US3591081A - Process and installation for burning liquified hydrocarbons - Google Patents

Abstract

A process and apparatus for burning liquified hydrocarbons in which the liquid is supplied to an injector at a pressure not less than the vapor pressure at ambient temperature and is burnt in a pulsed airflow. The injector has a valve which is spring biased and is opened by the pressure of the liquid on a diaphragm.

Description

I United States Patent 1 13,591,0s1

[72] Inventor Paul Andre [50] Field of Search 431/1, 356; Deuil-la-Barre, France 239/l0l, 95, 533, 424 [21] Appl.No. 804,197 [22] Filed Mar. 4, I969 References Cited {45] Patented July 6, 197] UNITED STATES PATENTS 11 1 Assisnee ym Des G11 99 e 3,204,876 9/1965 Elverston 239/533 Fran 3,385,527 5/1968 Drewry 239/424 1 1 Prwmy 29, 1968 3,406,906 10/1968 Backman et al. 239/101 [33] France [3" 146120 Primary Exammer-Lloyd L. King Attorneys-Robert E. Burns and Emmanuel J. Lobato [54] PROCESS AND INSTALLATION FOR BURNING ABSTRACT: A process and apparatus for burning liquified uQUmED HYPROQARBONS hydrocarbons in which the liquid is supplied to an injector at a 2 Claims 2 Draw'ng pressure not less than the vapor pressure at ambient tempera- [52] U.S. Cl 239/95, ture and is burnt in a pulsed airflow. The injector has a valve 239/101, 239/533, 239/584 which is spring biased and is opened by the pressure of the [51 1 Int. Cl F02m 45/ I0 liquid on a diaphragm.

PROCESS AND INSTALLATION FOR BURNING LIQUIFIED IIYDROCARBONS The present invention relates to a process and installation for.burning liquified hydrocarbons with the aid. of an injector.

' The process according to the invention is essentially characteri'zed by the fact that it consists in feeding the said injector with the said liquified hydrocarbons at a pressure equal to or higher than their vapor pressure for the ambient temperature concerned.

Owing to this step, the liquified hydrocarbon remains in the liquid state upto the instant of ejections by the injector, and the installation for this mode of combustion is of different form and conception from conventional installations in which the feeding of the burner through the intermediary of the injector takes place in the gaseous form and which are bound up with the fact that-the passage of the liquified hydrocarbon to the gaseous state necessitates an application of heat and that this change of state involves a considerable increase in volume, of the order of one to 250.

This is the reason why the installation for the performance of the process is relatively simplified.

lt is characterized mainly by the following features taken separately or in their various combinations:

the injector is mounted in a chamber traversed by air, which is'pulsed, preferably in the direction of injection;

in the feed conduit of the injector is mounted a pump drawing the liquifled hydrocarbon from the storage reservoir and delivering it at the desired increased pressure;

between the pump and the injector is provided an electrovalve controlled from a safety box which also controls an igniting device and if desired a member for controlling the flame;

; the injector is constituted by an elongated envelope the end of which is provided with a calibrated outlet opening, controlled by a valve provided at one end of a rod bearing, at its other end, against a diaphragm on which acts, in the closing sense, a pressure lower than that given to the liquified hydrocarbon feeding the injector;

the pressure that acts on the diaphragm in the closing sense is obtained from a spring of which the effort exerted on the said diaphragm is adjustable by means of a screw accessible through the other end of the elongated envelope;

the valve rod is guided axially on the one hand by passing through a central opening formed in a ring fixed in the chamber of the injector, and on the other hand by means of an identical ring solid with the rod and sliding in this chamber, the latter ring being subjected to the action of a spring ensuring contact of the rod with the diaphragm.

By way of example, a practical form of the invention is described below and illustrated diagrammatically in the accompanying drawing.

FIG. 1 is the layout of the installation.

FIG. 2 is an axial section of the injector.

In FIG. 1, reference 1 indicates the reservoir in which the liquified hydrocarbon or the mixture of liquified hydrocarbon is stored. To the lower part of this container is connected a conduit 2 which is also connected to the suction side of a pump 3. This delivers the liquified hydrocarbon at the desired pressure to the conduit 4 which opens into the injector 5, illustrated in detail in FIG. 2.

The injector 5 is mounted in a chamber 6 at the rear of which is provided a fan 7 sending pulsed air towards the front of the said chamber to improve the combustion that takes place at the front of the injector.

The installation is completed by control and safety means assembled in a box 8. Through the intermediary thereof, are controlled the voltage applied to the pump 3 and to an electrovalve 9 mounted in the conduit 4, as well as the igniting device 10 and a flame control member indicated by the reference 11.

In FIG. 2 is illustrated an axial section of the injector 5.

This is constituted by a tubular sleeve 12 to which is welded the input connector 13 for the hydrocarbon liquified fed by the conduit 4.

' The front end of the sleeve 12 is provided with a screw thread 36 by means of which the cap 14 is screwed on. The latter is provided with a calibrated passage '15.

In the inner face of the cap is formed, around the calibrated orifice 14, a rib l7 constituting the seat for a valve 18 carried by a rod 19 the other end of which is provided with a head 20 bearing against the diaphragm 21. This is held in place by means of a cap 22 screwed at 23 on to the rear part of the sleeve 12.

In the cap 22 is located an opposing spring 24 applied on the one hand to a stud 25 bearing against the diaphragm 21, on the side opposite the head 20, and on the other hand to a screw 26 engaged in a screw threaded hole 27 in the cap 22, which is surmounted by a protecting cap 28 for the screw 26.

