Non-Cylindrical Burner Deck Thermal Expansion Cavity

Solution Overview

Problem

Premix gas burners with non-cylindrical burner deck units experience thermal fatigue due to temperature variations, leading to material stress and potential failure, and floating mounting solutions can cause misalignment and gas leakage.

Innovation Solution

A premix gas burner design with a non-cylindrical burner deck unit and a metal frame that includes a cavity with specific dimensions to accommodate thermal expansion and contraction, ensuring the burner deck unit remains securely positioned.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If the burner deck unit is mounted in a fixed manner, then structural stability is improved, but thermal fatigue and material stress increase leading to failure

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural stabilityVSAvoidthermal fatigue resistance

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The burner deck unit is designed with a floating mounting system that allows dynamic movement relative to the metal frame. The unit can move freely in the vertical direction to accommodate thermal expansion and contraction, while the metal frame's cavity structure with specifically designed dimensions constrains horizontal movement. This dynamic mounting approach resolves the contradiction by allowing vertical mobility to reduce thermal stress while maintaining sufficient structural stability through the cavity constraints.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If the burner deck unit is mounted in a floating manner, then thermal fatigue resistance is improved, but misalignment and gas leakage occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvethermal fatigue resistanceVSAvoidpositioning accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The floating mounting system allows vertical movement to accommodate thermal expansion while the metal frame's cavity structure with specifically designed dimensions constrains horizontal movement, maintaining positioning accuracy and preventing gas leakage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The cavity dimensions are specifically designed to accommodate the expected thermal expansion and contraction of the burner deck unit. The cavity depth and width are calculated based on thermal expansion coefficients and temperature ranges, allowing the unit to expand freely within the cavity while preventing excessive movement that would cause misalignment or leakage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #37Thermal expansion

3Reliability

If the burner deck unit is mounted in a floating manner, then thermal fatigue resistance is improved, but detachment from the frame occurs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvethermal fatigue resistanceVSAvoidmounting stability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The burner deck unit is designed with a floating mounting system that allows dynamic movement relative to the metal frame. The unit can move freely in the vertical direction to accommodate thermal expansion and contraction, while the metal frame's cavity structure with specifically designed dimensions constrains horizontal movement. This dynamic mounting approach resolves the contradiction by allowing vertical mobility to reduce thermal stress while maintaining sufficient structural stability through the cavity constraints.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The design enhances the reliability of the burner deck unit by preventing misalignment and gas leakage, reducing the risk of thermal fatigue-related failures.

Implementation Method 1

Such burner deck units experience variations in thermal expansion and thermal contraction due to the temperature differences, in particular local temperature differences, that occur over time in such burner deck units.

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal expansion: Thermal Expansion

Implementation Method 2

Such burner deck units experience variations in thermal expansion and thermal contraction due to the temperature differences, in particular local temperature differences, that occur over time in such burner deck units.

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal contraction: Thermal Contraction

Data Source

PatentEP4555259B1Premix gas burner and method for manufacturing a premix gas burner

Publication Date: 2026.03.25 BEKAERT COMBUSTION TECH

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AI summary

The invention pertains to a premix gas burner, comprising: - a non-cylindrical burner deck unit, comprising a support portion between a circumferential edge and a operational burner deck area, - a cavity in which at least a part of the support portion is arranged, wherein the support portion extends between the first and the second cavity wall portion over a length which is at least half of the expected thermal contraction of the burner deck unit in the support portion plane when cooling the burner deck unit from maximum operational temperature to ambient temperature, and the cavity end wall portion is spaced apart from the support portion edge by a distance that is at least half of the expected thermal expansion of the burner deck unit in the support portion plane when heating the burner deck unit from ambient temperature to maximum operational temperature.