Study of the effects of ambient conditions upon the performance of fan powered, infrared, natural gas burners. Quarterly technical progress report, October 1, 1996--December 31, 1996

This quarterly technical progress report describes work performed under DOE Grant No. DE-FG22-94MT94011 during the period September 1, 1996 to December 31, 1996 which covers the nineth quarter of the project. The objective of this investigation is to characterize the operation of a fan powered infrared burner (IR burner) at various gas compositions and ambient conditions and develop design guidelines for appliances containing PIR burners for satisfactory performance. The fan powered infrared burner is a technology introduced more recently in the residential and commercial markets. It is a surface combustor that elevates the temperature of the burner head to a radiant condition. A variety of metallic and ceramic materials are used for the burner heads. It has been demonstrated that infrared burners produce low CO and NO{sub x} emissions in a controlled geometric space. As the environmental regulations become more stringent, infrared burners are receiving increasing interests