Real operating parameters of bioethanol burners in terms of heat output

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the operating parameters of bioethanol burners used in the so-called bioethanol fireplaces, mainly in terms of their actual heat output. The method used to determine the actual heat output was designed considering procedures from the standard EN 16647 fireplaces for liquid fuel. Experiments were carried out on eight different types of burners with two different types of fuels. The measurements demonstrated a difference of up to 19% in the maximal heat output among individual fuels and a difference of up to 16% in the average heat output when comparing identical burners over approximately 60 min of operation. The average heat outputs of the burners during the measurements reached approximately 41-62% of the heat output declared by the manufacturers. The measured values were used to create graphs of the dependency of the burner opening size on its average heat output based on the fuel type. Two-chambered burners reached a higher average heat output than single-chambered burners with the same burner opening area of above similar to 6000 mm(2). The positions of the regulation damper (75 and 50%) increased the burning time by 21 and 86%, respectively.