rs--A good steam atomizing burner properly located in a
well-designed oil furnace has a capacity of somewhat over 400 horse
power. This question of capacity of individual burners is largely one of
the proper relation between the number of burners used and the furnace
volume. In some recent tests with a Babcock & Wilcox boiler of 640 rated
horse power, equipped with three burners, approximately 1350 horse power
was developed with an available draft of .55 inch at the damper or 450
horse power per burner. Four burners were also tried in the same furnace
but the total steam generated did not exceed 1350 horse power or in this
instance 338 horse power per burner.

From the nature of mechanical atomizing burners, individual burners have
not as large a capacity as the steam atomizing class. In some tests on a
Babcock & Wilcox marine boiler, equipped with mechanical atomizing
burners, the maximum horse power developed per burner was approximately
105. Here again the burner capacity is largely one of proper relation
between furnace volume and number of burners.

Furnace Design--Too much stress cannot be laid on the importance of
furnace design for the use of this class of fuel. Provided a good type
of burner is adopted the furnace arrangement and the method of
introducing air for combustion into the furnace are the all important
factors. No matter what the type of burner, satisfactory results cannot
be secured in a furnace not suited to the fuel.

The Babcock & Wilcox Co. has had much experience with the burning of oil
as fuel and an extended series of experiments by Mr. E. H. Peabody led
to the development and adoption of the Peabody furnace as being most
eminently suited for this class of work. Fig. 29 shows such a furnace
applied to a Babcock & Wilcox boiler, and with slight modification it
can be as readily applied to any boiler of The Babcock & Wilcox Co.
manufacture. In the description of this furnace, its points of advantage
cover the requirements of oil-burning furnaces in general.

The atomized oil is introduced into the furnace in the direction in
which it increases in height. This increase in furnace volume in the
direction of the flame insures free expansion and a thorough mixture of
the oil with the air, and the consequent complete combustion of the
gases before they come into contact with the tube heating surfaces. In
such a furnace flat flame burners should be used, preferably of the
Peabody type, in which the