GB2094970A - Improvements in or relating to burner systems and methods of operating same - Google Patents

Abstract

A burner system has improved fuel consumption by substituting water or other liquid for part of the liquid fuel. Water from the mains is entrained in a device 15 by fuel oil flow from pump 17 to burner 10. The water passes through flow regulator 24, flow meter 25, one-way valves 28, 29. The pump 17 is driven by an air blower 11 which supplies air to the burner 10. The burner 10 has a low flame pipe 13a and high flame pipe 13 and the water is supplied only to the high flame pipe. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to burner systems and methods of operating same This invention relates to burner systems and methods of operating burner systems.

It is desirable to improve the fuel consumption of burner systems.

According to one aspect of this invention a burner system comprises a burner, means for supplying liquid fuel to the burner, and means for adding another liquid to the fuel prior to combustion.

The other liquid is preferably non-combustible.

The other liquid may be substantially immiscible with the liquid fuel.

Preferably, said means for adding comprises a device in which flow of fuel entrains said other liquid.

The fuel may for example be oil and the other liquid may for example be water.

The system may comprise a flow control device for controlling the flow of the other liquid from a supply to the adding means.

There may be a one-way valve for allowing flow of the other liquid to the adding means and preventing flow of the fuel to the supply of the other liquid.

In one arrangement air is fed by a blower to the burner for combustion with the fuel.

The blower may be arranged to drive a pump for delivering the fuel to the adding means.

The burner may be constructed to have a high flame or a low flame, and means may be provided to render said adding means operative only when the burner is operating at high flame.

According to another aspect of the invention a method of operating a burner system in which liquid fuel is supplied to a burner comprises adding another liquid to the fuel prior to combustion.

The invention may be performed in various ways and one specific embodiment with possible modifications will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a burner system; and Fig. 2 is a front view of a liquid flow meter.

In the burner system, a burner 10 receives air for combustion from an air blower 11 through line 12. The burner 10 has fuel pipe 13 receiving fuel oil through line 14, connector 1 5 and line 1 6 from pump 17 driven by the blower 11 and drawing oil from a source (not shown) through line 18. The line 22 delivers the air as an axial flow over pipe 13.

The burner has a head or nozzle where the fuel is burnt or combusted with air from the blower.

A pressure gauge 19 indicates the liquid pressure in the connector 1 5.

A line 20 is connected to mains water supply and to a solenoid operated flow valve 21. A pressure gauge 22 indicates the water pressure in the line 20. A line 23 connects the valve 21 to a manually operable flow regulator 24 connected through line 25 to a flow meter 26 itself connected through line 27 to a one-way check valve 28 leading through a line 29 to another oneway check valve 30 associated with a flow control valve 31 having an outlet connected through line 32 to the connector 1 5. Valve 28 allows flow from line 32 but not in the opposite direction; valve 30 allows flow from line 29 to line 32 but not in the opposite direction.

Thus water and fuel oil are fed to the burner pipe 13.

The pressure of oil delivered by the pump 17 may for example be 200 to 300 pounds per square inch (1378.952 kilopascals to 2068.428 kilopascals) and the water pressure in line 20 may for example be 50 pounds per square inch (344.738 kilopascals). Thus the flow of oil from the pump 17 through the connector 1 5 to the pipe 13 will draw in or entrain with it water from line 32 and line 29. The one-way valve 30 prevents oil passing into the water circuit, and one-way valve 28 provides an additional safe-guard in this respect.

In one arrangement the water flow may be at say 200 cubic centimetres per minute and form about 1 8% of the total liquid flow to the burner in line 14. It is found that the heat output of the burner is not substantially less than if the whole liquid flow is fuel oil, resulting in a reduction in fuel consumption of about 18%. The flow regulator enables the water flow to be adjusted.

In the arrangement shown the burner has a high flame and a low or pilot flame setting, the low flame being from pipe 1 3a connected through line 1 6a direct to the pump 17. The solenoid valve 21 is energised through on/off electric switch 40 in series with electric switch 41 responsive to the pressure at the outlet of low flame pipe 1 3a and arranged to energise a ram 42 movable in a cylinder to switch the blower 11 from low speed to high speed, the pump 1 7 including a valve operable in response to switch 41 to change fuel flow from line 1 6a to line 1 6 when the blower 11 moves to highspeed.In this case the ram is connected to a valve member in the valve 31 so that when the ram 42 moves to change the blower to highspeed, the valve member is moved to allow water flow through valve 31. Flow of water opens valves 30, 28.

One suitable burner is made by Nu-way'Limited of Droitwich, including conventional associated parts and controls (not shown). The burner could be used to heat water in a boiler, for example a boiler made by John Thompson S Co. Ltd. of Glasgow. Other forms of burner or burner system may be used, for example gas turbine burners.

A suitable flowmeter 26 is shown in Fig. 2, and comprises vertical inlet and outlet tubes 50, 51, a cylindrical housing 52 including a front window carrying a linear scale 53. The tubes 50, 51 are connected by a transparent tube 54 in which is located a ball bearing 55 which rises or falls in response to the water pressure and the flow rate in the tube 54. The flow rate can be read off from the scale 53. When there is no water flow, the bearing 55 falls to the bottom of tube 54 where it rests on a shoulder.

It is thought that the heat of the burner flame may possibly atomize the water, with subsequent combustion of the hydrogen and oxygen, although the water itself is non-combustible.

It is thought that other liquids could oe used instead of water.

It will be appreciated that the parts for the water supply could be added as a modification to suitable existing burner systems.

Other means for continuously adding the water to the fuel flow can be used than the hollow entraining device 1 5 having two passages at right angles.

Claims (16)

1. A burner system comprising a burner, means for supplying liquid fuel to the burner, and means for adding another liquid to the fuel prior to combustion.

2. A burner system as claimed in Claim 1, in which the other liquid is non-combustible.

3. A burner system as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which the other liquid is substantially immiscible with the fuel.

4. A burner system as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 3, in which the means for adding comprises a device in which flow of fuel entrains said other liquid.

5:A burner system as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the other liquid is water.

6. A burner system as claimed in any preceding claim in which the fuel is oil.

7. A burner system as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising a flow control device for controlling the flow of the other liquid from a supply to the adding means.

8. A burner system as claimed in any preceding claim, including a one-way valve for allowing flow of the other liquid to the adding means and preventing flow of the fuel to the supply of the other liquid.

9. A burner system as claimed in any preceding claim, including a blower for feediny air to the burner for combustion with the fuel.

10. A burner system as claimed in Claim 9, including a pump driven by a blower for delivering fuel to the adding means.

11. A burner system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Fig. 1, or Fig. 2, of the accompanying drawings.

12. A method of operating a burner system in which liquid fuel is supplied to a burner, comprising adding another liquid to the fuel prior to the combustion.

13. A method as claimed in Claim 12, in which the added liquid is immiscible with the fuel.

14. A method as claimed in Claim 12 or Claim 13, in which the other liquid is non-combustible.

1 5. A method as claimed in any of Clairns 12 to 14, in which the fuel is oil.

16. A method as claimed in any of Claims 12 to 15, in which the added liquid is water.

1 7. A method of operating a burner system substantially as hereinbefore described.