GB1141741A - Method and apparatus for heating gases to high temperatures - Google Patents

Abstract

1,141,741. Electric heating apparatus. NORTHERN NATURAL GAS CO. 1 Feb., 1966 [2 Feb., 1965], No. 4337/66. Heading H5H. Apparatus for heating gases comprises a pilot burner, fed with a combustible mixture and ionising additives e.g. KC1, which ignites a second combustible mixture, a passageway for products of combustion and first and second electrodes in the passageway creating an electrical discharge through the products. Methane or natural gas containing powdered KC1 fed through a tube 23 burns with air or O 2 fed through a tube 17 to form on tip 20 a pilot flame when ignited by a R.F. spark from a source 24. The tube 23 is slotted to obtain some premixing of the fuel and air before ignition. A second combustible mixture of natural gas and air is supplied through an opening 37 and passes to the pilot flame through a perforated sleeve 39 and openings 38. Combustion takes place in a metal tube 50 within a cooled glass tube 40. To complete combustion and increase ionisation of the KC1 a low power discharge is applied to the gases by connecting a highvoltage source 51 across tube 50 and a cooled electrode 42 both having discharge points 50a, 42a. The gases then flow through a second glass tube 57 having electrodes in the form of orifice plates 55, 59 at each end. A high-voltage source 65 is connected across these electrodes to apply a distributed discharge through the hot gases. Chemical reactions may be carried out by feeding reactants into the burner at any stage preferably the last, through an opening 68 in electrode 42 and further pairs of electrodes may be positioned downstream of electrodes 55, 59. If combustible gases contaminate the reaction products or if non-combustible gases are to be heated, the combustible mixture may be gradually replaced by non-combustible gases and the heat input from the discharge between electrodes 50, 42 increased.