BURNERS & COMBUSTION SYSTEMS TECHNICAL CONTENT

Modernizing TUS Tuning on Heat Treat Furnaces

/ BURNERS & COMBUSTION SYSTEMS TECHNICAL CONTENT

Maintaining precise temperature uniformity is a cornerstone of pyrometry compliance and part quality in heat treating. Yet, traditional manual tuning of multi-burner furnaces is slow, labor-intensive, and prone to inefficiencies due to nonlinear system responses.

In this Technical Tuesday installment, Ben Witoff, manager of Information Systems and Data Strategy for Fives North American Combustion, Inc, outlines a new linearization-based approach to combustion tuning. This approach offers a data-driven method to shorten uniformity adjustments, improve survey outcomes, and elevate furnace performance to higher AMS2750H classes with greater repeatability and less operator intervention.

This informative piece was first released in Heat Treat Today’s October 2025 Ferrous & NonFerrous Heat Treatments and Mill Processing print edition.

The Manual Uniformity Tuning Model

Heat treat furnaces require precise combustion system tuning to produce high-end parts for aerospace, automotive, and construction industries. Temperature uniformity surveys (TUS) are the accepted industry standard for verifying the quality of these metal processing furnaces. Current standards such as AMS2750H specify a temperature uniformity that must be maintained inside the furnace work zone. End users, like Boeing, GE, and Pratt & Whitney, have mandated these temperature uniformity quality standards for their suppliers who heat treat components for their products.

Today’s furnace and combustion system TUS tuning methods are slow, inefficient, and outdated. These methods require skilled technicians to make precise, manual adjustments to single components in an iterative fashion. Adjustments require this recursive approach because the system of equations governing an industrial furnace’s heat distribution is nonlinear — an adjustment in one part of the furnace system will require tweaking the set up in other area(s).

In the typical case of a multi-burner furnace which has more than one temperature measurement point, the temperature distribution across a measurement array is not directly proportional to the change in a single burner’s firing rate. Due to the system’s nonlinearity, each independent tuning adjustment has incidental, cascading downstream effects on the rest of the system. Every attempt to resolve temperature disparity in one area of the furnace can consequently bring another area out of compliance.

Reinvention of the Tuning Process

Fives North American Combustion, Inc. (FivesNA) has developed a solution that shortens the time of the temperature uniformity tuning process when used before each TUS and optimizes the furnace temperature uniformity. The North American CertiFire panel implements a patented (Robertson and Dzik 2024) temperature mapping algorithm that creates a linear approximation of any furnace’s system of equations, regardless of its geometry or complexity. Once linearized, the temperature distribution can be resolved through simultaneous adjustments.

The temperature mapping algorithm creates a response matrix that correlates changes to the furnace’s heat inputs with changes in the steady-state distribution of heat throughout the furnace’s work zone. A thermocouple array is used to measure the work zone’s three-dimensional temperature distribution while the furnace’s burners are modulated. It is critical to the accuracy of this response matrix that the burner modulations are precise and repeatable. To accomplish this, actuated gas valves are inserted in the gas line to individual burners taking the place of a manually adjusted limiting orifice valve.

Each individual burner modulation has its own characteristic effect on the entire work zone’s temperature distribution. Figure 1 shows two different burner modulations and Figure 2 shows the resulting furnace temperature distribution over the same period. Nine thermocouples were placed on a rack within a furnace in accordance with the AMS2750H standard for this furnace volume and class, with eight thermocouples at each of the cubic work zone’s vertices and one in its center (SAE International 2022, p 44, Table 17).

Figure 1. Two different burner modulations (Source: FivesNA)
Figure 2. Temperature response to two different burner modulations (Source: FivesNA)

The firing rate of each burner was increased to a fixed amount for a set number of minutes. The second burner was not adjusted until the work zone’s bulk temperature returned to the baseline average temperature. The two burners noted in Figure 1 were firing in the same plane, several feet from one another. Despite the burners’ close proximity and similar adjustments, their effects on the temperature distribution shown in Figure 2 are uniquely different. Not only does the overall rate of temperature change differ between the curves, but so do the individual thermocouple reactions. Thermocouple 5 (shown in orange), for example, shows the largest change in temperature for the first burner’s modulation, but experiences a much weaker response during the second burner’s modulation.

Mathematical Approach

The linear approximation of the furnace’s system of equations can be written as shown in Figure 3. Where vector T represents the temperatures of q thermocouples, vector B represents the bleed valve modulations of r burners, and response matrix K represents their relationship. By compiling each of these burner modulations and their resulting temperature effects, the furnace’s unique response matrix can be calculated using the formula shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3. Linearized furnace equation and response matrix creation

Once the response matrix is known, the linearized furnace equation can be reversed. By dividing a vector of thermocouple temperatures T by the response matrix K, the equation yields a vector of automated burner gas valve positions B. In a steady state furnace, starting with a vector ΔT representing the required changes in temperature for each thermocouple to reach the survey temperature, this equation can solve for ΔB, the necessary burner gas valve adjustments to achieve temperature uniformity.

The process of training entails the CertiFire map out the general valve positions needed to bring the furnace close to uniformity. Metaphorically, it is writing the manual of the furnace’s behavior which takes time to develop (a few hours). The tuning operation, which is the next and final step after the training, is like reading the manual and applying the guidelines set by the training. This process takes only a few minutes to dial in the valve positions for improved uniformity, as discussed below in the case study.

Case Study: SIFCO Industries, Inc. – Cleveland, Ohio

SIFCO furnace 8001 is a single zone box furnace with four high velocity burners firing above the load on the left wall of the furnace and four high velocity burners firing through piers below the load on the right side of the furnace. All burners were configured with a cross-connected variable ratio regulator. The combustion air was fixed for fuel-only turndown, and furnace control was achieved through a single impulse air bleed valve, which affected all regulators equally.

Adding the linearizing technology to furnace 8001 required the installation of eight actuated gas valves, replacing the existing manually adjusted limiting orifice gas valves, and a PLC subpanel. This added subpanel controls each motorized actuator independently. To drive the actuators, the subpanel was wired with two inputs from the existing panel: the tuner control variable (CV) over a 4-20mA signal, and the controller set point (SP) over ModbusTCP. The existing control panel was left in-place and is still the primary furnace control interface.

Pyrometry

Furnace 8001 is certified according to the AMS2750H pyrometry standard at the following three temperature SPs: 900°F, 1500°F, and 2100°F. Additionally, the survey process requires first holding the furnace 100°F colder than each SP (800°F, 1400°F, and 2000°F) before increasing the temperature to the desired production SP to prevent overshoot.

