US1921922A - Oil burner - Google Patents

Description

ug. 8,1933. F1 E HERR 1,921,922

OIL BURNER Filed Aug. 9, 1928 3 Sheets-Shree?I l mvENToR ferr.'

WITN SS S iHv/2m BY F. E. HERR OIL BURNER Aug. 8, 1933.

Filed Aug. 9, 1928 s sheets-sheet 2 a INVENToR ATToRNEY y F. E. HERR OIL BURNER Aug. 8, 1933.

Filed Aug. 9, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORNEY tions being shown in section,

iatenterl Aug. 8, 'i933 Limit 0H.' BURNER Frank E. Herr, lllanaster, Fa. Application August 9, i928. Serial No. 298,56@ i palms. (ci. 15e-eti) This invention relates to improvements in oil burners, and it consists of the constructions, combinations and arrangements herein described and claimed.

An object of the invention is to provide what is herein known as a control tank which has components that operate either singly or cooperate with eachother for the ultimate purpose of delivering aA combustible fluid to the burner housing, the working of said components being such that the proportions of air and oil in said fluid will always be constant.

Another object of the invention is to embody a particular construction in the air and oil suc-v tion valve which is one of the components of the aioresaid'control tank, the outstanding function of this valve being to supply the pumping or pri'- marychamber of said tank with correct amounts of air and oil to meet the requirements of the burner.

A further object of the invention is to provide a single valve casing which is the common charging means for the fluid tank in that pipes from oil and air sources lead to it, said casing containing a single actuator which is in itself capable of controlling the admission of the two elements (oil and air), the position of the actuator being governed by an `oi1 level-controlled iloat in the tank.

A further object of the invention is to iire the combustible fluid in the burner housing outside of the furnace, thus torthrow into the furnace iiames only, these being conined to the iire bricklined ash chamber in which their intensity will be magnied and from which heat will radiate to the heating surfaces or i'lues of the furnace.

A further object of the invention is a general simplification in the structure of an oil burner, which object is supported by the use of large and simply constructed conduits the main attribute of which is the avoidance of clogging should the oil contain sediment.

Other objects and advantages appear inthe following specification, reference being had to the not exclusive because, by making adjustments at accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating a typical installation of the improved oil burner,l portions being shown in section,

Figure 2 is a detail section of the air and oil suction valve which is one of the'principal components of the control tank,

Figure 3 is a detail section of a mixing valve usedV in connection with the control tank,

Figure 4 is a plan View of the burner unit, por- Figure 5 is a cross section of the burner housing, taken on the line 5 5 of Figure 4,

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the removable atomization and ring chamber,

Figure 7 is a longitudinal section of the burner 60 and fan taken on the line 7-7 of Figure a,

Figure 8 is a longitudinal section of the control -tank taken on the line 8 8 of Figure 4,

Figure 9 is a section of the oil relief valve taken on the line 9-9 of Figure 8,

Figure lo is a section of the air relief valve taken on the line 10-10 of Figure 8,

The fundamental purpose of the improved oil burner is to produce a clean and intensely hot iame which is thrown into the furnace at a point 70 relatively low in the latter so that only the ash A pit needs to be lined with fire brick, it being from the hot center produced by the high temperature flame that the heat will radiate to the heating surfacesor i'lues of the furnace. By cleanliness of the flameis meant the lack of unignited fuel which, if present, would either settle on the bottom of the furnace or collect on the sides as Well as on the heating surfaces to the detriment of the operation, the means by which the desirable result is attained residing primarily in that element known as the burner housing. As Will presently be brought out, the structure of the burner housing is such that the incoming combustible uid is` 85 subjected to considerable heat so that it will readily lend itself to atomization and ignition in thechamber provided for the purpose.

It would be but an incomplete arrangement were the automatic control of the air and oil not provided for properly. The formation of the combustible iuid, which is herein considered as air and oil but which may comprise other ingredients, is left to the element known as the control tank, the components of which not only keep the tank supplied With air and oil but also regulate the quantities of air and oil in such a manner that the combustible iiuid will comprise approximately four parts of air and .one part of oil. This ratio is the control tank, the proportions can be varied.v

Reference is made to the'drawings. In Figure 1 the main parts of the apparatus comprise an oil storage tank 1, Siphon breaker 2, oil strainer 3, control tank 4, motor compartment 5, burner housing 6 and furnace '7. The oil storage tank may obviously be of any capacity. It has a lling pipe 8 and a cleaning and test pipe 9 as well as a conventional vent pipe 10. A feed pipe 12 leads from a point approximately four inches of the bottom of the tank to a point of connection in the inlet piping 13. This piping is composed of sections so connected that it presents a substantial vertical oblong when viewed as in Figure 1.

