US2175539A - Oil burner - Google Patents

Description

OIL BURNER Filed Oct. 29, 1955 2/\ gli 260\ /5\ A 176/\ "Il V T111" Patented Oct. 1U, 1939 l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE on. BURNER Rex E. MoulerDetroit, Mich. Application october 29,1935, serial No. 47,304

3 claims. (ci. 15s-4) or coke in the cup because-of .excessive heat'.

Another object of the invention is to provide an oil burner having an air supply means of such construction and so' arranged that it will deliver at a low velocity the necessary amount of air for emcient combustion.

Another object of the invention is to provide a burner of such construction and arrangement of partsas to create eiective and concentrated' air turbulence immediately above the air inlet,A

thereby producing a lazy flame without the dangerof having the flame snuied out or extinguished while in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide an oil burner in which the combustion'is gradu-- ated so that detonation noises are reduced to a minimum.

Another object of the invention is to create a4 new type of flame partially formed by the projection 'of liquid fuel to a llame propagating zone, and then completed to a dome shape-by gasiicaf,

tionl of the projected liquid fuel and the supply of combustion supporting oxygen in a central turbulent swirl.

Withtheforegoing and other objects in view:

it willbe seen that my invention consists of various novel. features of construction, as well as the novel combination and arrangement of parts which are more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application: Y

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of my invention setvin a furnace hearth, partly broken away. l

Figure 21s a top plan view of the oil burner embodying my invention, on the line ,Z4-lof Fig- ,lure 1.

- Figure 3 is atop plan view of the oil burner embodying my invention, on the line 3 3 of Zilgure1." l 5. It must be explained that the mechanical parts of the invention as hereinafter described will allV 'be quite simple in construction. and even the general arrangement may appear quite ordinary;

and for'thissreason I want tcl-emphasize the essential and important'features of nove1ty.`

I think it is generally recognized that oil burners of the domestic type are of four classes. First, the gun type which simply projects a mixture of oil and air from a nozzle into a combustion chamber,'(generally' pot-like and of refractory 5 material) wherein the mixture of oil and air is broken up by impingement to a degree that will support combustionv but quite susceptible to carbonization or smoke due to partially burned oil globules. Second, the. ring type wherein the -l0 oil is whirled around at high speed with air at high velocity in an attempt more completely to distribute the combustible particles over a large ring-shaped area but still with a forced impingement and burning causing sporadic combustion 1 with resultant carbonization and smoke due to incomplete' gasification of the oil. Third; the

-fdisc type of burner, in which the ,fuel oil is fed `to a rotating disc or' spread over an area to minutely atomize the oil and again mechanically 20 mix the same with the air for supporting combustion; but this type is also susceptible to reactive flame propagation causing explosive burning of. the fuel oil and resultant noise, and carbonization and overheating of the distributing Adisc. 25 The fourth type of burner is the generative" type wherein the oil is fed through filtering material such as an asbestos wick used in some'kerosene stoves. This type, however, has the disadvantage that it requires a considerable time to 30 change from a low to a high iire or flame, and the air during such change is quite out of proportion and excessive. This type is silent as the air cannot be forced to co-mingle with fuel faster than the fuel gasiiies. 35

In the present invention'I want to point out particularly that the fuel oil is' delivered to an outer zone and ignited electrically or by a pilot light, with a minimum quantity of -air-to support i combustion and used to gasfy the fuel oil quickly; 40

then the flame is supported by a centralv core or heart-oi turbulent air to complete a perfect dome of Bunsen type lazy blue name without smoke due to-unburned particles of fuel. and without noise;V In other words, the ilame is truly the 45V Bunsen type-flame. l v y.

I believe I am the rst to produce a Bunsenf type flame overa comparatively large area'such asv required -in a domestic 'oil burner, and with a circle or corona of generating-flame to enclose a 50 dome-shaped, blue-white Bunsenv'type-,ame without noise or soot, lwith a,=wide rangeI oiad-` justment and with a maximum of emciency as determined by stackgas analysis. v

f. Referring now morespeciilcally yto the drawing, 55

f forming a hearth |1.

y by fa burner plate It.' which may be built in of sectional tile or madebf cast-iron sections, just 'so it is formed'clrcular an'd rests on' the support ing 'hearth I1 and the supporting ring- II. A

oriiices into which are set three supporting' posts I4 made adjustable as by the lthreaded feet -Il to support and level the ring I II in the center of the combustion chamber hearthY which is-built in t the approximate area ,usually occupied 4 by' the fire-.gratesby restinga sheet-metal plate Ii on the outer ledge II, said. plate extending laterallyl to the iire-box wa1l I3,v of .thefurnace and being covered on top by a facing of refractory material It must be understood that the hearth may be -of any' shape and approximate dimensions, just so -it c'overs the space betweenl the supporting 'ring III and the' furnace side walls,l and separates the customary ash-pit from the fire-box or chain#` ber, and the ash-pit opening (not shown) allows free entrance of air to the space underneath the I hearth.

