6. Industrial furnace burners

6.1 Importance of the burner

The burner plays a vital role in the design, construction and operation of furnaces:

• it supplies thermal energy to the furnace and the load;

• it prepares the contact between fuel and oxidizer;

• it causes burnt gases to circulate, helping to equalize temperatures in the enclosure;

• it creates a link between the outer casing of the furnace and the refractory walls through which it passes, thus creating a delicate point in the construction.

There are many different types of burner, some specific to a single type of furnace and/or fuel, others with a broader vocation. We'll confine...