According to the AMS2750H standard, the furnace’s internal volume requires nine type-K thermocouples placed at each vertex of the cubic work zone and one at the geometric center for temperature measurements during certification. Furnace 8001 had historically been certified as a Class-III furnace (±15°F). The client’s goal was to reduce the overall temperature span at each of the six SPs to move furnace 8001 to AMS7250 Class-II (±10°F).

Installation Overview

The solution was deployed on furnace 8001 the week of March 31, 2025. Six SPs across four calendar-days (April 4–7) were trained and tuned. The training and tuning algorithms run unattended, so the estimated labor hours to set up and run the process at all six SPs was approximately two hours.

Example Training Experience – 800°F

Training at 800°F ran from 7:52 a.m. to 10:16 a.m. on April 5, 2025, for a total of 2 hours and 24 minutes. The furnace PID tuner was disabled for this training, and each burner’s actuated gas valve was locked in place at its last position. One at a time, each automated burner gas valve was opened by 50% to allow more fuel to flow for three minutes before lowering back to its initial position for 15 minutes. An adjustment amount of 50% was arbitrarily chosen to elicit a strong temperature response.

As each burner’s firing rate was adjusted, a unique temperature characteristic was measured across all 12 thermocouples (SIFCO requires three additional thermocouples for its TUS). The difference in each thermocouple’s temperature rate of change and amplitude is the foundation for the training algorithm’s furnace map.

Example Tuning Experience – 800°F

After the 800°F training was completed, three tuning iterations spaced eight minutes apart at 10:40 a.m., 10:48 a.m., and 10:56 a.m. on April 5, 2025, were conducted. The result of the tuning iterations was a reduction in the temperature span (hottest minus coldest) from 20.2°F to 5.3°F, and a reduction from +4.7°F, -15.5°F to +1.3°F, -4.0°F with respect to the SP, well within the range of an AMS2750H Class-I furnace.

Figure 4. Thermocouple temperatures during 800°F tuning (Source: FivesNA)

The temperature range, shown in Figure 4, illustrates the initial span on the left half of the chart. A clear reduction in span can be noted at the inception of the first tuning iteration around the 10:40 a.m. mark. Note how not only are the coldest and hottest thermocouples brought in towards center, but the overall spread is also closer centered on SP. The same process was done for five additional SPs yielding the data in Table 1.

SP [°F]Operating TimeTemperature Span [°F]SP Variation [°F]Effective AMS2750 Class
TrainingTuningInitial SpanTuned SpanInitial SPVTuned SPV
8002.4h15m20.25.3+4.7, -15.5+1.3, -4.0Class-I
900–10m6.35.7+1.9, -4.4+1.5, -4.2Class-I
14002h1h42.99.7+22.7, -20.2+4.6, -5.1Class-II
1500–10m11.911.0+9.0, -2.9+7.2, -3.8Class-II
20002.4h25m21.311.5+13.9, -7.4**+3.4, -8.1**Class-II
2100–8.5h*28.69.0+20.1, -8.5**+4.8, -4.2**Class-I
* Tuning at 2100°F was left to run overnight to test the effectiveness of longer hold times.
** Bulk furnace temperature read on average 20°F hotter at 2000°F and 2100°F than the controller SP. Reported SP variations are referenced to the median thermocouple instead of controller SP.

Note that the training was only needed for three temperatures. Since this initial data was captured, SIFCO has conducted three monthly TUS surveys. Prior to each survey, only tuning by the Certifire at the required temperatures was performed. The simplicity, efficiency, and accuracy of the linearizing technology ensures the subsequent client TUS will easily pass and maintain Class II uniformity.

Operating this linearizing technology does not violate furnaces with multiple temperature survey temperatures per AMS2750H because the valve positions are repeatable and maintain the original settings and pressures from the tuning prior to the TUS and will remain in that position until the next tuning (SAE International 2022, Section 3.5.4.1.1k).

Conclusion

Figure 5. Nick Klusty of SIFCO Forge

The adoption of linearization-based combustion tuning represents a significant step forward for the heat treat industry. SIFCO’s Facilities & Maintenance Manager Nick Klusty reflected on their new capabilities, saying, “We had been struggling to maintain Class III on this 8001 furnace for years. It took days to tune the furnace in preparation for every monthly TUS. Now it literally takes minutes. The North American CertiFire tunes so much better than we could ever achieve by hand. So good that we now have a second furnace available for Class II work, which opens up a new channel for production saving us the time and money of using outside services to heat treat Class II products.”

By replacing manual, iterative adjustments with a data-driven, repeatable process, furnace operators can achieve tighter temperature uniformity in less time, reduce the risk of failed surveys, and expand furnace capabilities to higher AMS2750H classifications. Beyond compliance, this approach enhances process stability and operational efficiency, ensuring that heat treaters are better equipped to meet the increasingly stringent demands of aerospace, automotive, and other critical industries.

References

Robertson, T., B. Witoff, and J. Dzik. 2024. Method and Apparatus for Improving Furnace Temperature Uniformity. U.S. Patent 12,104,788, filed October 1, 2024.

SAE International. 2022. AMS2750H: Pyrometry. Warrendale, PA: SAE International.

About The Author:

Ben Witoff
Manager, Information Systems and Data Strategy
Fives North American Combustion Inc.

Ben Witoff is the manager of Information Systems and Data Strategy at Fives North American Combustion Inc. After founding the company’s data engineering department in 2019, his work focuses on the development of IIoT-enabled combustion technologies and integrating data connectivity and advanced analytics into industrial processes. A Class of 2023 Heat Treat Today 40 Under 40 honoree, Ben has also been a guest on Heat Treat Radio Episode #77: Algorithmic Combustion Tuning with Justin Dzik and Ben Witoff at Fives.

For more information: Contact Ben Witoff at ben.witoff@fivesgroup.com.

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Flames and Fire: Nozzle Shapes and Sizes

/ BURNERS & COMBUSTION SYSTEMS TECHNICAL CONTENT, Manufacturing Heat Treat Technical Content

In this Technical Tuesday installment of Combustion Corner, Jim Roberts, president of U.S. Ignition, examines various burner nozzle shapes, sizes, and effects. Use this helpful resource to evaluate whether your own in-house heat treat burners are the right choice for your applications.

This informative piece was first released in Heat Treat Today’s September 2025 Annual People of Heat Treat print edition.

