What type of liquid fuel is used in boiler installations?
Fuel oil—a residual product of petroleum distillation—is the primary liquid fuel used in boiler installations. Based on its sulfur content, it is classified as low-sulfur (approximately 0.5% sulfur), medium-sulfur (up to 2% sulfur), or high-sulfur (ranging from 3.5% to 4.3% sulfur).
The composition of fuel oil (on a dry-mass basis) is as follows: carbon (C) 85–87%, hydrogen (H) 10.2–11.5%, and oxygen plus nitrogen (O + N) 0.6–1.0%.
The heat of combustion for dry fuel oil is 38.6–41.3 MJ/kg (9,200–9,850 kcal/kg).
The moisture content of fuel oil does not exceed 2%, and its ash content (A) ranges from 0.15% to 0.3%.
The density of fuel oil, relative to the density of water at 20°C, is 0.99–1.06.