One end of the piping connects with the oil nipple 14 of the air and oil suction valve 15 ( Figs.y 2, 4 and 8). The other end of the piping communicates with the primary or pumping chamber 16 ofthe control tank 4 through a bushing 17 (Figs. 4 and 8) The particular form of the inlet piping 13 in Figure 1 will be used only where the supply tank 1 is placed at a level higher than the burner unit. In such installations a siphon breaker must be employed, and the general arrangement of the piping 13 is designed to accommodate the siphon breaker.

The siphon breaker 2 comprises nothing more than a swinging check valve. t is placed at the highest point in the system. 1t islocated directly above the feed pipe 12. When a suction occurs in the primary or pumping chamber 16 by means which is presently described, the swinging check valve will gravitate to the closed position. Oil will be drawn from the tank 1 through the feed pipe 12. When the oil has reached a suicient level in the pumping chamber 16, air will be admitted by means of the valve 15. This air immediately rushes into one side of the piping 13 and opens the swinging check valve 2, so that air is admitted to the feed pipe 12 and breaks the vacuum between the oil storage tank l and the chamber 16.

The feed pipe 12 is connected with the oil nip-s ple 14 of the suction valve 15 which has an air port 18 (Fig. 2) located in the air nipple 19. The casing of this valvesis the common terminal of oil and air sources represented by the pipe 13 and port 18 (Fig. 2), and the passage of these elements is controlled by a single actuator which is capable of performing the necessary functions of admitting oil and air at proper times.

Oil is pumped into the primary or pumping chamber 16 in the following manner-A sleeve 2O (Fig. 2), constituting the foregoing single actuator, is slidable in the hollow body of the suction valve 15. The sleeve is open at the top and has a closure 2l at the bottom; but the closure has passages 22 through which oil or air is conducted to the chamber 16. The sleeve has oil and air ports 23 and 24 registrable either with the oil nipple 14 or the airnipple 19. Upon registration of the oil port and nipple the air nipple 19 will be closed olf, and upon registration of the air port and nipple the oil nipple 14 will be closed off. Registration of the air port 24 and nipple 19 does not occur in the ordinary operation of the burner, but only in instances when the iioat 27 either sinks to the bottomJ of the primary chamber or the suction valve 15 refuses to work.

A link 25 connects the sleeve 20 with the stem 26 of the fioat 27. The float will be buoyed by the oil in the primary chamber 16.- When the level of the oil recedes below a point which may conveniently be regarded as normal, the float 27 will assume the inclined position in Figure 2 whereupon the oil port 23 will stand open and the air port 24 will be closed. Situated in the motor compartment 5 is a pump 28 (Fig. 4). This pump has intake and discharge pipes 29 and 30. The intake pipe has connection with an air and oil manifold 31 within the primary or pumping chamber (Fig. 8).

This manifold is in the form of a U. One leg is slightly longer than the other, and the long leg terminates rather close to the top 32 of the tank 4, well above the oil level. The submerged part of the manifold has an oil hole 33.

Itis assumed that the pump 28 is in continuous operation, and upon the occurrence of the condition wherein the oil in the chamber 16 has receded from its normal level and the nipple 19 to have closed as a result, the partial vacuum created in the chamber 16 by the exhaustion of the air will serve to draw oil from the storage tank l by way of the oil port 23. The so-called pumping operation will continue until the oil level is restored, and the oil port 23 is closed by the lifting of the oat 27.

There will now be communication of the primary chamber 16 with the outside atmosphere through the air nipple 19. Continued operation of the pump 28 causes the continued drawing in of air and oil at the inlet and hole 33 respectively of the manifold 31. The areas of the air inlet of the manifold and of the oil hole 33 are approximately four to one, so that four parts of air and one part of oil will be delivered by the pump in the form of an emulsive mixture. This mixture is delivered from the pump by way of .the discharge pipe 30 (Fig. 4) to a secondary or air and oil control chamber 34 (Fig. 8) This chamber is dened by a partition 35 in the tank 4. The

point of connection of the discharge pipe 3D is indicated at 36.

A constant level of oil is maintained in the secondary or air and oil chamber 34, as Well as a constant pressure thereupon, in the following manner;-Inasmuch as the mixture discharged from the pipe 30 into the secondary chamber 34 has the force of the pump behind it a pressure will be built up in the secondary chamber. The air in the primary chamber 16 will be at atmospheric pressure, but the air in the secondary chamber 34 will be slightly above, say ve pounds. The pressure will be registered on a gauge 37.

