Burner Sizing Guide
Sizing should start from process heat demand and expected operating range, then confirm fuel supply capacity and control stability across loads.
Inputs you need
- Required heat input or output (kW, MW, Btu/h).
- Fuel type and lower heating value (LHV).
- Expected min/max load and turndown requirement.
- Ambient conditions, draft, and available combustion air.
Quick calculation
A common back-of-envelope estimate for fuel rate is:
fuel_rate ≈ heat_input / (LHV × efficiency)
Use commissioning data to validate assumptions and confirm stable operation across the entire control range.
Common pitfalls
- Oversizing leading to cycling and poor part-load performance.
- Ignoring turndown constraints and low-load stability.
- Underestimating draft variation and leakage air.
- Not validating fuel pressure stability at peak firing.