Oil burner

(engineering) Liquid-fuel burner device using a mixture of air and vaporized or atomized oil for combustion.

A device for converting fuel oil from a liquid state into a combustible mixture. A number of different types of oil burners are in use for domestic heating. These include sleeve burners, natural-draft pot burners, forced-draft pot burners, rotary wall flame burners, and air-atomizing and pressure-atomizing gun burners. The most common and modern type that handles 80% of the burners used to heat United States homes is the pressure-atomizing-gun-type burner shown in the illustration.

An oil burner of the pressure-atomizing type. (Automatic Burner Corp.)

The sleeve burner, commonly known as a range burner because of its use in kitchen ranges, is the simplest form of vaporizing burner. The natural-draft pot burner relies on the draft developed by the chimney to support combustion. A modification of this burner is the forced-draft pot burner which supplies its own air for combustion and does not rely totally on the chimney. The rotary wall flame burners have mechanically assisted vaporization. The gun-type burner uses a nozzle to atomize the fuel so that it becomes a vapor, and burns easily when mixed with air.

The oil burner is used for a wide assortment of heating, air conditioning, and processing applications. Oil burners heat commercial buildings such as hospitals, schools, and factories. Air conditioners using the absorption refrigeration system have been developed and fired with oil burners. Oil burners are used to produce CO₂ in greenhouses to accelerate plant growth. They also produce hot water for many commercial and industrial applications. See also Air cooling; Comfort heating; Hot-water heating system.

In a furnace or boiler, a burner in which fuel oil is vaporized or atomized and then mixed with air and ignited; the resulting flame is directed upon the surface to be heated.

oil burner