Cold Flame Burner for Quiet Liquid Fuel Combustion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Liquid fuel heaters for mobile leisure facilities suffer from noise and odor issues due to their combustion process, limiting their use on campsites, while gas heaters offer low-noise and low-exhaust-odor operation but require separate gas supplies.
Innovation Solution
A burner system that atomizes liquid fuel, converts it into a gas phase through partial oxidation using the 'cold flame' process, and mixes it with secondary air for quiet, odorless combustion, mimicking gas burner efficiency without the need for additional gas supplies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If liquid fuel is burned using conventional burners, then energy efficiency is improved, but noise and odor emissions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The combustion process is segmented into two distinct stages: (1) a first combustion stage where liquid fuel is atomized and mixed with primary air in a reactor chamber, and (2) a second combustion stage where the resulting gas phase is mixed with secondary air in a mixing chamber. This segmentation allows each stage to be optimized independently, with the first stage producing a controlled gas phase that burns quietly in the second stage.
Solution Approach 2:
A gas phase intermediate is introduced between the liquid fuel and the final combustion. The liquid fuel is first converted to a gas phase through atomization and partial oxidation in the reactor chamber, then this gas phase serves as the fuel for the second combustion stage in the mixing chamber. This intermediary gas phase enables quiet, odorless combustion while maintaining energy efficiency.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If gas heaters are used, then noise and odor emissions are reduced, but the need for separate gas supplies increases device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The burner system is designed to be universal and multi-functional: it can operate with liquid fuel (diesel, gasoline) from the vehicle's fuel tank, and can also operate with gaseous fuel (propane, butane) from gas bottles. The system integrates both liquid fuel atomization/combustion and gas fuel combustion capabilities in a single unit, eliminating the need for separate gas supply systems while maintaining low noise and odor emissions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges the liquid fuel processing functions (atomization, vaporization, partial oxidation) with the gas fuel combustion functions into a single integrated burner system. The reactor chamber handles liquid fuel conversion to gas phase, while the mixing chamber handles both liquid-derived gas phase and external gas fuel mixing with air, combining what would traditionally be separate systems into one unified device.
3Productivity
If liquid fuel is atomized and vaporized, then combustion efficiency is improved, but additional heating energy is required
Solution Approach 1:
The system is designed to be self-sufficient in terms of heating energy. The exothermic oxidation reaction that occurs in the reactor chamber during the conversion of liquid fuel to gas phase provides the necessary heat for vaporizing the atomized fuel droplets. This self-service approach eliminates the need for external heating devices or additional energy input, maintaining combustion efficiency while avoiding extra energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes phase transitions of the fuel itself to achieve efficient combustion. Liquid fuel droplets are atomized and then vaporized through the heat generated by the exothermic oxidation reaction in the same chamber. This internal phase transition process, driven by the fuel's own chemical reaction, eliminates the need for external heating energy while maintaining high combustion efficiency.
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 system achieves quiet, odorless combustion of liquid fuels by converting them into a fuel gas through partial oxidation, allowing for efficient use of stored vehicle fuel and reducing noise and odor emissions, similar to gas burner systems.
Implementation Method 1
an atomization device for atomizing liquid fuel
Implementation Method 2
The droplets are then vaporized by supplying heat and converted into the gas phase
Implementation Method 3
converting the atomized fuel into a gas phase and for partial oxidation of the gas phase and thus for generating a fuel gas
Implementation Method 4
The partial oxidation of the gas phase corresponds to a fuel treatment which is known in the prior art as 'cold flame'
Implementation Method 5
a mixing chamber adjoining the reactor is provided for mixing the fuel gas with secondary air
Implementation Method 6
After leaving the mixture outlet, the mixture can be ignited, with the resulting flame burning quietly
Data Source
AI summary
The burner system has an atomization device (2) for atomizing liquid fuel. A mixing chamber (11) is attached at a reactor (1) for mixing flue gases with secondary air. The mixing chamber stays in connection with a reactor chamber by a flue gas inlet for letting in flue gas from the reactor chamber into the mixing chamber. The mixing chamber has a secondary air inlet (13) for letting in the secondary air. The mixing chamber has a mixing outlet (16) for letting out the mixture of the flue gas and the secondary air, where the mixture can be ignited after leaving the mixing outlet. An independent claim is also included for a method for the burner system for burning liquid fuel.