Calculation of the consumption of natural gas as a fuel for the baking process of brick products in an industrial tunnel furnace

Abstract

In this paper, the consumption of natural gas as a fuel for the process of baking of brick products in the burner of an industrial tunnel furnace, which commercial works in domestic company of the brick industry, was calculated. Natural gas with a predetermined composition is used as fuel for the operation of the tunnel furnace burner, that is, for the production of heat for heating and baking brick products. Natural gas is burned in the tunnel kiln burner. The parameters of the combustion process significantly influence the working conditions of the tunnel furnace and predetermine the quality of the brick products. The composition of the combustion products of natural gas with air was calculated; as well as the minimum required volume of air for complete fuel combustion in terms of the basic operating parameters of the tunnel furnace. Actual air temperatures at the entrance to the burner for natural gas combustion (in the tunnel furnace) were calculated based on the heat balance of the combustion process in the burner. As necessary, input variables for the calculation performed in this paper, the design data for the observed tunnel furnace and the corresponding physical sizes on the observed operating conditions of that tunnel furnace were used. The volume flow of natural gas through the burner was calculated from the equation of the general heat balance of heating and firing of brick products, set for the tunnel kiln. For the calculations, the corresponding physical sizes of the participants in the combustion process were used. The obtained value of natural gas consumption per unit mass of baked brick can be used as a basis for: quality determination of the industry process, the techno-economic analysis of the process of baking brick products in the existing tunnel kiln and at the same way to optimize the operation of the tunnel furnace.