EA041858B1 - COMBUSTION SYSTEM - Google Patents

Description

Technical field

The present invention relates generally to incinerator and flare systems for burning hydrocarbons, such as off-gases and liquids from gas or oil drilling sites, or waste process gases and liquids from various chemical and petrochemical industries.

State of the art

Flammable hydrocarbons are generally used as energy sources, but in some situations they may need to be destroyed, for example, in the event of production surpluses or unexpected shutdowns of process equipment. Some combustible hydrocarbons are by-products of natural or industrial processes in which the source cannot be stopped and/or is unmanaged and cannot be stored for later use.

One example of a combustible gas source that cannot be stopped and/or easily controlled is a landfill. At a landfill, the organic matter contained in the waste slowly decomposes over a long period of time as a result of a natural process producing a gas stream containing methane (CH ₄ ). Methane is a combustible gas and mixes with other combustible and non-combustible gases in varying proportions as it leaves the landfill. Methane gas is a valuable source of energy and is also a greenhouse gas if released directly into the atmosphere. Thus, if the methane gas contained in the gas stream leaving the landfill cannot be easily used or stored, it must be disposed of by flaring. Gas streams containing methane gas can also be generated by other processes, such as in an anaerobic digester. There are also many other situations and contexts.

Known systems such as a flare device for combustion and disposal of combustible gases and fluids. The flare device is usually mounted on flare racks and placed in industrial plants, treatment plants, processing plants, and the like. for the disposal of flammable waste gases or other flammable gas streams that are discarded for various reasons, including, but not limited to, ventilation, equipment shutdown, malfunctions and/or emergencies.

In general, it is desirable that the combustible gas/liquid be combusted without producing smoke, and such smokeless or near-smokeless combustion is generally preferred. One method of smokeless combustion is to supply combustion air by means of a steam jet pump, sometimes referred to as a water steam ejector. The flue air guarantees complete oxidation of the combustible gas without generating smoke. Thus, water vapor is typically used as the driving force needed to move air into the flare. If sufficient combustion air is supplied, and the supplied air mixes well with the combustible gas, the mixture of steam/air and combustible gas can be burned with little or no smoke.

In a typical flare device, the necessary combustion air is supplied using a propulsion device such as a blower, jet pump, and using steam, compressed air, or other gas, along with acquiring air from the surrounding atmosphere along the flare.

US Pat. No. 8,967,995 describes a dual pressure flare system that comprises a dual pressure flare rack having a central axis aligned with the center of a high pressure outlet; a high pressure flue having a central axis collinear with the central axis of the double pressure flare rack; and a low pressure combustion passage connected to the low pressure tip, and also contains an air supply auxiliary unit having an air supply connection with a blower and a mixing chamber, the mixing chamber surrounding the low pressure tip.

US 9464804 describes a gas flare system which comprises a vertical flare column having an open top end and a bottom bottom wall, the burner device extending through the bottom bottom wall. The burner device receives a waste gas stream from the waste gas circuit and also receives primary air. Secondary air openings around the burner supply secondary air coming from the supply housing located directly under the lower bottom wall.

EP 2636951 describes a combustion system comprising a combustion device, a heat exchanger and a chimney. The combustion device comprises a waste gas supply pipe, a support gas supply pipe, an air supply system, a mixing chamber for mixing air with waste gas and/or support gas, and a gas-permeable combustion surface on which the waste gas is burned after the finished mixture has flown through it, resulting in the production of flue gas. The chimney connects the combustion device to the heat exchanger and thus creates a flow of flue gas flowing from the combustion device to the heat exchanger.

The heat exchanger contains channels for flue gas and at least one fluid,

- 1 041858 which is heated.

US 6,146,131 describes multi-burner assemblies adapted to a combustion chamber consisting of upwardly directed nozzles for distributing waste gas in the combustion chamber, as well as atomizing the waste gases and directing and venting combustible waste gases up into the combustion chamber. In some embodiments, the lower end of the chimney is formed by one or more axially offset lower tubular casings that are concentrically divided to form annular inlets for the inlet of additional combustion air.

US 2003/0059732 describes a film cooling method and the maximum dissolution of combustion products before they are released from the system. This document describes the use of sectioned pipes placed above the combustion chamber to cool the products of combustion gases. The system described in this document also includes one or more pairs of vent gas inlet ports and tail ports, with the inlet and tail ports of each pair located on opposite sides of the combustion chamber.

Commonly used incinerator systems, such as those described in US 6146131 and US 2003/0059732, use flare-induced airflow, whereby the convection flow generated by the burners in the combustion chamber is used to capture and supply additional air to the combustion assembly to achieve the desired level of combustion.

Thus, there is a need for improved apparatus, system and methods for smokeless combustion of combustible gases and liquids together with air to reduce noise and improve efficiency, whereby more fuel can be burned with reduced addition or use of propellants such as steam. , blower, etc.

