furnace

furnace, structure in which useful heat is produced by combustion or other means. Historically, the furnace grew out of the fireplace and stove, following the availability of coal for heating. A coal furnace is made up of several elements: a chamber containing a grate on which combustion takes place and through which ashes drop for disposal; a chimney to carry away smoke and provide a draft of air; another source of air supply to help burn volatile gases and hydrocarbons; and a metal surface over which the hot gases pass and which transfers heat to circulating water or air. Coal furnaces are still widely used in industry, where they are usually equipped with mechanical stokers.

Chemical energy is transformed into heat by burning fuels such as coal, wood, oil, and hydrocarbon gases. Electrical energy is transformed into heat in an electric furnace or an electric burner (see electric furnace). Solar radiation energy is used in the solar furnace (see photograph), a device for concentrating large amounts of solar energy into a small area. Nuclear energy is transformed into heat energy in atomic reactors, so that these function as furnaces in nuclear power stations. Furnaces may apply their heat to other devices, as boilers, ovens, and kilns, or they may apply it directly to material in the course of being processed, as in steel production.