US2177245A

US2177245A - Rotary gas burner

Info

Publication number: US2177245A
Authority: US
Inventors: Edwin L Dennis
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1936-06-29
Filing date: 1936-06-29
Publication date: 1939-10-24
Anticipated expiration: 1956-10-24

Description

Oct. 24, 1939. E. L. DENNIS ROTARY GAS BURNER Filed June 29, 1936 a ShetsSheet 1 .E. L Jenni; MW D Gui-24,1939. E. L. DENNIS 2,177,245 I ROTARY GAS BURNER Filed June 29, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 E. 172mm? Snowman Oct. 24, 1939. E, L, bENNIs 2,117,245

ROTARY GAS BURNER Filed June 29, "1936 s Sheets-Sheet s Patented Oct. 24, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ao'raar ass BURNER Edwin'L. Dennis, Reserve, La. Application June 29, 1926. Serial No. 88,045

24 Claims.

obtains the delivery, for admixture with the gas,

of the properamounts of combustion-supporting air, butalso causes a mechanical mixture of the gas and air so complete as to assure substantially instantaneous and complete combustion of the gas in the furnace or other apparatus wherein the gas is burned.

Also according to my invention, the gas streams issue from the burner at a plurality of different radial distances from its axis of rotation, thus making the mechanical mixing effective over substantially the entire cross sectional area of the air stream, whereby the flame is of uniform intensity throughout, without any "dead spots."

A further object of the invention is to provide a burner which mixes the gas and air so thoroughly as to eliminate the blow torch action usually involved in the'use of burners for'gas under pressure.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent as the detailed description thereof proceeds.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a central vertical section illustrating one form of the burner of my invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a horizontal section, to an enlarged scale, taken on the line of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the rotary ele- I ment of the apparatus, portions thereof being broken away and shown in section;

Figure 6 is a central vertical section illustrating a modified form of the invention;

Figure 7 is a section on an enlarged scale, taken on the line of Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary elevation of reaction turbine members forming parts of said modified form of burner, the anterior half of an enclosing casing being removed to,illustrate details of construction;

Figure 9 is an elevation of a modified form of propeller adapted to be substituted for the propellers shown in Figure 6; and

Figure 10 is a section taken on the line |'o- -|n of Figure 9.

Referring to m. 1, the rotary element, dealsnated 6, of my improved burner is shown as mounted in a suitable casing I, the latter at its inner portion, to the left of the rotary mixing device 6, communicating'in any desired manner with the combustion space of a furnace or the 5 like, not shown, wherein the gaseous mixture is burned. The air for Supporting such combustion is admitted to the casing I at the latters right hand end; if desired, said right hand or outer and of the casing may be provided, as shown in 10 Fig. l, with means for regulating or controlling the amount of air admitted. However, since this air controlling means by itself is not the subject of the present invention, a detailed description thereof is unnecessary; it, is sufllcient to note thatin the form here shown, said air controlling means embodies an annular member ll secured by bolts l2 to the end of casing I, said member Ii having a series of apertures I4, l4 therein with which are registerable similar apertures ll of a surrounding rotatable annular member I (see Fig. 2). The quantity of air admitted thus depends on the angular position to which the member I8 is adjusted; additional air may be admitted to the casing 1 by way of apertures I9 in end plate I 8 of member ll. A The mixture-forming member 6 is here shown as rotatably mounted on the inner end of a pipe or conduit 20, the latter communicating at its otherend with a source of gas under pressure;

' said conduit 20 passes through an opening 2i of plate l8 and is held and centered in the casing 1 by means of a spider 22, which fits snugly in the casing-I, as shown in Figure l. A set screw 23 locks the conduit 20 in the hub 24 of the spider 22. A port 2i is provided in the conduit 20 and is screwthreaded to receive a suitable lubricator 26, which furnishes a small amount of lubricant to the gas stream; this lubricant is conveyed by the stream to lubricate the various moving parts of the burner contacted thereby.

The rotary device 8. is formed in part by a cupshaped member or hub 21 mounted by ball bearings 2! to rotate on the outer periphery of the conduit 20. The otherimember 29 of device 6 is suitably connected by a flange 30 to the outer end of the hub member 21, to rotate therewith. It will ,be appa'rentthat the 'member 29 is, in

eifect a hollow shell or cup, opening directly to the gas under pressure in-the conduit 20', and 5 formingv a reservoir from which the gas is forced in various directions to be mixed mechanically with air drawn into the casing I by rotation of the devicei.

