System and method for generating flame effect

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11029023-B2
Application number	US-201816167261-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 22, 2018
Priority date	Apr 22, 2014
Publication date	Jun 8, 2021
Grant date	Jun 8, 2021

Abstract

Present embodiments are directed to a system and method for generating a flame effect. An embodiment includes a nozzle assembly with an outer nozzle and an inner nozzle. At least a portion of the inner nozzle is nested within at least a portion of the outer nozzle. The system also includes a fuel source with two or more separate types of fuel.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a fuel source having a first fuel tank configured to store a first fuel having a first chemical composition and a second fuel tank configured to store a second fuel having a second chemical composition different than the first chemical composition;
a nested nozzle assembly, comprising:
an outer nozzle defining an outer flow path; and
an inner nozzle having a wall defining an inner flow path, wherein at least a portion of the inner nozzle is nested within at least an additional portion of the outer nozzle such that the outer flow path of the outer nozzle is defined by an outer surface of the wall of the inner nozzle;

a burner configured to ignite the first fuel, the second fuel, or both to generate a flame effect downstream from the nested nozzle assembly with respect to a flow of the first fuel, the second fuel, or both;
at least one actuator operatable to fluidly couple the first fuel tank with the nested nozzle assembly, the second fuel tank with the nested nozzle assembly, or both;
an automation controller configured to control operation of the at least one actuator; and
at least one input device configured to provide data to the automation controller indicative of one or more environmental factors affecting an aesthetic of the flame effect, wherein the automation controller is configured to control operation of the at least one actuator based on the data.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fuel source is configured to supply the first fuel at a first pressure and the second fuel at a second pressure different than the first pressure.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one input device comprises at least one sensor configured to monitor the one or more environmental factors affecting the aesthetic of the flame effect, and the data comprises an input from the at least one sensor.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more environmental factors affecting the aesthetic of the flame effect comprise environmental brightness, flame brightness, weather, time of day, humidity, wind conditions, or a combination thereof.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one input device comprises a communication system configured to supply information related to the one or more environmental factors affecting the aesthetic of the flame effect, wherein the data comprises an input from the communication system.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the automation controller is configured to control the burner to cause the burner to ignite the first fuel, the second fuel, or both to generate the flame effect.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first chemical composition comprises one of propane, natural gas, butane, ethane, or hydrogen, and wherein the second chemical composition comprises a different one of propane, natural gas, butane, ethane, or hydrogen than the first chemical composition.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the data indicative of the environmental factors affecting the aesthetic of the flame effect comprises data indicative of environmental brightness.

9. A system, comprising:
a nested nozzle assembly configured to generate a flame effect visible from an exterior of the system, wherein the nested nozzle assembly comprises a first nozzle, a second nozzle disposed radially inward from the first nozzle, and a burner positioned proximate to an end of the nested nozzle assembly;
a fuel source having a first fuel tank configured to store a first fuel comprising a first chemical composition and having a second fuel tank configured to store a second fuel comprising a second chemical composition different than the first chemical composition; and
an automation controller configured to regulate the fuel source or a control valve assembly of the system to control a fluid flow of the first fuel and the second fuel to the nested nozzle assembly based at least in part on an environmental factor surrounding the system that affects an aesthetic of the flame effect, wherein the automation controller is configured to regulate the fuel source or the control valve assembly to fluidly couple the first fuel tank with the first nozzle and the second fuel tank with the second nozzle in response to a first value of the environmental factor surrounding the system that affects the aesthetic of the flame effect, wherein the automation controller is configured to regulate the fuel source or the control valve assembly to fluidly couple the first fuel tank with the second nozzle and the second fuel tank with the first nozzle in response to a second value of the environmental factor surrounding the system that affects the aesthetic of the flame effect, and wherein the automation controller is configured to regulate the burner to ignite the first fuel and the second fuel as the first fuel and the second fuel exit the end of the nested nozzle assembly.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein at least a first portion of the first nozzle is disposed within at least a second portion of the second nozzle such that an outer surface of a wall that defines an inner flow path of the first nozzle defines an outer flow path of the second nozzle, wherein the first portion of the first nozzle is axially symmetric, planar symmetric, or both with the second portion of the second nozzle.

11. The system of claim 9 , comprising a sensor configured to measure the environmental factor surrounding the system that affects the aesthetic of the flame effect, and to provide data indicative of the environmental factor surrounding the system that affects the aesthetic of the flame effect to the automation controller.

12. The system of claim 9 , comprising an Internet system configured to provide data indicative of the environmental factor surrounding the system that affects the aesthetic of the flame effect to the automation controller.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the environmental factor surrounding the system that affects the aesthetic of the flame effect comprises environmental brightness.

14. A method of operating a nested nozzle system configured to generate a flame effect, the method comprising:
determining environmental factors around the nested nozzle system that affect an aesthetic of the flame effect;
determining, via an automation controller, a first type of fuel to route to a first nested nozzle of the nested nozzle system, a second type of fuel to route to a second nested nozzle of the nested nozzle system, a first pressure corresponding to the first type of fuel, and a second pressure corresponding to the second type of fuel based on measurements or values of the environmental factors received by the automation controller, the first type of fuel having a first chemical composition and the second type of fuel having a second chemical composition different than the first chemical composition;
fluidly coupling a first fuel tank having the first type of fuel with the first nested nozzle of the nested nozzle system and a second fuel tank having the second type of fuel with the second nested nozzle of the nested nozzle system;
passing the first type of fuel through the first nested nozzle at the first pressure and the second type of fuel through the second nested nozzle at the second pressure; and
passing the first type of fuel and the second type of fuel over a burner such that the first type of fuel and the second type of fuel are ignited by the burner to generate the flame effect visible from an exterior of the nested nozzle system.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first nozzle comprises at least a first portion of the first nozzle that is nested within at least a s

Assignees

• Universal City Studios Llc

Inventors

• Blum Steven C
• Clark Benjamin Robert

Classifications

• F23D17/00 Primary

  Burners for combustion simultaneously or alternately of gaseous or liquid or pulverulent fuel · CPC title

• F23N5/00

  Systems for controlling combustion (regulating fuel supply F23N1/00, regulating air supply or draught F23N3/00) · CPC title

• A63J5/02 Primary

  Arrangements for making stage effects; Auxiliary stage appliances · CPC title

• F23D14/38

  Torches, e.g. for brazing or heating (nozzles F23D14/48) · CPC title

• F23N2229/04

  sensitive to the colour of flames · CPC title