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US 2014/0272735 A1Published application
Diffuse Combustion Method and Apparatus
AssigneeFives North American Combustion, Inc.
InventorJohn N. Newby
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method supplies reactants, including fuel gas, to burners that discharge the reactants into a furnace process chamber. In a stable flame mode of operation, stable flames are projected from the burners into the furnace process chamber. At a time when the furnace process chamber has a temperature at or above an autoignition temperature of the fuel gas, a diffuse combustion mode is initiated by supplying a selected burner with additional reactants, including reactants diverted from another burner, to blow off the stable flame at the selected burner.
Claims35
A method comprising:
- supplying reactants, including fuel gas, to burners that discharge the reactants into a furnace process chamber;
- projecting stable flames from the burners into the furnace process chamber;
- and
- at a time when the furnace process chamber has a temperature at or above an autoignition temperature of the fuel gas, initiating diffuse combustion in the furnace process chamber by supplying a selected burner with additional reactants, including reactants diverted from another burner, to blow off the stable flame at the selected burner.
1 more element
A method comprising:
- firing burners into a furnace process chamber by supplying the burners with reactants at a total rate that supports stable flames at the burners;
- and
- without reducing the total rate at which the reactants are supplied to the burners, diverting reactants from one or more of the burners to one or more of the other burners to blow off the stable flame at one or more of the burners to which reactants are diverted.
A method comprising:
- supplying reactants, including fuel gas, to burners that discharge the reactants into a furnace process chamber;
- projecting stable flames from the burners into the furnace process chamber;
- blowing off the stable flame at a selected burner at a time when the furnace process chamber has a temperature at or above an autoignition temperature of the fuel gas;
- and
- subsequently diverting reactants from the selected burner to one or more of the other burners to provide the selected burner with reactants at a reduced rate at which a stable flame reignites at the autoignition temperature.
2 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- burners that discharge reactants into a furnace process chamber;
- and
- a reactant supply and control system that supplies reactants, including fuel gas, to the burners;
- wherein the reactant supply and control system includes a controller configured to supply the burners with reactants that project stable flames into the process chamber;
- and
- wherein the controller is further configured to detect an elevated process chamber temperature that is at or above an autoignition temperature of the fuel gas and, upon detecting the elevated process chamber temperature, to initiate diffuse combustion in the process chamber by supplying a selected burner with additional reactants, including reactants diverted from another burner, to blow off the stable flame at the selected burner.
3 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- burners that discharge reactants into a furnace process chamber;
- and
- a reactant supply and control system that supplies the burners with reactants;
- wherein the reactant supply and control system includes a controller configured to supply the burners with reactants at rates that support stable flames at the burners;
- and
- wherein the controller is further configured to divert reactants from one or more of the burners to one or more of the other burners, and thereby to blow off the stable flame at one or more of the burners to which reactants are diverted, without reducing a total rate at which reactants are supplied to the burners.
3 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- burners that discharge reactants into a furnace process chamber;
- a reactant supply and control system that supplies reactants, including fuel gas, to the burners;
- wherein the reactant supply and control system includes a controller configured to supply the burners with reactants at flow rates that support stable flames at the burners;
- wherein the controller is configured to blow off the stable flame at a selected burner at a time when the furnace process chamber has a temperature at or above an autoignition temperature of the fuel gas;
- and
- wherein the controller is further configured to subsequently divert reactants from the selected burner to one or more of the other burners to provide the selected burner with reactants at a reduced rate at which a stable flame reignites at the autoignition temperature.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.