Preheated fuel and oxidant combustion burner

A burner apparatus comprising:

• b) a plurality of conduits conveying a flow of preheated oxidant each having outlet and inlet ends and being aligned in a first plane;
• c) a plurality of conduits conveying a flow of preheated fuel each having outlet and inlet ends being aligned in a second plane, the first plane being parallel to the second plane;
• d) each of the conduits is positioned within a respective one of a plurality of elongate cavities in a refractory burner block, each of said conduits positioned in the respective cavity such that a substantially annular region is defined between an outer surface of each said conduit and the respective cavity;
• and
• e) each conduit inlet and extending through a respective plenum receiving a flow of ambient temperature fluid, the plenums passing said ambient temperature fluid into the respective annular regions, wherein the flows of preheated fuel and preheated oxidant through the respective conduits occur simultaneously with the flow of the ambient temperature fluids through the respective cavities.

A burner apparatus, comprising:

• f) a burner assembly comprising,
• i) a first conduit having an inlet and an outlet,
• ii) a second conduit conveying a flow of preheated oxidant extending at least partly through said first conduit such that a first annular region is defined between an inside surface of said first conduit and an outside surface of said second conduit, said first annular region conveying a flow of ambient oxidant,
• iii) a third conduit having an inlet and an outlet,
• iv) a fourth conduit conveying a flow of preheated fuel extending at least partly through said third conduit such that a second annular region is defined between an inside surface of said third conduit and an outside surface of said fourth conduit, said second annular region conveying a flow of ambient fuel, and
• v) a fifth conduit in fluid communication with said first and second annular regions and conveying at least a potion of said flow of ambient oxidant from said first annular region to said second annular region;
• and
• b) a refractory burner block having a hot face and a cold face, said refractory burner block having a hollow volume extending from said cold face to a position within said refractory burner block intermediate to said cold face and said hot face, said intermediate position defined by a wall of a substantially solid portion of said burner block, said substantially solid portion having a first cavity adapted to receive said flow of preheated oxidant from said second conduit, and a second cavity adapted to receive said flow of preheated fuel from said fourth conduit, wherein said flows of preheated oxidant, ambient oxidant, preheated fuel and ambient fuel occur simultaneously during operation of said burner apparatus.