle. Rotary oil burners are quite compact and usually have a rather
limited number of moving parts. Oil in this case is applied to a hol-
low metal shaft that turns during normal motor operation. The same
rotary action of the motor shaft is also used to turn the blower of the
air source. The unique feature of this unit is that it does not necessitate
pressurized oil to function. The rotating shaft may employ small tubes
or a cup structure for oil emission. Figure 4-21 shows a cross-sectional
view of a rotary oil burner with an atomizing cup.
The heat exchanger, blower, duct network, and draft assembly
are quite similar to those of a comparable heating system. Figure 4-22
shows a partial cutaway view of an oil-fired unit heater. Note particu-
larly the location of the oil burner, burner nozzle, blower fan, and heat
exchanger.
An assembled heat exchanger of a oil-fired unit heater is shown
in Figure 4-23. Note the location of the flue collector, service inspection
door, and combustion chamber clean-out ports. For safety reasons,
inspection doors and clean-out ports of this type are not found on
comparable gas-fired heat exchangers.
Heat transfer of a fuel oil-fired unit heater is from the inside of the
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Conservation
Guidebook

Figure 4-21. Cross-sectional view of a rotary oil burner. (Courtesy of Ray Burner Co.)
 105

Figure 4-22. Cutaway view of an oil-fired unit heater. (Courtesy of

Modine Manufacturing Co.)

exchanger to the outside. Cool air is pulled into the assembled unit from
the back side and circulated over the
outside of the exchanger. It exits from
the unit through louvers mounted
on the front of the assembly. Figure
4-24 shows the location of the blower
fan and burner assembly on the back
side of the unit.

COAL-BURNING
HEATING SYSTEMS

Coal is a solid type of fossil fuel

that has been used for a number of
years as an energy source in heat-
ing systems. Systems of this type
produce heat through the burning Figure 4-23. Heat exchanger of an
of fuel after if has been placed on a oil-fired unit heater. (Courtesy of
Modine Manufacturing Co.)
 Energy Conservation Guidebook

Figure 4-24. Rear view of an oil-fired unit heater. (Courtesy of Modine

Manufacturing Co.)

metal grate inside the combustion chamber. The transfer of heat energy
in this case is from the inside of the exchanger to the outside. As a gen-
eral rule, coal-fired furnaces are much larger than other heating systems,
have less control, and are somewhat inconvenient to operate. Utiliza-
tion of these units in commercial and residential buildings has dropped
quite significantly in recent years, although industrial applications are
continuing at about the same rate.
The fundamental parts of a coal-fired heating system are very
similar in many respects to those of other fossil fuel-burning units. Fuel
is loaded into the combustion chamber either manually or automati-
cally. Air is mixed with the fuel to produce combustion and is expelled
through the draft diverter into an outside stack or flue. Heat developed
through the combustion process is then transferred to circulating air
that passes around the outside of the exchanger. The resulting output
of the heat exchanger eventually passes through a duct network, where
it is distributed throughout the facility. Heated air may be moved by a
motor-driven blower or distributed through ducts by natural circulation.
Figure 4-25 shows the essential parts of a coal-fired heating system.
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Figure 4-25. Hand-fired coat furnace.

Coal-fired furnaces have a number of features that distinguish

them from other heating systems. For example, the fuel is loaded into
the system either by hand or automatically by a stoker. Once the burn-
ing process is started, it should be continuous. Coal must be supplied
periodically to prevent the fire from going out. A burnout necessitates
restarting the fire with paper and wood to reach a flashover point that
will produce ignition of the new supply of coal. Unburned particles or
residue drop into an ash pit under the grate. This must be removed on
a regular basis to make the process continuous.
The burning process and heat regulation of a coal-fired unit are also
unique compared with other heating systems. Burning is controlled by the
loading of new coal and the regulation of air admitted to the combustion
chamber through a damper assembly. Closing the damper reduces the
flow of air and slows down the burning process. More coal is burned in
a given unit of time when the damper is open. Many systems employ
a thermostatically controlled damper motor that regulates airflow into
the chamber according to the heat demand of the system.
Coal-fired heating systems are not used as much today as they
were in the earlier part of the century. Most of this can be attributed to
the inconvenience of operation, inefficiency, fuel storage problems, air
pollution, and fuel costs. The availability of coal, wood, and other solid
fuels compared with gas and oil may cause a rather significant change in
the future of solid-fuel-fired heating systems. A number of manufactur-
ing concerns are now developing multi-fuel heating systems that will
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burn gas, fuel oil, or solid fuel according to its availability. Systems of
this type provide a backup or alternative in the case of a primary fuel
shortage. Figure 4-26 shows a sketch of a representative multi-fuel heat-
ing system.