Burner Flame Guard Lamellae With Thermal Gap Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing combustion processes in drying drums for asphalt production suffer from inefficiencies, high pollutant emissions, and the need for complex flame protection systems, which are not adequately addressed by prior technologies.
Innovation Solution
A flame protection device with circumferentially arranged lamellae that form a non-contact labyrinth seal with a curved gap, utilizing thermal expansion to enhance sealing and turbulence, made from heat-resistant materials, which reduces gas leakage and enhances combustion efficiency while integrating seamlessly with the drying drum.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a flame protection device with lamellae is used to protect the burner flame, then combustion efficiency is improved and pollutant emissions are reduced, but the device complexity increases due to the need for precise gap sealing between adjacent lamellae
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes thermal expansion of the lamellae to automatically seal the gaps between adjacent lamellae during operation. At operating temperatures (300°C to 700°C), the lamellae expand thermally, causing the gaps to close and form an effective seal without requiring additional sealing mechanisms. This resolves the contradiction by using a natural physical phenomenon to achieve sealing, thereby improving combustion efficiency while avoiding the need for complex sealing systems.
2Loss of energy
If the gap between adjacent lamellae is reduced to improve sealing effect, then gas leakage is reduced and combustion efficiency improves, but manufacturing precision requirements increase due to the need for tight gap control
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies that the gap width at cold state should be at most 5 mm (particularly at most 4.5 mm or 4 mm), which is relatively large and easy to manufacture. During operation, thermal expansion of the lamellae reduces this gap to a minimum width of at most 1.0 mm (particularly at most 0.8 mm, 0.5 mm, or even 0.3 mm), achieving effective sealing. This approach resolves the contradiction by performing the sealing function during operation rather than requiring tight manufacturing tolerances.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state and dimensions of the lamellae through temperature variation. The gap width dynamically changes from a larger cold-state value (at most 5 mm) to a smaller operating-temperature value (at most 1.0 mm), utilizing parameter change (thermal expansion) to achieve sealing without stringent manufacturing precision requirements.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the lamellae are made thicker to reduce thermal expansion and maintain gap stability, then gap control improves, but the heat-resistant material requirements and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent explicitly utilizes thermal expansion rather than attempting to minimize it. By designing the gap dimensions to accommodate controlled thermal expansion, the system achieves effective sealing at operating temperature without requiring excessively thick lamellae or specialized heat-resistant materials with near-zero expansion coefficients.
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 solution improves combustion efficiency, reduces pollutant emissions, and allows for increased use of recycled materials, offering a cost-effective and sustainable combustion process with reduced heat loss and material contamination risks.
Implementation Method 1
a gap is provided between the adjacent lumellae, which decreases and, in particular, closes during operation of the flame guard device due to thermal expansion of the lumellae
Implementation Method 2
Its sealing effect is based on the lengthening of the flow path through the gap to be sealed, which significantly increases flow resistance
Implementation Method 3
the shaped elements on the side of the gap can cause turbulence of a gas flow in the flame protection device
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
A flame protection device for a burner (3), in particular in a drying drum (2), in particular in an asphalt plant, has a central longitudinal axis (7) and several lamellae (9, 31) which are arranged in a circumferential arrangement in the circumferential direction (10) with respect to the central longitudinal axis (7), wherein lamellae (9, 31) arranged adjacent in the circumferential direction (10) are sealed by means of a circumferential gap seal.