Combustion Roar as Observed in Industrial Furnaces

Abstract

Factory noise in recent years has become a source of increasing attention, both because of the action of regulatory bodies and because of increased industrial awareness of possible detrimental effects to workers. This paper concerns one significant source of factory noise, namely, combustion roar. Combustion roar accompanies any turbulent flame, premixed or diffusion. Generally, it increases with the rate and intensity of combustion. The effects of several variables, such as firing rate, turbulence intensity, and burner type, on the noise output of flames in an acoustically-infinite situation are first considered. Then, the available information on the changes in the acoustic performance of burners when they are placed in furnaces is discussed. Finally, some remarks are made concerning the suppression of combustion roar.