Gas Burner Diffuser Curvature Flame Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Prior gas boiler burners experience flame instability and detachment issues, particularly at the ends of the diffuser, due to limited modulation range and temperature differences, leading to safety concerns and pollutant emissions, which are costly to address with complex manufacturing solutions.
Innovation Solution
A gas boiler burner with a diffuser having a uniform radius of curvature and comprising a central portion and peripheral spherical sections, ensuring a minimal perpendicular gas flow component at the edges, stabilizing the flame across all power levels without complex manufacturing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If the fuel flow rate is increased to expand the heating power range, then the heating power increases, but the flame becomes unstable and detaches from the diffuser
Solution Approach 1:
The diffuser is designed with a specific curved geometry where the longitudinal peripheral portions are shaped as spherical portions. This curvature modifies the flow direction of fuel gases exiting the diffuser, making the perpendicular component substantially null at the edges, thereby preventing flame detachment even at high power modulations
Solution Approach 2:
The diffuser combines different geometric portions: a central portion with uniform cross-section and longitudinal peripheral portions with spherical shaping. This local differentiation addresses the specific problem at the edges (flame detachment) while maintaining overall diffuser functionality, creating different flow characteristics in different regions of the diffuser
2Reliability
If additional distributors or specially shaped diffusers are used to prevent flame detachment, then flame stability improves, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention integrates the flame stabilization function directly into the diffuser structure itself, merging the diffuser and flow control functions into a single component. This eliminates the need for separate distributors or additional stabilization devices, reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining flame stability
3Reliability
If the diffuser is designed with complex shaping to control flow, then flame detachment is prevented, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spherical shaping of the longitudinal peripheral portions provides a geometric solution that is both effective for flow control and manufacturable. Spherical portions can be produced using standard molding or machining techniques, avoiding the need for complex custom tooling while achieving the desired flow characteristics
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 burner achieves stable flame operation even at high power modulations by minimizing gas flow perpendicular to the diffuser edges, preventing flame detachment and reducing pollutant emissions, while being simple and cost-effective to produce.
Implementation Method 1
a burner for the production of heat through the combustion of said mixture in a combustion chamber
Implementation Method 2
a diffuser through which the premixed fuel and air gas which determines a flame pattern for the production of heat is conveyed
Implementation Method 3
the heat produced by the combustion on the outer side of the wall of the diffuser is conveyed through the hot fuel gases to a heat exchanger for heating a fluid, for example water
Data Source
AI summary
Herein a gas boiler burner (1) is described comprising a diffuser (2), suitable for diffusing premixed fuel gases in a combustion chamber (3), each cross-section of said diffuser (2) having a uniform radius of curvature, in which said diffuser (2) comprises a diffuser central portion (10) and two diffuser longitudinally peripheral portions (5), said two diffuser longitudinally peripheral portions (5) being connected together through said central diffuser portion (10), said central diffuser portion (10) extending longitudinally in a direction perpendicular to the flow of the fuel gases over a length 1 greater than zero and having a cross-section shaped as a circumference arc having a radius r, each of said diffuser longitudinally peripheral portions (5) being shaped as a portion of sphere having radius r.