The essence of the invention

The present invention relates to a combustion system comprising air and fuel mixing equipment/apparatus and a combustion unit system that provides an air-fuel mixture for combustion and/or gas combustion operations.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a fuel combustion system is provided, comprising: a fuel injector configured to inject fuel at a forced rate;

a device for multi-stage mixing of fuel with air, having an inlet end and an outlet end and in fluid communication at its inlet end with a fuel injector for receiving fuel injected by the fuel injector and to be mixed with the initially entrained air to form the initial air-fuel mixture, and the device for multi-stage mixing fuel with air contains a plurality of fuel inlet tubes stacked vertically with each other, with each inlet tube having an inlet and an outlet, and the cross-sectional area of the inlet of each inlet tube is greater than the cross-sectional area of the outlet of the previous inlet tube, in thereby providing an annular gap between two adjacent intake tubes to entrain additional air as the initial air-fuel mixture passes from one intake tube to the adjacent intake tube to create a result a fuel-air mixture for combustion in the combustion chamber, the resulting air-fuel mixture having a predetermined ratio of fuel and air for complete decomposition of the fuel during combustion;

a combustion unit extending vertically from the device for multi-stage mixing of fuel with air, having an inlet part in fluid communication with the outlet end of the device for multi-stage mixing of fuel with air, and an outlet part for discharging fuel combustion products, wherein the combustion unit limits said combustion chamber between input and output parts, and also communicates with the main source of ignition; and the system is configured to achieve the desired residence time of the resulting air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber.

A method for enhancing fuel combustion is also provided, including providing a vertically arranged device for multi-stage mixing of fuel with air, having an inlet that is in fluid communication with an air source, and an outlet that is in communication with a combustion unit, the device for multi-stage mixing of fuel with air contains a plurality fuel inlet tubes stacked vertically with each other, each inlet tube having an inlet and an outlet, and the cross-sectional area of the inlet of each tube is greater than the cross-sectional area of the outlet of the previous inlet tube, resulting in an annular gap between the two adjacent tubes to capture additional air;

- 2 041858 injection of fuel into the inlet of the device for multi-stage mixing of fuel with air by means of a fuel injector made with the possibility of injecting fuel at a forced rate, to mix with the initially entrained air to form the initial air-fuel mixture and to achieve the momentum / velocity of the initial air-fuel mixture for flowing through a plurality of fuel inlet pipes, at the time of entraining additional air, when the air-fuel mixture is injected from one fuel inlet pipe into an adjacent fuel inlet pipe, thereby creating a resultant air-fuel mixture having a predetermined ratio of fuel and air for complete decomposition of the fuel during combustion, as a result thereby creating a resulting air-fuel mixture having a fuel-to-air ratio sufficient for substantially complete combustion of the fuel when burned in the combustion chamber.

Brief description of the drawings

Other features and advantages of the present improvements will become apparent from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fuel/air mixing system according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side view of the fuel/air mixing system shown in FIG. 1 in FIG. 3A is a perspective view of a combustion system according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3B is a schematic sectional view of the combustion system shown in FIG. 3A in FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a connector for a fuel/air mixing system according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a combustion chamber according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an exhaust pipe according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a firebox according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 8A is a perspective view of a protective housing according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 8B is a schematic sectional view of the protective cover shown in FIG. 8A in FIG. 8C is a perspective view of a protective housing according to one embodiment of the present invention with a door, FIG. 9A is a perspective view of a combustion system according to another embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 9B is a side view of the combustion system shown in FIG. 9A in FIG. 9C is a schematic sectional view of the combustion system shown in FIG. 9A in FIG. 10A is a perspective view of a firebox according to another embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 10B is a bottom view of the firebox shown in FIG. 10A in FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a protective housing according to another embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 12 is a schematic sectional view of a combustion system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Implementation of the invention

Unless otherwise indicated, all technical and scientific terms used in this application have the same meaning as generally understood by a person skilled in the art of the present invention.

The term fuel as used in this application refers to waste gases and liquids that appear on gas and oil drilling sites, or spent process gases and liquids in the chemical and petrochemical industries. Non-limiting examples of waste gases are gases containing methane, propane, butane, pentane and mixtures thereof.

The term substantially complete combustion as used herein refers to combustion in which at least 80% of the fuel is burned.

The term combustion zone, as used in this application, refers to at least 0.25 of the length of the combustion unit.

Used in this application, the term refers approximately to the change in this value within ±10%. It is to be understood that such a change is always included in any given meaning in this application, whether or not it is specifically stated.

The present invention provides a combustion system that includes a fuel injector associated with a device/apparatus for multi-stage mixing of fuel with air, and a combustion unit for creating a system that provides an ideal air-fuel mixture for operating

- 3 041858 essentially complete combustion and/or combustion of gas.

The combustion system according to the present invention comprises a fuel injector configured to inject fuel at a predetermined rate/rate; a multi-stage fuel-air mixing device in fluid communication with the fuel injector to receive fuel injected from the injector to be mixed with entrained air to form an air-fuel mixture. The device for multi-stage mixing of fuel with air contains a plurality of fuel inlet tubes stacked vertically with each other, each inlet tube has an inlet and an outlet, while the cross-sectional area of the inlet of one or more inlet tubes is greater than the cross-sectional area of the outlet the previous intake tube, thereby providing an annular gap between two adjacent intake tubes to entrain additional air when the air-fuel mixture flows from one intake tube to an adjacent intake tube. The combustion unit is located vertically above the device for multi-stage mixing of fuel with air. The combustion unit has an inlet part, which is in fluid communication with the outlet end of the device for multi-stage mixing of fuel with air, and an outlet part for discharging fuel combustion products. The combustion assembly defines the combustion chamber between the inlet and outlet portions and is also in fluid communication with the main source of ignition.

The fuel inlet tubes are designed such that the fuel injected by the fuel injector and the initially entrained air move to the top of the fuel inlet system at a rate/velocity sufficient to reach the combustion chamber, entraining additional air as the air-fuel mixture is injected from the outlet of one fuel inlet tube into the inlet of the adjacent fuel inlet tube. The combustion unit is configured to delay the flow of the mixture of fuel and air flowing through the combustion chamber in order to achieve the required residence time of the mixture of fuel and air in the combustion chamber.

