Combustion and heat transfer in the open-hearth  furnace

GT V01 1960 251-259

Although the basic  principles of Siemens original regenerative furnace have changed very little, i.e. heating the charge from above.  the  use of preheat  and firing alternatively from each end, outputs and fuel  economy have improved  considerably. Much of this improvement is due to increases in firing rate, but the use of superior fuels   and improvements in ,furnace  and  burner  design have also played  their part. The paper compares various fuels and  also examines the effect of preheat  level and the  use of combustion oxygen. Factors  affecting heat transfer are discussed  including bath coverage and flame emissivity and temperature. The paper concludes with a section on the effect of furnace  design on the flow of  the gases  within the chamber  and  their  consequent influence on overall heat  transfer. 

C. Holden