GB2268578A

GB2268578A - Improvements in or relating to burners

Info

Publication number: GB2268578A
Application number: GB9314102A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Andrew Martin Wall
Original assignee: NU WAY Ltd
Current assignee: NU WAY Ltd
Priority date: 1992-07-11
Filing date: 1993-07-08
Publication date: 1994-01-12
Anticipated expiration: 2013-07-08
Also published as: GB2268578B; GB9314102D0; GB9214794D0

Abstract

A gas or oil burner has two individual combustion heads (11, 12) arranged respectively to direct combustion flames, in use, towards different locations, the burner assembly having a fan (10) to supply combustion air and shutter/diverter plates (11a, 12a) to control operation of the heads so that only one or both of the heads operate at anytime. The burner assembly is part of an appliance having two separate heat-operated units, the heads (11, 12) supplying heat for a cooker, having an oven 15, and a boiler (16) respectively, comprising the units of the appliance. Head (12) heats the boiler 16 whilst the combustion gases from head (11) press upwards through the interior of the boiler enclosure, around and underneath the oven (15) and then passing around the side of the oven remote from the boiler to exit via a flue (18). <IMAGE>

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO BURNERS This invention relates to a burner, particularly for use with an appliance of the kind having at least two separate heat-operated units, for example an appliance comprising a cooker unit and a hot water/central heating boiler. The invention also relates to such an appliance including this burner.

An object of the invention is to provide a burner for an appliance of the aforesaid kind, such that, in operation, the thermal efficiency of each section of the appliance is improved.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a burner assembly having two combustion head portions arranged respectively to direct combustion flames thereof, in use, towards different locations, and means for operating only a selected one of said combustion head portions or both of said combustion head portions, in use, by control of combustion air and/or fuel supplied thereto.

Preferably the combustion head portions are separate, individual combustion heads of the burner assembly. Conveniently air supply to the combustion head portions is effected by operation of air shutter/diverter plates mounted in an air suppLy manifold, one of the plates sealing off the combustion head portion not in use when only one combustion head portion is operated.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided an appliance having two separate heatoperated units and a burner assembly for providing heat to said units, in use, the burner assembly having two combustion head portions arranged respectively to direct combustion flames thereof, in use, towards different locations for the supply of heat to said units respectively, and means for operating said burner assembly so that only a selected one of said combustion head portions operates or both of said combustion head portions operate, in use, by control of combustion air and/or fuel supplied thereto.

Preferably the heat-operated units are a cooker and a boiler respectively, and desirably when the cooker is being operated, hot combustion gas from one combustion head portion is fed, in use, from within an enclosure of the boiler to circulate around an oven of the cooker before leaving the appliance via a flue thereof.

Conveniently the burner assembly is disposed within the boiler enclosure and during operation of the cooker, hot combustion gas serving to heat the oven is fed from the boiler enclosure through a refractory tunnel disposed in said enclosure.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic side view of a burner assembly of the invention; Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view of an appliance of the invention which uses the burner assembly of Figure 1; and Figures 3 and 4 are respective diagrammatic side and end views of the appliance of Figure 2, Figure 3 showing heating of an oven of the appliance.

The present invention relates to a gas or oil burner which has two individual combustion heads, with common fuel, air and flames supervision sources, and this burner assembly has particular application to appliances which incorporate two or more separate units which operate by means of a supply of heat. In the embodiment to be described, the appliance has a cooker, comprising an oven and associated hot plates, and a separate boiler which can be used to provide hot water or as a central heating boiler. As will be explained, the use of two individual combustion heads enables overall thermal efficiency to be improved in that different combustion sources are provided for the hot water and oven applications.

Figure 1 shows the basic burner head assembly.

There is provided a fan blower unit 10 which provides combustion air to the actual burner combustion heads.

Duplicate sets of air/fuel mixing and spark ignition equipment are mounted on a common air supply manifold 10a leading from the unit 10. As can be seen from Figure 1 the burner assembly has two separate, individual combustion heads 11, 12, respectively arranged to direct combustion flames in respective directions, which are 90" apart, towards different locations from which heat is supplied, in use, to the oven and boiler. It will however be appreciated that the angular spacing between the combustion heads can be varied as required. Air supply to the combustion heads is effected by operation of air shutter/diverter plates lia, 12a, respectively for the combustion heads 11, 12.These plates are mounted in the air supply manifold and a respective plate seals off its associated combustion head when that head is not in use, as will be described. Combustion air will be controlled by an additional butterfly or shutter type damper 13 mounted on the unit 10.

With this burner assembly, combustion can take place in a bi-directional plane. In the application of this embodiment, a selected one of the two combustion heads only operates at any time, but it will be appreciated that in an alternative embodiment both combustion heads could instead operate at the same time.

