US1936346A

US1936346A - Burner apparatus

Info

Publication number: US1936346A
Application number: US440923A
Authority: US
Inventors: Bowen William Spencer
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1930-04-02
Filing date: 1930-04-02
Publication date: 1933-11-21
Anticipated expiration: 1950-11-21

Description

Nov. 21, 1933. w. s. BOWEN BURNER APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 2, 1930 0 w w I a .A H m w my 0 m m M m Wm ON 3 m%@W mh NOV. 21, 1933- w s BOWEN 1,936,346

BURNER APPARATUS I Filed April 2, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR m//mm jymmr Bowel;

ATTORN EY Patented Nov. 21, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT orFrc BURNER APPARATUS William Spencer Bowen, Westfield, N. J.

Application April 2, 1930. Serial No. 440,923

7 Claims. (Cl. 158-56) The invention relates to burner apparatus such as may be utilized for furnishing a considerable supply of a heated gaseous medium; and relates more especially to apparatus of this nature employing a suitable liquid fuel such as oil.

The invention contemplates also a novel method of combustion in the utilization of said burner; and it has for an object to so control the flow of fuel, in vaporized state, and of air for maintaining combustion thereof that the latter will be directed substantially at right angles to the flow of the former and at a greater velocity,and the combinedflows then reversed and the velocity thereof reduced such that the par-- ticles of fuel and air are intimately mixed and retarded to an extent such that the speed of mixture balances the rate of flame propagation. A further object of the invention resides in the method of control of the combustion of preheated fuel and air by the admixture with the former of steam and prior to its mixture with the air to obviate cracking in the case of oil.

It has for a further object a construction of burner apparatus by which a highly eflicient combustion (blue flame) will be attained, and which construction, moreover, lends itself to ready manufacture, is simple and inexpensive, and whereby cracking of oil fuels utilized therein may be obviated.

In carrying out the invention, a hollow cylindrical member is provided to afford a helical passageway for the incoming air which is thereby preheated in the operation of the burner apparatus; and the air is directed upwardly through a partition located at the lower portion of the cylinder. Surrounding a cylindrical outlet duct therefrom forthis air is a further cylinder secured to the said diaphragm member but displaced sli htly to afford a reservoir for liquid fuel, said further cylinder providing, also, and about the cylindrical outlet duct an annular port for the fuel which is discharged therefrom substantially in the plane of the air outlet.

There may be inserted, also, in the said reservoir and its annular port an intermediate flanged cylindrical member to subdivide the same and afford a water reservoir and intervening water wall, exceptat the outer end of the said outlet port.

Owing to the relatively high temperature prevailing when the burner is in operation, this water reservoir will not only provide for the generation of steam which may be utilized in the control of the combustion but will afford a protective water wall for oil as a fuel. The oil will,

therefore, not be subjected to the intense temperatures likely to occur nor be subject to cracking, which action will also be controllable by the quantity of steam admitted to the mixture.

The oil (with steam) and air for supporting combustion and issuing from the respective oil and air ports impinge upon a cap member fitted over said outlets and which cap member serves to divert the air in a direction toward and substantially at right angles to the stream of issuing oil vapor and further deflects the mixture of the two in a direction at right angles to the direction' of combined flow. The mixture is then discharged, preferably through vanes to effect a swirl thereof, through an annular outlet formed between the lower edge of the cap member and the said further cylinder providing the fuel outlet duct. is received by a suitable bowl-shaped member of refractory material to be reflected therefrom outwardly through the surrounding hollow cylindrical member.

The nature of the invention, however, will best be understood when described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a plan view of the novel burner apparatus; and Fig. 2 is a part elevation and vertical section thereof taken on the line 2-2, Fig. l of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, the burner apparatus comprises a hollow cylindrical member formed, for example, of two coaxial metal shells 10 and 11, the latter and inner shell being preferably composed of or lined with material such as stainless steel; and theannular space between the said shells 10 and 11 is divided to provide a helical flue 12 therethrough. Said flue at the upper or outer end of the cylinder connects with a supply duct 13 for air, and at its lower or inner end discharges into a cylindrical outlet duct 14 or rather into a pocket 15 communicating therewith and formed by a depression in a plate or partition 16 sealing off the lower portion of the burner cylinder from the upper portion.

