WS Wärmeprozesstechnik GmbH

WS is an entirely independent SME company located in Renningen in Germany. WS produces energy saving and environment protecting heating facilities for industrial furnaces since 1982 as a private held company. The activities cover development, manufacturing, sales and service. One of the main fields of business is industrial heating devices. WS produces burners with integrated heat recovery. These burners are equipped with recuperative air preheating as well as with regenerative preheating.

The patented FLOX®- combustion principle is one of the major characteristic attribute of WS burners. The principle of flameless oxidation of fuels was discovered and developed by WS. The trademark FLOX® is an acronym for »FLameless OXidation« which describes a method of combustion at high chamber temperatures typicially above 850°C. Contrary to a classical flame, with one highly intensive reaction zone near the burner nozzle, the FLOX® reaction is homogenous without flame fronts. Ignition is achieved solely by the recirculation of the hot waste gases. This method guarantees stable combustion over a wide load range even when using fuels with low calorific values. Temperature peaks as seen in flame fronts are eliminated. Thus, NOx emissions are substantially reduced even at high air preheat rates.

Immediately upon discovery of the FLOX® effect, its enormous potential became apparent. The elimination of a visible flame and the typical associated sound, as well as a significant reduction of NOx with complete combustion are major advantages. FLOX®, due to consequent conversion into marketable products, has found a wide application spectrum in heat treatments and in the steel industry. 

The international combustion research community is highly interested in FLOX® as well. The improvement potential of gas turbine combustion chambers, combustion of coal and combustion of special gases are frequently topics at international conferences. One thing is certain: FLOX® has undeniable advantages when realizing high efficiency combined with minimized emission of pollutants and noise.

WS is one of the market leaders in gas burner technology for industrial applications in Europe. Its success is based on intensive activities in research and development.

Dr. J. G. Wünning is managing director of WS. He received his PhD in Aachen in 1996 for a research work on flameless oxidation of fuel. Since that he is working at WS. He published a great number of journal articles and is author or co-author of books.