Acoustic coupling in industrial furnaces is an issue that appears to have become more prevalent as designs increase the volumetric heat density of furnaces, and burner technology is required to meet more-stringent emission requirements. The problems associated with acoustic coupling appear in the form of either large oscillations in the heater pressure or tonal and high-level emitted noise. Although the burner is often blamed for these occurrences, the coupling depends on both heater acoustic characteristics and burner dynamic characteristics. The acoustic coupling is a form of burner-heater interaction. This article shows that acoustic coupling in industrial heaters can be mitigated by enhancing the natural damping of the heater.
An experimental study on how one can enhance heater damping is presented. The approach depends on restricting the flow of fluegases while they exit a smaller side stack using an inducing device to enhance natural damping and hence mitigate acoustic coupling in heaters. The use of this technique is proven to be independent of burner type, in other words, burner combustion dynamics. So, details of the burner combustion dynamics do not have to be known for configuring and designing the device. The approach sheds some light on the conditions under which the tested burner engages in acoustic coupling.
As heat exchangers age, their tube thickness decreases because of erosion, corrosion or a combination of both. Installing thin sleeves in tubes in which the tube walls have become so thin that failure is imminent is a maintenance technique useful for extending heat exchanger life.
Biodiesel, the methyl ester of fatty acids, has been accepted as a renewable-sourced alternative to fossil-derived diesel fuel. Today in many parts of the world, biodiesel is already blended with diesel fuel up to about 5%. Presently the demand for biodiesel is only approximately 40–50% of the production capacity, but the global biodiesel market is expected to experience strong growth in the next few years as the economy rebounds and the demand for renewable resources continues to increase. To further improve the quality of the biodiesel and enhance the position of biodiesel as a viable, cost-effective renewable-energy source, there has been a continued effort to make further technology improvements.
An alternative to thermal oxidation is catalytic oxidation of VOCs, which runs at much lower temperatures — about 500–900 ºF. A regenerative catalytic oxidizer (RCO) uses the same operating principle as RTO, but consumes substantially less auxiliary fuel. The authors have found that in many situations, RTOs can be retrofitted to RCOs. Energy savings after such a retrofit can quickly justify the costs for the catalysts and installation. This article discusses basic RTO and RCO technology with an emphasis on thermal efficiency and energy balance.
Typical industrial and municipal wastewater-treatment plants consume an amount of energy that can represent 50% of the facility's variable operating and maintenance costs. Most employ biological processes that rely on energy-intensive aeration systems whose energy consumption is approximately 0.5 kWh per m3 of effluent treated. This article discusses a variety of design and operating improvements that can be undertaken to reduce energy consumption in wastewater treatment.... http://www.che.com/processing_and_handling/thermal_and_energy_mgmt/Wastewater-Treatment-Energy-Conservation-Opportunities_5404.html
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