A furnace guy walks into a bar and shouts “Straighten UP!” The other furnace guys turn to furnace guy #1: “It won’t work!” Just like last month. Let’s continue this topic.

What would you say if I asked you, “What does fire look like?” How would you describe fire to me — color, size, smell, temperature? It’s kind of a weird thing to try and do.

Figure 1. Fives Group’s North American Tempest

Last month, we ended by talking about how “air staged” burner design can make the flame exit the nozzle at a whopping 270 mph. There’s a reason that trade names for some of these burners are “Therm-Jet” and “Tempest” and “Hot Shot.” In these instances, velocity and turbulence are the game. The flame appearance is almost always a pinpoint tip, not dissimilar to what we have all seen spitting out of the tail of a fighter jet aircraft.

And, as an interesting aside, these high-velocity industrial burners can be victims of the same phenomena as a jet engine: flameouts. A tremendous amount of design time and testing has been dedicated to keeping the flame “retained” on the nozzle. If the flame lifts off the nozzle, cup, etc., it risks being blown out by the high-velocity stream of gases being produced in the guts of the burner. At these speeds, you cannot count on the burner backlighting, so a flame failure is imminent.

More Burner Types

The other types of nozzle-mixing burners are flat flame burners. These are sometimes called wall huggers or radiant wall burners. In these designs the idea is to have as little forward momentum to the flame as possible and to run the burners in a fuel-rich or highly luminous state. The design features are such that the whole wall of the furnace will be glowing radiantly and using radiation from the glowing walls to heat the product.

There are also infrared burners, where the burners are like a porous foam or screen grid and flame just glows on these surfaces. Again, the intent is radiant heat as opposed to velocity gases. These are very prevalent continuous production processes where radiant, consistent heat is required.

There are also radiant tube burners, where the flames are fired through an alloy or ceramic tube, and the flame is isolated from the process completely. The idea here is that the tube does not allow the products of combustion to make contact with the parts. Also, in most radiant tube furnaces, some sort of process atmospheres — comprised of a variety of gases to protect the products in the furnace from oxidation or to impart a metallurgic property to those parts — have been introduced to the chamber and the process.

As such, burner design engineers have to figure out how to give a very uniform heat delivery to the tube they are firing into. Many times, a burner will need to mix the air and gas very slowly (compared to direct fired furnace burners) to ensure the flame releases its radiation at a very uniform rate, so as to not distort the radiant tube itself. And the users of these variety of burners range from flame hardening to direct fired to indirect fired atmosphere processes and many more.

Figure 2. Fighter jet aircraft

We will continue this discussion point in subsequent columns because understanding these burners is critical to using them correctly. As for the original idea that flame shapes can affect all sorts of process performance, we will revisit this topic and others, because it’s all important. Different flame shapes can significantly impact combustion performance by influencing factors like flame speed, stability, heat release, and certainly one of the big design goals now, emissions reductions. We’ll tackle these topics in future columns.

Until then, I would suggest that you take a walk into the plant and check out the variety of burners that you may have. Let’s endeavor to find more about them and consider, “What would make this burner the right choice for this application?” Then, discover what you can learn about them and their history. We will tie that all together when we discuss the next installment.

Jim Roberts
President
US Ignition
Contact Jim Roberts at jim@usignition.com

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Flames and Fire: Straighten Up, Move Forward… Or Not?

/ BURNERS & COMBUSTION SYSTEMS TECHNICAL CONTENT, GUEST COLUMN

In this Technical Tuesday installment, Jim Roberts, president of U.S. Ignition, examines various flame profiles in heat treat operations. Today’s Combustion Corner compares gravitational lift, premix burners, fuel nozzle fixed air mixing burners, and nozzle mixing burners, while exploring design improvements to keep you well informed.

This informative piece was first released in Heat Treat Today’s August 2025 Automotive Heat Treating print edition.

A furnace guy walks into a bar and shouts, “Straighten UP!” The other furnace guys respond, “It won’t work!”

Thus begins another wander down combustion lane where we try to figure out what I’m talking about. We have discussed in other articles how various fuels and sources of air (and everything else) can affect the heating rates produced by our combustion equipment. We have talked about fire. We haven’t talked about what fire looks like.

So, in the following column and subsequent releases we are going to talk about flames and fire, and why there are a fairly substantial number of flame profiles available to heat treaters, steel makers, and all of you high-temp-type people. Why are there different flame shapes, and what does flame color do for you?

Burner Types

Figure 1. Nozzle-mixing burner ThermJet cutaway

Firstly, let’s start with the various types of burners commonly used in the art of high-temp processing work.

  1. Gravitational lift: This type of burner is exactly what it sounds like; it works just like a candle. The fuel/air mix is naturally rising with the thermal current of the flame and combusting as the flame rises, climbing the heat column.
  2. Premix burners: This is where the fuel and air are mixed together and then ignited. By controlling the percentages of fuel and air in the mixture, we control the characteristics of this flame.
  3. Fuel nozzle fixed air mixing burners: This is where a steady stream of oxidant (air) is flowing, and the fuel is throttled up and down to affect ignition and capacity of fuel.
  4. Nozzle mixing burner: Finally, and by far the most used in our industry, this is where the fuel and oxidant mix internally in the burner, and a flame configuration is determined by the burner outlet or the mixing nozzle. (See Figures 1 and 2.) You may hear burner nozzles referred to as a cup, a spinner, flame retainer, just about any type of reference. You may also hear them referred to as a danged hot thing — an accurate description as well — so don’t touch.

Design Improvements

With development of the nozzle mixing burner 60+ years ago, design improvements began in earnest. One of the first patents for nozzle mixing industrial burners was issued to Eclipse Fuel Engineering in 1967. Pretty soon there were all sorts of designs and patents, as burner companies raced to improve reliability, performance, and heat delivery characteristics.

Figure 2. Nozzle-mixing burner Eclipse Thermair

Some of the concepts that came along in the subsequent years were “air staged” burners. In this design feature, the fuel is delivered in the center of the flame nozzle. Progressively changing air holes in the nozzle stages the combustion of the fuel as it makes contact with the air. As the gas burns and the exhaust gas expands, it will often increase volumetrically by up to seven to eight times its cold state condition. That’s a lot of expansion, and it forces the pressure in the burner body to increase at an amazing rate. As the flame progresses through the burner and seeks the exit point (the part we see, you know, the fire), it can be moving along at — get this — flame speeds up to 400 feet per second!

That’s enough for today. We’ll pick this conversation back up next month.

