Residential oil furnace system optimization. Phase II. Final report Aug 75--Sep 76

The report describes the second of a two-phase investigation into ways to improve the air pollutant emission and thermal efficiency characteristics of residential oil furnaces. A prototype, low-emission, warm-air furnace (designed in Phase I to embody a number of burner and combustor criteria for minimizing emissions compatible with high efficiency) was assembled and tested. Applicability of the design criteria was demonstrated within current conventional oil-heat industry practices. Compared with estimated average characteristics of existing installed residential furnaces and boilers, nitrogen oxides emissions were reduced by 65% or more, and steady-state efficiency was increased by a minimum of 10 percentage points. Experimental results and component changes made in obtaining them were incorporated into a preliminary design for an integrated low-emission furnace which should be commercially producible and cost-competitive.