MeshPL - 17-5-2017 at 14:20
I MAY have a problem with a burner in my school. It doesn't behave like a good laboratory burner. Under no circumstances (gas input, different air
valve settings) was I able to obtain a nice, light blue, short flame. Only darker one, which is always really long. Like 20cm or more if I crank the
gas output up, maybe even 50cm. Heating stuff also takes a suspiciously long time. This is really awkward and I guess a good burner wouldn't do that.
You may ask what type of burner it is and the answer is is: I don't know. It looks kinda like Meker burner, more or less like this one, but rather
rustier: https://www.amazon.com/SEOH-BURNER-Bunsen-nickel-plated/dp/B0018BTDEO
So, I have a question. Is it normal that my burner doesn't burn like this?:
https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Meker-Fisher_burne...
Could it be a wrong type of gas (natural/LPG) it is supplied with, the fact that it is broken or is it a bad burner? Or is it just suposed to burn
like that? Am I paranoid? (I've been working with it for a few years now and I don't know if it should be like that or not)
Sulaiman - 17-5-2017 at 21:53
From your description I guess that the hole in the jet at the bottom is too large,
allowing a large volume of gas to flow but without pulling in sufficient air.
MeshPL - 18-5-2017 at 09:20
Could be. Turns out that there was a lot of junk in side of the burner (how did it got there?), shaking it away improved situation a bit, allowing for
better air flow (probably). But I didn't have improved the situation a lot. The flame is still nowhere near luminous blue with 2 zones a lab burner
should have. I had a look at the jet nozzle, it is more or less 1mm wide. Don't know if this is ok. We have some more burners at school, but they are
all disconected, old and rusted. Should I try them or would that be unsafe?
Sulaiman - 18-5-2017 at 14:14
I'm out of my depth here, I can only guess;
I doubt much harm would come of testing old bunsen burners,
rubber tubing will probably be brittle or cracked,
internal light corrosion can be removed with a brush,
Nothing to loose by trying.
The rate of gas flow should match the size of the burner,
Different gasses are often supplied at different pressures,
Higher pressures require smaller diameter jet holes.
That is all I know 