Question 20 QMED01 - Junior Engineer

The Correct Answer is C **Why Option C is Correct:** During low load conditions in a boiler operation (where fewer burners are required), the proper procedure for unused burners is to remove them. **Removing, cleaning, and storing them** (typically on the burner bench in a designated rack) prevents them from being damaged by radiant heat from the operating furnace or by exposure to combustion gases, which can lead to fouling, coking (burning the residual fuel inside the tip), or warping. By cleaning and storing them correctly, they are kept in optimal condition and are immediately available for use when the load increases, ensuring quick and safe burner changeout. **Why the Other Options are Incorrect:** * **A) They should be removed, cleaned, refitted with smaller tips and reinstalled to be ready for immediate use.** This is incorrect because unused burners should not be immediately reinstalled. Leaving unused burners installed exposes them to radiant heat damage and fouling. Additionally, changing tip sizes is typically done to adjust overall boiler capacity or firing rate, not just standard procedure for temporarily unused burners. * **B) They may be left in place, with fuel and steam secured as long as they are not fouled.** This is incorrect. Even with fuel and steam secured, leaving burners in place exposes them to significant radiant heat from the flame envelope of the active burners. This heat will inevitably lead to coking of residual fuel inside the nozzle and tip, fouling the burner and potentially damaging the internal components, making them unusable when needed. * **D) They may be left in place, but only if they are clean and if fuel oil is recirculated to provide cooling.** While recirculation is sometimes used to keep active burners cool and the fuel warm, it is **not** standard or preferred practice for *unused* burners during extended low-load periods. The safest and most common industrial procedure is removal (as in Option C) to eliminate all risks of coking and heat damage. Recirculation also wastes energy and is less effective than removal in preventing radiant heat damage to the burner components.