SBIR-STTR Award

This project will develop a high efficiency, ultra-low emissions, oil burner for large residential and commercial buildings. The new burner will achieve significant improvements in energy efficiency by incorporating fan atomization of fuel and an automotive fuel injection technology to substantially improve the firing rate modulation. The burner will also achieve dramatically improved environmental performance with reduced particulate and NOx emissions. In Phase I, larger low pressure, air atomizing nozzles will be built. These will be a simple extension of nozzles used to date at lower rates. Then, the burner head (including the air tube, electrode holders, secondary air introduction arrangement, and flame tube) will be designed, built, and combustion tested.

Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee:
Commercial sector oil consumption for this equipment was 0.9 quads in 1990, or about 6 billion gallons. This technology, along with a zero nitrogen content fuel, has the potential to eliminate over 50,000 tons of NOx emissions from the environment each year if fully deployed in the commercial building oilheat market

Fuel oil is an important part of the energy supply mix for commercial and large residential buildings, but the development of low emission, high performance burners has received little attention.  Recent advances in recirculating burners with low-pressure air atomization provide an opportunity to introduce such improved systems to the marketplace.  This project will develop a high performance burner with low-pressure air atomization that provides high incoming air momentum and strong recirculation rates, leading to low NOx and good combustion performance.  In Phase I, a fan atomizing burner prototype, with modulation capability and low NOx , was developed.  A 3:1 turndown ratio and NOx emissions under 20 ppm were demonstrated.  Developments from Phase I will be incorporated into a series of prototype burner products in Phase II.  This will include modulating burners with a 3:1 turndown ratio, as well as lower cost, fixed-firing-rate products.  Phase II also will include burner and system design optimization and application testing. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by awardee:  The high performance burners should find use in multifamily, office, retail, and school buildings.  The technology also could be used in light industrial applications.  The potential NOx reduction with distillate fuel alone is 50,000 tons/year.