Emissions of industrial furnaces burning with sodium sulfate containing fuel oils

Abstract

Diesel fuel oil A, which approximates ASTM No. 2D oil was used as the test oil to investigate the influences of the content of sodium sulfate in diesel oils on the combustion and emission characteristics of industrial furnaces. An emulsifying and homogenizing machine was employed to stir the Na₂SO₄ powder and the oil to constitute a homogeneous oil mixture. The oil mixture was there after injected by an oil pump of a small‐sized industrial burner, atomized with inlet air, and burned within a furnace made of stainless steel 316 in turn. The results show that the existence of sodium sulfate in the oil would incur a less extent of chemical reaction, leading to decreased heat release, a lower attainable gas temperature and a lower combustion efficiency. In contrast, the concentrations of excess oxygen, carbon monoxide in the combustion products increased with the existence of sodium sulfate. Larger formations of sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide were also observed. In addition, the existence of sodium sulfate resulted in lower nitrogen oxides emission probably due to both the lower burning gas temperature and the larger suppression effect of SO₂.

Key words:

• Industrial furnaces
• sodium sulfate
• emission
• fuel oils