Split Oil Burner

What is a Split Oil Burner?

A split oil burner system consists of several distinct components that are installed separately, yet work together to achieve combustion. The primary components include:

Burner Head (or Lance): This is where the fuel oil is atomized and mixed with combustion air, and where ignition and flame formation occur. It's typically mounted directly onto the furnace or boiler.

Combustion Air Fan (Blower): This separate unit provides the necessary volume and pressure of air for combustion. Its independent location allows for greater flexibility in sizing and placement.

Pump Station: Responsible for delivering fuel oil from the tank to the burner head at the correct pressure.

Control Panel: Houses the electrical controls, safety interlocks, and often a burner management system (BMS) that sequences and monitors the burner's operation.

Key Features and Advantages:

Flexibility in Design & Installation: The separated components allow for customized layouts. The fan can be placed further away from the combustion chamber, reducing noise and heat exposure, and making maintenance easier.

Higher Capacity and Efficiency: Split burners can accommodate larger fans, providing higher airflows and pressures, which is crucial for larger industrial applications requiring significant heat output. This often translates to better combustion efficiency.

Reduced Noise Levels: By locating the fan remotely, noise generated by the fan can be mitigated more effectively, improving the working environment.

Easier Maintenance and Service: Individual components can be accessed and serviced more easily without disturbing the entire burner assembly.

Enhanced Reliability: The robust design and separate components often lead to greater overall system reliability in heavy-duty industrial settings.

Adaptability to Specific Fuel Types: They can be highly customized to handle a wide range of fuel oils, from light to heavy, with varying viscosities.

Advanced Control Options: Split burner systems often integrate sophisticated control panels capable of precise modulation, oxygen trim, and communication with plant control systems (DCS/PLC).

How They Work (Basic Principle)

Fuel Delivery: Fuel oil is pumped from a storage tank, filtered, and heated (if necessary for heavier oils) to achieve the correct viscosity for atomization.

Air Supply: The combustion air fan draws in ambient air and delivers it under pressure to the burner head.

Atomization: At the burner head, the fuel oil is atomized into a fine mist, typically using pressure, steam, or compressed air, to increase its surface area for efficient combustion.

Mixing: The atomized fuel mist is thoroughly mixed with the combustion air within the burner head.

Ignition: An igniter (e.g., spark igniter) provides the initial energy to ignite the fuel-air mixture.

Combustion: A stable flame is established, releasing heat energy into the furnace or boiler.

Monitoring & Control: Flame sensors continuously monitor the flame, and the control panel manages the entire sequence, adjusting fuel and air flow to maintain the desired heat output and ensuring safe operation.

Applications

Split oil burners are typically found in demanding industrial and commercial applications, including:

Large industrial boilers

Power generation plants

Process heaters (e.g., in chemical, petrochemical, and refining industries)

Asphalt plants

Incinerators

Furnaces for various manufacturing processes

In summary, split oil burners represent a robust and flexible solution for high-capacity heating requirements in industrial environments, offering superior control, efficiency, and reliability compared to their monoblock counterparts.