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US 7,402,038 B2Granted
Combustion method and apparatus
AssigneeNorth American Manufacturing Company
InventorsThomas B. Neville, John J. Nowakowski, Mark C. Hannum, Thomas F. Robertson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A burner has a port facing into a combustion chamber along an axis. A secondary fuel injector structure has secondary fuel injection ports that face into the combustion chamber at locations spaced radially outward from the burner port. A tertiary fuel injector structure has tertiary fuel injection ports that face into the combustion chamber in directions perpendicular to the axis at locations spaced axially downstream from the secondary fuel injection ports.
Claims23
A method comprising:
- delivering fuel and oxidant to a combustion chamber at target rates that together have a target fuel-to-oxidant ratio, while delivering no additional oxidant to the combustion chamber, by:
- a) delivering the entire target rate of oxidant and a first partial target rate of fuel together in a fuel-lean primary reactant stream that is directed into the combustion chamber along an axis to define a primary combustion zone expanding radially outward along the axis;
- b) simultaneously delivering a second partial target rate of fuel in second stage fuel streams that are injected into the combustion chamber at locations radially outward of the primary reactant stream to define a secondary combustion zone radially outward of the primary combustion zone;
- and
- c) simultaneously delivering the balance of the target rate of fuel at a third partial target rate in third stage fuel streams that are injected into the combustion chamber at locations within the primary reactant stream to define a tertiary combustion zone extending axially downstream from the primary combustion zone.
2 more elements
A method comprising:
- delivering fuel and oxidant to a combustion chamber at target rates that together have a target fuel-to-oxidant ratio, while delivering no additional oxidant to the combustion chamber, by:
- a) delivering the entire target rate of oxidant and a first partial target rate of fuel together in a fuel-lean primary reactant stream that is directed into the combustion chamber through a primary port centered on an axis;
- b) simultaneously delivering a second partial target rate of fuel in second stage fuel streams that are injected into the combustion chamber through secondary fuel injection ports spaced radially outward from the primary port;
- and
- c) simultaneously delivering the balance of the target rate of fuel at a third partial target rate in third stage fuel streams that are injected into the combustion chamber in directions perpendicular to the axis through tertiary fuel injection ports that are spaced axially downstream from the secondary fuel injection ports.
2 more elements
A method comprising:
- delivering fuel and oxidant to a combustion chamber at target rates that together have a target fuel-to-oxidant ratio by:
- a) delivering the target rate of oxidant and a first partial target rate of fuel together in a fuel-lean primary reactant stream that is directed into the combustion chamber along an axis to define a primary combustion zone expanding radially outward along the axis;
- b) simultaneously delivering a second partial target rate of fuel in second stage fuel streams that are injected into the combustion chamber at locations radially outward of the primary reactant stream to define a secondary combustion zone radially outward of the primary combustion zone;
- and
- c) simultaneously delivering the balance of the target rate of fuel at a third partial target rate in third stage fuel streams that are injected into the combustion chamber at locations within the primary reactant stream to define a tertiary combustion zone extending axially downstream from the primary combustion zone;
- wherein the target rate of fuel and the target rate of oxidant together define one of a plurality of fractional portions of an overall combined target rate of reactant delivery, and the overall combined target rate is provided by simultaneously and separately performing steps a, b and c for each fractional portion of the overall combined target rate while delivering no additional oxidant to the combustion chamber.
3 more elements
A method comprising:
- delivering fuel and oxidant to a combustion chamber at target rates that together have a target fuel-to-oxidant ratio by:
- a) delivering the entire target rate of oxidant and a first partial target rate of fuel together in a fuel-lean primary reactant stream that is directed into the combustion chamber through a primary port centered on an axis;
- b) simultaneously delivering a second partial target rate of fuel in second stage fuel streams that are injected into the combustion chamber through secondary fuel injection ports spaced radially outward from the primary port;
- and
- c) simultaneously delivering the balance of the target rate of fuel at a third partial target rate in third stage fuel streams that are injected into the combustion chamber in directions perpendicular to the axis through tertiary fuel injection ports that are spaced axially downstream from the secondary fuel injection ports;
- wherein the target rate of fuel and the target rate of oxidant together define one of a plurality of fractional portions of an overall combined target rate of reactant delivery, and the overall combined target rate is provided by simultaneously and separately performing steps a, b and c for each fractional portion of the overall combined target rate while delivering no additional oxidant to the combustion chamber.
3 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- a structure defining a combustion chamber;
- a burner having a burner port that faces into the combustion chamber in a downstream direction extending along an axis;
- a secondary fuel injector structure having secondary fuel injection ports that face into the combustion chamber at locations spaced radially outward from the burner port;
- a tertiary fuel injector structure having tertiary fuel injection ports that face into the combustion chamber at locations spaced axially downstream from the secondary fuel injection ports;
- and
- a system configured to deliver fuel and oxidant to the combustion chamber through the burner, the secondary fuel injector structure, and the tertiary fuel injector structure at target rates that together have a target fuel-to-oxidant ratio, while delivering no additional oxidant to the combustion chamber, by:
- a) delivering the entire target rate of oxidant and a first partial target rate of fuel to the burner;
- b) simultaneously delivering a second partial target rate of fuel to the secondary fuel injector structure;
- and
- c) simultaneously delivering the balance of the target rate of fuel at a third partial target rate to the tertiary fuel injector structure.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.