It has been found that injecting fuel at a forced rate/flow rate at the inlet of the fuel intake system, as described in this application, provides a fuel velocity sufficient to create an upward flow of the mixture of fuel and air, and capture additional air during the formation of the air-fuel mixture, having a fuel to air ratio sufficient for a substantially complete combustion/combustion reaction without the need for driving forces. It has been found that delaying the flow of the air-fuel mixture (produced by the fuel intake system of the present invention) through the combustion chamber to achieve the required residence time of the mixed fuel and air in the combustion chamber results in substantially complete decomposition of the fuel.

It has been found that an improved level of combustion/burning can be achieved at an exit velocity of the fuel combustion products (in feet per second) that is less than their speed of passage over twice the length of the combustion zone and greater than the combustion velocity of the fuel.

The combustion rate of the fuel is known and/or can be easily calculated by known methods. For example, the combustion rate of methane is known to be about 1 ft/s (0.305 m/s), and the combustion rate of propane is 2.8 ft/s (0.85 m/s).

According to the present invention it has also been found that the required air-fuel mixture velocity/flow rate for a particular fuel and the required residence time/residence time of the air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber can be achieved by appropriate selection of the fuel injector nozzle, the size and location of the air intake annular gaps, the size and location intake pipes and/or the size and location of the combustion unit.

The length to width/diameter ratio of the fuel inlet tubes adjacent to the fuel injector is generally higher than the length to width ratio of the fuel inlet tubes adjacent to the combustion unit.

The choice of the number of inlet tubes and their relative lengths and widths depends on the size and type of the combustion unit and/or the type and/or volume of fuel to be burned.

The fuel inlet tubes may have a constant cross-sectional area, or their cross-sectional area may increase from the inlet end to the outlet end.

In some embodiments, the fuel inlet tubes have lengths and widths selected to be non-resonantly aligned to achieve sufficient velocity/momentum for the flow of fuel and air to reach the combustion chamber and form a resultant air-fuel mixture having a fuel-to-air ratio that facilitates essentially complete decomposition/combustion of the fuel.

In the context of the present invention, fuel inlet tubes having a length to diameter (or width) ratio of less than 1:1 (or having a length to diameter ratio of greater than 1:1) are also referred to as diffuser channels. Fuel inlet tubes having a length to diameter/width ratio of 1:1 or greater (or having a diameter to length ratio of less than 1:1) are also referred to as concentrator passages.

- 4 041858

The combustion system according to the present invention has one or more diffuse channels and one or more concentrator channels.

In some embodiments, the cross-sectional area of the concentrator channels is constant while the cross-sectional area of one or more diffuser channels increases from the inlet end to the outlet end.

In some embodiments, the cross-sectional area of at least the first diffuser channels increases from the inlet end to the outlet end, and the cross-sectional area of the last diffuser channel is unchanged.

In some embodiments, the multi-stage fuel-air mixing apparatus of the present invention comprises a first concentrator-shaped fuel inlet tube having a first inlet configured to receive fuel injected from a fuel injector and entrained air to form a first air-fuel mixture, and a first outlet for ejecting a first air-fuel mixture; and a second fuel inlet pipe as a second concentrator channel, having a second inlet, configured to receive the first outlet of the first pipe and the first air-fuel mixture ejected from the first outlet of the first pipe, and additional ambient air captured to form the second air-fuel mixture, and a second outlet for ejecting the second air-fuel mixture. The fuel and air mixer further comprises a diffusion channel having an inlet adapted to receive the second outlet of the second tube and the second air-fuel mixture ejected from the second tube and additional ambient air captured to form the third air-fuel mixture, and an outlet made with the possibility of fluid communication with the inlet of the combustion chamber, for the release of the third air-fuel mixture.

In some embodiments, the air/fuel mixing device has one or more additional inlet tubes as concentrator channels and/or one or more additional diffuser channels.

According to one aspect of the above embodiments, the device for mixing fuel with air comprises three diffusion channels and two concentrator channels, wherein the first diffusion channel is configured to receive the second outlet of the tube into its inlet, the second diffusion channel is configured to receive the first outlet of the diffusion channel into its inlet, and the third diffusing channel is configured to receive the second outlet of the diffusing channel into its inlet, and has an outlet configured to communicate in fluid with the inlet of the combustion assembly.

According to one aspect of the above embodiments, the first diffusion channel has a cross-sectional area that increases from the inlet end to the outlet end, and the second diffusion channel has a constant cross-sectional area from the inlet end to the outlet end.

According to another aspect of the above embodiments, the first diffusion channel has a cross-sectional area slowly increasing towards its outlet, the second diffusion channel has a cross-sectional area rapidly increasing towards its outlet, and the third diffusion channel has a constant cross-sectional area.

In some embodiments, the fuel/air mixing system comprises four diffusion channels and three concentrator channels, wherein the first diffusion channel is configured to receive the outlet of the third tube of the concentrator into its inlet, the second diffusion channel is configured to receive the first outlet of the diffusion channel into its inlet. an inlet, and so on, and the fifth diffusing channel is configured to receive the second outlet of the diffusing channel into its inlet, and has an outlet configured to fluidly communicate with the inlet of the combustion assembly.