The valve rod 19 is guided axially in the chamber 29 defined by the sleeve 12, by'means of two discs or rings 30 and 31. The ring 30 is fixed in the chamber 12 and it has a central opening 32 for the rod 19 and axial passages 33 for the liquified hydrocarbon arriving at 13. The ring 31 is solid with the rod 19 and also has axial holes 33', for the passage of the liquified hydrocarbon. This ring 31 is guided in the chamber 12, and on the face thereof opposite the diaphragm acts a spring 34 which also bears against a shoulder 35 formed in the internal wall of the sleeve, the arrangement being such that this spring ensures contact of the head 20 with the diaphragm.

The operation of this installation will be described below in its application to butane, without thereby limiting the scope of the invention which extends to any liquified hydrocarbon.

The butane contained in the reservoir 1 is at a pressure of about 2 bars for a given temperature. The pump 3 draws it and delivers it to the conduit 4 at a pressure of about 8 bars, and the butane at this pressure is fed into the injector 5, passing through the electrovalve, assumed to be open. The butane passing through the connector 13 penetrates into the chamber 29 and the pressure of 8 bars is exerted on the diaphragm 21, which becomes flexed towards the left in the drawing (FIG. 2) overcoming the force of the opposing spring 24 which is adjusted so as to exert a pressure lower than 8 bars on the said diaphragm. Since the spring 34 applies the head 20 continuously against the diaphragm 21, the rod 19 becomes displaced to the left and the valve 18 is lifted from its seat, uncovering the calibrated orifice 15 through which the butane escapes to the atmosphere, at the same time evaporating, the butane vapor mixing with the surrounding air and with the pulsed air so as to burn with a low flame.

In order to interrupt the operation, closing of the electrovalve 9 is effected and the pressure in the chamber 29 falls. When it reaches a value equal to or slightly below that exerted by the spring 24, the diaphragm 21 and the rod 19 become displaced to the right and the valve 18 is applied to its seat, closing the calibrated orifice l5.

It is to be noted that because the liquified hydrocarbon remains in the liquid state up to the instant of ejection by the injector, no frost is formed and deposited in the housing of that injector, which is a further advantage of the invention.

The installation is not limited to the practical form described and illustrated; it may undergo modifications whilst remaining within the scope of the invention.

Thus, the pump may be replaced by other means enabling the desired pressure to be obtained, for example by pneumatic means.

I claim:

I. A plant for burning liquified combustible gases in liquid state comprising a combustion chamber, an injector arranged in said combustion chamber and comprising an elongated cylinder provided at one end thereof with a calibrated outlet opening, a valve member cooperating with said outlet opening, a rod carrying said valve member at one end thereof and slidably arranged within said elongated cylinder, a diaphragm tightly arranged across said cylinder near its end opposite to the outlet opening, first spring means acting on said rod to slightly press its other end on one side of the diaphragm, second spring means substantially stronger than the first spring means acting on the other side of said diaphragm to hold said valve member in closed position against said outlet opening, a pump connected to said injector between said outlet opening and said diaphragm to feed the liquified combustible gas to the injector at a pressure substantially higher than the vapor pressure of said liquified gas at ambient temperature, a control valve arranged between the pump and the injector, said second spring means being dimensioned to allow the valve member to be opened under the action of the normal delivery pressure of the pump on the diaphragm and to close the valve member when the pressure inside the injector is lower than the normal delivery pressure of the pump but still higher than the vapor pressure of the liquified gas at ambient temperature, whereby the injector remains at rest filled with liquified gas when the control valve is closed and when the pump is stopped.

2. A plant for burning liquified combustible gases in liquid state according to claim 1; wherein a fixed ring is arranged in said elongated cylinder forming the injector and provided with a central bore to guide the valve member carrying slidable rod and a second ring attached to said rod for sliding in said cylinder, abutment means arranged in said cylinder near its end having the outlet opening, the said first spring means being arranged between said abutment means and said second ring to press the slidable rod against the diaphragm, a screw extending through the end of said cylinder opposite to its end provided with the outlet opening and engaging said second spring means to adjust the pressure exerted by said second spring means on the diaphragm.

Claims (2)

1. A plant for burning liquified combustible gases in liquid state comprising a combustion chamber, an injector arranged in said combustion chamber and comprising an elongated cylinder provided at one end thereof with a calibrated outlet opening, a valve member cooperating with said outlet opening, a rod carrying said valve member at one end thereof and slidably arranged within said elongated cylinder, a diaphragm tightly arranged across said cylinder near its end opposite to the outlet opening, first spring means acting on said rod to slightly press its other end on one side of the diaphragm, second spring means substantially stronger than the first spring means acting on the other side of said diaphragm to hold said valve member in closed position against said outlet opening, a pump connected to said injector between said outlet opening and said diaphragm to feed the liquified combustible gas to the injector at a pressure substantially higher than the vapor pressure of said liquified gas at ambient temperature, a control valve arranged between the pump and the injector, said second spring means being dimensioned to allow the valve member to be opened under the action of the normal delivery pressure of the pump on the diaphragm and to close the valve member when the pressure inside the injector is lower than the normal delivery pressure of the pump but still higher than the vapor pressure of the liquified gas at ambient temperature, whereby the injector remains at rest filled with liquified gas when the control valve is closed and when the pump is stopped.

2. A plant for burning liquified combustible gases in liquid state according to claim 1; wherein a fixed ring is arranged in said elongated cylinder forming the injector and provided with a central bore to guide the valve member carrying slidable rod and a second ring attached to said rod for sliding in said cylinder, abutment means arranged in said cylinder near its end having the outlet opening, the said first spring means being arranged between said abutment means and said second ring to press the slidable rod against the diaphragm, a screw extending through the end of said cylinder opposite to its end provided with the outlet opening and engaging said second spring means to adjust the pressure exerted by said second spring means on the diaphragm.

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