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US 10,006,715 B2Granted
Tunnel burner including a perforated flame holder
AssigneeClearsign Combustion Corporation
InventorsJoseph Colannino, Douglas W. Karkow, Christopher A. Wiklof
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A process oven includes a housing structure with a conveyor system configured to carry product through a housing structure from a first opening to a second opening. A perforated flame holder is positioned within the housing structure and configured to apply, to the product, thermal energy released by a combustion reaction held by the perforated flame holder.
Claims34
A heater system, comprising:
- a tunnel structure having an input end and an output end;
- a conveyor system configured to carry a product through the tunnel structure from the input end to the output end;
- and
- a perforated flame holder positioned inside the tunnel structure and configured to apply, to the product, thermal energy released by a combustion reaction held by the perforated flame holder, the perforated flame holder including:
- a first face,
- a second face parallel to the first face, and
- a plurality of apertures extending through the perforated flame holder from the first face to the second face;
- wherein the perforated flame holder is one of a plurality of perforated flame holders positioned inside the tunnel structure and configured to collectively apply, to the product, thermal energy released by combustion reactions held by the respective ones of the plurality of perforated flame holders;
- and
- wherein a first one of the plurality of perforated flame holders is positioned with a corresponding first face lying in a first plane that is substantially perpendicular to a plane defined by a surface of the conveyor system, and a second one of the plurality of perforated flame holders is positioned with a corresponding first face lying in a second plane that is substantially perpendicular to the plane defined by the surface of the conveyor system and substantially parallel to the first plane.
7 more elements
A heater system, comprising:
- a tunnel structure having an input end and an output end;
- a conveyor system configured to carry a product through the tunnel structure from the input end to the output end;
- a perforated flame holder positioned inside the tunnel structure and configured to apply, to the product, thermal energy released by a combustion reaction held by the perforated flame holder, the perforated flame holder including:
- a first face,
- a second face parallel to the first face, and
- a plurality of apertures extending through the perforated flame holder from the first face to the second face;
- and
- a convection system configured to apply thermal energy to the product by applying the thermal energy released by the combustion reaction to convection air, and by circulating the convection air around the product within the tunnel structure;
- wherein the convection system comprises a heat sink thermally coupled to the perforated flame holder and configured to draw thermal energy from the perforated flame holder.
6 more elements
A heater system, comprising:
- a tunnel structure having an input end and an output end;
- a conveyor system configured to carry a product through the tunnel structure from the input end to the output end;
- a perforated flame holder positioned inside the tunnel structure and configured to apply, to the product, thermal energy released by a combustion reaction held by the perforated flame holder, the perforated flame holder including:
- a first face,
- a second face parallel to the first face, and
- a plurality of apertures extending through the perforated flame holder from the first face to the second face;
- and
- a fuel nozzle positioned at an oblique angle relative to the faces of the perforated flame holder, and configured to emit an asymmetrical fuel stream toward the face of the perforated flame holder.
5 more elements
A heater system, comprising:
- a tunnel structure having an input end and an output end;
- a conveyor system configured to carry a product through the tunnel structure from the input end to the output end;
- a perforated flame holder positioned inside the tunnel structure and configured to apply, to the product, thermal energy released by a combustion reaction held by the perforated flame holder, the perforated flame holder including:
- a first face,
- a second face parallel to the first face, and
- a plurality of apertures extending through the perforated flame holder from the first face to the second face;
- and
- a plurality of fuel nozzles positioned opposite the first face of the perforated flame holder, each being configured to emit a fuel stream toward a respective portion of the face of the perforated flame holder.
5 more elements
A heater system, comprising:
- a tunnel structure having an input end and an output end;
- a conveyor system configured to carry a product through the tunnel structure from the input end to the output end;
- and
- a perforated flame holder positioned inside the tunnel structure and configured to apply, to the product, thermal energy released by a combustion reaction held by the perforated flame holder, the perforated flame holder including:
- a first face,
- a second face parallel to the first face, and
- a plurality of apertures extending through the perforated flame holder from the first face to the second face;
- wherein the perforated flame holder is a first perforated flame holder, and further comprising a second perforated flame holder and a thermally conductive bridge, the thermally conductive bridge being thermally coupled, at a first end, to the first perforated flame holder, and, at a second end, to the second perforated flame holder, the thermally conductive bridge being configured to draw thermal energy from the first and second perforated flame holders and to radiate a portion of the drawn thermal energy toward the product.
5 more elements
A device, comprising:
- a housing structure having first and second openings;
- a conveyor system configured to carry a product through the housing structure between the first and second openings;
- and
- a perforated flame holder positioned within the housing structure, and having a first face, a second face lying opposite the first face, and a plurality of apertures extending through the perforated flame holder between the first and second faces, the perforated flame holder being configured to hold a combustion reaction substantially within the plurality of apertures;
- wherein the perforated flame holder is one of a plurality of perforated flame holders positioned within the housing structure, a first one of the plurality of perforated flame holders having a first face lying in a first plane that is not parallel to a plane defined by a transport surface of the conveyor system, and a second one of the plurality of perforated flame holders having a first face lying in a second plane that is not parallel to the plane defined by the transport surface of the conveyor system.
2 more elements
A method, comprising:
- placing a product piece on a transport surface of a conveyor system;
- carrying the product piece into an oven housing by operation of the conveyor system;
- supporting a combustion reaction within a plurality of apertures extending through a perforated flame holder;
- applying thermal energy produced by the combustion reaction to the product piece as it is carried through the oven housing by the conveyor system;
- and
- following the applying thermal energy, carrying the product piece out of the oven housing by further operation of the conveyor system;
- wherein the supporting a combustion reaction comprises emitting, toward a first face of the perforated flame holder, a fuel stream from a nozzle positioned with a longitudinal axis thereof lying perpendicular to a plane defined by the first face of the perforated flame holder;
- and
- wherein emitting, toward the first face of the perforated flame holder, a fuel stream from a nozzle comprises emitting fuel streams from each of a plurality of nozzles toward respective portions of the first face of the perforated flame holder.
6 more elements
A method, comprising:
- placing a product piece on a transport surface of a conveyor system;
- carrying the product piece into an oven housing by operation of the conveyor system;
- supporting a combustion reaction within a plurality of apertures extending through a perforated flame holder;
- applying thermal energy produced by the combustion reaction to the product piece as it is carried through the oven housing by the conveyor system;
- and
- following the applying thermal energy, carrying the product piece out of the oven housing by further operation of the conveyor system;
- wherein the supporting a combustion reaction comprises emitting, toward the first face of the flame holder, a fuel stream from a nozzle positioned with a longitudinal axis thereof lying at an oblique angle relative to a plane defined by a first face of the perforated flame holder.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.