| A furnace is a mechanical device designed, | | | | oxygen furnace, electric arc furnace, electric |
| constructed, and used to generate heat (i.e. a | | | | induction furnace. Each of these treats metal in a |
| heater). Depending on what kind is being used, a | | | | different way based on its intended purpose. |
| furnace serves to either heat the interior of a | | | | Needless to say, all metallurgical furnaces require |
| structure to prevent unwanted cold from ensuing, | | | | extreme temperatures to successfully perform |
| or to burn materials for the purpose of molding or | | | | their respective functions. |
| cremating. Different kinds of furnaces include | | | | Industrial Furnace |
| household furnaces, metallurgical furnaces, | | | | Industrial furnaces, usually immense, are also call |
| industrial furnaces, and incinerators. | | | | direct fired heaters. These furnaces have a couple |
| Different Kinds of Furnaces | | | | different purposes: providing heat for a production |
| Household Furnace | | | | process or serving as a reactor. These furnaces |
| Household Furnaces, used to disperse cold from | | | | are uniquely designed, depending on each furnace's |
| within a structure and provide hot water, have | | | | intended function, heating manner, type of fuel, |
| several different means of production and require | | | | and method of air combustion, but they all have |
| any one of a variation of fuel sources: natural gas, | | | | common features, namely mechanisms that, |
| fuel oil, coal, or wood. | | | | when working together, produce heat. Typically, |
| The two most common household furnaces are | | | | fuel is fed into a burner and is converted into heat |
| combustion and condensation. The first kind | | | | via blasts of air blown in by an air blower. |
| requires an exhaust and relies on burning fuel to | | | | Combustion takes place in a firebox, radiating |
| generate heat. The second recycles heat by | | | | heating fluid through a series of tubes where it |
| extracting it from the exhaust gases. This kind, | | | | achieves its desired temperature. Flue gas, |
| being acidic, is designed to prevent corrosion and | | | | generated through combustion, leaves the firebox, |
| has a condensate pump to remove any water | | | | but the convection section recovers more heat |
| buildup that will occur. | | | | from the exhaust before discharging through the |
| Heat distribution also has different means. If the | | | | smokestack. |
| means of heat distribution require water or | | | | Incinerating Furnaces |
| steam, the mechanical device generating the heat | | | | Incinerating furnaces, or incinerators, typically are |
| is commonly referred to as a boiler. Many modern | | | | used to burn, or cremate, waste. This kind of |
| furnaces in the United Stated, however, use | | | | furnace can be categorized as an industrial |
| forced-air heat. Convection, or air distribution, | | | | furnace due to its size, productive function, and |
| directs cold air into a heating chamber and then | | | | the fact that industrial plants use incinerators to |
| blows it out through a system of ductwork into | | | | minimize their waste. Where incinerators are |
| the structure. | | | | different than other industrial furnaces, however, |
| Metallurgical Furnace | | | | is that they don't assist in actual production; they |
| Metallurgical furnaces create heat for several | | | | only destroy waste. Their manner of fuel and |
| purposes: smeltering, reducing iron ore to pig iron, | | | | performance, though, are the same as other |
| steelmaking, and remelting and molding metal. | | | | industrial furnaces. |
| Where blast furnaces are used to reduce iron ore | | | | Furnaces are amazing devices, but they must be |
| into pig iron, various kinds of steelmaking furnaces | | | | respected at all times. People who don't respect |
| are made for a multitude of other purposes: | | | | such power, or don't know how to properly use |
| Puddling furnace, reverberatory furnace, | | | | it, are liable to get burned! |
| Bessemer converter, open hearth furnace, basic | | | | |