According to one aspect of the above embodiment, the first to third diffusion channels have cross-sectional areas that increase from the inlet to the outlet, and the fourth diffusion channel has a constant cross-sectional area.

In some embodiments, the one or more fuel inlet tubes have diverter sections at the inlet and outlet. In some embodiments, one or more fuel inlet tubes are hourglass shaped.

The desired air-fuel mixture velocity/flow rate for a particular fuel and the desired residence time/residence of the air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber can be achieved by appropriate selection of the fluid injector nozzle, the size and location of the air intake annulus, the size and location of the air sampling tubes and/or the size and location of the furnace node.

According to some implementation options, the ratio of the cross-sectional areas of the inlet

- 5 041858 opening and outlet of two adjacent fuel inlet pipes is from about 1.1:1 to about 4:1. In some embodiments, the ratio of the cross-sectional area of the inlet to the outlet of two adjacent fuel inlet tubes is from about 1.1:1 to about 2:1.

In some embodiments, the furnace assembly has a length to diameter ratio of about 2:1 to about 20:1, about 3:1 to about 10:1, or about 4:1 to about 6:1.

In some embodiments, the ratio of the length of the combustion assembly to the total length of the fuel inlet tubes is from about 1:1 to about 10:1.

In some embodiments, the ratio of the total lengths of the scattering channels to the total lengths of the concentrator channels is from about 1:1 to about 10:1. In some embodiments, the ratio of the total lengths of the scattering channels to the total lengths of the concentrator channels is from about 1:1 to about 1:10. In some embodiments, the ratio of the total lengths of the scattering channels to the total lengths of the concentrator channels is from about 1:1 to about 2:1. In some embodiments, the ratio of the total lengths of the concentrator channels to the total length of the scattering channels is from about 2:1 to about 1:1.

In some embodiments, the relative position of the first concentrator channel in the second concentrator channel and/or the position of the second concentrator channel in the first diffuser channel, and/or the position of the first diffuser channel in the second diffuser channel are adjusted to achieve the ratio of fuel and air in the resulting air-fuel mixture specifically for specific fuel.

The fuel/air mixing system further comprises fittings for holding the fuel/air mixing system in place. In some embodiments, the inlet tubes and diffuser channels are held in place by longitudinally oriented brackets having recesses positioned and configured to interact with the inlet tubes and diffuser channel inlets.

In some embodiments, three of these brackets are used to connect the components of the fuel/air mixing system. In some embodiments, the brackets are connected to the injector at one end and to a flange ring at the other end, with the flange ring fitting at the outlet end of the last diffusion channel.

In some embodiments, the brackets are made thin to minimize their resistance to flowing air.

In some embodiments, the brackets are in the form of ribs. In some embodiments, the fins are perforated to minimize their air resistance.

In some embodiments, the fuel inlet tubes are connected by a plurality of connectors such that one connection connects two adjacent components. For example, one connection connects the first tube inlet in line with the fuel injector nozzle, the second connection connects the first tube outlet to the second tube inlet, and the like.

In some embodiments, the flange ring of the fuel/air mixing system is also configured to couple the fuel/air mixing system to the combustion assembly such that the outlet of the last diffusion channel is in fluid communication with the inlet of the combustion chamber.

In some embodiments, the outlet end of the last fuel tubular inlet is welded to the inlet end of the combustion assembly.

In some embodiments, the furnace assembly of the present invention has an elongated combustion chamber. In some embodiments, the furnace assembly has a constant cross-sectional area. In some embodiments, the combustion chamber has a cross-sectional area that increases from its inlet to its outlet.

It should be understood that the overall size and shape of the furnace assemblies in the present invention may be varied to create a furnace assembly that achieves the required residence time in the combustion chamber for a particular fuel.

In some embodiments, the furnace assembly as a whole has a cylindrical body. Other shapes may also be used instead of a cylinder. For example, the furnace assembly and/or combustion chamber may have a generally ellipsoidal cross section.

According to some implementation options, the outlet part of the combustion unit is made sectioned and contains two or more cylindrical sections arranged with each other, each of which has an inlet and an outlet, and the inlet of each section has a cross-sectional area that is greater than the cross-sectional area of the outlet holes of the previous section, resulting in an additional location of the air intake between the two cylindrical sections.

- 6 041858

In some embodiments, the combustion assembly has an exhaust pipe extending from the combustion chamber and defining its outlet.

In some embodiments, the outlet pipe is in the form of a sectioned outlet pipe comprising two or more stacked cylindrical sections, each having an inlet and an outlet.

According to some embodiments, the inlet of the first cylindrical section of the exhaust pipe that is connected to the furnace assembly has a cross-sectional area that is less than the cross-sectional area of the outlet end of the furnace assembly, and the outlet end of at least one of the remaining cylindrical sections has a cross-sectional area , which is larger than the cross-sectional area of the inlet of the previous cylindrical section, as a result of which additional air intake locations are provided between the two cylindrical sections. In some embodiments, the outlets of each of the sections after the first section have a cross-sectional area that is greater than the cross-sectional area of the inlet of the previous cylindrical section, thereby providing additional air intake locations between the two cylindrical sections.

In some embodiments, the first cylindrical section is positioned above the furnace assembly and its inlet has a cross-sectional area that is greater than the cross-sectional area of the furnace assembly outlet, thereby providing a first air intake location between the furnace assembly and the first cylindrical section. In addition, the cross-sectional area of the inlet of at least one of the remaining cylindrical sections has a cross-sectional area that is larger than the cross-sectional area of the outlet of the previous cylindrical section, as a result of which additional air intake locations are provided between the two cylindrical sections. In some embodiments, the outlet of each of the remaining cylindrical sections has a cross-sectional area that is greater than the cross-sectional area of the inlet of the previous cylindrical section, thereby providing additional air intake locations between the two cylindrical sections.

