Combustion chambers house the burner and flame in rotary dryers and kilns, playing a critical role in protecting product integrity in heat-sensitive materials by preventing direct contact with the burner flame.
Whether you are looking to replace an existing combustion chamber or retrofit one onto your existing dryer or kiln, FEECO engineers and fabricates high-quality, custom combustion chambers built for efficiency and longevity.
Why Add a Combustion Chamber to Your Dryer or Kiln?
The incorporation of a combustion chamber on a dryer or kiln can be critical to reaching product and process goals. In containing the combustion reaction and flame, a combustion chamber avoids the potential issues associated with direct flame contact, such as the formation of undesirable pollutants, material attrition, and product degradation or damage when working with heat-sensitive materials.
The use of a combustion chamber can offer several benefits to both process and product, including:
- Generally improved product quality
- Increased on-spec product (due to less over-drying)
- Enhanced control over the process gas temperature entering the unit
- More uniform heat delivery
- Greater efficiency due to the ability to control inlet temperature and dilution air contribution, yielding a more complete combustion of fuel
- Ability to use recovered waste heat as part of dilution air
Indications That a Combustion Chamber May Require Replacement
As part of the heating system of a dryer or kiln, combustion chamber wear or damage typically reveals itself through process inefficiency, reduced product quality, or an unexplained rise in fuel costs.
Refractory failure is the most common cause of combustion chamber issues. This may be indicated by thin/hot spots on the combustion chamber shell, the presence of tramp material, under-dried product, rising fuel costs, and poor thermal efficiency.
AVAILABLE COMBUSTION CHAMBERS
FEECO combustion chambers are typically fabricated from carbon steel with refractory lining for maximum heat resistance. Our combustion chambers can be configured in a number of different ways, including:
- Single shell
- Double shell
- Angled (for reducing the amount of radiative heat transfer when processing especially heat-sensitive materials)
- Can be incorporated onto co-current or counter-current units
Our combustion chambers can accommodate various fuel types, such as natural gas, propane, various types of fuel oil, and recycled or waste heat (where applicable).
In addition to supplying new combustion chambers, FEECO can also repair individual sections of combustion chambers as well. Access platforms and other accessories are also available.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
No. A combustion chamber is never required, but almost always beneficial. A combustion chamber is highly recommended when working with heat-sensitive materials to preserve product integrity. Similarly, if the material being processed would form pollutants if allowed to contact the flame, the use of a combustion chamber helps to control off-gases.
For more information on when to use a combustion chamber, or whether or not a retrofit is appropriate for your specific situation, see Rotary Dryers: When is a Combustion Chamber Necessary?
Combustion chambers can offer several benefits, including greater product quality and overall uniformity, improved process control, enhanced efficiency, and the ability to use recovered waste heat in the dilution air mix. For more information, see the section on this page titled, “Why Add a Combustion Chamber to Your Dryer or Kiln?”
Yes, existing rotary dryers and kilns can be retrofitted with a combustion chamber to help meet product and process goals.
How often a combustion chamber requires replacement varies significantly depending on its unique operating conditions. Combustion chamber service life can range anywhere from 3-30 years.
The following are indicators that a combustion chamber may require replacement:
- Rise in fuel costs
- Damage to refractory
- Decrease in product quality
FEECO can help to determine whether repair or replacement is the best option.
Lead time for a combustion chamber can range anywhere from 8 to 12 weeks.
Yes. Consider that the drum will need to be shut down for retrofitting or replacement and may be best aligned with a planned shutdown. Because the unit will be shut down, an annual inspection or other necessary maintenance may best be conducted during this time.
The process for ordering a combustion chamber differs depending on whether you are replacing an existing chamber, or retrofitting a new one onto an existing dryer or kiln.
If the combustion chamber was supplied by FEECO and is a direct replacement, contact your dedicated parts person and include the unit’s serial number.
If the original dryer or kiln (with or without a combustion chamber) was not supplied by FEECO, fill out the contact form with as much detail as possible, including original drawings where possible. A FEECO Parts Engineer will review your data and work with you to determine the best design and configuration for your specific goals.