The effect of the air cushion will be to force oil from the secondary chamber through a pipe 38 which extends from an opening in the partition 35 to a point within the secondary chamber where it is equipped with an oil relief valve 39 (Fig. 9). The valve element 40 has ports 41 which are registrable with the passage of the valve body when vthe connected float 42 rises suiciently high. Under this circumstance the air cushion above the oil will force the oil up the pipe 38 and into the primary chamber 16. The built up pressure' in the chamber 34 is slightly higher than that existing in the chamber 16, and thus when the valve 39 opens, the oil delivered into the chamber 16.

Regulation of the built up pressure in the secondary chamber 34 is had by' means of an air relief valve 43 (Figs. 8 and 10). This valve has a ball 44 which tends to be seated in a chamber 45 by a spring-46. The spring can be adjusted by a threaded pin 47.- The adjustments can be made 'so that pressures from one to ve pounds (less or more, if desired) will be permitted to 'build up in the secondary chamber 34 before the ball 44 will unseat and permitl the excess pressure to escape.

By preference the escape of the excess pres- CJI aoaneaa dripping ci oil on top of the tanlr Ll, it being evident that the escaping air might carry with it minute particles or oil that would collect in the chamber 45 or" the valve i3 and drip. Any oil thus blown out would collect in the guard pipe le and intimately run baclr into 'the primary chamber lo.

Mixing ci air and oil for the purposes of the retort 6 is accomplished in the following manner: Air and oil are taken from the secondary chainel bei Ell and are delivered to an adjustable atomizer ongle L19 in the retort by way of a spray pipe 5b fs. l, and i) One end or" this pipe is con-u ihe plug ion 52 oi this valve is screwed into the top 32 i the tanlr l at a point of communication with the secondary chamber 34. The plug has oil passages 53 and 5a which conmiunicate with a mixing passage 55. The voliune of air discharged into the mining passage is regulated by an adjustable valve stem 56. The oil passage 53 has a 'leed pipe 5'? which extends to a point to the bottom oi the chamber 3d.

e pressure above the oil the ces the oil up through the pipe 5'? into the e 53 and thence into the passage 55. This s still partially aerate-d. Zit comprises an i ulsive mixture as previously stated..I The ac= on of the air undeln pressure from the passage will be to reduce the emulsive mixture to a spray, this spray will be ifurther broken up when it reaches the nozzle e9. The type of nusiing valve 5l shown is not necessarily adhered Some other irnxingvalve might be substi tuted. Although this is true, the particular iorrn of mining valve 5l. embodies an important feature to recommend its use. lts construction is such that oil prevented from siphoning into the biner housing S upon shutting down oi the apparatus. 'ihe passage 5d is always open, and is here that the Siphon will be broken when c You. er ceases operation. Thus oil is de= liverec to the nozzle 49 only while the burner is in operation and the oil is needed.

Upon shutting oil will simply run into the secondary chamber will be admitted at the passage 5e and any tendency toward the siphoning ot the oil will be instantly prevented. No control or shut-oil valve oi any "sind is thus necessary between the secondary cham er and the retort. This is an important The manner m which the oil spray is ultl= mately atomized in the burner housing il, iurther mined with air and :tired is as iollows-A. tiring chamber 58 isinserted through an opening 59 in the housing of the burner housing d so as to occupy aposition directly in the path of a stream ci air, designated by arrows d0, from a ian di.. I'ihene is ample space at the sides oi the riner chamber for the passage there around oi the stream oi air, the burner housing being enlarged at c2 (Figa'd and 5) for the purpose. The firing chamber has a pair of side slots 63 in proximity with the nozzle 49. lt has holes Sli higher up. these admitting the electrodes 65 of a pair oi spark plugs 66 that are screwed into bosses 67 on a ange 68 of the ring chamber by which the latter is secured upon the housing.

Air from the stream 60 enters at the openings 63, 64 to immediately commingle with the atomized oil. The entrance of air at the four points 63 and 64 (Fig. 6) is important. By immediately combining with the atomized oil there is formed uid which becomes perfectly combustible when down the burner any residual it unites with an additional volume of air around thechamber 58. There will be no accumulation or any lrind on the electrodes (i5, and these, as a consequence will be lrept clean. By admitting a plurality oi streams of air into the iiring chamber. the ignited duid will be directed into the two cross currents of air coming around veach side ot the hiring chamber 5d..

