Gas-fired furnace and intake manifold for low NOx applications
AssigneeTrane International Inc.
InventorsLester D. Sherrow, Scott A. Lackie
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A gas-fired air conditioning furnace comprises a monolithic intake manifold including an inlet at a first end and a plurality of outlets at a second end opposite the first end. In addition, the furnace comprises a burner assembly including a plurality of burners, each burner is configured to combust an air-fuel mixture at least partially within an interior space of the burner. Further, each burner extends into one of the outlets of the intake manifold.
Claims19
A gas-fired air conditioning furnace, comprising:
- a monolithic intake manifold including an inlet at a first end and a plurality of outlets at a second end opposite the first end;
- a burner assembly including a plurality of burners, each burner configured to combust an air-fuel mixture at least partially within an interior space of the burner;
- and
- wherein each burner extends into one of the outlets of the intake manifold.
An intake manifold for a gas-fired device, comprising:
- a monolithic body having a first end and a second end opposite the first end;
- an inlet at the first end of the body, the inlet comprising a first axis;
- a plurality of outlets at the second end of the body;
- and
- a mounting flange (1) disposed between the first end of the body and the second end of the body and (2) axially offset along the first axis from each of the first end of the body and the second end of the body;
- wherein the body includes:
- a distributor section including the inlet and a plurality of supply tubes extending from the distributor section, wherein each supply tube includes one of the plurality of outlets;
- wherein the distributor is configured to receive an air-fuel mixture through the inlet and divide the air-fuel mixture among the plurality of supply tubes.
A method of operating a gas-fired furnace, comprising:
- (a) supplying an air-fuel mixture to a single-piece intake manifold, wherein the intake manifold has an inlet at a first end and a plurality of outlets at a second end opposite the first end, and wherein the intake manifold includes a distributor extending from the first end and a plurality of supply tubes extending from the second end to the distributor;
- (b) flowing the air-fuel mixture through the inlet of the intake manifold into the distributor;
- (c) dividing the air-fuel mixture in the distributor into a plurality of portions;
- (d) flowing each portion of the air-fuel mixture through one of the supply tubes to a burner extending into the supply tube, wherein one burner extends into each supply tube;
- (e) combusting the portion of the air-fuel mixture within each burner to form a hot flue gas.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.