Regenerative burner system and method of use
AssigneeFives North American Combustion, Inc.
InventorsThomas F. Robertson, Mark Hannum
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method heats a furnace process chamber with the combustion of fuel gas. The method heats the process chamber in a preheat mode when the temperature of the process chamber is below the autoignition temperature of the fuel gas. The preheat mode forms preheated combustion air by directing the combustion air through a regenerative bed. A stream of the preheated combustion air is directed into the process chamber in a condition unmixed with fuel gas. The preheat mode also forms a fuel rich mixture of the fuel gas and unheated combustion air. The fuel rich mixture is directed into the process chamber adjacent to the stream of preheated combustion air.
Claims15
A method of heating a furnace process chamber with the combustion of fuel gas, comprising:
- heating the process chamber in a preheat mode when the temperature of the process chamber is below an autoignition temperature of the fuel gas, including:
- forming preheated combustion air by directing combustion air through a heated regenerative bed;
- directing a stream of the preheated combustion air into the process chamber in a condition unmixed with fuel gas;
- forming a fuel rich mixture of the fuel gas and combustion air;
- and
- directing the fuel rich mixture into the process chamber adjacent to the stream of preheated combustion air.
A method of heating a furnace process chamber with the combustion of fuel gas, comprising:
- heating the process chamber in a preheat mode by directing gas into and out of the process chamber in alternating cycles when the temperature of the process chamber is below an autoignition temperature of the fuel gas, including firing cycles in which gas is directed into the process chamber, and exhaust cycles in which gas is directed out of the process chamber and into a regenerative bed;
- wherein the gas directed into the process chamber in a firing cycle includes a combustion air stream that is directed through the regenerative bed for preheating, and the combustion air stream enters the process chamber free of fuel gas.
An apparatus heating a furnace process chamber with the combustion of fuel gas, comprising:
- a furnace having a process chamber;
- a source of fuel gas;
- a source of combustion air;
- a regenerator including a bed of regenerative material in air flow communication with the source of combustion air, wherein the regenerator has a combustion air plenum with a port configured to direct a stream of combustion air from the bed of regenerative material into the process chamber, and the regenerator is free of a fuel flow structure configured to direct fuel gas into the plenum;
- and
- a reactant delivery device in gas flow communication with the source of fuel gas and the source of combustion air, wherein the reactant delivery device is configured to form a combustible mixture of fuel gas and combustion air, and to direct the combustible mixture into the process chamber adjacent to the stream of combustion air.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.