By varying the cross-sectional areas of the inlet(s) and outlet(s) of one or more cylindrical sections, support slots may be provided in the lower component to support the upper component.

In some cases, the main exhaust leaving the combustion chamber may contain residual fuel that has not been burned in the combustion unit. Through the use of a sectioned outlet in the combustion assembly, adding air to the main exhaust leaving the combustion chamber can improve the secondary combustion of this residual fuel in the first cylindrical section, resulting in secondary exhaust. The secondary exhaust may also contain some residual fuel, and adding air to the secondary exhaust may improve tertiary combustion in the second cylinder section. Thus, due to the first and second air intakes, post-combustion of the residual fuel in the primary and secondary exhaust can achieve substantially complete combustion of the fuel injected into the incineration system.

In some cases, the main exhaust leaving the combustion unit may contain residual fuel that has not been burned in the combustion unit. The addition of air to the main exhaust in the first barrel section can improve the secondary combustion of this residual fuel in the first barrel section, resulting in secondary exhaust being generated. The secondary exhaust may also contain some residual fuel, and adding air to the secondary exhaust may improve tertiary combustion in the second cylinder section. Thus, due to the first and second air intakes, the additional combustion of the residual fuel in the main and secondary exhaust can provide substantially complete combustion of the fuel injected into the waste combustion system.

It is easy to understand that cylindrical sections can also be built into the exhaust of an incineration system. The length of the cylindrical sections can be chosen to be of sufficient length to provide the desired level of combustion, eg, substantially complete combustion of the fuel in the incinerator system by maintaining the desired level of fuel flow through the incineration system.

In some embodiments, the outlet portion of the furnace assembly also includes an annular ring in the interior.

In some embodiments, the outlet of the combustion assembly exhaust pipe extending from the combustion chamber also includes an annular ring in its interior at the outlet end. According to some variants of implementation of the present invention, one or more cylindrical sections may also contain an annular ring in the interior of its output end.

In some embodiments, the outlet portion of the combustion assembly and the outlet pipe extending from the combustion chamber also comprise an annular ring at the interior of their outlet ends. According to some embodiments of the present invention, the outlet part of the furnace assembly

- 7 041858 and one or more cylindrical sections also contain a circular ring in the inner part of their output ends.

In one embodiment, this annular ring acts to block the flow of fuel/air flowing from a particular barrel section and thus increase the residence time of the fuel/air in a particular barrel section, further improving the efficiency of the combustion system. The ring may be semi-circular, or pyramidal, or another shape in which the ring reduces the cross-sectional area of a particular cylindrical section but still allows flow through said ring.

In some embodiments, the introduction of air into the first air intake or subsequent exhaust air intake may not be sufficient to initiate secondary combustion (or tertiary combustion). This may be due to the increase in pressure as the fuel/air moves along the sectioned exhaust pipe. To facilitate initiation of secondary combustion (or tertiary combustion), in some embodiments, a secondary ignition source (or tertiary ignition source) is provided in a sectioned exhaust pipe. This secondary ignition source (or tertiary ignition source) provides a means to further improve the efficiency of the incinerator system. In various embodiments, the secondary ignition source (or tertiary ignition source) is located adjacent to the air intake or at a location that is remote from the air intake location but remains in the flow path of air entering the incineration system through the air intake.

According to various embodiments of the present invention, the combustion assembly is configured to provide two or more compartmentalized combustion chambers, wherein the first chamber in fluid communication with the fuel/air mixing and intake system and the main ignition source is referred to as the main combustion assembly, and subsequent chambers are referred to as combustion chambers. afterburning. In such a system, the main exhaust exiting the main combustion unit is further burned in one or more afterburners and thus provides conditions for substantially complete combustion of the fuel injected into the waste incineration system.

To facilitate initiation of secondary combustion (or tertiary combustion), in some embodiments, a secondary ignition source (or tertiary ignition source) is provided within the compartmentalized combustion chambers. This secondary ignition source (or tertiary ignition source) provides an additional increase in the efficiency of the incineration system. In various embodiments, the secondary ignition source (or tertiary ignition source) is located adjacent to the air intake or at a location that is remote from the air intake location but remains in the flow path of air entering the incineration system through the air intake.

In some embodiments, the shape, length, and width of the combustion assembly and exhaust pipe are selected to achieve non-resonant alignment and/or are configured to prevent pressure surge when the fuel ignites.

In some embodiments, the furnace assembly has a bottom section containing an inlet and a lid section containing an outlet.

In some embodiments, the bottom section of the furnace assembly is configured to be connected to the flange ring of the fuel/air mixing system.

In some embodiments, the combustion assembly has a combustion container extending from the lid section into the combustion chamber. In some embodiments, the firebox is connected to the top section of the firebox via a flange ring. In some embodiments, the firebox has a plurality of holes or slots in its walls. In some embodiments, the container is in the form of a cylinder with a closed bottom containing a plurality of openings in the side walls and in the bottom. In some embodiments, the bottom is in the shape of a cone. In some embodiments, the bottom is in the form of a flat wall.