Jim Roberts
President
US Ignition
For more information: 
Contact Jim Roberts at jim@usignition.com

Find heat treating products and services when you search on Heat Treat Buyers Guide.Com

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The Future Is Coming Three Times Faster Than You Think

/ BURNERS & COMBUSTION SYSTEMS TECHNICAL CONTENT, GUEST COLUMN, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT TECH, OP-ED

In this Technical Tuesday installment featuring Combustion Corner by Jim Roberts, president of U.S. Ignition, readers are enlightened about how upcoming policies might impact their burner systems, fuel mixtures, and equipment. Could certain policies impact technical requirements of heat treating? Find out more below.

This informative piece was first released in Heat Treat Today’s July 2025 Super Brands print edition.

A furnace guy goes into a bar and says, “This looks like a fast crowd… and all the players nod in agreement.”

Where are we? It’s the future! And in heat treating and combustion circles, the changes that will occur in the next several years will be very impactful to our industry. We’ve all heard these things, and we have some of the very best experts in the world working for us in this industry to make sure that we continue to grow and to be a leader in the legislation and rules that could cripple the wonderful world of heat treating and metals.

We are lucky to have industry associates at the Metal Treating Institute (MTI) who understand the impact of some of these new regulations. In this year’s Air & Atmosphere issue of Heat Treat Today magazine, Michael Mouilleseaux (Erie Steel LTD) provided updates on the proposed decarbonization initiatives. I have seen presentations by Michael and his committee composed of Heather Falcone (Cook Induction Heating Company) and Ben Gasbarre (Gasbarre Thermal Processing Systems). This is critical knowledge for us all, and we should be staying as vigilant and supportive as we can. Michael’s interview is a must-read in that February issue – if you missed it, go back and read it. Please.

And then you say, “What’s this got to do with combustion equipment and the stuff that this Roberts guy is normally talking about?”

Well, not only does the decarbonization mandate mean the possibility of costs through government burdens and penalties, but the equipment and process change requirements are going to be staggering if we don’t prepare.

As long as I’m in a name-dropping mood, I’m going to mention Brian Kelly of Honeywell. Brian is a degreed aerospace engineer, and yet he decided to come play in the mud with us furnace guys for a career. Brian has several detailed presentations online about some of the prime initiatives for all the combustion equipment companies — hydrogen Combustion. Yep, the “H” word. The holy grail of zero pollution. One of those presentations includes fascinating detailed data on hydrogen and other emission initiatives, given by Brian Kelly and Todd Ellerton on YouTube regarding future combustion technology requirements.

“So, what does the “three times faster” thing mean, Jim?”

Well, all major combustion equipment companies, like Honeywell, understand that hydrogen requires three times the amount of fuel to generate the same amount of available heat as natural gas. Hydrogen also burns with seven to eight times the “flame speed” of natural gas. It burns, on average, about 400 degrees hotter (F) than natural gas. And so, from an engineering standpoint, there are a fantastic number of variations that must be considered as we look forward, especially when addressing CO₂ and other emissions. Add propane, butane, methane, producer gas, landfill gas, and anything else that is presently being utilized in the heat treat circles, and that provides a lot of possible variations!

Now, it needs to be said that a good many burners can burn hydrogen already. The anticipation of this level of scientific and ecological requirements was seen a long time ago. Conversely, many cannot. Brian Kelly explains that 17% of the present pre-mix/blended fuel systems cannot utilize this fuel. It also bears mentioning that there are three different grades of hydrogen production levels.

So, let’s start doing the math on how many iterations it will take. But here is the biggest tidbit of hydrogen science in the combustion world – hydrogen is the smallest molecule and the lightest in a molecular sense. Helium is smaller and lighter, for fact-checker purposes, but we aren’t trying to burn helium, are we? So, as we blend hydrogen with our other fuels (i.e., the most practical way to maintain some of the infrastructure and equipment), we need to have our combination equipment suppliers test and verify that which exists will work.

Obviously, if it takes three times the fuel volume, existing gas delivery lines will be an issue. At the molecular level, smaller and lighter means that many existing seals, connections, and control valves may no longer be gas-tight and may leak. That’s not good! If the flame speed of these fuels is five to eight times that of existing fuels, temperature profiles within the process will need to be reviewed and re-calibrated. And if it burns 400 to 500 degrees hotter, certainly that will require a review of the former materials of construction.

So, how does this tie into the original theme of “The future is coming fast?” Well, we have just touched briefly on one possible fuel transition that is on the horizon. Carbon points/credits are already being taxed in Europe. We can bet that these global decarbonization efforts will be moving ahead. We will need a review so that a “head in the sand” mentality does not catch any of us in the thermal processing community flatfooted and ill-prepared.

It’s easy to think that it won’t affect you. When I mentioned “three times as fast,” of course, I was alluding to the fuel references, and the best way to be prepared for the future is to see it coming. Be alert and stay current, and we will adapt as an industry, as we have so many times before. Until next time …

About The Author:

Jim Roberts
President
US Ignition

Jim Roberts president at US Ignition, began his 45-year career in the burner and heat recovery industry focused on heat treating specifically in 1979. He worked for and helped start up WB Combustion in Hales Corners, Wisconsin. In 1985 he joined Eclipse Engineering in Rockford, IL, specializing in heat treating-related combustion equipment/burners. Inducted into the American Gas Association’s Hall of Flame for service in training gas company field managers, Jim is a former president of MTI and has contributed to countless seminars on fuel reduction and combustion-related practices.

For more information: Contact Jim Roberts at jim@usignition.com.

Find heat treating products and services when you search on Heat Treat Buyers Guide.Com

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The Cost of Furnace Insulation Failure

/ BURNERS & COMBUSTION SYSTEMS TECHNICAL CONTENT, Manufacturing Heat Treat Technical Content

You see a little orange light coming from your furnace while it’s operating. What if that was a clue that you were losing over $7,000 annually on one furnace? In today’s Combustion Corner installment Jim Roberts, president of US Ignition, shares more details about the long term costs of furnace insulation failure.

This informative piece was first released in Heat Treat Today’s May 2025 Sustainable Heat Treat Technologies print edition.

A furnace guy walks into a bar and smells burning hair! A sure indication of wasted resources…  

Normally, I would not concern myself, as a burner guy, with heat loss issues. But as a furnace guy, this is one of the biggest culprits when it comes to running an energy-efficient operation. Burner guys take it as an affront when the burners get blamed for being inefficient or hard to keep balanced. It’s the ultimate slap in the face when the burners (and sometimes the whole furnace) get labeled as a “gas hog.” The seasoned furnace guys who just read that are shrinking back in horror at the mention of a gas hog because they know there are many ways to waste fuel, and some of them are hard to rectify if equipment is not up to snuff.  