Figures 2 to 4 show an appliance having a casing 14 in which is a cooker having an oven 15, together with a separate boiler 16. The boiler is in the form of a Ushaped enclosure, and as shown in the drawings, the burner assembly is disposed within this enclosure between the limbs 16a of the U-shape (although it is shown outside in Figure 2 for clarity of illustration). As shown in Figure 4, the combustion head 12 is arranged to direct combustion flames and combustion gases towards the part of the boiler enclosure from which the limbs of the U-shape extend.The combustion head 11, in contrast, is directed upwardly and over this head 11 is arranged a refractory tunnel 17, which is arranged to direct hot combustion gases from the combustion head 11 upwards through the interior of the boiler enclosure, such gases being fed out of the refractory tunnel as shown in Figure 3 to circulate underneath and thus heat the oven 15, passing around the side thereof remote from the boiler before leaving the appliance via a flue 18. As can be seen best from Figure 2 and 3, one or more hotplates of the cooker 19 are disposed on the top of the appliance and a damper 20 is arranged to control flow of hot gases around the underside thereof and thus the heating of the hotplates.

The arrangement of combustion taking place in a bi-directional plane, mentioned above, ensures good heat transfer to the hot water/central heating boiler through use of one directional component and efficient oven heating through an alternative directional component.

The nett gain of such an arrangement will be greater heating efficiency, and therefore lower running costs.

The arrangement shown in Figure 1 would use some form of linkage actuation, but in general actuation of dampers, shutters and manual fuel valves may be effected by hydro-mechanical or electro-mechanical means, as appropriate. On applications where the boiler firing rate differs from that required by the oven, the air shutter plates lia, 12a and air damper 13 will be linked in such a way so as to provide correct combustion air to each head, when it is in operation.

Although the described embodiment illustrates the burners arranged to direct flames in two angularly spaced directions towards respective locations, it will be understood that the flames may alternatively be directed in spaced parallel planes towards said locations. Also more than the two combustion heads described could be provided to form the burner head assembly, each head directing combustion flames thereof in 9 different direction from the other heads, and control being such that any number of heads between, and including, all of the heads and none of the heads could be operated at any one time.

Claims

1. A burner assembly having two combustion head portions arranged respectively to direct combustion flames thereof, in use, towards different locations, and means for operating only a selected one of said combustion head portions or both of said combustion head portions, in use, by control of combustion air and/or fuel supplied thereto.

2. A burner assembly as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the combustion head portions thereof are separate, individual combustion heads.

3. A burner assembly as claimed in Claim 2, wherein air supply to the combustion head portions is effected by operation of air shutter/diverter plates mounted in an air supply manifold, one of the plates sealing off the combustion head not in use when only one combustion head portion is operated.

4. A burner assembly as claimed in Claim 3, wherein duplicate sets of air/fuel mixing and spark ignition equipment are mounted on said air supply manifold.

5. A burner assembly as claimed in Claim 3 or Claim 4, wherein the air supply manifold leads from a fan blower unit.

6. A burner assembly as claimed in Claim 5, wherein mounted on the fan blower unit is a damper to control supply of combustion air.

7. A burner assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the combustion head portions are arranged to direct combustion flames thereof, in use, in directions which are angularly spaced apart.

8. A burner assembly as claimed in Claim 7, wherein said directions are 90a apart.

9. A burner assembly as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 6, wherein the combustion head portions are arranged to direct combustion flames thereof, in use, in spaced parallel planes.

10. A burner assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein a selected one only of the combustion heads is operable at any time.

11. An appliance having two separate heat-operated units and a burner assembly for providing heat to said units, in use, the burner assembly having two combustion head portions arranged respectively to direct combustion flames thereof, in use, towards different locations for the supply of heat to said units respectively, and means for operating said burner assembly so that only a selected one of said combustion head portions operates or both of said combustion head portions operate, in use, by control of combustion air and/or fuel supplied thereto.

12. An appliance as claimed in Claim 11, wherein the combustion head portions are separate, individual combustion heads.

13. An appliance as claimed in Claim 12, in which one of said heat-operated units is a boiler having an enclosure in which the burner assembly is disposed, one of the combustion head portions being arranged to heat, in use, said boiler.

14. An appliance as claimed in Claim 13, wherein a refractory tunnel is provided in said enclosure to direct hot combustion gas from the other of the combustion head portions, in use, to heat the other of said heat-operated units.

15. An appliance as claimed in either of Claim 13 or Claim 14, wherein said enclosure is U-shaped, and the burner assembly is disposed between the limbs thereof.

16. An appliance as claimed in either of Claim 14 or Claim 15, wherein the other of said heat-operated units is a cooker, including an oven.

17. An appliance as claimed in Claim 16, in which hot combustion gas from said refractory tunnel passes, in use, underneath the oven.

18. An appliance as claimed in Claim 16 or Claim 17, wherein the cooker includes at least one hotplate to which hot combustion gas from said other of the combustion head portions can be fed, in use.

19. A burner assembly substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to, and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

20. An appliance having two separate heat-operated units substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to, and as shown in Figures 2 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.