Oxygen aspirator burner and process for firing a furnace

A process for firing a furnace by combusting fuel and an oxidant to produce furnace gases such that a flame temperature lower than the normal flame temperature is achieved, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a furnace zone substantially closed to the atmosphere;
• (b) injecting into said furnace zone at least one jet of oxidant gas through an orifice, said oxidant gas being selected from the group consisting of oxygen and oxygen-enriched air having an oxygen content of at least 30 percent by volume, said jet having a diameter D at its point of injection and a velocity at said point of oxidant jet injection at least equal to that given by the formula:
• V=5.7P-70
• where V is the velocity of the oxidant jet in ft/sec, and P is the oxygen content of the oxidant gas in volume percent;
• (c) simultaneously with step (b), injecting at least one fuel jet through an orifice into said furnace zone, the orifice of said fuel jet being located in substantially the same plane as the orifice of said oxidant jet, and said plane being perpendicular to the direction of at least one of said jets, the orifice of said fuel jet being separated from the orifice of said oxidant jet as measured in said plane by a distance X, said distance X being measured from the outer edge of said oxidant jet orifice to the outer edge of said fuel jet orifice and being at least equal to that given by the formula:
• X=4D;
• (d) aspirating furnace gases from the vicinity of said oxidant jet into said oxidant jet;
• and
• (e) after said aspiration has taken place, mixing said oxidant jet with said fuel jet, thereby causing combustion to take place.