| Abstract |
The reGen Regenerative Burner, an all ceramic high temperature burner, close coupled to a compact, fast cycle, ceramic regenerator, provides air preheats in excess of 85% of the process temperature in fuel fired applications up to 1650 C (3000 F). The unit is operating without problems in dirty waste gas applications such as aluminum reverberatory melting furnaces and a soda lime glass melting tank, where the exhaust gases contain high volatile and particulate loadings of a corrosive and condensing nature. In these production environments, and others such as ingot reheating for forging which fall on the borderline between "dirty" and "clean" waste gas classifications, the substantial performance, life and ease of maintenance advantages of this design and concept over recuperation have been demonstrated on a commercial basis since the first installation on a glass melting furnace in January 1983. This paper describes the equipment, its operating philosophy and performance. Examples of melting and reheating applications in the metals and glass industries will indicate the suitability of reGen for retrofit as well as new construction, and reinforce the flexibility afforded by its design and construction, including multi-fuel capability, high, medium, and low velocity burner designs, and remote mounting of regenerators, and discuss the various cleaning methods used to remove fouling from the regenerator packing. Fuel savings, over cold air operation, ranging from 40% to 65% are reported from applications where well controlled and maintained conditions existed before reGen was installed. These , combined with the "no process compromise" afforded by reGen's design flexibility, offer the user a cost effective means of addressing exhaust heat recovery in even the toughest applications. |
