Combustion system with perforated flame holder and swirl stabilized preheating flame

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11415316-B2
Application number	US-201916557574-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 30, 2019
Priority date	Mar 2, 2017
Publication date	Aug 16, 2022
Grant date	Aug 16, 2022

Abstract

A combustion system supports a swirl-stabilized preheating flame with a preheating fuel and an oxidant. The combustion system preheats a perforated flame holder with the preheating flame. After the perforated flame holder has been preheated to the threshold temperature, the combustion system outputs a primary fuel. The perforated flame holder receives a mixture of the primary fuel and the oxidant supports a combustion reaction of the primary fuel and the oxidant.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A combustion system, comprising:
an oxidant source configured to output an oxidant into a furnace volume;
one or more preheating fuel distributors configured to output a preheating fuel and to support a swirl-stabilized preheating flame of the preheating fuel and the oxidant during a preheating state;
one or more primary fuel distributors positioned peripherally to the one or more preheating fuel distributors and configured to output a primary fuel into the furnace volume during a standard operating state; and
a perforated flame holder positioned to be preheated by the preheating flame during the preheating state and then to receive a mixture of the primary fuel and the oxidant after preheating is complete, during the standard operating state, the perforated flame holder being configured to hold a combustion reaction of the primary fuel and the oxidant within the perforated flame holder.

2. The combustion system of claim 1 , wherein the preheating fuel and the primary fuel are different fuels.

3. The combustion system of claim 1 , wherein the preheating fuel distributor includes a swirler that is configured and positioned to impart a swirling motion to at least one of the preheating fuel and the oxidant.

4. The combustion system of claim 1 , wherein the swirl-stabilized preheating flame is swirl-stabilized to remain at a stable position relative to the preheating fuel distributor without any flame-holding structure to hold the preheating flame in the stable position.

5. The combustion system of claim 3 , wherein the swirler is positioned to receive both of the preheating fuel and the oxidant and to pass both of the preheating fuel and the oxidant through the swirler.

6. The combustion system of claim 1 , wherein the primary fuel distributor includes a swirler that is configured and positioned to impart a swirling motion to at least one of the primary fuel and the oxidant.

7. The combustion system of claim 6 , wherein the swirler is configured and positioned to pass both of the primary fuel and the oxidant through the swirler.

8. The combustion system of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of preheating fuel distributors and a plurality of primary fuel distributors.

9. The combustion system of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of primary fuel distributors laterally surround the plurality of preheating fuel nozzles.

10. The combustion system of claim 9 , wherein each of the plurality of primary fuel distributors receives the primary fuel from a primary fuel manifold, and wherein the plurality of primary fuel distributors include a plurality of orifices that output the primary fuel from the primary fuel manifold into the furnace volume.

11. The combustion system of claim 10 , further comprising a burner body that includes the primary fuel distributors and the preheating fuel distributors.

12. The combustion system of claim 3 , wherein the preheating fuel distributor includes:
a fluid chamber configured to receive at least one of the preheating fuel and the oxidant;
wherein the swirler includes a central hub and a plurality of swirl vanes; and
wherein the preheating fuel distributor outputs the preheating fuel from the central hub.

13. The combustion system of claim 1 , wherein the perforated flame holder is a reticulated ceramic perforated flame holder.

14. The combustion system of claim 13 , wherein the perforated flame holder includes a plurality of reticulated fibers.

15. The combustion system of claim 14 , wherein the perforated flame holder includes about 100 pores per square inch of surface area.

16. The combustion system of claim 14 , wherein the perforations are formed as passages between the reticulated fibers.

17. The combustion system of claim 16 , wherein the perforations are branching perforations.

18. The combustion system of claim 16 , wherein the perforated flame holder includes:
an input face corresponding to an extent of the reticulated fibers proximal to the one or more primary fuel distributors; and
an output face corresponds to an extent of the reticulated fibers distal to the one or more primary fuel distributors; and wherein
the perforations extend between the input face and the output face.

19. A method comprising:
outputting an oxidant into a furnace volume;
outputting a preheating fuel into the furnace volume;
supporting a swirl-stabilized preheating flame with the preheating fuel and the oxidant;
preheating a perforated flame holder positioned in the furnace volume with the preheating flame;
outputting a primary fuel into the furnace volume;
receiving a mixture of the primary fuel and the oxidant in the perforated flame holder; and
supporting a combustion reaction of the primary fuel and the oxidant in the perforated flame holder.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein supporting the swirl-stabilized preheating flame includes swirling one of the oxidant and the preheating fuel.

21. The method of claim 19 , wherein the steps are performed sequentially in the recited order.

22. The method of claim 20 , wherein supporting the swirl-stabilized preheating flame includes swirling both the oxidant and the preheating fuel.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein swirling both the oxidant and the preheating fuel includes swirling the preheating fuel and the oxidant in opposite directions.

24. The method of claim 19 , further comprising imparting the swirling motion to at least one of the preheating fuel and the oxidant with a fuel nozzle of a preheating fuel distributor.

25. The method of claim 19 , wherein the step of outputting the primary fuel into the furnace volume further comprises mixing the primary fuel and the oxidant as the primary fuel travels toward the perforated flame holder.

26. A combustion system, comprising:
a perforated flame holder positioned in a furnace volume;
an oxidant source configured to output an oxidant into the furnace volume;
a preheating fuel distributor, including:
a preheating fuel riser having an interior channel configured to convey a preheating fuel;
one or more orifices communicably coupled to the interior channel of the preheating fuel riser and configured to output the preheating fuel; and
a swirler positioned downstream from the orifices and configured to impart a swirling motion to the preheating fuel, the preheating fuel distributor being configured to support a swirl-stabilized preheating flame of the preheating fuel and the oxidant at a position selected to preheat the perforated flame holder; and

a primary fuel distributor configured to output a primary fuel toward the perforated flame holder after the perforated flame holder has been preheated by the preheating flame, the perforated flame holder being configured to support a combustion reaction of the preheating flame at least partially within the perforated flame holder.

27. The combustion system of claim 26 , wherein the preheating fuel distributor includes a cylindrical casing surrounding a portion of the preheating fuel riser.

28. The combustion system of claim 27 , wherein the oxidant source is configured to pass the oxidant into the cylindrical casing downstream from the swirler.

29. The combustion system of claim 28 , wherein the swirler is configured to impart a swirling motion to the oxidant.

30. The combustion system of claim 27 , wherein the or

Assignees

• Clearsign Comb Corp
• Clearsign Tech Cosporation

Inventors

• Kendrick Donald
• Wiklof Christopher A

Classifications

• F23D14/58 Primary

  characterised by the shape or arrangement of the outlet or outlets from the nozzle, e.g. of annular configuration · CPC title

• F23D11/406

  Flame stabilising means, e.g. flame holders · CPC title

• F23D11/446 Primary

  heated by an auxiliary flame · CPC title

• F23D14/74

  Preventing flame lift-off · CPC title

• F23D14/70

  Baffles or like flow-disturbing devices · CPC title