Industrial Furances

Originating from the Latin word for oven, “fornax”, the word “furnace” refers to a device or apparatus used for heating. The oldest existing furnace was found in Balakot and is believed to have been used in making ceramic objects during the Indus Valley Civilization. This furnace dates back to as early as 2500 to 1900 B.C.

Definition of industrial furnace

In Canada, the term “furnace” is generally used to refer to heating systems for houses and commercial buildings. It can also be used to mean industrial furnaces, which are heating devices used for industrial purposes.

Also known as direct fired heaters, industrial furnaces are most commonly used in oil refineries, chemical plants, smelting (metal extraction from ores), and fractional distillation, to name a few. It can be used as a source of heat or as a reactor, providing the heat of a reaction.

Structure and processes

Industrial furnaces make use of burners into which fuel is allowed to flow. This fuel is burnt with the help of air blown into it by an air blower. Burners of furnaces for industrial furnaces are usually arranged in cells heating a set of tubes. Depending on the furnace design, burners can be mounted on the wall, on the floor, or the roof of the furnace.

The flames from the burners heat up tubes. These tubes heat up the fluid in the furnace’s firebox or radiant section. The heating fluid then passes through the tubs, emitting gases known as the flue gas. This gas leaves the firebox and usually goes to a convection section for the recovery of more heat before releasing the gas into the atmosphere through a part called “flue gas stack”.