This manual has been written for boiler operators and is intended to be a concise, easily understood, and interesting guide to the clean and efficient operation of bituminous and sub-bituminous stoker coal- fired boilers. It should be made very clear that this manual neither replaces nor supercedes the manufacturer's operating manual. This manual will explain general principles of boiler operation and will suggest ways of reducing boiler emissions and increasing boiler efficiency. This manual will not show the operator exactly how to implement these suggestions. For this reason, the operator should consult the boiler manufacturer's operating instructions as well.

The first part of the manual includes a list of definitions used in discussing stoker equipment. The reader needs to understand terminology in order to properly address the technical and operational ramifications of a stoker-boiler installation.

The first section of the manual describes the types of stoker boilers in use today. Since stokers of different design have different operating characteristics, this part of the manual will explain each type of design to enable a better understanding of how to solve problems specific to the type of stoker in use. The next section of the manual explains the combustion process. Since both increased boiler efficiency and reduced boiler emissions can be achieved most inexpensively through combustion optimization, a basic understanding of the combustion process is essential to achieving improved boiler operation. The last two sections of the manual explain how the operator can control the combustion process in the coal stoker-fired boiler in such a way as to achieve increased boiler efficiency and reduced emissions. While it is frequently possible to achieve increased efficiency and reduced emissions simultaneously, there is sometimes a tradeoff between the two. The nature of this tradeoff is explained in the last two sections of the manual.