This paper gives a detailed description of the experimental facilities and procedures developed for a combustion program on middle distillate fuel oil quality. Oils from various feedstocks and with wide ranges of properties are evaluated using these facilities to help establish a quality/performance index system. Test fuels include furnace oils from conventional as well as synthetic crudes, light gas oils, heavy gas oils, light cycle oils, diesel fuels, and fuel blends with specific properties. A better understanding of fuel properties and associated performance characteristics will provide valuable information for refiners to best utilize the crude barrel.

Special emphasis was given to the design and arrangement of the test equipment, to ensure that the test conditions were comparable to the residential environment. The experimental rig included a domestic warm air oil furnace, fuel temperature controlling equipment, a special cold air return system, continuous emission analyzers, particulate measuring devices, and data acquisition and processing units . Experimental procedures were carefully planned to provide meaningful data when different stocks of fuels are compared with respect to burner ignition behavior, particulate emissions, concentrations of flue gas components, furnace efficiency, and excess air.

Units: Dual