A furnace is an equipment used to melt metals for casting or to heat materials to change their

shape (e.g. rolling, forging) or properties (heat treatment) [1, 2]. Heating furnaces are usually
classified according to (1) the purpose for which the material is heated, (2) the nature of the
transfer of heat to the material, (3) the method of firing the furnace, or (4) the method of
handling material through the furnace [3]. Furnaces are refractory lined vessels that contain the
material to be melted and provide the energy to melt it [4].Based on the method of generating
heat, furnaces are broadly classified into two types namely combustion type (using fuels) and
electric type. In case of combustion type furnace, depending upon the kind of combustion, it can
be broadly classified as oil fired, coal fired or gas fired [5]. Modern furnace types include electric
arc furnaces (EAF), induction furnaces, cupolas, reverberatory, and crucible furnaces. Furnace
choice is dependent on the alloy system and quantities produced. Most aluminum foundries use
either an electric resistance or gas heated crucible furnaces or reverberatory furnaces. Furnace
design is a complex process, and the design can be optimized based on multiple factors. Furnaces
in foundries can be any size, ranging from mere ounces to hundreds of tons, and they are
designed according to the type of metals that are to be melted. Also, furnaces must be designed
around the fuel being used to produce the desired temperature. For low temperature melting
point alloys, such as zinc or tin, melting furnaces may reach around 327 C. Electricity, propane,
or natural gas is usually used for these temperatures. For high melting point alloys such as steel
or nickel based alloys, the furnace must be designed for temperatures over 1600. The fuel used
to reach these high temperatures can be electricity or coke [4].

The fuel is a substance which when once rose to its ignition temperature continues to burn if
sufficient oxygen or air is available. The main constituents of any fuel are carbon and hydrogen.
These constituents are called combustibles. The calorific value of a fuel is amount of heat
liberated by its complete combustion. For solid and liquid fuels, calorific value is expressed in
kJ/kg, where as for gaseous fuels it is expressed as kJ/m3 [6].

This research is centered on the fabrication of an electric resistance furnace using locally
sourced materials. The design philosophy is to eliminate the use of heating elements
requiring charcoal and oil as a fuel. Furnace is designed for melting lead, aluminum, tin,
zinc, type metal, scrap and all other low or medium-fusion metals and alloys.
Furnace efficiency

The efficiency of a furnace is the ratio of useful output to heat input. The furnace efficiency can
be determined by both direct and indirect method [8]. Furnace efficiency measures the amount of
heat produced compared to the amount of fuel burned. The percentage of fuel that a furnace turns
into actual heat is called Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE.)

REFERENCES
1. Rajiv Garg," Thermal energy equipment: Furnaces and refractories", Energy efficiency
guide for industry in Asia, 2006.

2. "Furnaces", materialrulz.weebly.com/uploads.pdf

3. Martin D. Schlesinger, Klemens C. Baczewski,and Glenn W. Baggley" Fuels and

Furnaces ",1998.

4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foundry.

5."Types and Classification of Different Furnaces", www.productivity.in.

6. Types of Fuels and their Characteristics ", www.ignou.ac.

7. Furnace Types and Styles", www.Guid2furnaces.com.

8. Energy Performance Assessment of Furnaces", www.em-ea.org/.