Energy Tips – Process Heating

Process Heating Tip Sheet #3 • September 2005 Industrial Technologies Program

Suggested Actions Oxygen-Enriched Combustion

• Use current or projected energy
costs with PHAST to estimate When a fuel is burned, oxygen in the combustion air chemically combines with
energy savings from oxygen- the hydrogen and carbon in the fuel to form water and carbon dioxide, releasing
enriched combustion. heat in the process. Air is made up of 21% oxygen, 78% nitrogen, and 1% other
• Contact furnace or combustion gases. During air–fuel combustion, the chemically inert nitrogen in the air dilutes
system suppliers to calculate the reactive oxygen and carries away some of the energy in the hot combustion
payback or return on investment. exhaust gas. An increase in oxygen in the combustion air can reduce the energy
• Include the cost of oxygen or loss in the exhaust gases and increase heating system efficiency.
of the vacuum pressure swing
adsorption unit in the calculations. Most industrial furnaces Figure 1. Oxygen-enriched burner
that use oxygen or oxygen-
Resources enriched air use either
U.S. Department of Energy— liquid oxygen to increase
For additional information on the oxygen concentration
process heating system efficiency, in the combustion air or
to obtain DOE’s publications and vacuum pressure swing
Process Heating Assessment and adsorption units to remove
Survey Tool (PHAST) software,
some of the nitrogen and Courtesy Air Products
or learn more about training,
visit the BestPractices Web site at
increase the oxygen
www.eere.energy.gov/industry/ content. Some systems use almost 100% oxygen in the main combustion header;
bestpractices. others blend in oxygen to increase the oxygen in the incoming combustion air (see
Figure 1). Some systems use auxiliary oxy-fuel burners in conjunction with
standard burners. Other systems use staged combustion and vary the oxygen
concentration during different stages of combustion. Still others “lance” oxygen by
strategically injecting it beside, beneath, or through the air–fuel flame.

Benefits
Oxygen-enriched combustion can:
• Increase efficiency. The flue gas heat losses are reduced because the flue gas
mass decreases as it leaves the furnace. There is less nitrogen to carry heat from
the furnace.
• Lower emissions. Certain burners and oxy-fuel fired systems can achieve lower
levels of nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, and hydrocarbons.
• Improve temperature stability and heat transfer. Increasing the oxygen
content allows more stable combustion and higher combustion temperatures
that can lead to better heat transfer.
• Increase productivity. When a furnace has been converted to be oxygen
enriched, throughput can be increased for the same fuel input because of higher
flame temperature, increased heat transfer to the load, and reduced flue gas.

Using oxygen-enriched combustion for specific applications may improve efficiency,

depending on the exhaust gas temperature and percentage of oxygen in the combus-
tion air. Figure 2 can be used to calculate energy savings for commonly used
process heating applications. The Process Heating Assessment and Survey Tool
(PHAST) can also be used to estimate the amount of energy that can be saved by
switching to oxygen-enriched combustion.
Conversion to oxygen- Figure 2. Energy savings from oxygen injection BestPractices is part of the Industrial
Technologies Program Industries of the
enriched combustion is Future strategy, which helps the country’s
followed by an increase most energy-intensive industries improve
in furnace temperature and their competitiveness. BestPractices brings
together emerging technologies and best
a simultaneous decrease in energy-management practices to help
furnace gas flow around companies begin improving energy efficiency,
the product. Unless there environmental performance, and productivity
right now.
is a sufficient increase in
the heat transfer to product, BestPractices emphasizes plant systems,
the flue gas temperature where significant efficiency improvements
and savings can be achieved. Industry gains
will rise above the pre- easy access to near-term and long-term
conversion level and little solutions for improving the performance of
motor, steam, compressed air, and process
or no energy will be saved.
heating systems. In addition, the Industrial
In radiant heat-governed Assessment Centers provide comprehensive
furnaces, the conversion industrial energy evaluations to small- and
medium-size manufacturers.
could increase the radiant
heat transfer substantially.
Consequently, the flue gas FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION,
temperature could drop to PLEASE CONTACT:
or below the pre-conversion
level. In convective heat- EERE Information Center
governed furnaces, the 1-877-EERE-INF
furnace gas velocity may (1-877-337-3463)
drop because the convective www.eere.energy.gov
heat transfer coefficient
may decrease in a larger proportion than the increase in gas temperature. If this Industrial Technologies Program
Energy Efficiency
happens, the conversion would do little to increase the overall heat transfer, so and Renewable Energy
reducing flue gas temperature to pre-conversion level may not be possible. U.S. Department of Energy
Washington, DC 20585-0121
www.eere.energy.gov/industry
Potential Applications
Oxygen-enhanced combustion is Table 1. Potential Applications for Oxygen-
used primarily in the glass-melting Enhanced Combustion
industry, but other potential appli- Industry Applications
cations can be found in Table 1. Steel Reheat, soaking pits, ladles
Aluminum Melting
Sample Applications Copper Smelting and melting
Theoretical — A a potential appli- Glass Melting
cation is a PHAST analysis of a Pulp and Paper Lime kilns, black liquor boilers
forging furnace where the flue gas Petroleum Process heaters, crackers
temperature is 2,100°F and 95% Power Production Coal-fired steam boilers
of the combustion air is oxygen. Chemical Sulfur
This shows a 42% fuel saving over A S TRONG E NERGY P ORTFOLIO
a conventional system. FOR A S TRONG A MERICA

Energy efficiency and clean, renewable

Actual — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) sponsored a performance study energy will mean a stronger economy, a
(www.eere.energy.gov/industry/glass/pdfs/oxy_fuel.pdf) in which a glass melter was cleaner environment, and greater energy
converted to 100% oxygen-enriched combustion. The plant was a 70 ton-per-day independence for America. Working
with a wide array of state, community,
end-fired melter. Natural gas consumption was lowered by 10% to 20% and industry, and university partners, the U.S.
nitrogen oxide emissions were reduced by 90%. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy
Efficiency and Renewable Energy invests in
a diverse portfolio of energy technologies.
Reference
Improving Process Heating System Performance: A Sourcebook for Industry. DOE/GO-102005-2178
DOE and the Industrial Heating Equipment Association (IHEA) www.oit.doe.gov/ September 2005
bestpractices/library.shtml. Process Heating Tip Sheet #3