This installment will provide an example of what can be done to avoid wasting fuel and why you should prioritize this problem.  

Insulation and Energy Loss 

The aforementioned smell of burning hair, of course, was rather dramatic and hopefully unlikely, but we have all walked into a heat treat facility and been hit in the face with some sort of otherworldly blast of heat. I know, you’re thinking, “Well, duh, Captain Obvious, we are in the business of making things really hot in here.” I get it. However, we all know that if the furnace insulation has broken down, or worse yet, failed completely in spots, energy loss is imminent and will affect the bottom line. And it never seems to be one big issue, but it’s a compounded effect that will add up to serious energy dollar loss.  

A Tale of Two Furnaces 

Our example today is the retelling of my own experience. I got called to a shop in the Northwest geo-zone a while ago (okay, a long while ago). There were two furnaces sitting side by side with matching load profiles. The manager of the operation walked me out into the work area, and staring at a pair of furnaces said, “One is using almost twice as much fuel. Same everything from an equipment standpoint but almost double the fuel usage.” I looked and observed that the furnace in question had visible orange around the door seams, around the burner flanges, and around the flue. The other furnace had a completely dark exterior. The work associates in this plant were all suffering from radiation blindness — they could not see this very visible damage because the insulation on this furnace had deteriorated slowly enough they were accepting it as normal. Only, it’s not.  

Let’s Run the Numbers 

If you can see any type of color around doors, the energy loss is massive. At 2000°F Flue gas temperatures, the heat loss from radiation alone is already around 40,000 BTU/hr per square foot of visible radiation.  

If you consider that there are probably outside air ingresses through these gaps as well, you can estimate that will result in 10,000 BTU/hr per square foot of additional loss. Those numbers combine for a 50,000 BTU/hr per square foot of loss from the big orange leaks. That’s 50 cubic feet of natural gas every hour for every square foot. You might say, “Well, nobody would have a square foot of glowing furnace shell.” However, if you take it a 10-foot door opening, and the gap is 1 inch all the way around, the square foot of exposed area is leaking heat off at 4 times that square footage because it’s really just a ribbon of heat pouring out.  

So now, I was witnessing 200 cubic feet of fuel leaking out every hour that this furnace was heating all day, every day. That is 200 cubic feet × 24 hours/day × 6 days/week × 50 weeks/year = 1,440,000 cubic feet of gas wasted on a single door.  

If we estimate that gas is averaging around $5.25/1,000 cubic feet of industrial grid price, that leaky door costs $7,560.00 per year in fuel. If we consider that the gas that was being blown into the room was really intended to heat the load, we can argue there are production losses as well.  

Become an Energy Hero 

In the case of the client I was helping, I recommended refractory repairs to ensure there was no orange showing outside the furnace. The manager thought I had invented heat — I was his energy hero — and all of a sudden, the burners weren’t gas hogs, and the furnace was up to speed with its twin.  

You, too, can be a burner/furnace/energy hero for your facility by not allowing yourself to become radiation blind. Look around, feel the heat that is there, and don’t accept it as the norm. When you see it, fix it. The money you save will almost always pay for the repairs many times over.  

Be safe always, and we’ll chat more next month.

About The Author:

Jim Roberts
President
US Ignition

For More Information: Contact Jim Roberts at jim@usignition.com. 

Find heat treating products and services when you search on Heat Treat Buyers Guide.Com

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Is It Stuffy in Here? Exhaust Systems

/ ATMOSPHERE AIR FURNACES TECHNICAL CONTENT, BURNERS & COMBUSTION SYSTEMS TECHNICAL CONTENT, GUEST COLUMN, Manufacturing Heat Treat Technical Content, OP-ED

In each installment of Combustion Corner, Jim Roberts, president of U.S. Ignition, reinforces the goal of the series: providing informative content to “furnace guys” about the world of combustion. The previous column examined the air supply inlet — the inhale, and this month, Jim is examining the exhaust system — the exhale, and how to inspect it, maintain it, and manage it.

This informative piece was first released in Heat Treat Today’s March 2025 Aerospace print edition.

A guy walks into a room full of furnace guys and says, “Is it just me, or is it a tad stuffy in here?”

We have all been able to imagine that it is hard to focus and do your job in an environment where it seems like it’s hard to breathe. Well, our hard workin’ buddy, the furnace, is continually stuck in a cycle of trying to breathe in, breathe out — and then somewhere in between, the magic of combustion and heat happens! We talked last month about the “breathe in” part of the combustion process. This month, we are going to remind you that if you take a really good, productive, inhaled, life giving breath, you are probably going to want to exhale at some point, too!

Tip 2: Ensure Exhaust Systems Are Properly Functioning and Clean

Inhale, exhale. It makes sense that if we were earlier having issues with the air supply inlet, the exhaust should also be checked. Today’s combustion equipment is sophisticated and sensitive to pressure fluctuations. If the exhaust is restricted, the burners will struggle to get the proper input to the process. I used to use the example of trying to spit into a soda bottle. Try it. It’s tough to do and invariably will not leave you happy. Clean exhaust also minimizes any chance of fire. Read on for three examples.

A. Check the Flues and Exhausts for Soot

If you are responsible for burners that are delivering indirect heat (in other words, radiant tubes), you have a relatively easy task ahead to check the flues/exhausts. Each burner usually has its own exhaust, and one can see if the burners are running with fuel-rich condition (soot/carbon). Soot is not a sign of properly running burners and will signal trouble ahead. Soot can degrade the alloys at a chemical level. Soot can catch fire and create a hot spot in the tubes. Soot obviously signals you are using more fuel than needed (or your combustion blower is blocked, see the first column in this series).

As a furnace operator or floor person, it should be normal operating procedure to look for leakage around door seals.

Here’s a sub tip: If you cannot see the exhaust outlets directly, look around the floor and on the roof of the furnace up by the exhaust outlets. Light chunks of black stuff is what is being ejected into the room when it breaks free from the burner guts (if it can). That will tell you it’s time to tune those burners. If you do not have a good oxygen/flue gas analyzer, get one. It can be pricey, but it will pay for itself in a matter of months in both maintenance and fuel savings.

