Burner management systems (BMS) are critical in industries that utilize combustion processes to produce goods or drive systems. Frequently, burner management systems are used in the chemical, petrochemical, and oil & gas industries; however, BMS may also be used in a variety of industries like power generation, food processing, pharmaceuticals, metal processing and more. Most notably, BMS are used in the oil and gas industry to refine or distill crude oil into various petroleum products. Keep reading to learn more about how burner management systems work and if you may need one for your facility.
A burner is a device that facilitates the controlled combustion of fuel. More specifically, fuel must be mixed with the air at the correct ratio in the combustion chamber. When fuel is delivered to the burner from a storage tank or gas line, its pressure is controlled by regulators. Meanwhile, if the fuel is liquid or solid, pumps and feed systems are often used to transport fuel to the burner. Burners can be used in various industries to heat substances, combust substances, and to sterilize on high heat.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Jul 2012)
In any industry where burners are frequently used and flames are present, a burner management system will be required. These systems facilitate the safe function of these devices, along with precise temperature control for devices like heater treaters, line heaters, horizontal separators, and boilers. Burner management systems may be subject to a variety of standards. For instance, the NFPA 86 for furnaces, NFPA 85 for boilers, and NFPA 87 for thermal fluid heaters. Another governing body is the International Society of Automation (ISA). Equipment standards also commonly apply, such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL), Factory Mutual (FM), and Industrial Risk Insurers (IRI).
Fireye FX04 Servo Motor
A burner management system is a set of components that carry out necessary functions required for safe burner operation. The BMS can monitor the burner to detect unsafe operating conditions, such as the absence of a pilot light, abnormal water levels, abnormal furnace pressure, or an abnormal amount of unburnt gas. Additionally, the BMS may integrate with the combustion system to regulate proper fuel and air flows. In the event that conditions are abnormal, the BMS allows operators to safely shut down the furnace and quickly diagnose the problems. Afterwards, the BMS may also facilitate the restarting of the system.
An important role of the BMS plays is starting burners and reigniting pilot lights. Without a BMS, there is no way of tracking how long a pilot light has been out, and how long supply gas has been flowing through the fuel chambers. If an operator were to reignite the pilot light in these conditions, there could be an explosion from the accumulated gas, leading to injury, or worse. Fortunately, an operator won’t need to manually ignite a pilot light with a BMS. Instead, an automated BMS can utilize its low voltage circuitry to restart the system without putting your workers in danger.
A BMS can function with a micro-processor, such as Fireye’s PPC4000 Flame Safeguard, or a BMS can be programmed using an industrial PLC. These processors play an important part in monitoring data so the BMS may initiate actions based on your safety parameters. The data from flame sensors, pressure gauges and more are processed by this control unit, so the system will be able to differentiate between normal operating conditions and conditions that are potentially dangerous or inefficient.
However, a BMS system is not a single part, but a system of components that carry out functions required for proper burner function. Accordingly, a BMS has inputs and outputs that connect to all the relevant parts of the burner. Devices like the 65UV5 can be used for flame monitoring, devices like the FX Series is used for servo control, and BMS can also utilize devices like the NXCEO2 oxygen probe for combustion analysis.
Burner management systems are important for safety and fuel efficiency. Using a BMS, you can limit excess gas emissions. The BMS can shut down and relight the burner based on what temperature it senses, resulting in less wastage and less environmental impact. Additionally, BMS facilitate a safer environment for operators because there is less gas released into the atmosphere. For more on fire safety and choosing the right alarm system, visit our blog. If you are interested in building your own burner management systems, we offer burner controls, sensors, safeguard controls, flame scanners, programmers, actuators, modules, and more. Alternatively, see everything we have to offer in our burner management system product pages!
