At what temperature must the fuel oil be heated before it can be used in burners with mechanical atomization?

Fuel oil, particularly the heavier grades used in mechanical atomization burners, must be heated to a specific temperature to ensure that it can be atomized properly. This process involves breaking the fuel into fine droplets so that it can mix efficiently with air and burn effectively.

Heating the fuel oil to 104°C achieves the necessary viscosity reduction, allowing it to flow easily through the burner nozzles and be atomized properly. At temperatures below this threshold, the fuel may still be too viscous to atomize effectively, leading to poor combustion characteristics, increased emissions, and potential operational issues.

While the other temperatures listed are relevant for different applications or fuel types, they do not provide the optimum conditions for mechanical atomization of fuel oil. 38°C, for example, is typically too low for effective reuse in such burners, while 85°C may be more appropriate for some applications but still does not match the requirements for efficient atomization. 150°C is higher than necessary and could lead to degradation of the fuel or safety concerns. Thus, 104°C is the ideal temperature for ensuring proper fuel oil atomization in mechanical burner systems.