Forney Unveils Combustion Research Center (CRC)

Forney Corporation Unveils Combustion Research Center (CRC)

The Grand Opening of Forney’s Combustion Research Center (CRC) took place the third week of March at Forney’s manufacturing plant in Monterrey, Mexico. Several members of Forney Management team were on-site for the ribbon cutting ceremony on March 23, 2016.

Ribbon cutting to open Forney’s Combustion Research Center in Monterrey, Mexico. Pictured from left to right – Ricardo Alcorta, VP Operations; Jair Rivera Ramirez, CWI/CI/Quality Manager; Al Smith, Senior Combustion Engineer; Tom Demrick, CEO; Steve Channell, VP Engineering; and Manmohan Singh, VP R&D.

"For the last 90 years, Forney has engineered industry leading burners and igniters to serve the Power Generation and Industrial markets. To continue this tradition, we’ve invested in a new Combustion Research Center. Our engineers will use this large scale facility to test innovative new designs. We will also make this facility available to our customers for their development.” stated Tom Demrick, Forney’s CEO."

The CRC is state-of-the-art and was established to assist in developing new combustion equipment and improve Forney’s existing products. Featuring both a duct burner test chamber and a utility burner test chamber, the total firing capacity is up to 50 MBTU/hr.  Customizable segments will allow Forney the flexibility for testing additional product configurations and evaluating design concepts for improved heat distribution, air flow distribution and emissions.

The design of the CRC incorporated over 140 test / view ports to accommodate the needs of R&D. The ports were installed every 12 to 18 inches to help accurately study all aspects of the combustion process and validate CFD models and methods.  Some of the key factors that can be evaluated on the CRC will include:

• Measuring flame length
• Viewing flame profile
• Temperature measurements
• Monitoring emissions
• Flame detection methods

Using this facility, Forney can develop new and innovative products like low-emission duct burners and utility burners. One of the first new products that will be tested on the CRC will be Forney’s latest flame detector design, which is set for release later this year.The ability to simulate operational environments in the CRC will allow Forney to easily demonstrate and perform evaluative tests on our existing products for modification and improvement purposes. The CRC currently has several of our existing products installed, including:

• adVantage® duct burner element
• MAXFire® gas igniter
• HESI
• IDD-Ultra
• IDD-9000
• Forney BMS system for control
• Forney-designed fuel skid and cooling air skid
• Access Doors
• Expansion Joint
• Forney PAF style utility burner

The CRC is optimized for maximum safety, with a strictly systematized startup and shutdown sequence to ensure that all testing processes are accounted for.
To facilitate simulating operational environments, the CRC is outfitted with the following auxiliary systems:

• Fuel Skid – Controls the inlet gas flow and pressure to the equipment while testing, and primarily shuts off natural gas supply in both standard and emergency conditions.
• Scanner Cooling Air Fan – Cools view ports and flame detection devices on the burner front.
• Combustion Air Fan – Provides stoichiometric air for fuel combustion.
• Dilution Air Fan – Cools down the flue gas.
• Utility Burner Test Chamber – Refractory lined chamber for test firing utility burners, igniters and flame detectors. Equipment tested in the utility burner chamber can fire either natural gas or No. 2 diesel fuel oil.
• Duct Burner Test Chamber – Refractory lined chamber for test firing duct burner systems, including igniters and flame detectors. Equipment tested in the duct burner test chamber will fire natural gas.
• Local Burner Shutoff Valves (aka Double Block and Vent Valves) – Fitted into each burner and igniter, these shut off natural gas supply for both standard and emergency conditions.
• CEMS (Continuous Emissions Monitoring Station) unit – Monitor NOx, CO, CO2, and from test chamber outlets.

Thanks to our new CRC test stand, we have another way to provide more of the world-class and revolutionary products and services that have established Forney Corporation in the global market for almost 90 years.

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