B. Seriously … Check the Flues and Leakage Around Door Seals

If you are running direct-fired furnace equipment, or furnaces that have the flue gases mixed from multiple burners, it gets a little trickier. All the same rules apply for not wanting soot. Only now, it can actually get exposure to your product, it can saturate your refractory, and it can clog a flue to the point that furnace pressure is affected. An increase in furnace pressure can test the integrity of your door seals. It can back up into the burners and put undue and untimely wear and tear on burner nozzles, ignitors, flame safety equipment, etc. As a furnace operator or floor person, it should be normal operating procedure to look for leakage around door seals.

C. Utilize Combustion Service Companies

Ask the wizards. Combustion service companies can usually help you diagnose and verify flue issues if you suspect they exist. It’s always a great idea to set a baseline for your combustion settings. Service companies can help you establish the optimum running conditions. Again, money well spent to optimize the performance of your furnaces. I’m sure you already have a combustion service team; some are listed in this publication. Otherwise, consult the trade groups like MTI and IHEA for recommended suppliers of that valuable service.

Check flues monthly. It should be a regular walk around maintenance check.

Don’t let the next headline be your plant. See you next issue.

About The Author:

Jim Roberts
President
US Ignition

Jim Roberts, president at US Ignition, began his 45-year career in the burner and heat recovery industry directed for heat treating specifically in 1979. He worked for and helped start up WB Combustion in Hales Corners, Wisconsin. In 1985 he joined Eclipse Engineering in Rockford, IL, specializing in heat treating-related combustion equipment/burners. Inducted into the American Gas Association’s Hall of Flame for service in training gas company field managers, Jim is a former president of MTI and has contributed to countless seminars on fuel reduction and combustion-related practices.

Contact Jim Roberts at jim@usignition.com.

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‘Furnace Guys’ and Filtration Systems

/ ATMOSPHERE AIR FURNACES TECHNICAL CONTENT, BURNERS & COMBUSTION SYSTEMS TECHNICAL CONTENT, Manufacturing Heat Treat Technical Content

Jim Roberts, president of U.S. Ignition, joins us in the renewal of the Combustion Corner column. In this installment, Jim establishes that the goal of the series is to provide informative content to “furnace guys” about the world of combustion, furthering the spirit of the Heat Treat Today motto: “We believe people are happier and make better decisions when they are well informed.”

This informative piece was first released in Heat Treat Today’s February 2025 Air/Atmosphere Furnace Systems print edition.

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So … A guy walks into a room full of furnace guys …

And the story (or joke) begins again. I used to be one of the furnace guys. It’s a really niche group of strange, unique, and sometimes knowing people, who, by the way, are not gender specific. To me, “a guy” is a moniker as specific as saying that person over there is a swimmer.

But as furnace guys, those same individuals have a peek at the stuff that normal planet walkers don’t. They — or rather WE — know how to almost tame the beast. We have learned what it means to control temperatures that can crack stone. We can bend metal and make it do what we want at temperatures that the human eye cannot gaze upon without safety filters between us and the beast.

And what is this beast? It’s called combustion. It’s a phenomenon that allows the very air around us and anciently sourced resources to burn like hellfire and yet still do our bidding. But there are fewer and fewer guys who manage the beast these days. And that is how a column like this takes launch.

This publication, and its talented editorial staff, have always been driven to provide information that, in their own words, will allow the greater masses this privilege: “We believe people are happier and make better decisions when they are well informed.”

It was not lost on the staff that with dwindling numbers of longtime combustion people some of the benefits of being “well informed” were needed. They felt information could be presented in such a fashion that old-timers like me could share some of the tried-and-true techniques that we have used over the years. The hope is to not only make the workplace safer, but also to increase efficiency and performance in the processes that utilize combustion.

When we walk into almost any facility and go over to the underperforming furnaces, we can bet part of the problem will be inlet air source or exhaust outlet issues.

To some, this will seem like remedial information. That is GREAT. Because that means that you already understand a fair portion of the pathway to combustion performance. You can be the lead in your facility on combustion safety and understanding. Yay!

We are going to start with a visit to an article I wrote some time ago that then later became a pamphlet called “10 Combustion Tips.” It was written with plant maintenance guys in mind as they traveled the factories and facilities that they had responsibility for. We’ll turn this into a series of tips that are really intended for those less experienced to start. We’ll continue in upcoming editions of Heat Treat Today, and hopefully, everyone will feel like this was beneficial when cruising the aisles of your factories.

Tip 1: Keep the Process Air Filters Clean

I know, this seems so obvious, doesn’t it? Utilities tell us over and over to keep your home furnace filters clean. But I would be willing to bet that almost 30% of all furnace issues that we see in the field start at the blower supplying our combustion air. It’s the lungs for your burners! Any filter blockage will result in serious problems. As the system impedes under a clogged filter, your process may not get the required input. Clogged filters put undue strain on the combustion air blowers over time, so your electrical and motor maintenance costs may escalate. Additionally, the burners may go fuel rich. This wastes fuel and can create carbon, which at its best is an insulator. At its worst, it is a fire hazard.

Tip Solutions

A. Check the filters monthly: It is pretty easy to see if a filter is dirty. Your production folks may have even told you the furnace is slowing down. Less air, less heat. Take a peek … you will know. If it’s a fiber-based filter, replace it. Better yet, make it a habit to check filters every month.

B. Clean the screen: If not a replaceable filter, clean the metallic/plastic screen type with some solvent that will cut the machine/quench oil that’s probably the clog culprit. DO NOT put the filter back on dripping wet with solvent. I apologize to furnace guys out there for having to explain that, but it’s the new world, right? If you didn’t understand why, please refer to the movie “Back Draft.”

C. Get outside: Consider ducting an outside air source to the combustion air blower. Fresh air delivered at a stable temp will always help with furnace and burner performance.

So there, was that so hard? Nope, almost simple. And yet when we walk into almost any facility and go over to the underperforming furnaces, we can bet part of the problem will be inlet air source or exhaust outlet issues.

Don’t let it be your plant. See you next issue.

About the Author

Jim Roberts
President
US Ignition

Jim Roberts, president at US Ignition, began his 45-year career in the burner and heat recovery industry directed for heat treating specifically in 1979. He worked for and helped start up WB Combustion in Hales Corners, Wisconsin. In 1985 he joined Eclipse Engineering in Rockford, IL, specializing in heat treating-related combustion equipment/burners. Inducted into the American Gas Association’s Hall of Flame for service in training gas company field managers, Jim is a former president of MTI and has contributed to countless seminars on fuel reduction and combustion-related practices.