Extending radially from the rim of the memher 29 are a series of hollow arms 3|, 32, 33 and 34. In this case, onlyfour of these hollow arms are shown, although it is obvious that any desired number may be provided, to communicate with the interior of the member 23. These arms are hollow shells, suitably secured to the member 29 or they may be formed integral therewith. They are designed to provide propeller blades 36 in the conventional manner of fan blades so as to cause, by their revolutions, a longitudinal movement of air through the casing I in quantities proportional to the speed ofrotation of the device 6.

The rotation of said device 6 is in response to or by way of reaction to the issuance of streams of gas under pressure from the several arms 3| 32, 33 and 34, the gas discharging into casing I through certain orifices which are of the requisite size, number and arrangement to furnish the desired amount of fuel to the combustible mixture. It will be understood, of course, that the gas conduit 20 may be provided with the usual regulating valve (not shown) which is operable to control the pressure and amount oft gaseous fuel which issues from the orifices of the rotating device 6. In the embodiment of my invention shown by Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, I have provided the device 6 with three different kinds or types of gas-discharging orifices, as follows:

A series of radially spaced orifices 35 is drilled or otherwise formed in each of the hollow arms 3|, 32, 33 and 34, all these orifices 35 being substantially in a common plane transverse to the axis of rotation of the device 6, and arranged on corresponding sides or surfaces of the several arms, as indicated in Figure 3 of the drawings. These orifices 35, being substantially tangential to the rotation imparted by the issuing gas streams, may be considered as the main propelling orifices which, by their direction, diameter and spacing from the axis of rotation determine in large measure the direction and speed of rotation of the device 6 as a whole.

The .air propelling wings or fan blades 36 are here shown as integral with the hollow arms 3|, 32, 33 and 34, but obviously my invention is not limited to this arrangement; according to my invention, said blades or wings 36 may be attached to the rotating structure 6 in any way or at any place desired,so long as they serve their function of causing the flow through casing I of an adequate supply of combustion-supporting air in a current or stream which cuts the gas streams issuing from

orifices

35, 35 substantially at right angles.

A second series of radially spaced apertures 31, drilled or otherwise formed at appropriate angles to the orifices 35 in each of the hollow arms 3|, 32, 33 and 34, may be considered primarily as fi0w orifices intended not so much to produce rotation of the device 6 as, to direct greater amounts of gas into the casing I than would escape through the main propelling orifices 35. Finally, a series of orifices 38, formed in the member 29, serve to eliminate "drag at the center of the burner, due to any degree of vacuum exerted at this center by the fan action of the blades and the rush of gas into the casing I. Since the burner unit rotates normally at high speed, the gas escaping through the orifices 36 actually forms a cone rather than single'jetsf and this formation, added to the fan effect, assures very rapid mechanical mixing of the air and gas. The orifices 31 may also be considered as compensating orifices for the admission of gas, in excess of the gas that would flow into the casing through the propelling orifices 35, in amounts which would proportion the total flow of gas from

orifices

35, 31 and 38 to ensure propercombustion by the immediate mixing of this gas,

' between member 21 and the conduit 20 will be directed forwardly into the zone of gas and air admixture occupied by the revolving hollow arms 3|, 32, 33 and 34.

In this zone of admixture, the mass of propelled air passing lengthwise of the casing I has mingled very intimately with it the gaswhich is issuing in numerous relatively fine streams from the

orifices

35, 31 and 38; the number and distribution or location of these orifices and the fact that they are carried rapidly around and around by the motion of the device 6, makes the zone of admixture practically coextensive with the cross sectional area of the casing I. The interminglifig of the two ingredients, air and gas, to form the combustible mixture takes place in this zone almost instantly, and in a practically uniform manner throughout,being assisted and promoted not only by the travel in a circular path of each issuing gas stream, but also by the fact that the zone of admixture is being constantly traversed by the arms 3|, 32, 33 and 34 themselves. The number, size, arrangement and direction of the gas-discharging orifices of the device 6 can be varied over a considerable range to best meet the requirements of diflerent kinds and grades of gaseous fuels, but once these relations for a given fuel are established, the burner can be depended upon to produce invariably the desired homogeneous and uniform admixture of air and gas, regardless of fluctuations in the pressure or amount of gaseous fuel supplied thereto, since the quantity of air drawn through the casing by the fan blades 36 is always substantially proportional to the amount of gas issuing from the discharge orifices of device 6.

In actual practice it has been found that with my improved burner there is no need to make provision for any secondary combustion, as the mixture formed at or just beyond the rotating hollow arms 3|, 32, 33, and 34 burns instantly and without visible flame, even in a cold furhace. Due to this complete mixing with attendant dissipation of the pressure of the gas, the [burner operates very quietly and with total elimination of furnace vibration. In the furnace the combustion mixture ignites and spreads out in a fan shaped area, due to the great increase in volume on ignition, and this eliminates what is known as blow torch action, which has always been present heretofore in furnaces equipped with burners using high pressure gas.

The burner described herein reduces the size of conduits required within the furnace room, since it is capable of burning gas at pressure as high as any gas main carries; and may be reg:

In the modification shown in Figures 6 to 8,

screwthreaded stud 48 projecting axially thereinclusive, the conduit 26 replaces the conduit 26 of the first for mof the invention. The burner head designated generally by the reference numeral 4| comprises a shell formed of

members

42 and 43, provided with cooperating outwardly directed flanges 44 and 45' suitably secured to each other. The conduit 26' is shouldered to form a seat for a ball bearing 46, secured against. said shoulder by a lock nut 41.

The .lnner closed end of conduit 20' has a from to form a shoulder seating the ball bearing 43, which is clamped against said shoulder by a nut 43'. An annular spacer disk is secured to the" outer race member of the bearing 49, and is provided with apertures 5| leading to a chamber 52 formed between the disk 50 and the end wall of shell portion 43. A series of apertures 53 in this end wall permit the escape of gas into the casing I.

The conduit 26 is provided with any desired number of radial apertures 54 leading to the inlet side of

reaction turbine blades

55, 56, 51 and 58, secured in alternation to the conduit 20' and the shell formed by

members

42 and 43. The wall of the chamber 53 formed in the member 43 is provided with radial apertures 66 through which the gas is discharged radially outward into the casing I.

The gas under .pressure passing through the turbine blading, as shown in Figure 8, causes rotation of the burner headp To said head, as shown by Fig. 6, are secured a series of radial fan or propeller blades 6|, 6|, and these by their rotation draw into the casing I the necessary amount of combustion-supporting air for admixture with the gas discharged through the apertures 53 and 66. The various apertures exhaust the gas at all angles, from zero to right angles relative to the axis of rotation of the burner, and this insures athorough mixing of the ,gas with the air of combustion drawn into the casing by the propeller or fan blades 6|. These propellers 6| may, if desired, be replaced by the hollow propellers 62 (Figs. 9 and 10) having gasdischarging 'slits 63 formed therein. Where these hollow propellers are used, the member 43, to which they are attached, will be provided with apertures 64 to permit the gas to pass into the propellers for discharge through the slits 63. This gas discharge through slits 63 promotes and assists the intermingling of thegas with the combustion-supporting air, but is not relied upon to produce by reaction the rotation of the burner head.

It is to be understood that the invention is not to be considered as limited to the specific construction and arrangement described herein, since it is evident that many changes may be made without departing from the scope of, the invention as defined by the claims appended hereto.

What I claim is:

1..A-gas burner comprising a cylindrical casing adapted to be connected to a furnace, a cylindrical conduit connected to a source of gas under pressure and extending axially into said oasing, a reaction wheel rotatable within said casing about the axis of said conduit and having substantially the same diameter as the bore of said casing, and means on said wheel for drawing air axially into said-casing and transversely through the propelling gas issuing from said wheel into the space between said conduit and casing. v

2. A gas burner adapted to be connected to a furnace and comprising a cylindrical casing, a

cylindrical conduit for gas. under pressure extending axially into said casing, a reaction wheel rotatable within said casing on the end of said conduit, said wheel having substantially the same diameter as the bore of said casing and comprising a plurality of propeller shells, the interior of each shell communicating with said conduit, and provided with a row of orifices extending radially outward from said conduit and lying in a plane perpendicular to the axis of said casing and con- (hit and operating to rotate said burner about said axis, an air chamber connected to said casing around said conduit, means on said shells for drawing air from. saidchamber in excess of the natural draft of said furnace to mix with the gas under pressure issuing from said shells, and means for controlling the quantity of air drawn through said chamber.

3. A gas burner comprising a cylindrical casing adapted to be connected to a furnace, a reaction wheel connected to a source of gas under pressure and mounted for rotation within said casing about the axis thereof by the pressure of said gas, the diameter of said wheel being substantially equal to that of the bore of said casing, and means on said wheel for drawing air into said casing in excess of the natural draft of the furnace and in a direction transverse to that of the gas issuing from and rotating said wheel.

4. A gas burner comprising a cylindrical casing adapted to be connected to a furnace, a cylindrical conduit extending axially into said casing and connected to a source of gas under pressure, a reaction wheel havinga diameter substantially equal to that of the bore of said casing and mounted for rotation on the end of said conduit within the casing and comprising a plurality of propeller shells, the interior of each shell communicating with said conduit and being provided with apertures spaced apart from each other radially with respect to said conduit, and fan blades on said shells for forcing an inflow of air across said wheel and into said casing in excess of the natural draft of the furnace.

5. A gas burner comprising a cylindrical casing adapted to be connected to a furnace, a cylindrical conduit extending axially into said casing and connected to a source of gas under pressure, a reaction wheel having a diameter substantially equal to that of the bore of said casing and mounted for rotation on the end of said conduit within the casing and comprising a cup shaped head having its interior communicating with said conduit, means for mounting said head for rotation about the axis of conduit, shells extending radially from said head, the interior of each shell communicating with the interior of said head and having a row of orifices formed theremechanism connected to one end of said casing and adjustable to control the supply of air into said casing, a cylindrical conduit extending through, said damper mechanism axially into said casing, a reaction wheel having substantially the same diameter as the bore of said casing and comprising a cup-shaped head, the interior of which communicates with the interior of said conduit, mounted to rotate about the axis of said conduit, propeller shells extending radially from said head, the interior of each shell being in communication with said head and being provided with apertures spaced apart radially and lying in a plane perpendicular to the axis of said conduit to effect rotation of the head by the reaction pressure of the gas issuing from said apertures, said shells being provided with blades for drawing air through said damper mechanism in excess of the normal inflow of air induced by the natural draft of the furnace.

7. The apparatus set forth in claim 5, in which each of the shells'is provided with other apertures extending substantially parallel to the axis of said conduit.

8. The apparatusset forth in claim 6 in which each of said shells is provided with other apertures spaced apart-radially from the axis of said conduit and extending in directions substantially parallel to said axis.

9. The apparatus set forth in claim 6, in which each of said shells. is provided with other apertures spaced apart radially from the axis of said conduit and extending in directions substantially parallel tosaid axis, and in which said head is provided with apertures extending substantially parallel to said axis.

10. A gas burner comprising a cylindrical casing adapted to be connected to a furnace, a reaction wheel having substantially the same diameter'as the bore of said casing and connected to a source of gas under pressure and mounted on said casing for rotation by the pressure of said gas and constructed to discharge the gas into the casing in a plane perpendicular to the axis thereof, and means on said wheel for forcing air of combustion through the gas in said casing in a direction parallel to the axis thereof.

11. The apparatus set forth in claim 10, in which the source of gas under pressure includes valve controlled means for introducing a lubricant into the gas during its passage towards said burner.

12. A gas burner comprising a pair of conmntric tubes the outer tube being in communication with the atmosphere and the inner tube being connected to a source of gas under pressure, and means mounted on the inner tube to rotate within the space between the inner and outer tubes, for delivering gas from the inner tube into said space and rotated by the pressure of the gas to draw air from the atmosphere into said space to effect homogeneous and uniform mixing of the gas and air within said space over the entire plane of rotation of said means.

of the inner tube to rotate within the outer tube,

and discharging gas from the inner tube into the space between said tubes and rotatable by the pressure of the gas so discharged to draw air from the atmosphere into said space to effect homogeneous and uniform mixture of the gas and air within said space over the entire plane of rotation of said reaction wheel.

14. A gas burner' comprising a casing having its interior in communication with the atmosphere and adapted to be connected to a furnace,

a tube arranged substantially centrally of said casing and connected to a source of gas under pressure, a plurality of hollow arms communicating with and in substantially radial relation to said tube, each arm provi a substantially tangential discharge of the gas under pressure into said casing, whereby to produce by reaction the rotation of said arms about the axis of said tube, and means connected to said arms, and rotating in the space between said casing and said tube for moving air through said. casing in a direction substantially transverse to the discharge into said casing of the gas under pressure from said arms.

15. In a burner for gaseous fuel supplied under pressure, a hollow device receiving the gas and arranged to be rotated by the pressure discharge of said gas therefrom, said device providing a multiplicity of gas-discharge apertures in spaced relation at different radial distances from its axis of rotation, and means including an air propeller connected to and rotating in unison with said device for directing into admixture with the gas issuing from said apertures a current of combustion-supporting ail, substantially coextensive cross-sectionally with the area over which said gas discharges are effective.

16. In a burner for gaseous fuel supplied under pressure, a hollow device receiving the gas and arranged to be rotated by the pressure discharge of said gas therefrom, and air-impelling means coaxial with said device and rotating in unison therewith for providing a current of combustionsupporting air in a direction substantially crosswise of the plane of rotation of said device, the latter having gas-discharge apertures arranged in radially-spaced relation substantially from. axis to periphery, to make the gas discharges efiective over substantially the entire cross-sectional area of said air current.

17. In a burner for gaseous fuel supplied under pressure, a rotatably mounted hollow member receiving said gas and having a multiplicity of gasdischarge orifices, certain of said orifices in a plane substantially transverse to said member's axis of rotation being tangentially directed, whereby the gas streams issuing therefrom produce by reaction the rotation of said member, and air-propelling means connected to said member and rotating in unison therewith for supplying combustion-supporting air in a current substantially coextensive cross-sectionaliy with the area over which the gas discharges from said multiplicity of orifices are effective.

18. In a burner for gaseous fuel supplied under pressure, a hollow rotary gas distributing member having a plurality of substantially radial hol- 7 low arms, said member and' its arms providing a multiplicity of gas discharging orifices at different radial distances from the axis of rotation of said member, and air-propelling means connected to said member and rotating in unison therewith for supplying combustion-supporting air for admixture with the gas streams issuing from said orifices in a current which is cut trans-' versely in the zone of admixture-by said rotating hollow arms.

19. In a burner for gaseous fuel, a casing having its interior communicating with the atmosphere and adapted to be connected to a furnace or the like, a tubular member arranged substan tially centrally of said casing and connected to the gas supply, a plurality ofhollow arms radiating from said tubular member and communicating interiorly therewith, each arm providing a multiplicity of gas-discharging orifices spaced along its length, means for rotating said arms about the axis of said tubular member, and means gas streams issuing from said orifices in a current which is cut transversely in the zone of admixture by said rotating hollow arms.

20. In a burner for gaseous fuel supplied under pressure, a rotatably mounted hollow member receiving said gas and having a multiplicity of gas-discharge orifices arranged in spaced relation at diiferent radial distances from the axis of rotation of said member, certain of said orifices in a plane substantially transverse to said axis being tangentially directed, whereby the gas streams issuing therefrom produce by reaction the rotation of said member, and means in-, cluding an air propeller connected to and rotating in unisonwith said member for supplying combustion-supporting air in a current substantially coextensive cross-sectionally with the area over which the gas discharges from said multipllcity of orifices are effective.

21. In a burner for gaseous fuel supplied under pressure, a casing having its interior communicating with the atmosphere and adapted to be connected to a furnace or the like, a tubular member arranged substantially centrally of said casing and connected to the gas supply, a plurality of hollow arms radiating from said tubular member and communicating interiorly therewith, each arm providing a multiplicity of gas-discharging orifices spaced along its length, certain of said orifices in a plane substantially transverse to the axis of said tubular member being tangentially directed, whereby the gas streams issuing therefrom produce by'reaction the rotation of said arms, and means responsive to such rotation for propelling combustion-supporting air into ad-l mixture with the gas streams issuing from said orifices in a current which is cut transversely in the zone of admixture by said rotating hollow arms.

22. A gas burner comprising a substantially cylindrical casing, a gas conduit therein extending axially thereof, a gas distributing device rotatable within said casing on the end of said conduit, said distributing device comprising a shell rotatably mounted on and inclosing one end of said conduit, and turbine blades fixed in alternating annular rows to said conduit and shell respectively, and operating by pressure of said gas to rotate the shell, said shell being provided with apertures to conduct the exhaust gases from said turbine blades into said casing.

23. A gas burner comprising a cylindrical casing, a gas conduit extending axially into said casing, a gas distributing device rotatable within said casing on the end of said conduit, said distributing device comprising a shell rotatably mounted on said conduit and in connection therewith, turbine blades flxed in alternating annular rows to said conduit and shellrespectively, and operating by pressure of said gas to rotate the shell on said conduit, said shell being provided with'apertures to conduct the exhaust gases from said turbine blades into said casing, and means on said shell for propelling combustion-supporting air into admixture with the gas delivered through said apertures.

24. A gas burner comprising a substantially cylindrical casing, a gas conduit extending axially into said casing, a gas distributing member rotatable within said casing on the end of said conduit, said distributing member comprising a shell rotatably mounted on said conduit and in com munication therewith, turbine blades fixed in alternating annular rows to said conduit and shell respectively, and operating by pressure of the gas to' rotate the shell on said conduit, said shell being provided with apertures by which the gas exhausted from said turbine blades is delivered into said casing, and hollow propellers fixed to said shell and communicating with the interior thereof, said propellers having gas-discharging apertures therein and serving for the delivery 01' combustion-supporting air into admixture with the gas issuing from said shell apertures and from said propeller apertures.

EDWIN L. DENNIS.