According to various embodiments, the diameter of the holes in the side walls increases towards the outlet of the furnace assembly and/or the diameter of the holes in the bottom increases in a radial direction towards the outer edge of the bottom. This configuration of slots and hole size allows flow control in the incinerator since the fuel injection is located near the location of the center of the bottom of the container. Also, the flow rate of the air-fuel mixture in the central region of the combustion unit (and the center of the container) is higher than its speed at the edge of the container, and an increase in the diameter of the holes towards the edge of the bottom of the container makes it possible to normalize the flow in the container. In various embodiments, similar flow normalization within the container is also achieved by gradually increasing the size of the openings in the container from the bottom of the container to the top.

The fuel injector according to the present invention has various injectors. In some embodiments, the injector comprises a high pressure nozzle. According to some

- 8 041858 embodiments, the nozzle is a supersonic, subsonic or hypersonic fluid nozzle. In some embodiments, the fuel is injected at a pressure of from about 0.5 psi to about 30 psi (3.45-207 kPa). In one embodiment, the fuel injector is aerodynamically coupled to the inlet of the first fuel inlet tube.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, the waste incineration system is closed with a protective casing. According to some variants of implementation of the present invention, the casing is in the form of a cylinder, also having slots/holes/slots in the bottom and/or side walls.

In some embodiments, the shroud provides a level of protection against heat generated by the incinerator system and/or improves cooling of the incinerator system. In some embodiments, the containment housing is provided with a hinged door or lid that facilitates access to the incinerator system located within.

In some embodiments, the shroud improves cooling of the incinerator system. During the combustion process, the air in the cavity between the shell and the incineration system heats up and moves vertically upwards and sucks in outside air through the holes in the shell. This upward movement of air along the incinerator system assists in extracting heat from the incinerator system. According to some embodiments of the present invention, the openings in the casing may include louvers that are located at the level of the air intake or have an upward direction relative to the air as it enters the space between the incineration system and the casing.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, if the waste incineration system comprises a sectioned outlet or a sectioned exhaust pipe, the part of the protective casing covering the sectioned outlet or sectioned exhaust pipe is equipped with a plurality of air intakes. In some embodiments, these intakes are substantially aligned with one or more transition zones between adjacent sections, where the intakes form openings to draw outside air into the first intake and/or second intake of the sectioned exhaust pipe. In some embodiments, all said air intakes are aligned with the transition zones. This shroud opening allows cooler outside air to enter the intakes, resulting in improved secondary and tertiary combustion of residual fuel in the sectioned exhaust pipe.

In some embodiments, the casing air intakes are offset from one or more transition zones between adjacent sections. In some embodiments, all said air intakes are offset from the transition zones. The presence of offset air intakes improves the cooling of the waste incineration system.

Known incinerator systems use flare-induced flow, in which the convection flow created by the burners in the combustion chamber is used to draw air into the combustion unit, which requires a very large volume incinerator and/or a mechanical system to reduce the block size, and/or requires the use of a driving force created, for example, by a blower, an ejector pump, which use water vapor, compressed air or other gases for efficient operation.

The present invention utilizes the kinetic energy of the injected fuel to create a fuel-induced venturi flow of fuel through the fuel inlet system described herein while entraining air to produce an air-fuel mixture having an air-to-fuel ratio sufficient to burn the fuel efficiently without the need for additional propellants. forces. In addition, the present invention has found that delaying the flow of the air-fuel mixture (produced by the fuel intake system of the present invention) through the combustion chamber to achieve the required residence time of the mixed fuel and air in the combustion chamber results in substantially complete decomposition of the fuel. It was found that the system according to the present invention allows for more than 90% combustion of the fuel.

Exemplary Implementations

In FIG. 1 and 2 show a fuel/air mixing system associated with a fuel injector (dismantled and removed from the combustion assembly) according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1 and 2, the fuel/air mixing system 10 includes a first fuel inlet/concentrator 14 having an inlet end 14a and an outlet end 14b (not shown) in fluid communication with a second fuel inlet/concentrator 16 having an inlet end. 16a and an outlet end 16b (not shown), which in turn is in fluid communication with the first diffusion channel 18. The inlet end 14a of the first tube is configured to receive fuel injected by the injector 12, and the outlet end 14b is located within the second tube 16 and extends through the input end 16a. Similarly, the outlet end 16b (not shown) of the second tube is located inside the first diffuser and

- 9 041858 passes through its input end 18a. The output end 18b (not shown) of the first diffusion channel is located inside the second diffusion channel 20 and passes through its input end 20a, and the output end 20b (not shown) of the second diffusion channel is located inside the third diffusion channel 22 and passes through its input end 22a. The outlet end 22b (not shown) of the third diffusion channel 22 is connected/associated with the flange ring 24.

In this example, the injector 12 (having a nozzle 13), the first and second inlet pipes 14 and 16, the first, second and third diffusion channels 18, 20 and 22 are held in their positions according to the flow orientation by three longitudinally oriented brackets 26 extending from the ring 30, placed around the body of the injector 12, and connected with the lower part 24b of the flange ring 24.

As shown in FIG. 4, each of the brackets 26 has recesses 28a-28d configured to support/retain the upstream ends of the fuel inlet tubes and diffuser passages.

Recesses 28a-28d of each of the brackets 26 are configured to hold the inlet of the first tube in line with the fuel injector, the inlet of the second tube in line with the outlet of the first tube, the inlet of the first scattering channel with the outlet of the second tube, the inlet end of the second scattering channel in line with the outlet of the first scattering channel and the input end of the third scattering channel in line with the outlet of the second scattering channel, respectively. The top end of each of the brackets 26 is connected to the bottom surface 24b of the flange ring 24.