wana 'health lr are anished hiep In'the drawing this platefis shown castin suitable sections with the central opening I9 around adepending flange 20 restinfg o n the ledge I2 of the supporting ring and extending hat and laterally to the circular outer-upstanding border flange 2|; defining the diameter of the ame and forming wh'atmay aptly be termed a `corral for the liquid fuel andresultant gas generation'and hamer-H Immediately inslde the border flange 21 the -ilame plate is formed with'a trough 22 and n- 'gers'v23 projecting Aupwardly from the'bed of the trough' `to assist'in gasifyirig the'fuel oil -feci to the'tr'ough`ias..hereinafter described, 1 The centrai opening through the supporting ring' IU and the burner plate I8 is provided with a pair of damper. plates 2.4, each' having 'a central opening 25 and hit and miss' openings. whereby they may be rotated one in relation tothe other .to vthrottle or control the amount of air passing therethrough.. The damper plates 2| are shown in the drawing supported on the ledge I2, but-it elsewhere in the central opening.` l So farI have described the stationary Yparts proper which really form the hearth of the'fur'. nace and from which are .zdoated the -rotating parts including, as'hereinafter described, an electric motor that might develop any mechanical vibration to' resound or be transmitted through the stationary 'parts having direct connection with the furnace.

The rotating parts of my invention are fully l iloated and resiliently supported on a sheet-metal -plate 2l fastened by adjustable screws 23 to the hearth ring-I0. 4The plate 21 has thecentral opening 28 around which a rubberV 'ring 2Q is fastened as by' screws 3l .land this" rubberring 'inturn is secured -t'o a motor 3i around the bearing at one en`d ias` by screws 33|, whereby the 1 motor is suspended vertically and in the center or thejennreassembly, with the shaft ,n ex-l tending upwardly through they central opening in the supporting ring I3. ,Electric wires-as indicated Qat 3I'I are of course provided and4 con! and starting the ai; required'.

ammi fuel "oil distributing means, "which` motor, fuel oil and pilotlight, The motorshaft 32; car-riesfat its end-- constitute sonne, of the salient features of my invention. That is, they are vespecially constructed to produceanoveLform of oil -and air .distribuf tion and the resultant deine-shaped4 Bunsen" type iiame.

'inverted fuel, cup, frustro-conical vin shape, the

smaller end of the cone. Atthe lower edgeof `the cone the cup isturned 'inward and upward to-fo'rm' a trough 38. 'Ihe,closed rend wallpo'r bottom 35,- of the cup has 4centrally secured thereto a -nut 36,'by means-'ofwhich the fuel may -be screwed 'upon thel supplying device shaft 32. l

The 'fuel oil cup Ysaid, plate is ,turned down at 4 0.

The' oli cup 31 is supplied with'fuel oil by a goosel-neck tube 4I' supported .by and eat'nding upwardly from the motor casing,and connected to 'afuel oil v,supply 'and' a control valve (not, rshown), whereby' oil is fed into the trough 38 -oi? the fuel oil cup each period the rnotor is running; and from the. trough 38 the fuel oilv will be carried by centrifugal force up the side wall' 13| riveted or otherwis'e 'radially secured Aontl'ie wall A,3.i of the fuel cup, -and carrying at' their.

upper edges a sheet metal cowling plate.or dis'c 33, to which also the fan blades are radially se- -cured by riveting or otherwise The blades are open' and unconnected except bythe Cowling ,The [fuel supplying 'deviceai consists of 'an sidel of the cup extending downward Y.to the y 31 has at its divergent upper .Y end two distri buting tubes 39 extending from the disc 35'to.the outer edge of the plate 33 where.

plate 33. Plate 33 has aA central opening 303,

which vpei-mits -air to' pass directly to' its upper face, and, thereby avoidundue .fall of. pressure in that region.

'The plate 33,is rather widely spaced above the hearth-I1,- softhat the 'flowof-air between the said plate and the hearthfs practicallyunob- 4 structed, there being'no barrier other than a will be understood that they may be SUPDOrted 1 p33. which serves to stiften the sameamd afford in' place the ends of fuel' narrow ange or bead'around .the edge of'plate means .for securing pipes-3th n The damper pistes :u hertof're mationen,

serve to -control the flow of air into the'furnacev.

in such 'manner as to avoid building up undue pressure andfvel' ity of air in :thecornbustion chamber.

'project the ou rrp' the peripheral ring without atomization of the oil'and yet to impart. to the aironl'y-a low velocity, whereby a gentlel turbu' lence is produced the'fair. .i

'-' As' the bm isa' Bunsen type, it'is preferably usedwithan on and olf control, as aring-'65 -other igniting device, suchas that'shown at 4I,4

v'wherefa gas pilot is' arrangedto direct apllct.

to'ignite the -fuel oiiwhen first thrown thereon' 1 From thecnstrcnohshwh-nis pessime@ rotate the distributorwith 'sufficient' velocity to 7o A flame across a portion ofthe flame-bed 'trough nected to suitable central switches fo'rxstop'ping immediately after the4 motor` 3| operated to 's'upply fueloil and air, and ofco'urse in'normal .operation the fuel loll'v is' readily gafsiiicd a'sathel flame bed plate andtrough are .naturally quite hot from the previous fire and the heat stored about the entire furnace structure. y It must be emphasized that the flame resulting from the apparatus just described is exceptional in character insofar as its eiliciency and the efect upon the operating parts are concerned; and just as the thin sheet-metal parts of a Bunsen burner do not melt down' as compared with the heavy cast-iron grate bars of a' coal-fired furnace, just so the ow of air past the rotating parts of the burner as above described continuously cool the same. In fact, the incoming air forms an effective insulating barrier between the dome-shaped arne of high heat intensity and the burner, and in this connection it must further be explained that, should the central rotor or air distributing plate be formed With a regulation type of fan or impeller blades (such as the well known type of Sirocco fan) the operation of the burner would be defeated, as too severe combustion would be supported about the v ring of the flame bed plate, and the radient heat would excessively heat the rotor; whereas the air merely flooding therefrom, with little or no pressure, protects the air distributor or turbulator on al1 sides, just as the openings of a gas burner are protected, and the hot zone does not occur until the air and gasied yfuel oil combine in combustion in thedome-shaped surrounding area.

The burner as described is one that will give` a quiet, blue, hovering or lazy flame of maximum intensity with a minimum amount of air; and the motor isl not required to run at a high speed, just so it is suiiicient to distribute the fuel oil and turbulate the air around the flame plate to feed the amount of oxygen to support eilicient combustion.

The character of ame is quite dierent from a forced flame and resembles closely the flame emanating from a re of glowing coal without forced draft, and the admission of too much air will disperse the cupola of flame and` create a noise. If an automatic stack damper is used with the burner, i. e., one that is weighted to lift automatically with an increased draft proportioned to increase combustion and resultant heat, then the flow of air is practically stopped until the motor starts and supplies the fuel and a comparatively small amount of air to start a full nre, which in turn automatically creates "a draft to augment the supply of air.

,My invention is chiey directed to a controlled and definite name generating circle, wherein a fueloil is supplied about a ring and initially ignited with suificient air to start combustion to supply heat for gasifying the oil about the circle, and then continuing a supply of air at low velocity and in a uniformly turbulent state to co-mingle with the combustible gas emanating from the gasifying fuel oil.

In actual practice the comparatively lightweight sheet-metal air distributor or (as I prefer to call it) turbulator will not be overheated, and the under-hung motor with its rubber mounting will be immune to the intense heat of the dome-shaped heat area of combustion that is formed over the burner plate and circumscribed by the bordering fuel-catching trough.

In a' furnace where the fire-box is quite large it may be desirable to spread the combustion area, and this may be accomplished by supplying more fuel oil Vand also.more air as by auxiliary air ducts 260 spaced as desired around the flame plate and controlled by shut-off dampers 26|, and the admission of air at these points will cause a spreading of the flame.

A flame may give a highly intensive heat at its impinging point, such as a blow-torch or an oxygen acetylene'flame when burning in the open atmosphere, but it is noisy and admittedly inefficient and impracticable for general heating purposes; such forced explosive combustion creates noise and denotes the accompanying inef- A iicient combustion i'n proportion to the gases burned.

It will therefore be understood that the present invention is novel and useful in that it provides a means for quickly and eiciently projecting the vaporizable fuel oil over a flame propagation area, and with the same means it provides the necessary oxygen supplying air in a diffusing manner and in a controlled and metered quantity to support combustion in a natural, gradual manner, resulting in a .highly efflcient ame without excess air.

It is expected that minor modifications may be made in the partici .lar arrangement of-oil and air supply means, though the oil supply means as shown absolutely prevents any coking or carbonizing of the oil, and likewise obviates any clogging of oil pipes. In like manner other details may obviously be changed without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Y I claim:

1. In a furnace, a substantially horizontal hearth bounded by a circular upstanding border flange and provided with an air inlet opening arranged centrally thereof, a rotary member mounted for rotation in said opening about a vertical axis comprising a centrifugal device discharging liquid fuel against said flange, means. -for creating a turbulencel of the inowing air above and around thecenter of the hearth comprising a fan having a small number of blades secured to said rotary member above the air inlet opening and a cowling plate supported thereon, and a throttling damper below said blades, whereby gentle turbulence and low velocity may be imparted to the inflowing air.

2l The combination according to claim 1, in which the rotary member is mounted on the shaft of an electric motor which is secured to a rubber ring suitably supported below the-hearth,` whereby the motor and its associated moving parts are resiliently suspended below the heat zone of the furnace. o

3. In an oil burner, a combustion chamber having an air inlet in the bottom thereof, a motor mounting comprising a flexible heat insulating member spaced below said air inlet, and a motor drivenfuel and air delivering unit suspended by said insulating member and having the motor below said member and shielded from radiant heat from said combustion chamber, whereby said motor is protected from both radiant and conducted heat from the combustion chamber and cooled by infiowing air.

REX E. MOULE. 'Il

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