For more information: Contact Jim at jim@usignition.com.

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Sustainability Insights: How Can We Work To Get The Carbon Out Of Heating? Part 2

/ BULK GASES & SYSTEMS TECHNICAL CONTENT, BURNERS & COMBUSTION SYSTEMS TECHNICAL CONTENT, FEATURED NEWS, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT TECH, OP-ED

The search for sustainable solutions in the heat treat industry is at the forefront of research for industry experts. Michael Stowe, PE, senior energy engineer at Advanced Energy, one such expert, offers some fuel for thought on the subject of how heat treaters should prioritize the reduction of their carbon emissions by following the principles of reuse, refuel, and redesign.

This Sustainability Insights article was first published in Heat Treat Today’s January/February 2024 Air & Atmosphere print edition.

Reduce

Michael Stowe
PE, Senior Energy Engineer
Advanced Energy

We explored why the question above has come to the forefront for industrial organizations in Part 1, released in Heat Treat Today’s December 2023 print edition. Now, let’s look at the four approaches to managing carbon in order of priority.

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The best way to manage your carbon footprint is to manage your energy consumption. Therefore, the first and best step for reducing your carbon footprint is to reduce the amount of energy you are consuming. Energy management tools like energy treasure hunts, energy assessments, implementation of energy improvement projects, the DOE 50001 Ready energy management tool, or gaining third party certification in ISO 50001 can all lead to significant reduction in energy consumption year over year. Lower energy use means a smaller carbon footprint.

Additionally, ensuring proper maintenance of combustion systems will also contribute to improved operational efficiency and energy savings. Tuning burners, changing filters, monitoring stack exhaust, controlling excess oxygen in combustion air, lubricating fans and motors, and other maintenance items can help to ensure that you are operating your combustion-based heat treating processes as efficiently as possible.

Reuse

Much of the heat of the combustion processes for heat treating goes right up the stack and heats up the surrounding neighborhood. Take just a minute and take the temperature of your exhaust stack gases. Chances are this will be around 1200–1500°F. Based on this, is there any effective way to reuse this wasted heat for other processes in your facility? One of the best things to do with waste heat is to preheat the combustion air feeding the heat treating process. Depending on your site processes, there are many possibilities for reusing waste heat, including:

  • Space heating
  • Part preheating
  • Hot water heating
  • Boiler feed water preheating
  • Combustion air preheating

Refuel

Once you have squeezed all you can from reducing your process energy consumption and reusing waste heat, you may now want to consider the possibility of switching the fuel source for the heat treating process. If you currently have a combustion process for a heat treat oven or furnace, is it practical or even possible to convert to electricity as the heating energy source? Electricity is NOT carbon free because the local utility must generate the electricity, but it typically does have lower carbon emissions than your existing direct combustion processes on site. Switching heating energy sources is a complex process, and you must ensure that you maintain your process parameters and product quality. Typically, some testing will be required to ensure the new electrical process will maintain the metallurgical properties and the quality standards that your customer’s specific cations demand. Also, you will need a capital investment in new equipment to make this switch. Still, this method does have significant potential for reducing carbon emissions, and you should consider this where applicable and appropriate.

Redesign

Finally, when the time is right, you can consider starting with a blank sheet of paper and completely redesigning your heat treating system to be carbon neutral. This, of course, will mean a significant process change and capital investment. This would be applicable if you are adding a brand-new process line or setting up a new manufacturing plant at a greenfield site.

In summary, heat treating requires significant energy, much of which is fueled with carbon-based fossil fuels and associated-support electrical consumption. Both combustion and electricity consumption contribute to an organization’s carbon footprint. One of the best ways to help manage your carbon footprint is to consider and manage your energy consumption.

For more information:
Connect with IHEA Sustainability & Decarbonization Initiatives www.ihea.org/page/Sustainability
Article provided by IHEA Sustainability

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Anatomy of a Roller Hearth Furnace

/ BURNERS & COMBUSTION SYSTEMS TECHNICAL CONTENT, FEATURED NEWS, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT
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Consider the numerous systems in your heat treat operations. What makes up the anatomy of each furnace? In this “Anatomy of a . . .” series, industry experts indicate the main features of a specific heat treat system. In this feature, the full-page spread identifies main features in a roller hearth furnace.

The mark-ups for these reference images are provided by Premier Furnace Specialists.

Download the full graphics by clicking the image below.

This Technical Tuesday article is drawn from Heat Treat Today’s January/February 2024 Air/Atmosphere print edition, that had a special focus on roller hearths. Use this mark-up as you read two feature articles from the magazine: “5 Experts on Advantages and Applications of Roller Hearth Systems” and “Thermal Loop Solutions, Part 1: A Path to Improved Performance and Compliance in Heat Treatment.“

Search www.heattreatbuyersguide.com for a list of roller hearth furnace providers to the North American market. If you are a roller hearth furnace supplier and are not listed here, please let us know at editor@heattreattoday.com.

This series will continue in subsequent editions of Heat Treat Today’s print publications. Stay tuned!

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Hydrogen Combustion: An Approaching Reality?

/ BURNERS & COMBUSTION SYSTEMS TECHNICAL CONTENT, FEATURED NEWS, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT

How long until heat treat operations use hydrogen for combustion? Considerations like cost and pipeline infrastructure are key in answering this question. For these industry experts, the consensus is clear: It is uncertain when, but hydrogen is coming. Doug Glenn, publisher of Heat Treat Today, moderated a panel of four industry experts in 2023 during which they addressed topics about advancements and challenges surrounding hydrogen combustion. Read an excerpt of their answers below. For the full interview go to www.heattreattoday.com/hydrogen2023.

What’s New for Hydrogen?

Dr.-Ing. Joachim G. Wuenning
President/Owner
WS Wärmeprozesstechnik GmbH

Joe Wuenning: In Europe, several steel companies are getting large funds to really go in on the hydrogen road to make green steel. If you have green steel, you will also convert the downstream processes. These places are large locations where the steel plants are running.

Automotive companies will ask for green steel. How long will it take until the heat treat shop will get to the point of using hydrogen for combustion is uncertain, but I’m sure it will be, in the end, coming also there.

Brian Kelly
Applications Engineering Manager
Honeywell Thermal Solutions

Brian Kelly: We have seen projects secured that have come to fruition firing on hydrogen. They’ve fired on hydrogen to prove it works and then moved back to natural gas since the H2 supply is not readily available.

