Submerged Combustion Burner Microstructure Refinement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Submerged combustion burners in SCM systems face early failure due to thermal and mechanical stresses, leading to increased downtime and maintenance costs.
Innovation Solution
The method involves disposing a portion of the submerged combustion burner in a pressure vessel, filling it with inert gas, and subjecting it to high temperature and pressure to alter its microstructure, along with polishing the burner tips to reduce surface roughness and applying post-manufacturing processes like hot isostatic pressing to enhance durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If submerged combustion burners are used in SCM systems, then high efficiency heating is achieved, but thermal and mechanical stresses cause early failure
Solution Approach 1:
The burner is subjected to hot isostatic pressing and polishing treatments during manufacturing to pre-remove voids and surface defects before service. This preliminary action eliminates potential failure sites before the burner is installed in the SCM system, resolving the contradiction between achieving high heating efficiency and ensuring long service life.
Solution Approach 2:
The physical parameters of the burner are modified through controlled heat treatment processes. The burner is heated to specific temperatures (e.g., 2200-3000°F) and subjected to controlled pressure and time conditions to alter its microstructure, reducing void content and improving mechanical properties to withstand thermal and mechanical stresses during operation.
2Power
If burners are subjected to high thermal and mechanical stresses in SCM systems, then intense combustion is achieved, but stress concentration at defects leads to failure
Solution Approach 1:
Hot isostatic pressing is performed as a preliminary manufacturing step to eliminate internal voids and defects before the burner enters service. This pre-treatment ensures that no stress concentration points exist within the burner structure, allowing it to withstand intense combustion stresses without failure.
Solution Approach 2:
The burner undergoes controlled heating to temperatures between 2200-3000°F with specific pressure and time parameters to modify its microstructure. This parameter change enhances the burner's resistance to thermal and mechanical stresses, enabling it to handle intense combustion conditions while maintaining structural integrity.
3Reliability
If burners are polished to reduce surface roughness, then fatigue resistance is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Polishing is performed as a preliminary finishing operation during manufacturing to create a smooth surface free of scratches and imperfections. This preliminary action eliminates surface-induced fatigue cracks before the burner is installed, improving fatigue resistance. The polishing step is integrated into the standard manufacturing process, so while it adds a step, it ensures long-term reliability without requiring complex post-installation procedures.
4Reliability
If hot isostatic pressing is applied to burners, then void content is reduced, but processing time and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
Hot isostatic pressing is performed with optimized parameters including temperature (2200-3000°F), pressure (typically 1000-5000 psi), and time (several hours). These parameter changes are carefully controlled to achieve the desired microstructure quality with minimal energy consumption. The process is designed to be as efficient as possible while still achieving the goal of reducing void content to improve burner reliability.
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 approach significantly extends the service life of submerged combustion burners by improving their mechanical and thermal resistance, reducing fatigue, and minimizing defects, thereby reducing downtime and maintenance costs.
Implementation Method 1
pressurizing the vessel containing the portion of the submerged combustion burner
Implementation Method 2
heating the vessel containing the portion of the submerged combustion burner, wherein the pressurizing and heating operations are performed for a time and at a temperature and a pressure sufficient to produce a second microstructure in the burner
Implementation Method 3
polishing the toroidal tip of the submerged combustion burner to an average second surface roughness across the area of the toroidal tip, wherein the average second surface roughness is less than the average first surface roughness
Data Source
AI summary
A portion of a submerged combustion burner is disposed into a pressure vessel. The portion of the submerged combustion burner has a welded area that has a first microstructure defined by a first number of voids. The vessel is filled with an inert gas, pressurized, and heated. Pressurizing and heating operations are performed for a time and at a temperature and a pressure sufficient to produce a second microstructure in the welded area of the burner. The second microstructure is defined by a second number of voids less than the first number of voids.