Radial burner air inlet with linear volumetric air control

A burner system comprising:

• a plenum having a perimeter wall having a first end with an air inlet disposed therein and a second end with an air outlet disposed therein, the first end opposing the second end;
• a fuel source;
• a burner tile attached to the second end at the air outlet, the burner tile having an opening formed therein for allowing air to flow therethrough and a wall defining the opening;
• a primary fuel nozzle connected to the fuel source and positioned in the opening of the burner tile such that air and fuel are burned within and adjacent to the top of the burner tile;
• a plurality of secondary fuel nozzles located around the wall of the burner tile;
• a front plate mounted a fixed distance below the air inlet of the plenum;
• a damper plate mounted between the lower end and the front plate to thus form a peripheral flow path for the introduction of air into the inlet of the lower end, wherein the front plate, damper plate, air inlet, air outlet and the opening of the burner tile are axially aligned along a longitudinal axis and the damper plate is moveable along the longitudinal axis such that the size of the flow path is changed and wherein air is introduced through the flow path so as to supply a unified column of air to the burner tile and the flow path is the only flow path for supplying air to the primary fuel nozzle and secondary fuel nozzles;
• a guide tube mounted on the front plate to guide the damper plate in level movement and provide an access port to the plenum;
• and
• an actuator operationally connected to the damper plate and configured to provide linear volumetric air flow control of the introduction of air through the flow path wherein the actuator moves the damper plate and comprises:
• a rotational cam;
• a ratcheted handle operatively connected to the cam so that the cam can be moved by the ratcheted handle and wherein the ratcheted handle can be locked in discrete positions;
• and
• a slide shaft operatively connected to the cam and the damper plate such that rotational movement of the cam results in straight-line movement of the damper plate.

An air damper for controlling air flow to a burner plenum, the burner plenum having a housing defining a first opening having a perimeter and a second opening opposing the first opening wherein air is introduced into the burner plenum through the first opening and the second opening supplies air to a burner and the burner plenum has a longitudinal axis extending between the first opening and the second opening, the air damper comprising:

• a fixed plate mounted a fixed distance from the first opening of the burner plenum;
• a damper plate mounted between the fixed plate and the first opening so as to define flow path between the damper plate and the housing so that air enters the first opening peripherally through the flow path and is introduced into the burner plenum such that the air enters by natural draft from substantially 360° around the perimeter of the first opening and wherein the burner, first opening, second opening and damper plate are axially aligned along a longitudinal axis and the damper plate is moveable relative to the first opening along the longitudinal axis so as to change the size of the flow path;
• a guide tube mounted on the fixed pate to guide the damper plate in level movement and provide an access port to the burner plenum;
• a screen mounted around the perimeter of the damper plate so as to extend around the flow path;
• and
• an actuator operationally attached to the damper and configured to give linear volumetric air flow control of the introduction of air through the flow path, wherein the actuator can move the damper plate along the longitudinal axis, the actuator comprising:
• a rotational cam;
• a ratcheted handle operatively connected to the rotational cam so that the cam slide can be rotated by the ratcheted handle wherein the ratcheted handle can be locked into discrete positions;
• and
• a slide shaft operatively connected to the rotational cam and the damper plate such that rotational movement of the rotational cam is transferred as straight-line movement of the damper plate.

A damper system comprising:

• a top ring defining an aperture therein and having a flat bottom surface;
• a front plate mounted a fixed distance from below the flat bottom surface of the top ring;
• a damper plate comprising a flat disk having an upper surface, the damper plate is mounted between the top ring and the front plate so as to define a flow path between the damper plate and the top ring so that air enters the aperture of the top ring peripherally through the flow path and wherein the damper plate is moveable relative to the top ring so as to change the size of the flow path and so as to have an uppermost position where the upper surface is in contact with the flat bottom surface of the top ring;
• and
• an actuator operationally connected to the damper plate to provide linear volumetric air flow control of the introduction of air through the flow path.

A burner system comprising:

• a primary plenum having an air inlet;
• at least two secondary plenums located within said primary plenum and having a perimeter wall having a first end with an air inlet disposed therein and a second end with an air outlet disposed therein, the first end opposing the second end;
• wherein each secondary plenum has:
• a burner tile attached to the second end at the air outlet, the burner tile having an opening formed therein for allowing air to flow therethrough;
• a primary fuel nozzle connectable to a fuel source and positioned in relation to the burner tile such that air and fuel are burned within and adjacent to the top of the burner tile;
• a front plate mounted outside the secondary plenum and a fixed distance from the air inlet of the plenum and is located inside the primary plenum;
• and
• a damper plate mounted between the first end and the front plate to thus form a peripheral flow path for the introduction of air into the inlet of the first end, wherein the front plate, damper plate, air inlet, air outlet and the opening of the burner tile are axially aligned along a longitudinal axis and the damper plate is moveable along the longitudinal axis such that the size of the flow path is changed.