This revision keeps the documented pump, nozzle, blower and air-tube topology while separating simple fuel-energy accounting from burner setup, performance and safety.
Fuel-Oil Energy-Rate Worksheet
Enter a fuel volume rate, higher heating value and explicitly declared accounted fraction. The worksheet reports gross input, the declared accounted portion, its remainder and a unit conversion.
Equation Used
- Fuel rate and higher heating value are entered by the user and use compatible gallon/hour and Btu/gallon units.
- The accounted fraction is explicitly declared rather than inferred from burner settings.
- Gross power conversion uses the NIST factor 1 Btu_IT/h = 0.2930711 W.
- The animation is a qualitative topology map, not a pressure, spray, flame or airflow simulation.
- No nozzle, pump pressure, air setting, flame stability, emissions, equipment sizing, commissioning or safety result is provided.
Restricts the calculator to transparent fuel-rate energy accounting; burner setup, performance, troubleshooting and safety are excluded.
Pump, nozzle, blower and air tube form the burner path
Beckett's AFII instruction manual identifies the core pressure-atomizing burner components: motor, blower wheel, fuel pump, nozzle line and adapter, electrodes, head and air-tube assembly. The animation connects these as two paths: pumped liquid fuel to the nozzle and blower air to the burner head.
The spray and flame zone are qualitative. Energy-rate arithmetic alone cannot determine pressure, atomization, air-fuel ratio, ignition, flame stability or emissions.
A component topology, not an equipment recommendation
EPA describes distillate and residual fuel oils in stationary combustion sources, and DOE notes that atomization and pressure condition affect oil combustion. Specific burners, fuels and appliances must be used only under their own approved instructions.
This page does not select a burner, nozzle, fuel, boiler or operating setting.
Fuel-rate energy accounting
Multiplying entered volume rate q by entered higher heating value HV gives gross thermal input. Multiplying by a declared fraction f partitions that input into an accounted portion and remainder. The two always sum to gross input.
NIST gives 1 Btu_IT/h = 0.2930711 W, which supplies the displayed gross kW conversion. No calculated value is a measured delivered heat rate.
A declared arithmetic example
At 0.85 gal/h and 140,000 Btu/gal, gross thermal input is 119,000 Btu/h, or about 34.88 kW. If 80% is declared as the accounted fraction, the worksheet partitions 95,200 Btu/h as accounted and 23,800 Btu/h as remainder.
The 140,000 Btu/gal value is EPA's typical distillate-oil HHV; an actual calculation should use the applicable fuel data.
Accounting is not commissioning
A declared fraction cannot replace combustion testing or appliance efficiency data. Real results depend on the complete burner and chamber, fuel properties, pressure, airflow, heat transfer, cycling and exhaust losses.
The former pressure limits, air-shutter adjustments, nozzle substitutions, fuel swaps, equipment sizing, repair advice, brand comparisons and logging-camp case study are removed because they are not supported by this arithmetic model and could be unsafe.
Petroleum-burner worksheet questions
Is the accounted fraction a burner efficiency?
No. It is a user-declared bookkeeping fraction.
Does the worksheet select a nozzle or pump pressure?
No.
Can it diagnose soot, ignition or flame failure?
No. Those require manufacturer procedures and qualified combustion testing.
Does the animation predict spray or flame shape?
No. It only maps the connected component topology.
Petroleum-burner references
- Beckett AFII Oil Burner instruction manual: pump, blower, nozzle, electrodes, head and air-tube components.
- US EPA AP-42 Appendix A: typical distillate- and residual-oil higher heating values.
- NIST Guide to the SI, Appendix B.9: Btu per hour to watt conversion.
- US DOE CIBO Energy Efficiency Handbook: oil atomization and pressure-condition cautions.
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