PERFORMANCE BENEFITS OF

REVERSING STYLE
REGENERATIVE BURNERS

5th international metal quality

workshop
18-22 March 2012
United arab emirates, Dubai

PRESENTED BY:
ZVONKO HRISTOV AND DONALD WHIPPLE
BLOOM ENGINEERING GMBH
DUSSELDORF, GERMANY
 WHAT ARE
REGENERATIVE
BURNERS?
 Burners which are able to regenerate the heat
(energy) from the products of combustion (POC)
back to the combustion process by preheating
the combustion air to temperatures near the
furnace (process) temperature.
Regenerative Burners

Typically come in pairs.

In Operation: First Half of a Cycle

One burner operates as a conventional heat source.

The second burner operates as the flue for the products of
combustion (POC) from burner to the other burner.
Second Half of a Cycle

Burners reverse:
- fluing burner fires
- firing burner flues
PRINCIPLE VALVING SYSTEM
 Input/output Balance in Regenerative System (15% - 85% split)
Basic System - 10MM Btuh (2.5 MM Kcal)
120,000 SCFH (3244 Nm3/hr) POC (Products of combustion) vs 110,000 SCFH (2973 Nm3/hr)
combustion air
a)100% Fluing through the burner causes an imbalance in flows.
b)If 100% of the POC exit through the burner, then exhaust temperature would begin to exceed 400°F
(200°C) continuously.
REGENERATIVE BURNER
 Cycle A
Compact regenerative burners

Cycle B
Self-Supporting Foam Media

2nd Fuel
stage air
1st stage air
 Dual Burner / Regenerator Design
1) Compact to save space.
2) Fits flames to furnace dimensions.
3) Reduced valving.
 HOW DO
REGENERATIVE
BURNERS
SAVE FUEL?
Regenerative burners save fuel

Sankey Diagram
Regenerative burners save fuel
Preheating air increases available heat.
Excess air decreases available heat.
 Regenerative burners save fuel
The primary reason for investing in a regenerative system is fuel savings.
Fuel savings is based on increasing the combustion air temperature.
 REGENERATIVE
SYSTEMS DECREASE
CO2 EMISSIONS
 Base Process
Fuel: Natural Gas
Production: 10 TPH
50,000 T/year Production
 Regenerative burners improve temperature
uniformity in the furnace and eliminate hot spots
• by cycling of the flame between the burners (one burner in operation at a
time)

• by air staged combustion which allows creation of longer flames without sharp
temperature gradients through the flame

• by creating intensive POC recirculation and mixing with the combustion air

Second stage of air

Gas + First stage of air
Second stage of air
 LOW EMISSION
REGENERATIVE
SYSTEMS DECREASE
NOx EMISSIONS
Typical Aluminum Furnace
Direct Charge, 10 TPH Melt Rate
Fuel: Natural Gas, $.30/Nm3 (8 euro/1000 ft3)
Maximum Temperature: 1150°C (2100°F)
Yearly Production: 50,000 T/year
 How does a Regenerative System decrease
the Potential for Melt Loss?
a) The on/off (push/pull) operation minimizes “hot spots” on the metal
surface. The burner is on for 40 - 60 seconds and then off.
b) Metal oxidation requires that O2 be present at an elevated
temperature.
- Regenerative systems burn less fuel therefore require less air.
- Based on operating at 10 % excess air the total mass of free air
passing through the furnace decreases with a regenerative
system.
REGENERATIVE SYSTEMS
DECREASE TOTAL FLUE
GAS EMISSIONS AND BAG
HOUSE REQUIREMENTS
Required Available Heat: 10 MM btuh (2930 kw)Inlet Temperature @ the Bag House: 350°F (175°C)
Fuel: Natural Gas w/ 10% excess air (2% O2)

Typical Flue Gas Flow

REGENERATIVE BURNERS
HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO
INCREASE PRODUCTION
Potential to increase production from existing furnaces

EXAMPLE:
If a chamber has sufficient volume to support 1 MM btuh (250,000 kcal) w/
10% excess air at an operating temperature of 2100°F (1149°C)

11,000 scfh of air + 1000 scfh of natural gas

(297.3 Nm3/hr) (27 Nm3/hr)

- Available Heat @ 2100°F, 60°F (15.6°C) Combustion Air = 37%

@ 2100°F, 1800°F (982°C) Combustion Air = 77%

- 1 mm btuh x .37 = 370,000 btuh (92,500 kcal) to do work in the furnace

- 1 mm btuh x .77 = 770,000 btuh (192,500 kcal) to do work in the furnace

Regenerative System = 770,000 btuh (192,500 kcal) available

Ambient Air System = 370,000 btuh (92,500 kcal) available
Increase in Available Heat 400,000 btuh (100,000 kcal)
Potential to increase production from existing furnaces

The heat available to do work increases

by 400,000 btuh (100,000 kcal/hr). If this
heat can be transferred to the load,
productivity improves. Having the heat
available and transferring the heat are
two different subjects but the potential
for increasing productivity does exist.
Regenerative burners:
CONCLUSION
• Save fuel

• Decrease CO2 emissions

• Improve temperature uniformity in the furnace

• Eliminate hot spots

• Decrease NOx emissions

• Decrease free O2 in the furnace, hence less oxidized metal

• Need smaller exhaust pipes

• Exhaust POC from the burner up to 2000C only

• Potential to increase production from existing furnaces

• After one or two years of operation, regenerative burners become the cheapest
burners on the market (savings pay back the burners)
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION