AP16A

AP16A - Improved combustion apparatus.

Info

Publication number: AP16A
Application number: APAP/P/1987/000053A
Authority: AP
Inventors: Ian Vere Hodgson
Original assignee: Ian Vere Hodgson
Priority date: 1986-01-09
Filing date: 1987-01-05
Publication date: 1988-03-17
Also published as: AP8700053A0; AU6713787A; ZA8775B; IN167951B

Abstract

Combustion apparatus which has particular relevance to domestic cookers adapted to use a wide range of combustible materials, such as cotton waste; low grade coal; coke; wood shavings etc. It is also adaptable to commercial uses such as to heat a steam boiler, for example, for generation of low pressure steam in a dairy. In essence the fuel in the apparatus is compacted into a hollow-core configuration within the combustion chamber(s) and burning is regulated by controlling admission of ambient air to the combustion zone.

Description

This invention is concerned with the provision of improved combustion apparatus.

In one aspect of the invention the apparatus in question is adapted for use as a cooker and/or space heater for domestic purposes. In a further aspect the apparatus is modified for use as a heating element in the production of steam. Other aspects of .the invention will emerge from the description which follows.

According to the invention combustion apparatus including one or mere hollow, generally elongated, tubular chambers,each adapted for connection to an air inlet towards one end of the chamber and to an outlet for combustion gases towards the other end of the chamber; means adapted to regulate airflow through each combustion chamber; characterised by having a perforated grid located near the base of each chamber and a plenum over the top thereof; the plenum having an outlet for combustion gases in one wall thereof and the upper surface of the plenum being provided with' at least one access aperture covered by a removable lid member allowing insertion of a fuel-core • ** formsr element through the access aperture into the interior of the chamber for purposes of charging or recharging the chamber with fuel.

Also according to the invention, combustion apparatus characterised in that the upper surface of the plenum chamber serves as a receiver for cooking vessels and the like; and further characterised in that a flue for combustion gases leads frcm the outlet in the plenum chamber to an.oven before before passing on to atmosphere.

In one form of the invention combustion apparatus further characterised in that the flue outlet frcm the plenum chamber further passes through a water jacket on its way to atmosphere.

BAD ORIGINAL

2.

Further according to the invention a method for charging a combustion apparatus of the kind here in question includes the steps of positioning an elongated former element within the chamber to be charged with fuel; inserting fuel into the chamber in a series of layers ranging from a lower datum element towards an upper datum element; compacting each layer of fuel as it is located within the chamber between its inner walls and the outer surface of the former element and withdrawing the former element from the compacted fuel to leave a hollow- core in the fuel load.

In order.to illustrate the. nature of the invention and the manner in which it may best be carried out,examples will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:Figure I illustrates a sectioned side elevation of a domestic cooker/ space heater;

Figure II shows an isometric perspective view of the domestic cooker;

Figure III illustrates a core-former;

Figure IV illustrates a rammer for fuel compaction;

Figure V illustrates a sectioned side view of a commercial heater and Figure VI shows a sectioned front view of the same commercial heater.

Referring to the drawings, Figures I and II illustrate a typical domestic application of the invention. In these examples like numerals shall refer to like features. Thus, numeral 10 indicates a casing surrounding one or more hollow cylindrical combustion chambers 11 within which is disposed a fuel charge 12, developed about a hollow core 13.The fuel charge 12 rests upon a grid 14 disposed in the lower zone of the chamber 11 and overlies an ambient air inlet 15 which is provided with a damper 16. An optional bellows or- fan assembly 17 may be provided to increase rate of combustion in the fuel charge 12 if desired.

A plenum chamber 18 overlies the upper zone of combustion chamber(s) 11 and an outlet 19 for combustion gasses is provided in one wall of the plenum chamber 18. The top surface of the plenum chamber 18 is provided with one or more removable lids 20.20(a), to give access to the interior of the combustion chambers 11-more particularly to facilitate cleaning and re-charging with a fuel charge 12 as needed.

The outlet 19 for combustion gasses couples to a flue 21 which carries the gasses to the outside of a building. However, the flue 21 may be ducted around an oven 22 and may also pass through a water jacket 23 to absorb waste heat and produce heated water for domestic uses.

APO 00 0 1 6

BAD ORIGINAL

3.

In order to use the apparatus as illustrated in Figures I and II, the lids 20and 20(a) are removed and a core-former 24(Figure III) is inserted into the centre of a combustion chamber 11, the bottom of the core-former 24 resting on grid 14.Fuel , such as cotton waste,low grade coal, wood shavings, coke or any other combustible, is charged to the space between the inner walls of the combustion chamber 11 and the outer surface of the coreformer 24 in successive layers and is tamped down as each layer is inserted, by means of a rammer 25(Figure IV) to form a solid fuel charge 12. The coreformer 24 is then withdrawn to leave a hollow-core fuel load.

Lids 20 and 20(a) are then replaced and the fuel charge 12 is ignited from below grid 14, for example by inserting a fire lighter(not shown) into the inlet 15. Once ignition has been satisfactorily initiated, the burning rate is regulated by damper 16.

In practice it has been established that the apparatus of the invention will burn almost any combustible material and is remarkably fuel efficient • even using low grade materials such as the scrap mentioned. This is, . in fact, a major advantage of the apparatus.

In Figures V and VI, a commercial application is illustrated. Numeral 10 again indicates a casing, this time constructed from bricks, which surrounds one or more combustion chambers 11, which are identically structured to those illustrated in the domestic example given above.

However, the plenum chamber 18 in this construction comprises the lower surface 30 of an Ohlsons type steam boiler, set into the brick casing 10 and overlying the upper zone of the combustion chambers 11.The general construction and arrangement will be familiar to workers skilled in this field.

To facilitate charging and re-charging of the combustion chambers 11,(and cleaning generally) the combustion chambers 11 are mounted on wheels 31, and, by opening doors 32 in casing 10, they may be withdrawn(singlyor as required) from within the casing 10 whereafter core- former 24 may be inserted into each combustion chamber 11 and a fuel charge 12 built up as described for the domestic example. Thereafter the combustion chamber 11 may be returned to the interior of the casing 10 and combustion initiated in the manner already described above.

Other uses and applications of the invention will readily occur to those skilled in this field.

Claims

CLAIM 1.

Combustion apparatus including one or more hollow generally elongated tubular chambers, each adapted for connection to an air inlet towards one end of the chamber and to an outlet for combustion gases towards the other end of the chamber; means adapted to regulate air flow through each combustion chamber; characterised by having a perforated grid located near the base of each chamber and a plenum over the top thereof; the plenum having an outlet for combustion gases in one wall thereof and the upper surface of the plenum being provided with at least one access aperture covered by a removable lid member allowing insertion of a fuel-core former element through the access aperture into the interior of the chamber for purposes of charging or ’ re-charging the chamber with fuel.
CLAIM 2.

Combustion apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 in which the upper surface of the plenum chamber serves as a receiver for cooking vessels and the like.
CLAIM 3.

A combustion apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which a flue for combustion gases leads from the outlet of the plenum chamber to an oven before pessing on to atmosphere.

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CLAIM 4,

Combustion apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 1, 2 or 3 wherein the flue further passes through a water jacket before proceeding to atmosphere.