What we’ve seen in the U.S. is a slowdown in some of the inquiries and questions about hydrogen. There may be a slowdown in the fervor of the talk about hydrogen, but it is certainly in the background and maybe a little bit more towards how do we be more green until hydrogen gets here?

Robert Sanderson
Director of Business Development
Rockford Combustion

Bob Sanderson: We’ve seen more inquiries, specifically from a lot of laboratory users who are trying to develop new engines, processes, and combustion products and looking for all the support and the technology to safely handle transport and bring that hydrogen into the lab under various test conditions.

A few users, too, want to understand: If they make the change to hydrogen, what’s going to happen with the rest of their systems?

Mark Hannum
Manager of Innovation and Combustion Laboratory
Fives North American Combustion

We have seen some early hydrogen requests going on which have tapered off a bit. I think it goes hand in hand with users becoming more familiar with the systems and having more of their questions answered. But I think some of it also depends a bit on the market pressures and the demands. The cost of natural gas has gone down dramatically. It’s going down faster than the cost of hydrogen is coming down. Hydrogen is going to keep coming down and keep becoming more and more affordable. Then it will reenter into the marketplace.

Mark Hannum: Probably the biggest thing is some of the regulatory and law changes that have happened. The Inflation Reduction Act certainly puts in place a lot of supports for hydrogen production and hydrogen-based systems for decarbonization.

Burgeoning Users of Hydrogen

Kelly: New inquiries have come from a lot of different places for us. We’ve had food and beverage, some heat treating, and plastics. Some of the inquiries have been waste to energy, sequestering CO2, and capturing the hydrogen. That’s how we’re going to produce it.

Wuenning: Our business is in the steel and heat treating industry. I’m not so much in touch with the other industries, but I think it would come from everywhere — everywhere the people are willing to pay for it. Of course, we have never beat natural gas on price, so far. Hydrogen is never going to come free out of the ground. But we all know the reasons why we want to get rid of the fossils.

In heat treat, we see another tendency, and that is the use of ammonia. We try to check out whether we can use ammonia because with hydrogen you need pipeline connections, and it will take quite some time until the pipelines will carry hydrogen to the last little heat treater somewhere in the countryside.

Hannum: One of the nice things about hydrogen is if you have a clean source of water and electricity, you might be able to make hydrogen in a remote location. You might not need to pipeline it; you could make the gas and use it on site.

The need for pipeline infrastructure is a key issue in the use of hydrogen.

In the steel industry in Europe, these major investments are being played out and committed to, but we’re years away from being adopted, for day-in and day-out use.

There are a lot of segments that are performing really meaningful tests at the industrial scale because they’re all trying to de-risk the switch from natural gas to hydrogen. Are there any process-side impacts that they need to understand that would impact product quality or product suitability or any of those things? All that stuff is going on now, and I think it’s going to take a couple of years for everyone to sort of work through and have a good understanding of whether there’s anything they need to be worried about beyond just the fuel switch itself, if there’s any process.

Sanderson: A lot of the push I’ve seen has come out of the aerospace and the automotive industries, not so much on the products that they make but more on the manufacturing side of it.

Advancements and Challenges with Hydrogen

Sanderson: We’re doing a lot more work now with stainless materials. There is quite a bit of involvement using stainless and other materials that have higher nickel contents and other materials to help work into the grain boundaries.

Working with hydrogen has some unique challenges compared to other fuels. It’s the smallest atomic molecule out there and it just wants to permeate into everything. With a lot of the higher, high-end pressures, there is a lot of chance of steel embrittlement, but if you can get away from those higher ends and try and get down to more usable, friendly working pressures, you don’t stand as much risk on the hydrogen embrittlement and dealing with leaks and permeability. So, just helping people understand that those are some of the changes that need to come into play for a safe, long-term solution in their applications.

Hannum: We have installed some hydrogen-firing capability in our lab; it was about a $400,000 investment. So, at this point, we can fire a substantial amount of input for longer durations than we could before. So, that’s really helpful when we’re looking at what the impacts are across our entire burner product range, when we look at a conversion from natural gas to hydrogen.

It also lets us perform some process-based studies where we can really simulate industrial processes and have a longer duration hydrogen firing. So, we’ve been able to support some customers by simulating some of their processes here and actually firing the materials that they
would normally fire at their plant to look at hydrogen impact on those materials.

We’ve also gone to a couple of our customer sites and participated in studies with them. One of those earlier this year, right after THERMPROCESS, was Hydro Aluminum in Spain; we melted aluminum with hydrogen without any natural gas. That was, I think, the first industrial scale melting of aluminum with hydrogen.

Wuenning: We have now put into place an electrolyzer for making our own hydrogen, and not relying on the bottles coming in or on ammonia supply. We installed a big ammonia tank so that we can run the ammonia tests on site, develop the crackers and account for them. And, of course, we are involved in several research projects together with universities and some sites that do all these things to try it out.

Kelly: The latest this year is an investment for one of our factories to have an electrolyzer-type system, so a full-blown, cradle-to-grave type of system to be able to produce the hydrogen. Muncie is investing in that whole substructure with the capability of increasing to tube tankers before the electrolyzer comes so there is significant investment on that end. And from the product end, we’ve just kept testing and looking at the whole product line, not just burners, but all the controls and things to be associated with hydrogen firing.

In addition to the controls behind the system, we must also think about the development of simpler and/or more complicated systems. These updated systems are necessary because of changes in air/fuel rations and all the concerns that pop up when using different fuels.

These systems need to take into account what the process is requiring, namely holding tighter air/fuel ratios and also being less dependent on low temperature air-heating applications, but also being able to use higher temperatures and higher oxygen rates with some excess air. We’ve been working on those types of systems and looking at that when the clients are in a situation where they can fire on either fuel. How critical it is to hold capacity and air/fuel ratio and things of that nature, and how can we make that as easy as possible for the client?

But, yes, a lot of activity on that basis. And even in product development looking at the future — lower NOx and lower emissions burners that go in conjunction with hydrogen. In the lower and high temperature range, we’ve got to look at a burner that can fi re via flex-fuel type burner. Maybe not just hydrogen and natural gas but something in biofuels or renewable-type fuels.

About the Experts

Joachim (Joe) Wuenning is the owner and CEO of WS Thermal Process Technology.

Brian Kelly is the applications engineering manager at Honeywell Thermal Solutions.

Robert Sanderson is the director of business development at Rockford Combustion.

Mark Hannum is the manager of the innovation and combustion laboratory at Fives North American Combustion.

For more information: Visit www.heattreattoday.com/hydrogen2023

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