The resulting dame, denoted by ll in Figure "J, will nil that portion or" the burner housing@ immediately beyond the tiring chamber 53. This portion is outside or the combustion chamber ci the hirnace 7 (Fig. il. But inasmuch as the end of the burner housing sits hush with the inside ci the rire brick lining, therewill be no chance ci any diminution in the heat, tor the flame whl be thrown directly into the com= bustion chamber in the region ordinarily known as the ash pit; whence there will be a ra'chation or to other parts oi the iurnace.

hi its passage through the retort the air riesiga hated the arrows do in Fig. 'il becomes highly heated by the burning atomized oil. The pre heated air is in better condition to assist the vaporization ci the previously atomiaedoil. .after l the operation oi the burner is well established, will naturally travel. baclrwardly in the burner housing (ci and pre-heat the incoming air stream. portion oi the spray pipe 5o occurring within the retort will be subjected to conl siderable heat so that the oil spray contained thereby will be partially gasiiied before it is dis charged at the nozzle 49. i.

A. cover di) closes the opening oi the iiring 58. The iiring chamber is removable from the burner housing but tor the ordinary purpose oi ci the interior the cover 'S9 can be removed. standard stove pipe damper fill is adjustable to regulate the air stream from the dl. The shaft il or" the fan is common to the and pump 28. and is driven an electric motor l2 the motor compartment 5.

The operation is readily understood. The ieed pipe l2 (liig. ll E establishes communication between the oil storage tank l and the air and oil suction valve l5 whether 'the storage tank be above orfhelow the level oi the burner unit. ln the iirst instance a siphon breaker 2 must be used. in the second l instance the valve l5 will operate as its own Siphon breaker. The Siphon brealrer 2 is nothing more than a swinging checlr valve which gravif tates to a closed position when there is a suction in the ieecl pipe l2 as when the oil port 23 (Fig. 2) 1 is in communication with the nipple lll, and is forced open by the pressure of atmospheric air as whenicommunication between the nipple i9 and valve l5 is established after a pumping operation has ceased.

Assume the pump 28 to be operating continuously. .as a matter ci fact it will not operate continuously because the motor 72 will, in practice, be subject to a suitable thermostatic control as well as a switch. The motor may be stopped entirely by means or the switch, and temporarily by means of the thermostatic controlL These parts are all of common knowledge and consequently are not illustrated in the drawings.` So, reverting to the 1 original proposition, the pump 28 is considered as being in continuous operation.

When the level of oil in the primary chamber 16 (Fig. 8) is such that the float 27 is supported in the substantially horizontal position (full lines Fig. 8. dotted lines Fig. 2,) the sleeve 20 will be in par position of opening of the air nipple 19 and closure of the oil nipple 14. There is thus free communication of the atmosphere with the primary chamber 16, and the space above the oil Will be filled with atmospheric air.

As the pump 28 operates it will draw some of this air in at the upper inlet of the manifold 31, and will draw oil into the manifold at the hole 33. This produces a mixtureof air and oil. There will be more air than oil because the air orice is larger than the oil hole. The mixture will be well broken up by the action of the pump 28, prior to the discharge thereof into the secondary chamber 34 by Way of the discharge pipe 30, because the pump will be operated at approximately 1759 R. P. M.

As the oil in the primary chamber 16 is used up the oat 27 will drop so that it will presently assume the full line position in Figure 2. The

air nipple 19 will be closed by the sleeve 20, and

the oil port 23 brought into registration with the oil nipple le. Continued operation of the pump 28 will soon exhaust the air in the primary chamber 16 to a point Where the partial vacuum will draw on the oil in the feed pipe l2 and lift a supply from the storage tank l. As the oil supply is replenished in the primary chamber 16 the float 27 will re-assurne its first position, closing off the oil supply and establishing a re-connection with the atmosphere.

The pressure of air and oil discharged from the pipe 30 (Fig. 4) into the secondary chamber 3e is above that in the primary chamber 16. The emulsive mixture is separated as it enters the secondary chamber, but as the superior air pressure in the secondary chamber forces the mixture through the mixing valve 51 in Figs. 3, 4 and 8 it is again converted into a ne spray which thoroughly commingles with `the various air streams in and around the firing chamber 58 in Figure 7. These air streams are produced by theA fan 61. The main stream flows around the sides of the firing chamber, the burner housing 6 being enlarged at 62 for the purpose. But some of the air also enters the firing chamber at the openings 63 and 64, forming independent streams which guide the flaming, atomized and gasiiied combustible fluid into the two air currents emerg.

ing at the sides of the firing chamber.

