Gaseous Fuel Burner Ejector for Low-Pressure Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gaseous fuel burners face challenges in delivering low-pressure gaseous fuels to high-efficiency burners, which require elevated pressures, leading to increased costs and energy consumption due to the need for additional equipment and complex control systems.
Innovation Solution
The use of an ejector, specifically a venturi, in conjunction with a heat exchanger and blower, creates a vacuum to draw in fuel at low static pressure, eliminating the need for separate fuel-air control systems and pumps, while a swirler promotes a stable flame and efficient fuel-air mixing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stress or pressure
If gaseous fuel pumps and throttle devices are used to deliver low-pressure fuel to high-efficiency burners, then the burner can operate at elevated pressures, but the device complexity and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the fuel pump and throttle devices from the system by using the existing blower and pressure differential to deliver fuel to the burner, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining the ability to operate at elevated pressures
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses its own operational components (blower creating pressure differential) to serve the dual purpose of both air supply and fuel delivery, eliminating the need for separate fuel pumping equipment
2Productivity
If gaseous fuel pumps are used to increase fuel pressure, then the burner can operate efficiently, but additional power consumption and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The blower, which is already operating to supply air to the burner, creates a pressure differential that simultaneously drives fuel delivery, eliminating the need for separate fuel pumping power consumption
Solution Approach 2:
The blower serves multiple functions: supplying combustion air and creating the pressure differential for fuel delivery, thereby reducing total system power consumption while maintaining burner efficiency
3Stability of the object's composition
If separate fuel-air control systems are used to maintain steady fuel-air ratio, then combustion stability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the blower's inherent pressure differential to automatically regulate fuel flow, eliminating the need for separate fuel-air ratio control systems while maintaining stable combustion
Solution Approach 2:
The pressure differential created by the blower provides natural feedback control for fuel delivery, where changes in blower operation automatically adjust fuel flow to maintain proper fuel-air ratio
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
This solution allows for efficient and cost-effective delivery of low-pressure gaseous fuels to high-efficiency burners, maintaining a steady fuel-air ratio and reducing energy costs by simplifying the fuel control system and enhancing combustion stability across varying conditions.
Implementation Method 1
The use of an ejector, specifically a venturi, in conjunction with a heat exchanger and blower, creates a vacuum to draw in fuel at low static pressure
Implementation Method 2
The use of an ejector, specifically a venturi
Implementation Method 3
This thermal power is captured by preheating the incoming combustion air in a recuperative or regenerative heat exchanger
Implementation Method 4
a swirler promotes a stable flame and efficient fuel-air mixing
Implementation Method 5
combust a gaseous fuel and air mixture
Data Source
AI summary
An ejector, such as a venturi, facilitates the delivery of gaseous fuel to the combustion chamber of a burner. A blower forces air through the ejector, and the air flow produces a suction that draws fuel from a fuel inlet to produce a fuel-air mixture. The amount of fuel drawn from the fuel inlet is a function of the air flow such that a substantially constant fuel-air ratio is obtained over a range of air flow rates and temperatures without the need for a separate high-pressure fuel pump. The fuel-air mixture may be provided to a combustion chamber for combustion. Air from the blower may be pre-heated prior to entering the ejector, for example, using a heat exchanger that recovers some of the heat from the combusted fuel-air mixture. Air flow through the ejector may be conditioned, for example, by a swirler, to produce a tangential air flow that can increase fuel flow by increasing air velocity across the fuel inlet and/or produce a swirl-stabilized flame in the combustion chamber. The combusted fuel-air mixture may be provided to a thermal load, such as an external combustion engine. Blower speed may be controlled manually or automatically to control power output. Fuel flow to the ejector can be controlled manually or automatically to control fuel-air ratio. The burner can be configured to operate with multiple fuel types, for example, using a fuel selector with fixed or variable restrictors.