The penetration depth of the first tube into the second tube and the penetration depth of the second tube into the first diffusion channel, the penetration depth of the second diffusion channel into the second diffusion channel, and the penetration depth of the second diffusion channel into the third diffusion channel are not shown in FIG. 1 and 2.

In FIG. 3A and 3B show an exemplary incinerator system according to the present invention in which a fuel/air mixing system is connected to a combustion unit 32 having a cylindrical body defining a combustion chamber 34 having an inlet end 34a and an outlet portion having a second end 34b.

As shown in FIG. 5, the ends 34a and 34b of the combustion assembly in this example are flanged, with the flange 34a configured to be connected to the flange ring 24 of the air-fuel system.

In this example, the furnace assembly also has an exhaust pipe 36 having a first flanged end 36a and a second end 36b (as shown in FIG. 6). The end 36a of the exhaust pipe is connected to the flanged end 34b of the combustion unit. An exhaust pipe extends from the combustion chamber and end 36b forms an exhaust pipe outlet.

As shown in FIG. 3A and 3B, in this example the combustion unit has an additional combustion container 38 extending into the combustion chamber from the end 34b of the combustion assembly.

As shown in FIG. 7, the combustor has an upper flanged end 38b and a lower tapered end 38a, the flanged end 38b being configured to be held within a flanged connection between the upper end 34b of the combustion assembly and the first end 36a of the exhaust pipe. The firebox container also has a plurality of holes 40 in its walls.

In FIG. 8A-8C show a protective cover 50 for the incinerator system shown in FIG. 3A and 3B. The protective cover has holes/slots 53a in its bottom wall and holes/slots 53b in its lower side walls. In this example, the containment has a hinged door or cover 52 to allow easy access to the incinerator system located inside.

In FIG. 9A-9C show another example of an incinerator system according to the present invention, in which the outlet part of the combustion unit 62 contains two stacked cylindrical sections 64 and 66. The first cylindrical section is located above the combustion chamber 68 and has a diameter that is larger than the diameter of the chamber combustion, thus providing a first air intake location 64a between the combustion unit and the first cylindrical section 62. In addition, the second cylindrical section has a diameter that is larger than the diameter of the first cylindrical section, thus providing a second air intake location 66a between the first cylindrical section and the second cylindrical section. section. Due to the different diameters of these cylindrical sections, support slots 70 are formed in the lower component and provide support for the larger diameter component located above.

In FIG. 10A and 10B show another exemplary firebox which is in the form of a cylinder 80 with a closed base and includes a plurality of holes 82 in its side wall 84 and base 86. In this example, the diameter of the holes 86 in the base increases radially towards the edge. grounds.

In FIG. 11 shows a shroud 90 that encloses an incinerator system including a sectioned exhaust pipe as shown in FIG. 9A-9C. In this example, the protective cover is similar to the cover described above with reference to FIG. 8A-8C, but with modifications to improve the functionality of the sectioned exhaust pipe. In this example, the top

- 10 041858 casing contains the first air intake 92 and the second air intake 94, and these air intakes form an opening for outside air passing into the first air intake and the second air intake of the sectioned exhaust pipe. This shroud opening allows cooler outside air to enter the intakes, which improves secondary and tertiary afterburning of residual fuel in the sectioned exhaust pipe.

In FIG. 12 shows an example of an incinerator system according to the present invention in which a fuel/air mixing system 110 is connected to a combustion unit 112 defining a sectioned combustion chamber 114 (main chamber) and a combustion chamber 116 (secondary combustion chamber). The combustion assembly has an inlet end 118a and a second end 118b in fluid communication with an exhaust system 126 having compartmentalized portions 128 and 130. The main chamber is in fluid communication with the fuel/air mixing system 110 through inlet end 118a and main ignition source 120. In some cases, secondary and tertiary ignition sources 122 and 124 may also be provided. For example, the first secondary ignition source may be located at the junction of the main combustion unit and the first secondary combustion chamber, or the like. A tertiary ignition source may be provided at the junction of the last afterburner and the inlet of the exhaust system.

It is clear that all components described in this application can be made from any suitable materials. In addition, all components described in this application can be manufactured in any suitable way, obvious to a person skilled in the art.

During testing, the furnace units were made of steel. However, other materials can also be used for this purpose. The only requirement is that the materials have sufficient heat resistance, especially for the combustion chamber and exhaust pipe.

Obviously, the above embodiments of the present invention are given as examples and can be implemented in various ways. Such present or future changes should not be construed as a departure from the principle and scope of protection of the present invention, and all such changes obvious to a person skilled in the art are included within the protection scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

The scope of the appended claims is not limited to the preferred embodiments set forth in the specification, but is given the broadest interpretation consistent with the description as a whole.

