Industrial Process Furnace – Know the function of different sections

A furnace is a heating device. Earlier it was used for manufacturing of ceramic products. In America the household heating system are called as furnace and whereas, in Britain it means the Industrial Furnaces which are used for various purpose. The heat energy to the furnace may be supplied through different means. Industrial furnace is used for smelting, cracking and in chemical plants.

 

Like other industrial devices, an industrial process furnace has different sections which maintain the flow and creation of heat energy. It has the main seven sections which are responsible for creating heat and carries out different task. The sections or stages are - radiant section, convection section, burner, sootblower, stack, insulation and first fire.

 

The radiant section receives all the radiated heat from the flame in a tube. The radiation is then reflected to the wall in uniform temperature. In the second level, the convection section which is placed above the radiant creates additional heat. The actual heat transfer takes place in this section. When the flame touches the tubes in this section, it devides the flame in small spots with high temperature. Next is a burner, it is located at the floor. In this section the furnace is lit by small flames. It mixes with the fuel combustibles and heats the air preparing for a fire. A sootblower is found inside the convection section. Soothblowing is done when the energy of the convection section is minimized. The process of soothblowing removes dust which is collected inside the tube with the help of water, air or steam. A cylindrically shaped stack is placed above the heat transfer chamber. It gathers the flue gas and brings it up into the atmosphere. Now the important section is insulation. This section prevents excessive heat loss. The first fire is the time when the furnace is been lit for the first time after construction. The wall of the furnace should be completely dry, the flame should be small initially and increased gradually thereafter. This is how the industrial furnace works.