A Burner Management System is a safety system that performs two key tasks:
- It is responsible for the burner system start-up sequences including purge steps, monitoring the closed position of the double block valves and the fuel valves, monitoring the open position of the vent valves, selection or de-selection of the individual burners, ignition and monitoring of the ignition burner and of the main burner.
- During operation of the burners, it is also responsible for monitoring the flame, the presence of sufficient air and for the safe shutdown of the burner.
A Burner Management System (BMS) can be very complex for this reason. This, while a burner is essentially relatively simple and often controlled by only one control with a single set point (the load factor). This load factor controls the optimal air to fuel ratio for the heat load being requested. The air to fuel ratio is critical for safe and efficient operation of the burner. Too much air, and the flue gases do not reach the required temperature. Too much fuel, and combustion is incomplete leaving flammable hydrocarbons in the system.
The key to a good Fuel/Air ratio is to measure airflow and fuel flow. If the fuel flow is difficult to measure but the venturi in the burner nozzle is constant, then the fuel pressure can give a good indication. If airflow is difficult to measure, the burner will have to operate with excess air at all times. If the Fuel to Air ratio is difficult to determine, for example due to variable fuel composition, other measures will have to be taken to ensure that complete combustion takes place. This can be done, for example, by measuring the amount of O2 in the flue gases or installing in-line analyzers in the fuel supply.
We are happy to share our knowledge, gained over many years supplying Burner Management Systems for both new construction and for the replacement market of burners for power plants, for example. We make systems that function both safely and reliably for many years without interruption.