Said plate, moreover, is provided with a further or secondary depression or pocket 17 located immediately above the pocket 15 and this is sealed over by the flange 18 of a further hollow cylindrical and flanged member 19 mounted over the cylindrical outlet duct 14 and forming therewith an annular outlet fuel port which terminates substantially in the plane of the orifice of said cylindrical air outlet duct. An oil connection 20 is made to this latter pocket 1'? so that oil will bedischarged from the annular outlet port simul- The cylindrical discharge of mixture taneously with the discharge of air from the cylindrical outlet duct 14.

Surrounding the lower portion of the hollow cylindrical member 19 and covering the exposed portion of the partition 16 from said cylindrical member to the wall 11 is a lining 21 of refractory material such as concrete or flre clay and is shaped to bowl form for the purpose hereinafter set forth. s

The vaporization fuel and the air issuing from the respective outlets impinge upon a distributing cap 25 resting upon the edges of the cylindrical outlet duct 14 and the surrounding fuel cylinder 19, intermediate ribs 26 beingprovided thereon to displace the cap therefrom the desired extent. This displacement is so designed, in reducing the cross-sectional area, as to increase to the desired. extent the velocity of flow of the issuing air which, it will be observed, is thereby also directed substantially at right angles to the issuing cylinder of oil vapor. An intimate mixture therewith is thus effected, which mixture is further enhanced by reversing the combined flows in thespace formed between the cylinder wall of the distributor cap and the corresponding outer portion of the oil outlet cylinder 19. It is preferred, also, to impart to the mixture a spiral or whirling motion as by providing in this space suitable vanes 27 which may be attached to cylinder 19. The said space, moreover,- is of increased cross-sectional area over that of the outlets so that the combined flows will be substantially retarded, and the design may be such that the velocity of travel of the particles thereof are slowed down, to a degree at which the velocity of the mixture balances substantially the velocity of flame propagation which is approximately thirteen feet per second. The mixture thus issuing fromsaid space, or the vanes 2'7, impinges upon the surface of the lining 21 where it burns with a blue flame which is reflected thereby upwardly and outwardly through he cylinder formed by said shells 10 and 11, preheating thereby also the incoming air supply entering through the flue 13.

The oil also is heated to an extent sufficient to vaporize it; and in order to prevent its being subjected to too intense a temperature, provision is made for an intervening water wall. For example, an intermediate cylinder 30 with lower flange 31 may be provided between the cylindrical outlet duct 14 and oil cylinder 19, said flange and cylindrical portion serving to form a reservoir 32 with the corresponding elements of the said cylinder. 19; and a water connection 33 is made thereto.

The outer edge of said intermediate cylinder 30, moreover, terminates, preferably, somewhat below the edges of the associated cylinders so that steam generated from the water in the reservoir 32 will intermingle with the vaporized oil as the same issues from its outlet to meet the stream of air. The degree of water vapor or steam thus supplied may conveniently be regulated by adjusting a valve 34 in the water line or by means of other well-known or special level-controlling means whereby the level of the water in the reservoir 32 will always be maintained below the top edge of the cylinder 30; and the water wall thus provided and the resulting steam will effectively prevent cracking of the oil in its reservoir and as a vapor. Even though the oil may come in contact with the walls of reservoir 32, this occurs only substantially at the burning zone or extreme outer ends of the oil and water reservoirs. Moreover, the ebulition of the steam through the overlying oil or oil vapor will eifect a very intimate mixture of the oil with the stream of air in that the bursting of the bubbles of the steam and oil casts a spray of finely-divided oil droplets which actually penetrate the air stream due to their own momentum. As a result of this more perfect mixture, combustion will be rapid and more efficient.

I claim:

1. Burner apparatus, comprising a hollow cylindrical member having a helical flue therethrough having an air inlet, a partition closing off the lower end of the hollow cylindrical member and affording an axially disposed hollow outlet member communicating with the helical flue, a cylinder surrounding said air outlet member and forming with a portion of the partition and the said outlet member a reservoir and annular port for a combustible liquid, means to supply a combustible liquid to said reservoir, a distributor cap mounted over said outlet and port, and a refractory lining carried by the partition member and to which said distributor cap directs a mixture'of vaporized fuel and air.

