Combustion Analyzers

12 Items

Set Descending Direction

12 Items

Set Descending Direction

Combustion is the process of burning fuels (normally fossil fuels) in the air producing heat. The fuels such as natural gas, coal or gasoline reacts with the oxygen in the air to produce the heat from combustion and this heat is the energy which powers furnaces, boilers and engines. A combustion analyzer is the best tool to fine tune any fuel-dependent appliance. Although combustion is ideally a fuel which when burned (in the presence of Oxygen) to produce carbon dioxide (CO2) and water, this is most often not a perfect reaction. In most cases concentrations of undesirable by-products can form. These by-products include carbon monoxide, soot, and nitrogen oxides (NO, NO2, NOx) along with sulfur dioxide (SO2). The by-products of inefficient combustion need to be monitored and controlled with a combustion analyzer to reduce emissions, ensure safety, and control costs.

Combustion Parameters to Assess Operating Performance

  • Excess Air: In most cases, excess air up to and beyond 15% of normal is necessary to completely react with the fuel. Balancing excess air is critical to combustion efficiency.
  • Combustion Efficiency: How effectively energy from the fuel is converted into useful energy. Factors that affect efficiency include heat losses, water vapor (heat of vaporization), and the properties of the typ of fuel being utilized
  • Carbon Dioxide (CO2): Forms when carbon in the fuel combines with O2 in the combustion air. When there is just enough O2 supplied to react with the carbon in the fuel, the CO2 concentration is at its highest level.
  • Emissions: Toxic pollutants released into the atmosphere are quantified according to EPA Method 19 in which pollutant concentrations are calculated based on the rate of fuel usage. Increased toxic by-products can be indicative of ineffecient combustion.
  • Temperature and Draft: Gas temperature and combustion air temperature are both required to calculate the heat loss from the exhaust gases and determine combustion efficiency.