Claims (20)

CLAIM 1. A fuel combustion system comprising a fuel injector configured to inject fuel at a forced rate; a device for multi-stage mixing of fuel with air, having an inlet end and an outlet end and in fluid communication at its inlet end with a fuel injector for receiving fuel injected by the fuel injector and to be mixed with the initially entrained air to form the initial air-fuel mixture, and the device for multi-stage mixing fuel with air contains a plurality of fuel inlet tubes stacked vertically with each other, with each inlet tube having an inlet and an outlet, and the cross-sectional area of the inlet of each inlet tube is greater than the cross-sectional area of the outlet of the previous inlet tube, in thereby providing an annular gap between two adjacent intake tubes to entrain additional air as the initial air-fuel mixture passes from one intake tube to the adjacent intake tube to create a result a fuel-air mixture for combustion in the combustion chamber, the resulting air-fuel mixture having a predetermined ratio of fuel and air for complete decomposition of the fuel during combustion; a combustion unit extending vertically from the device for multi-stage mixing of fuel with air, having an inlet part in fluid communication with the outlet end of the device for multi-stage mixing of fuel with air, and an outlet part for discharging fuel combustion products, wherein the combustion unit limits said combustion chamber between input and output parts, and also communicates with the main source of ignition; and the system is configured to achieve the desired residence time of the resulting air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber. 2. The combustion system according to claim 1, in which the combustion unit contains two or more sectional combustion chambers, each of which has an inlet and outlet, and the first chamber is in communication with the device for mixing fuel with air and the main source of ignition and, thus , forms the main combustion chamber, and - 11 041858 subsequent sections form afterburning chambers and communicate with the outlet part. 3. The combustion system according to claim 2, in which one or more afterburners are provided with a secondary ignition source and / or a tertiary ignition source, and, if necessary, the main ignition source, secondary ignition source and / or tertiary ignition source are located inside the sectioned combustion chambers and when if necessary, located near the air intake or at a location that can be removed from the location of the air intake, and at the same time located in the path of the air flow entering the combustion system through the air intake. 4. The combustion system according to any one of claims 2, 3, in which the cross-sectional area of the inlet of at least one of the sectioned combustion chambers is greater than the cross-sectional area of the outlet of the previous sectioned combustion chamber. 5. The combustion system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the outlet part of the combustion unit consists of two or more sectioned parts arranged with each other, each of which has an inlet and an outlet. 6. The combustion system of claim 5, wherein the cross-sectional area of the inlet of at least one of the sectioned outlets is greater than the cross-sectional area of the previous sectioned outlet. 7. A combustion system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the combustion chamber has a container having a plurality of openings, if necessary. 8. The combustion system of claim 7, wherein the first opening has a first diameter and is located closer to the fuel/air mixing device than the second opening having a second diameter, the first diameter being smaller than the second diameter. 9. A combustion system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, also comprising an exhaust pipe in fluid communication with the outlet of the combustion unit. 10. The combustion system of claim 9, wherein the exhaust pipe has an annular ring in its outlet opening extending into the interior of the exhaust pipe. 11. The combustion system of claim 9, wherein the exhaust pipe comprises two or more stacked cylindrical sections, each having an inlet and an outlet. 12. The combustion system according to claim 11, in which the first section of stacked cylindrical sections has a first cross-sectional area, and the second section of stacked cylindrical sections has a second cross-sectional area, and the first section is closer to the combustion chamber, than the second section, wherein the first cross-sectional area is less than the second cross-sectional area. 13. The combustion system of claim 12, wherein the first cross-sectional area and the second cross-sectional area are selected to provide an annular gap between the first section and the second section to entrain air into stacked cylindrical sections. 14. The combustion system according to claim 13, in which the first section is connected to the furnace node and has a cross-sectional area that is less than the cross-sectional area of the outlet part of the furnace node. 15. The combustion system according to claim 13, wherein the first section has a cross-sectional area that is larger than the cross-sectional area of the outlet of the combustion unit, resulting in the location of an additional air intake between the combustion unit and the first cylindrical section. 16. The combustion system according to any one of claims 11 to 15, wherein at least one of the stacked cylindrical elements has in its outlet an annular ring extending inside at least one of the stacked cylindrical elements. 17. The combustion system according to claim 16, wherein the annular ring is formed by a plurality of depressions or in the form of a protrusion. 18. The combustion system according to any one of claims 1 to 17, also containing a protective casing surrounding the combustion chamber, and, if necessary, the protective casing contains one or more air intakes. 19. The combustion system according to claim 18, in which the exhaust pipe contains the first section and the second section, composed of each other, and the first section has a cross-sectional area that is less than the cross-sectional area of the second section, resulting in air being entrained in the second section, and wherein said one or more casing air intakes are aligned with the transition zone between the first section and the second section, and/or said one or more casing air intakes are offset relative to the transition zone between the first section and the second section. 20. A method for enhancing fuel combustion, including providing a vertically arranged device for multi-stage mixing of fuel with - 12 041858 with air, having an inlet opening in fluid communication with an air source, and an outlet opening communicating with a combustion unit, wherein the device for multi-stage mixing of fuel with air comprises a plurality of fuel inlet tubes stacked vertically with each other, with each inlet the tube has an inlet and an outlet, and the cross-sectional area of the inlet of each tube is larger than the cross-sectional area of the outlet of the previous inlet tube, thereby providing an annular gap between two adjacent tubes to capture additional air; injecting fuel into the inlet of the device for multi-stage fuel-air mixing by means of a fuel injector configured to inject fuel at a forced rate to mix with the initially entrained air to form the initial air-fuel mixture and to achieve the momentum/velocity of the initial air-fuel mixture to flow through the plurality fuel inlet pipes, during the intake of additional air, when the air-fuel mixture is injected from one fuel inlet pipe into an adjacent fuel inlet pipe, thereby creating a resultant air-fuel mixture having a predetermined ratio of fuel and air to completely decompose the fuel during combustion, resulting in a resultant an air-fuel mixture having a fuel-to-air ratio sufficient for substantially complete combustion of the fuel when burned in a combustion chamber.