In the past, everything took forever. Lifespans were shorter, the world was larger, and mysteries were everywhere. We’ve progressed to the point where we can hardly stand to wait for anything, and yet, one still hears stories of excruciatingly lengthy furnace commissioning. The progression from construction to useful production on your new industrial furnace should Read More
Category Archives: Baron von Olsträd’s Sketchbook
The Proper Way to Light a Burner
Something we share in common with most other animals in nature is a drive for individual survival and the survival of the species. If your environment happens to include industrial furnaces and/or ovens, employing the proper way to light a burner is key to the safety of yourself and those around you. Our ability to Read More
Posted by
b-olstrad
; Published
January 16, 2024
The Mysterious Art of Burner Tuning
Burners should be tuned on a regular basis to capture peak performance and efficiency. Referencing the manufacturer’s literature and keeping a log of past settings makes tuning the modern burner a straightforward and scientific task. Once you know how to tune burners, watching the uninitiated try their hand at it can be amusing at best, Read More
Posted by
b-olstrad
; Published
December 27, 2023
Heat Rises?
There’s a common misconception that heat rises. It does not. Heat radiates equally in all directions. The misunderstanding comes from the true and observable statement that, relative to cooler air, hot air rises. That’s why hot air balloons work, also why many politicians have excellent posture. For commercial and industrial heating, knowing that heat and Read More
Posted by
b-olstrad
; Published
November 15, 2023
It’s Not Alive!
Baron von Olsträd’s Sketchbook #8 Baron von Olsträd’s new comic pokes fun at perceptions. Though the literary Frankenstein’s Monster was calculating and coldly intelligent, most people seem to think of this character as brainless and bumbling, maybe even goofy. It’s all a matter of how the character is portrayed commonly, and the instances with which Read More
Posted by
b-olstrad
; Published
April 26, 2013
Don’t Choke Your Furnace
Baron von Olsträd’s Sketchbook #7 In today’s illustration, the Baron attempts to appeal to our humanity by depicting a personified furnace, suffocating for want of oxygen. Combustion furnaces should be equipped with filters, both on the gas and air lines, which must be checked periodically for blockage. The job of a filter is to strain Read More
Posted by
b-olstrad
; Published
April 1, 2013
How Low is Your Purge Time?
Baron von Olsträd’s Sketchbook #6 The Baron’s latest doodle imagines a dangerous game where irresponsibility is rewarded. For those of you who might not know, “purge time” is a phrase commonly used to refer to the length of time given to changing the atmosphere in a furnace, prior to lighting the burners. This is a Read More
Posted by
b-olstrad
; Published
March 4, 2013
Futility
Baron von Olsträd’s Sketchbook #5 The Baron’s new comic illustrates the flaws of doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results. In one example, the only impacts to this behavior are frustration and a lingering thirst. In the other example, frustration certainly plays a part, though the additional consequences can be Read More
Posted by
b-olstrad
; Published
November 30, 2012
Commissioning Shouldn’t Take a Lifetime
Baron von Olsträd’s Sketchbook #4 We decided to post the new Baron von Olsträd comic a little early, due to the spooky nature of the the subject matter. Most folks who’ve been through furnace commissioning, either on a new installation or on a rebuild, have heard the horror stories. Some folks have lived them. Today’s Read More
Posted by
b-olstrad
; Published
October 31, 2012
The Proper Way to Light a Burner
Baron von Olsträd’s Sketchbook #3 The new Baron von Olsträd comic is here! Today’s installment opens the discussion of proper burner ignition methods, as opposed to the example set by the worker below, who seems to hallucinate talking, floating flames. Or maybe the unsafe method employed in this example has caused a fire in the Read More
Posted by
b-olstrad
; Published
October 5, 2012