The function of the suction valve 15 is important for by means of it the admission of both oil and air is controlled. Only one oil pump is necessary, and it serves both to replenish the oil supply from the storage tank l and to supply the burner with a mixture of oil and air. The valve 15 can be relied upon to prevent the flooding of the pumping chamber 16. Should the oat 27 become damaged and sink to the bottom of the primary chamber, or for any reason refuse to operate, the valve 15 would automatically close olf the supply of oil, and at the same time would bring the air port 24 into registration with the nipple 19 so that air would be freely admitted to the pumping chamber 16 and break the vacuum in the supply line between the pumping chamber and the supply tank l.

Actual use has developed the fact that better ignition and burning of the oil is accomplished by producing a mixture of oil and air. The breaking up of the oil first occurs in the manifold 31. The pump 28 produces a further breaking up of the oil, and after the mixture leaves the mixing valve 5l it can be relied upon to be in the state of a spray. Inasmuch as a portion of the spray pipe (Fig. 7) is situated within the burn- 'Leaneae er housing 6, the spray is partially gasied before it emerges at the nozzle 49.

By igniting the mixture Within the burner housing and outside of the furnace 7 there is no possibility whatever of damaging the effectiveness of the flame by undesired drafts of cold air which would occur were the mixture thrown into the combustion chamber of the furnace and ignited there. The latter practice sets up uncontrollable drafts in the combustion chamber, carrying the flaming oil above the area of the grate center with certain deleterious effects which need not be enlarged upon here. It is sufficient to say that the arrangement of the burner housing 6 permits no cold air to enter the combustion chamber of the furnace, nor allows uncontrolled air currents to retard the complete combustion of any unburnt gases or carry them off through the iiues of the furnace before they have become sufficiently heated for complete combustion.

By ring the oil spray within the ring chamber 58 of the burner housing the parts become suihciently hot to insure the instant gasification of the mixture as it leaves the nozzle, In its passage through the burner housing the air from the fan 6l is heated by the burning mixture to a temperature of over 1400 F. and enters the combustion chamber of the furnace in the form of a flame.v Complete combustion is materially aided by pre-heating the air before it commingles with the spray from the nozzle.

It is to be noted that in various parts of the oil burner the openings are suciently large to prevent any clogging by dirt or other sediment in the oil. For instance, there are no exceptionally small openings in the suction valve 15. The manner in which the oil relief valve 39 functions to maintain a constant oil level in. the secondary chamber 34 has been fully explained. The valve 39 and float 42 function to keep the level of oil normal, while the valve ti3 is adjusted for a relief of air when the pressure exceeds a desired set amount.

While the construction and arrangement of the improved oil burner is that of a generally preferred form, obviously modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claimz- 1. In an oil burner, a valve structure having air and oil openings in communication with air and oil sources, a sleeve in said structure having an oil port, a tank with which the valve has connection, a pump also in connection with the tank to draw on its fluid contents, and a float resting on the oil and connected with the sleeve for sliding the sleeve either for'the admission of oil or air as the oil level uctuates within determined limits. i

2. In an oil burner, a valve structure having air and oil nipples in communication with air and oil sources, a sleeve in said structure having an oil port, being open at one end and provided with passages at the opposite closed end, a tank with which the valve is connected, a pump also connected with the tank to draw on its fluid contents, and a float resting on the oil and connected with the sleeve to slide the sleeve in either of the two directions as the oil level uctuates within determined limits, to either register the oil port with the oil nipple and close the air nipple, or move the open end of the sleeve below the air nipple for the entrance of air and close olf the oil nipple.

3. In an oil burner, a tank having a single chamber, a pump in communication with the bank so that it will perform a suction on fluid contents of ille tank, a single valve casing oon nec'lsed with the 'bank and comprising a common tank-charging means communicable with an oil storage ana with the outside ai?, a single ao tuatox in said easing functioning as a double valve being secgnentially movable into any ol vanous positions .fespectively "zo admit abmospneiio air or oil fiom the storage tank or both, to loe x fawn out of bank as a "mixtue oy alle pump, and float-controlled means in said flank having a connecion with said actuatoi: for causing said eefn quential movemeni: by virtue oi oil level-lncua= mons.

il. En a oonlz'ol tank having an air and oil cliam bei, a eovei' lo? the chamber, and means at which all and oll are delivered to the chamber comprising a valve casing earned toy the oovei having an and, oll ports in conmimication with. the/in- 'lexiox' o the casing, a valve member operable in "alle casing oomlniisin?,1 a sleeve having air ancl oil 'inlets sequentially iegisli'able with the iesneotive pots and llavmg a common outleiI for Tooizli. air and oil, float means in connection with the sleeve for governing its position by the iise anal .fall of oil ln the chamber, and means by which alle float means is suspended from the eover.

FRANK E.

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