Pre-mixed fuel burner with perforated flame holder

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016298838-A1
Application number	US-201615091906-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 6, 2016
Priority date	Oct 7, 2013
Publication date	Oct 13, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A combustion system such as a furnace or boiler includes a perforated reaction holder configured to hold a combustion reaction that produces very low oxides of nitrogen (NOx).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A combustion system, comprising:
a premix chamber configured to receive an oxidant and a fuel, wherein the premix chamber is configured to provide an oxidant-fuel mixture into a chamber volume; and a perforated reaction holder positioned within the chamber volume, wherein the perforated reaction holder is displaced from the premix chamber and aligned with the premix chamber to receive the oxidant-fuel mixture, wherein the perforated reaction holder carries a combustion reaction while at least part of the oxidant-fuel mixture combusts.

2 . The combustion system of claim 1 , wherein a flame arrestor is positioned between the premix chamber and the perforated reaction holder.

3 . The combustion system of claim 2 , wherein the premix chamber includes an opening through which the oxidant-fuel mixture flows,
wherein the flame arrestor entirely covers the opening.

4 . The combustion system of claim 2 , wherein the flame arrestor includes a mesh screen.

5 . The combustion system of claim 2 , wherein the flame arrestor includes at least one perforated metal sheet and is configured to prevent flashback into the premix chamber to least to 1600° F.

6 . The combustion system of claim 1 , wherein the premix chamber includes an opening through which the oxidant-fuel mixture flows,
wherein the premix chamber includes a chamber width and a chamber length, wherein the opening includes an opening width that is the same as the chamber width and includes an opening length that is the same as the chamber length.

7 . The combustion system of claim 1 , wherein the premix chamber includes an opening through which the oxidant-fuel mixture flows,
wherein the premix chamber includes a chamber width and a chamber length, wherein the opening includes an opening width that is shorter than the chamber width and includes an opening length that is shorter than the chamber length.

8 . The combustion system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a flame arrestor coupled to the premix chamber, wherein the premix chamber includes a chamber width and a chamber length, wherein the flame arrestor includes an arrestor width that is the same as the chamber width and includes an arrestor length that is the same as the chamber length.

9 . The combustion system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a flame arrestor coupled to the premix chamber, wherein the premix chamber includes an opening through which the oxidant-fuel mixture flows, wherein the opening includes an width and an opening length, wherein the flame arrestor includes an arrestor width that is longer than the opening width and includes an arrestor length that is longer than the opening length.

10 . The combustion system of claim 1 , wherein the premix chamber is coupled to an oxidant source to receive the oxidant,
wherein the oxidant source is a blower.

11 . The combustion system of claim 1 , wherein the fuel is a hydrocarbon gas.

12 . The combustion system of claim 1 , wherein the fuel is a vaporized hydrocarbon liquid.

13 . The combustion system of claim 1 , wherein the premix chamber includes an inlet aperture configured to receive both a fuel inlet and an oxidant inlet.

14 . The combustion system of claim 13 , wherein the fuel inlet is housed by the oxidant inlet while the oxidant inlet at least partially extends through the inlet aperture.

15 . The combustion system of claim 13 , wherein the fuel inlet is at least partially carried within the oxidant inlet while the oxidant inlet at least partially extends through the inlet aperture,
wherein the fuel inlet and the oxidant inlet are configured to concurrently inject fuel and oxidant into the premix chamber through the inlet aperture to mix the fuel and the oxidant with counter-rotating vortices within the premix chamber.

16 . A method of generating a combustion reaction, comprising:
receiving a hydrocarbon fuel and an oxidant in a premix chamber; mixing the hydrocarbon fuel in the premix chamber, to generate an oxidant-fuel mixture; delivering the oxidant-fuel mixture into a chamber volume to enable combustion of the oxidant-fuel mixture by a perforated reaction holder, wherein the perforated reaction holder is separated from the premix chamber by a predetermined distance; and maintaining the combustion reaction with a plurality of perforations through the perforated reaction holder, by receiving the oxidant-fuel mixture at an inlet surface of the perforated reaction holder, and by releasing flue gases at an outlet surface of the perforated reaction holder.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein maintaining the combustion reaction includes:
preheating the oxidant-fuel mixture proximate to the inlet surface of the perforated reaction holder; and combusting the oxidant-fuel mixture within at least some of the plurality of perforations between the inlet surface and the outlet surface of the perforated reaction holder.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein receiving includes:
receiving the hydrocarbon fuel and oxidant through an oxidant inlet operably coupled to an inlet aperture; and receiving the hydrocarbon fuel through a hydrocarbon fuel inlet that is at least partially housed within the oxidant inlet to enable the hydrocarbon fuel and the oxidant to concurrently flow into the premix chamber through the inlet aperture.

19 . The method of claim 16 , wherein delivering the oxidant-fuel mixture includes passing the oxidant fuel mixture through a flame arrestor prior to exposing the perforated reaction holder to the oxidant-fuel mixture.

20 . The method of claim 16 , wherein receiving the hydrocarbon fuel and the oxidant in the premix chamber includes:
receiving the hydrocarbon fuel from a hydrocarbon fuel inlet that is coupled to a first side of the premix chamber; and receiving the oxidant from an oxidant inlet that is coupled to a second side of the premix chamber.

21 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the first side and the second side are on opposite sides of the premix chamber.

22 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the first side and the second side are a same side of the premix chamber.

23 . The method of claim 16 , wherein receiving the hydrocarbon fuel and the oxidant in the premix chamber includes concurrently receiving the hydrocarbon fuel and the oxidant to cause counter-rotational vortex mixing of the hydrocarbon fuel and the oxidant in the premix chamber.

Assignees

• Clearsign Comb Corp

Inventors

• Karkow Douglas W
• Colannino Joseph
• Breidenthal Robert E
• Wiklof Christopher A

Classifications

• F23N2227/38

  Electrical resistance ignition · CPC title

• F23N2227/02

  Starting or ignition cycles · CPC title

• F23D14/82

  Preventing flashback or blowback · CPC title

• F23N1/022

  using electronic means · CPC title

• F23D14/62

  Mixing devices; Mixing tubes · CPC title