Adjustable Gas Nozzle Burner for External Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing burners with adjustable gas nozzles face difficulties in maintenance and optimization due to screw-threaded components becoming stuck after exposure to heat and particulate matter, requiring disassembly for adjustment, which is time-consuming and challenging to align accurately.
Innovation Solution
A burner design with independently rotatable gas nozzles that can be adjusted and replaced externally, comprising detachable parts with defined orientation and retention mechanisms, allowing for flexible tuning and repair without stopping the burner.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If screw-threaded fasteners are used to retain nozzles, then nozzles can be adjusted and retained in position, but the screw-threaded portions become difficult to move after exposure to heat and particulate matter
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzle assembly is divided into separate components: the nozzle body, the tip, and the retention mechanism. This segmentation allows the tip to be replaced independently without affecting the retention mechanism, and the retention mechanism can be designed separately to avoid exposure to harsh conditions while still securing the nozzle effectively.
Solution Approach 2:
The retention mechanism is extracted from the high-temperature zone and positioned in a cooler region. The patent describes retention means provided on a backing plate that retains the gas nozzles, positioning the retention mechanism away from the direct path of hot gases and particulate matter, thus preventing the sticking problem while maintaining secure retention.
2Device complexity
If adjustment means are accessible only from within the burner, then the burner structure remains compact, but adjustment is only possible when the burner is not in use
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of making adjustments from within the burner chamber, the patent inverts the approach by providing adjustment means accessible from outside the burner. The retaining mechanism on the backing plate allows nozzles to be adjusted and removed from the external side, enabling adjustments even during burner operation without compromising structural compactness.
3Reliability
If the entire gas nozzle is replaced when the tip is damaged, then a functional nozzle is restored, but the cost and time increase unnecessarily
Solution Approach 1:
The gas nozzle is segmented into the tip (first part) and the main body (second part). The tip is made detachable from the main body, allowing only the damaged tip to be replaced while retaining the functional main body. This segmentation enables selective replacement of only the worn component rather than the entire nozzle assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables recovery and reuse of the main nozzle body after tip replacement. By making the tip detachable, the durable main body can be retained and reused multiple times with different tips, reducing waste and maintenance costs while maintaining reliable nozzle functionality.
4Reliability
If nozzles are retained with multiple components and fasteners, then secure retention is achieved, but alignment and optimization become difficult and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The retention function and alignment function are merged into a single integrated retention mechanism. The backing plate with its retention means provides both secure retention and precise alignment simultaneously, eliminating the need for separate alignment procedures and multiple fasteners, thus maintaining reliability while simplifying the alignment process.
Data Source
AI summary
A burner 100 comprising a burner body 110 having a burner chamber with a backing plate 122 and having a burner element received in the burner chamber, the burner element having a plurality of gas nozzles 117 for supplying gas into the burner, the gas nozzles 117 each ending in a tip through which the gas exits and gas nozzle 117, and each gas nozzle being rotatable such that the direction of gas exiting the gas nozzle can be adjusted. The burner has means for rotating the gas nozzles 117 provided on the backing plate and by releasable means for retaining each gas nozzle 117 in a plurality of rotational configurations provided outside the burner chamber. The gas nozzles 117 further comprise first and second parts which are detachable from each other, the first part comprising the tip and the second part being upstream of the first part with respect to the flow of gas into the gas nozzles in use. The burner allows for tuning of gas flow from outside the burner while it is in use.