Recuperator
OwnerBeresford N Clarkeinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An improvement in negative pressure radiant tube type fuel burner systems in disclosed wherein a heat recuperator in the form of a U-shaped conduit for conveying air from the atmosphere to a burner unit extends inwardly into the exhaust leg of the radiant tube so that combustion air for the burner is diverted along generally parallel oppositely directed paths into and out of the radiant tube to transfer heat from exhaust gas to intake air. The recuperator is made to be free floating within the radiant tube so as to minimize the chance of structural damage due to thermal expansion and a series of baffles may be employed in conjunction with the recuperator to both increase heat transfer to incoming air and to diminish radiant heat loss from the radiant tube.
Claims18
In a radiant tube type fuel burner system having a burner unit near one tube end for introducing a combustible fuel-air mixture into the tube, an arrangement for recovering heat from exhaust gas emanating from another end of the tube comprising an air intake passageway for supplying air from the atmosphere to the burner unit including a U-shaped conduit portion extending inwardly into the radiant tube from said other end of the tube to divert intake air along generally parallel oppositely directed paths into and out of the radiant tube to transfer heat from exhaust gas to intake air, entrance and exit ends on said U-shaped portion, and means for mounting said ends for movement relative to said radiant tube as may be caused by changes in temperature of said U-shaped portion.
The method of reducing heat loss from a radiant tube type fuel burner system having a burner unit near one tube end for introducing a combustible fuel-air mixture into the tube comprising the steps of:
- transferring heat from exhaust gas within the tube to combustion air to be supplied to the burner;
- and reflecting radiation heat loss from the system through the tube ends.
In a negative pressure type radiant tube a fuel burner system having a burner unit near one tube end for introducing a combustible fuel-air mixture into the tube and an eductor assembly near another end of the tube for extracting exhaust gas from the tube while maintaining the pressure within the tube below the ambient pressure, the improvement comprising a heat recuperator exposed to exhaust gas flow within the tube intermediate the burner unit and eductor assembly for transferring heat from exhaust gas to air to be supplied to the burner, the portion of the heat recuperator exposed to exhaust gas flow comprising a U-shaped conduit portion through which air to be supplied to the burner flows, the conduit portion being disposed within the tube near said other end, entrance and exit ends on said U-shaped portion, and means for mounting said ends for movement relative to said radiant tube as may be caused by changes in temperature of said U-shaped portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.