Consumable Burner Tips for Submerged Combustion Melter

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Solution Overview

Problem

The challenge in submerged combustion melters is the short life of burners and refractory linings due to the use of expensive noble metal alloys, which are costly and difficult to fabricate entirely, and the need to attach non-noble metal portions to noble metal tips without compromising mechanical strength and coolant leak proofing.

Innovation Solution

The design incorporates an annular liquid-cooled jacket with movable inner and outer conduits, where the outer conduit has a threaded or dog-tooth configuration, allowing axial movement and enabling the use of less wear-resistant materials, such as carbon steel, and allowing the burner tips to be positioned further away from the melter walls, reducing wear and extending the melter's campaign length.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If noble metal alloys are used for burner tips to withstand extreme environments, then reliability and durability are improved, but manufacturing cost and fabrication difficulty increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveburner tip durabilityVSAvoidfabrication difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The burner is divided into multiple segments: a reusable burner body and a consumable burner tip. The tip can be replaced when worn, while the expensive burner body is retained. This segmentation allows using cheaper materials for replaceable parts while maintaining reliability in critical components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different materials are used for different parts of the burner based on their specific functional requirements. The burner body uses materials optimized for structural integrity and coolant flow, while the burner tip uses materials specifically selected for wear and corrosion resistance in the extreme combustion environment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Ease of manufacture

If non-noble metal portions are attached to noble metal tips to reduce cost, then manufacturing cost decreases, but mechanical strength and coolant leak proofing may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing costVSAvoidmechanical strength

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The burner is separated into a burner body and burner tip that can be manufactured independently using different materials, then assembled together. This allows cost optimization through material selection while maintaining overall structural integrity through proper design of the interface.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Productivity

If burner tips are positioned closer to molten material for efficient melting, then productivity increases, but wear on burner tips accelerates reducing their lifespan

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemelting efficiencyVSAvoidburner tip lifespan

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The burner tip is designed as a consumable component that can be easily replaced when worn. This allows the tip to be positioned optimally for productivity without concern for long-term durability, as replacement is simpler and cheaper than before.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Solution Approach 2:

The burner tip is made movable along the burner body, allowing its position to be adjusted dynamically. This enables optimization of the position for productivity while managing wear through periodic repositioning or replacement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

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 design extends the life of submerged combustion melter components by allowing the use of less expensive materials and reducing wear on the burner tips, thereby increasing the operational duration of the melter while maintaining mechanical strength and coolant integrity.

Implementation Method 1

an annular liquid cooled jacket defining a central longitudinal through passage

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeat transfer: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 2

passing oxygen, oxygen-enriched mixtures, or air along with a liquid, gaseous and/or particulate fuel directly into a molten pool

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCombustion: Combustion

Data Source

PatentUS11248787B2Consumable tip burners, submerged combustion melters including same, and methods

Publication Date: 2022.02.15 JOHNS MANVILLE CORP

AI summary

Combustion burners, burner panels, submerged combustion melters including the panels, and methods of using the same are disclosed. In certain embodiments, the burner includes an annular liquid cooled jacket defining a central longitudinal through passage. An inner conduit is positioned substantially concentrically within an outer conduit, the latter positioned in the through passage, each conduit comprising proximal and distal ends, the conduits configured so that the outer and inner conduits are movable axially. The inner conduit forms a primary passage and the outer conduit forms a secondary passage between the outer conduit and the inner conduit. In one embodiment the outer conduit has an exterior surface configured along at least a portion thereof with threads mating with adjacent threads on an inner surface of the annular liquid cooled jacket. Other embodiments including lock and release dogs or bolt arrangements. The burners promote burner life and melter campaign length.