Burner assembly with tight shut-off opposed louver air damper
AssigneeGordon-Piatt Energy Group, Inc.
InventorsAzfar Kamal, Danny L. Christenson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An opposed louver air damper apparatus for controlling the flow rate of combustion air to a burner fire box, comprising a plurality of adjacent, rotatable louvers having rubber tips and side gaskets providing sealing between the louvers and a frame, and geared responsive shafts supporting the louvers for controllably rotating the louvers to determinative positions to modulate the volume of air passing through the louver apparatus, wherein the gears in meshing engagement precisely maintains the relative position of the louvers, and the gaskets operate to minimize undesirable leakage through the air damper. The gears form teeth in arcuate portions of the full circumference to limit the rotational movement to only that within the toothed portion of the gear.
Claims22
In a forced air combustion burner, having a fuel delivery assembly responsive to a control system which enables a modulation of heat firing rate at desired rates between a maximum rate and a minimum rate, the improvement comprising an air damper responsive to the control system for precise control of a combustion air flow rate at all firing rates, the air damper providing improved operating efficiency and turn down ratio of the burner wherein the air damper comprises:
- a frame forming a rectangular frame opening through which the combustion air is passable;
- a shaft rotatably supported by said frame, the shaft comprising a first end rotatable in response to the control system and thereby rotatable to determinative air flow rate positions;
- a louver supported by said shaft providing a transverse profile substantially filling said frame opening in a closed position, said louver rotatable with said shaft to said determinative air flow rate positions to substantially fill the width of said frame opening and variably restrict the height of said frame opening;
- and
- means for sealing said louver within said frame to prevent air flow in the closed position, and to prevent air flow between said frame and ends of said louver, in determinative positions of minimal air flow approaching the closed position.
In a forced air combustion burner assembly, having a fuel delivery assembly responsive to a control system which enables a modulation of heat firing rate at desired rates between a maximum rate and a minimum rate, the improvement comprising an air damper furthermore responsive to the control system for precise control of a combustion air flow rate at all heat firing rates, the air damper providing improved operating efficiency and turn down ratio of the burner, wherein the air damper comprises:
- a frame forming a rectangular frame opening through which the combustion air passes;
- a first shaft rotatably supported by said frame, the shaft having a first end rotatable in response to the control system and thereby rotatable to determinative airflow rate positions;
- a second shaft rotatably supported by said frame;
- means for engaging said first and second shaft as to rotate said second shaft to determinative position of said first shaft;
- a first louver supported by said first shaft, said first louver rotatable with said first shaft as to be rotatable to said determinative air flow rate positions, to substantially fill the width of said frame opening and variably restrict the height of said frame opening;
- a second louver supported by said second shaft, said second louver rotatable with said second shaft so as to be rotatable to said determinative air flow rate positions, to substantially fill the width of said frame opening and variably restrict the height of said frame opening;
- and
- means for sealing said louvers within said frame to prevent air flow in a closed position, and to prevent air flow between said frame and ends of said louvers in determinative positions of minimal air flow approaching a closed position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.