Opportunities for Optical Flame Diagnostics in Commercial and Industrial Furnaces

Paper from the AFRC 2016 conference titled Opportunities for Optical Flame Diagnostics in Commercial and Industrial Furnaces

Inefficient operation and control in commercial and industrial furnaces and boilers are responsible for; wasting large amounts of fuel and releasing excess greenhouse gases (CO2 and N2O) and pollutants (CO, NOx). For instance, in the United States more than 80% of the energy used across all sectors is generated by fossil-fuels combustion, and only a fraction is subject to advanced diagnostic and closed-loop control systems. It is now recognized that continuous monitoring and control of both individual burners and groups of burners in boilers is essential to meet and sustain ever more stringent greenhouse and pollutant emission limits. This has become especially true as incremental improvements in burner performance have become; disproportionately more difficult, and this difficulty is exacerbated by variations in fuel properties. In this; paper, we outline and demonstrate concepts for measurements and diagnostics of flame quality and stability; using optical sensors and discuss how such techniques could be integrated into the next generation of boiler; and furnace monitoring and control systems. We expect that the need for such capabilities will increase; substantially as the diversity of boiler fuel sources and needs for tighter emissions and efficiency controls; continue to grow globally.