2. Burner apparatus, comprising a hollow member, a partition closing off an end of the same and affording an axially disposed hollow outlet member, means to supply air to said outlet member, a hollow member surrounding said air outlet memher and forming with a portion of the partition and the said outlet member a reservoir and annular port for a combustible liquid, means to supply a combustible liquid to said reservoir, an intermediate. hollow member forming with the fuel port-forming member a reservoir for water, a water connection thereto, a distributor cap mounted over said outlet and port, and a refractory lining carried by the partition member and to which said distributor cap directs a mixture of vaporized fuel and air.

3. Burner apparatus, comprising a hollow member, a partition closing off an end of the same and aifording an axially disposed hollow outlet member, means to supply air to said outlet member, a hollow member surrounding said air outlet member and forming with a portion of the partition and the said outlet member a reservoir and annular port for a combustible liquid-means to supply a combustible liquid to said reservoir, an intermediate hollow member forming with the fuel port-forming member a reservoir for water, a water connection thereto, means to control the flow of water to said reservoir, a distributor cap mountedover said outlet and port, and a refractory lining carried by the partition member and to which said distributor cap directs a mixture of vaporized fuel and air.

4. Burner apparatus, comprising a hollow cylindrical member, a partition closing off an end of the same and having a central depression to afford an air receivingpocket, a hollow cylinder coaxial therewith having a flange sealing said pocket and affording a hollow outlet member extending'into the said hollow cylindrical member, means to supply air to said outlet member, a hollow member surrounding said air outlet member and forming with a portion of the partition and the said outlet member a reservoir and annular port for a combustible liquid, means to supply a combustible liquid to said reservoir, a distributor cap mounted over said outlet and port, and a refractory lining carried by the partition member and to which said distributor cap directs a mixture of vaporized fuel and air.

5. Burner apparatus, comprising a hollow cylindrical member, a partition closing off an end of the same and having a central depression to afford an air receiving pocket, and a secondary surrounding depression of lesser depth, a hollow cylinder coaxial with the central depression, having a flange sealing said pocket and afiording a hollow outlet member extending into the said hollow cylindrical member, means to supply air to said air-receiving pocket, a second hollow cylinder surrounding the first-named cylinder and having a flange sealing said secondary depression and affording therewith a reservoir and annular port for a combustible liquid, means to supply a combustible liquid to said reservoir, a distributor cap mounted over said outlet and port, and a refractory lining carried by the partition member and to which said distributor cap directs a mixture of vaporized fuel and air.

6. Burner apparatus, comprising a hollow cylindrical member, a partition closing ofi an end of the same and having a central depression to afford an air receiving pocket, and a secondary surrounding depression of lesser depth, a hollow cylinder coaxial with the central depression, having a flange sealing said pocket and afiording a hollow outlet member, means to supply air to said airreceiving pocket, 21 second hollow cylinder surrounding the first-named cylinder and having a flange sealing said secondary depression and afiording therewith a reservoir and annular port for a combustible liquid, means to supply a combustible liquid to said reservoir, a hollow cylinder intermediate the two said cylinders and having a flange secured to the partition but displaced from the flange of said second hollow cylinder to provide a water reservoir and water wall, means to supply water to the water reservoir, a distributor cap mounted over said outlet and port, and a refractory lining carried by the partitionmember and to which said distributor cap directs a mixture of vaporized fuel and air.

7. Burner apparatus, comprising a hollow cylindrical member, a partition closing off an end of the same and having a central depression to afford an air receiving pocket, and a secondary surrounding depression of lesser depth, a hollow cylinder coaxial with the central depression, having a flange sealing said pocket and affording a hollow outlet member, means to supply air to said air-receiving pocket, a second hollow cylinder surrounding the first-named cylinder and having a flange sealing said secondary depression and afiording therewith a reservoir and annular port for a combustible liquid, means to supply a combustible liquid to said reservoir, a hollow cylinder intermediate the two said cylinders and having a flange secured to the partition but displaced from the flange of said second hollow cylinder to provide a water reservoir and water wall and the outer edge of said intermediate cylinder terminating below the edges of the aforesaid two cylinders, means to supply water to the water reservoir, a distributor cap mounted over said outlet and. port, and a refractory lining carried by the partition member and to which said distributor cap directs a mixture of vaporized fuel and air.

WILLIAM SPENCER BOWEN.