Question 122Steam Plants - 1st Asst/Chief

The correct answer is B) increase heater efficiency. The fins on the tubes of a fin-type fuel oil heater are designed to increase the surface area of the tubes, which in turn enhances the heat transfer from the heating source to the fuel oil. This increased heat transfer efficiency allows the heater to more effectively raise the temperature of the fuel oil, making it more suitable for injection into the engine. The other answer choices are incorrect because: A) decreasing fuel flow would reduce the heater's performance, C) preventing tube erosion is not the primary purpose of the fins, and D) cleaning the fuel oil is not the function of the fins on the heater tubes.