Flat Flame Burner with Segmented Flow Separation for Low-NOx Combustion

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing burners in the glass, ceramics, and metallurgical industries face challenges in reducing NOx emissions and achieving economic efficiency, particularly in supporting flameless combustion, which is necessary for favorable emissions but not effectively handled by current designs.

Innovation Solution

The burner design features flow-separated fuel and oxidizing agent feeds through the burner block, allowing combustion to occur before outlet openings, creating a broad, fanned-out flame and enabling almost laminar flow conditions for flameless combustion, with independently controllable feeds and secondary oxidizing agent supply for staged combustion.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Area of stationary object

If a burner design with diverging fuel gas flows is used to expand the flame, then the flame coverage is improved, but the refractory material of the burner block is exposed to high loads and wear

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveflame coverage areaVSAvoidburner block durability
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The burner is divided into multiple independent outlet openings arranged in rows, with fuel and oxidizing agent feeds flow-separated through the burner block. This segmentation allows the flame to be expanded across multiple points without exposing any single location of the burner block to concentrated thermal and mechanical loads, thereby protecting the refractory material while achieving broad flame coverage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Object-generated harmful factors

If flameless combustion is implemented to reduce NOx emissions, then emissions are improved, but existing burner designs cannot achieve this effectively

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveNOx emissionsVSAvoidcombustion mode flexibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The burner design enables change in combustion parameters by controlling the mixing ratio of fuel and oxidizing agent, and by adjusting the flow separation characteristics. By optimizing these parameters, the burner achieves flameless combustion mode that significantly reduces NOx emissions while maintaining adaptability to different operational requirements through independent control of fuel and oxidizing agent feeds.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Productivity

If fuel and oxidizing agent feeds are mixed before combustion, then combustion efficiency is improved, but flame geometry control and adaptability are reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecombustion efficiencyVSAvoidflame geometry adaptability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The burner employs flow-separated feeds for fuel and oxidizing agent through the burner block, with multiple outlet openings that can be independently controlled. This segmentation allows precise control over the mixing process and flame geometry, enabling adaptation to different spatial conditions and metallurgical requirements while maintaining high combustion efficiency through optimized mixing at the outlet openings.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

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 significantly reduces NOx emissions, protects the refractory burner block from wear, and enhances flexibility and economic efficiency by allowing adaptable flame geometry and impulse currents, achieving low-NOx, flameless combustion.

Implementation Method 1

Combustion only takes place in front of the outlet openings and at a distance from the burner block. The combustion processes at the various outlet openings influence each other and lead to the development of a broad, fanned-out overall flame. The combustion gases enter the combustion chamber parallel to one another and in this way also enable the production of almost laminar flow conditions, which allow flameless combustion in the combustion chamber.

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFlameless combustion: Combustion

Implementation Method 2

The combustion gases enter the combustion chamber parallel to one another and in this way also enable the production of almost laminar flow conditions, which allow flameless combustion in the combustion chamber.

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLaminar flow: Laminar Flow

Implementation Method 3

The conversion affects all common hearth furnaces and furnace types. The flame temperature is increased by the oxygen enrichment or the use of pure oxygen as an oxidizing agent. The associated increase in the radiation of the radiant components of the fuel gas increases the heat transfer to the product.

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectOxygen enrichment combustion: Combustion

Implementation Method 4

The associated increase in the radiation of the radiant components of the fuel gas increases the heat transfer to the product.

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal radiation: Thermal Radiation

Data Source

PatentEP2202460B1Flat flame burner and method for operating same
Publication Date: 2019.02.20 MESSER AUSTRIA
  • EP2202460B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2

AI summary

The burner (1) has a fuel feed and has an oxidant supply for a primary oxidant. The fuel feed connected to a fuel line, extends through a burner port (4) and opens out at an outlet port in a combustion chamber. The oxidant supply connected to an oxidant line, extends through the burner port. The fuel line and the oxidant supply extend through the combustion port parallelly to each other for the primary oxidant and opens out in the combustion chamber, where oxygen is used as an oxidant. An independent claim is also included for a method for operating a burner.