A burner module comprising a burner gas inlet block, a lower flow plate, an upper flow plate, a burner gas flow disperser, and a burner gas discharge block, wherein:
- the burner gas inlet block comprises a plurality of gas inlets disposed on a base of the burner gas inlet block and a plurality of gas inlet channels separated by gas inlet channel partitions, the gas inlet channels extending from the gas inlets of the burner gas inlet block to an outlet face of the burner gas inlet block;
- the burner gas flow disperser comprises a plurality of dispersion channels separated by dispersion channel partitions, the dispersion channels extending from an inlet face of the burner gas flow disperser to an outlet face of the burner gas flow disperser;
- each of the dispersion channel partitions comprises a knife edge lower flow plate contact surface at the inlet face of the burner gas flow disperser;
- the burner gas discharge block comprises a plurality of apertures located on a burner face of the burner gas discharge block and a plurality of gas discharge channels separated by gas discharge channel partitions, the gas discharge channels extending from an inlet face of the burner gas discharge block to a plurality of burner face channels, the burner face channels extending from the gas discharge channels to the apertures located on the burner face;
- each of the gas discharge channel partitions comprises a knife edge upper flow plate contact surface at the inlet face of the burner gas discharge block;
- wherein the knife edge lower flow plate contact surface and the knife edge upper flow plate contact surface have a hardness in excess of the hardness of the lower flow plate and the upper flow plate;
- the lower flow plate comprises a plurality of lower flow plate pressure holes separated by lower flow plate lands extending in a longitudinal direction, wherein each of the plurality of lower flow plate pressure holes is in fluid communication with one of the gas inlet channels and one of the dispersion channels;
- the upper flow plate comprises a plurality of upper flow plate pressure holes separated by upper flow plate lands extending in the longitudinal direction, wherein each of the plurality of upper flow plate pressure holes is in fluid communication with one of the dispersion channels and one of the gas discharge channels;
- and
- the burner module is configured to deliver a combustion gas, an oxidizer, a soot precursor, and an inert gas through the gas inlets, the gas inlet channels, the lower flow plate pressure holes, the dispersion channels, the upper flow plate pressure holes, the gas discharge channels, the plurality of burner face channels, and the plurality of apertures to a combustion site in a chemical vapor deposition process to produce a burner flame in a combustion zone proximate to the burner face.