Submerged combustion burners, submerged combustion glass melters including the burners, and methods of use

A combustion burner comprising:

• an inner conduit having inlet and exit ends;
• and
• an outer conduit having inlet and outlet ends substantially juxtaposed to the inlet and exit ends of the inner conduit, with the proviso that the outer conduit exit end extends beyond the exit end of the inner conduit by a length sufficient to create a fuel and oxidant mixing region downstream of the inner conduit exit end, the outer conduit substantially concentric with the inner conduit;
• wherein the inner conduit comprises one or more through-holes positioned within about three inner conduit diameters from the exit end of the inner conduit configured to provide intermixing of at least some fuel and oxidant within the inner conduit.

A combustion burner comprising:

• an inner conduit having inlet and exit ends;
• and
• an outer conduit having inlet and outlet ends substantially juxtaposed to the inlet and exit ends of the inner conduit, with the proviso that the outer conduit exit end extends beyond the exit end of the inner conduit by a length sufficient to create a fuel and oxidant mixing region downstream of the inner conduit exit end, the outer conduit substantially concentric with the inner conduit;
• wherein the burner comprises at least one partial obstruction in the mixing region sufficient to increase mixing between the fuel and the oxidant in the mixing region upstream of a point of combustion of the fuel and oxidant, wherein the increase is relative to a similar burner without such partial obstruction.

A combustion burner comprising:

• at least one oxidant supply conduit;
• at least one fuel supply conduit;
• a hollow body defining a fuel and oxidant mixing chamber, the fuel and oxidant conduits connected to corresponding inlet ports of the hollow body, the conduits and inlet ports configured to direct fuel and oxidant into the mixing chamber and create a fuel/oxidant mixture that exits the burner body through at least one fuel/oxidant mixture outlet port;
• wherein the hollow body, conduits, inlet ports, and outlet ports are configured to provide the fuel and oxidant sufficient proximity, mixing distance and/or pathways to create turbulent mixing of the fuel and oxidant prior to the mixture exiting the burner and combusting.

A fluid-cooled combustion burner comprising:

• a burner body comprising an external conduit and a first internal conduit substantially concentric with the external conduit, the external conduit comprising a first end, a second end, and a longitudinal bore having a longitudinal axis, the first internal conduit comprising a first end, a second end, and a longitudinal bore having a longitudinal axis, the external conduit and first internal conduit forming a first annulus for passing a cooling fluid there between, and a second internal conduit substantially concentric with the external conduit, the second internal conduit comprising a first end, a second end, and a longitudinal bore having a longitudinal axis, and configured to form a second annulus between the first and second internal conduits, the burner body comprising fuel and oxidant inlet ports near the second ends of the conduits;
• a burner tip body connected to the burner body at the first ends of the external and first internal conduits, the burner tip body comprising an inner wall, an outer wall, and a crown connecting the inner and outer walls, the inner wall and optionally a portion of the crown defining a fuel and oxidant mixing region and form a fuel/oxidant mixture therein;
• at least a portion of the burner tip inner wall, measured from the first end of the second internal conduit, converging toward the longitudinal axis of the burner second as the mixture flows therethrough and thereby create a higher pressure region near an exit of the mixing region to minimize the possibility of molten material above the burner entering the mixing region.