This week, we are pleased to publish a new IFRF report on burner scaling in firetube boilers. The report F 48/y/4a contains the results of an analysis undertaken by the IFRF Research Station bv as its contribution to the EC co-funded MECBURN Project. This project has recently been completed and approved by the EC.

The topic of the analysis is burner scaling, with particular application to natural gas firing of firetube boilers (so called ‘shell boilers’). In addition to providing a further interpretation of the burner scaling experiments of MECBURN, the scaling rules described and tested in the MECBURN project will also be of general application in a range of process situations of interest to IFRF Members.

The report starts with a comprehensive review of the main options for burner scaling. This includes an extensive bibliography of other relevant IFRF reports as well as publications by the IFRF and others over a 50 year period.

The experimental arrangements to test similar burners at three different scales (7 MW, 500kW and 150kW) are described. Babcock-Wanson, Gaz de France and TU Karlsruhe undertook these tests respectively. The 7MW rig was also tested at 3.5MW.

The results of these tests are presented, and scaling rules considered in terms of:

• Temperature fields in the flames
• Temperature in the post-flame zone
• Carbon monoxide concentrations
• Nitrogen oxides

The report draws conclusions about the appropriate approach for scaling shell boiler/burner systems in terms of each of the above parameters.
The report F 48/y/4a by Roman Weber, Roger Tellqvist, Willem van de Kamp may be dowloaded from www.research.ifrf.net/research/new.html