OIL BURNERS.
The history of oil burners dates from the early part of the last century. Records of improvements have been kept by various writers and the patent office. Such writers on oil fuel as Brannt, Booth, North, Hodgetts, Lewes, Percy, Henry and Gouli chambaroff, have described in detail the successes and results obtained by the inventors.
Various types of oil burners are illustrated, in order that the reader may have an idea of the methods adopted by the inventors to atomize the oil. These burners are in successful operation in plants visited by the author in various parts of the world.
Fig. 22 shows the W. N. Best oil burner. This is termed an outside mixer because of the fact that the mixing takes place at the outer tip of the burner.
A siphoning action draws the oil from the lower tube, and it is atomized by the steam with which it comes in contact at the top of the tube. This burner has been known to burn tar as well as oil.
Fig. 23 shows the Witt gravity oil burner which is also of the outside mixing type. The oil flows over a flat spray of steam coming from the bottom tube as it passes through the upper tube to the tip, which contains a flat slot. Fig. 24 shows the Wilgus oil burner, which operates much the same as the Witt burner. Fig. 25 shows the Hammel oil burner which is similar in some respects to the Best burner, but differs in the slot arrangement, and also in the fact that the mixing takes place in the inner chamber. By means of a small steel plate, the jet is sprayed over a large surface.
Fig. 26 shows the Schurs oil burner, which has been designed to atomize the oil at three different points. The first atomizing point breaks up the oil.
The tube superheats the spray, and the second atom izing point breaks it up into a finer and more per fect mixture. At the third atomizing point or tip the spray forms into a flat stream ; this third point acts as a carburetor, changing the spray to a vapor.
Fig. 27 shows the Grundell-Tucker oil burner. The burner consists of a fitting having an internal dividing wall. An air pipe forming the shell of the burner is screwed into the mixing head ; this head has a number of spiral grooves which give to the mixture a whirling motion. The burner is operated with compressed air.
Fig. 28 shows the Hereshoff Oil Burner, designed to operate with either steam or air. Fig. 29 shows
the Lassoe-Lovekin oil burner. This consists of an air tube, and a centrally located oil tube passing to the tip. The latter is provided with a series of con verging, helically arranged jet appertures around the oil nozzle. Passing through the oil tube is a regu lating rod tapered at the end to spray the oil in con ical form. This burner is operated with an air pres sure of 14 ounces. Fig. 30 shows the Fitzsimmons oil burner, a very simple type. Fig. 31 shows the Holden oil burner, designed to operate with steam and air.
Fig. 32 shows the Staples & Pfieffer oil burner, Oil, and steam or air, are passed through an inner and an outer tube, and through specially arranged perfora tions to a mixing chamber, whence the mixture passes through other perforations and channels to a head, containing baffling plates, finally escaping through the openings. The various openings are not in line with one another, so that the stream is broken up. The oil tube contains a regulating spindle with a pointed end fitting the conical end of the tube, which itself serves as a valve to regulate the supply of oil.
The oil enters the mixing chamber through radial perforations, or inclined ones, the issuing streams, in either case, being broken up by opposing surfaces. The steam or air enters the mixing chamber through passages, parallel to the axis of the tubes. The chan nels through which the mixture escapes to the burner head may be formed as slots in an enlargement at the end of the oil tube. These chambers are espe cially arranged.
Fig. 33 shows a number of low pressure oil burn ers made by T. P. Jarvis. Fig. 34 shows the M. & W. rotary oil burner. This oil burner was tried out by the U. S. Naval Board. Fig. 35 shows a mechan ical burner used in the Baku oil fields of Russia. The spraying is effected by two sets of spiral guide blades, one set within an inner tip and one within the outer tip. The outer spraying tip is removable, so that as the edges wear, new tips can be inserted, or special tips can be placed for use under certain pressures or temperatures of the oil. Fig. 36 shows the naval fuel oil burner, devised to operate by mechanical action. Modern types of mechanical oil burners showing the furnace arrangements will be treated later.