Combustion performance of an aluminum melting furnace operating with natural gas and liquid fuel

The choice of liquid or gas fuel to be used in an industrial furnace can be of extreme importance, having a direct effect on its performance, on the level of pollutants emissions, and on the equipment working life. These factors are highly dependent on the combustion process and on factors such as the flame shape and the temperature and heat flux distributions within the furnace. In the present work, numerical simulations were carried out, using the finite volume method, with the purpose of analyzing and comparing the combustion process inside an aluminum furnace when operating with two types of fuel: a spray of liquid oil and a jet of natural gas, both reacting with air. The results showed the possible damages that may be caused by the combustion process if long or too intense and concentrated flames are present, increasing the wall temperatures and compromising the heat flux on the aluminum surface.