Outdoor Gas Flare Burner Venting for Rain-Resistant Operation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gas flares used in outdoor settings, such as terraces and gardens, are prone to rainwater ingress, leading to corrosion and malfunctions, necessitating regular maintenance and design limitations, and are often dismantled during inclement weather.
Innovation Solution
A burner design featuring a gas distribution element and burner tube with aligned gas outlet and ventilation openings, made of corrosion-resistant materials, ensures rainwater drainage and continuous operation, allowing for adjustable flame control and compatibility with various gas types.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional gas flares are used outdoors, then they can provide lighting and heat in open spaces, but rainwater ingress causes corrosion and malfunctions requiring regular maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The burner is divided into functionally independent segments: the burner tube with ventilation openings and the gas distribution element with gas outlet openings. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function while being resistant to precipitation, eliminating the need for protective covers and enabling continuous operation.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the burner are designed with specific local characteristics: the burner tube has ventilation openings positioned to allow rainwater drainage, while the gas distribution element has transverse gas outlet openings that prevent water ingress. This local optimization of structure and function ensures reliable operation in outdoor conditions.
2Reliability
If gas flares are covered with hoods or roofs to protect from rain, then corrosion and malfunctions are reduced, but design options are limited and additional costs are generated
Solution Approach 1:
The protective function previously requiring external hoods or roofs is extracted and integrated directly into the burner structure itself. The burner tube and gas distribution element are designed with precipitation-resistant features, eliminating the need for separate protective structures and reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The burner structure provides its own protection against precipitation through its geometric design. The transverse openings and drainage paths are built into the burner itself, allowing it to protect its own critical components without external aids, thereby simplifying the overall system.
3Reliability
If gas flares are dismantled and stored during precipitation, then corrosion is prevented, but operational continuity is interrupted and additional labor is required
Solution Approach 1:
The burner is designed to maintain continuous operational capability in outdoor conditions. The precipitation-resistant design allows the gas flare to operate continuously without dismantling or storage during rain, ensuring uninterrupted lighting and heating functions while preventing corrosion through its geometric structure.
4Ease of repair
If replacement components are stored for failed burners, then repair capability is maintained, but storage space and labor costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The burner is designed with a robust, precipitation-resistant structure that eliminates the need for replacement components. By preventing corrosion and malfunction through its geometric design, the burner becomes a long-lasting component that does not require inventory of spare parts, reducing both storage requirements and maintenance labor.
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
Ensures uninterrupted operation despite rain, reduces maintenance needs, and allows operation with different gases, enhancing reliability and cost-effectiveness.
Implementation Method 1
Due to the orientation of at least one gas outlet opening transverse to the longitudinal axis, it is ensured that rainwater can essentially not enter the gas distribution element
Implementation Method 2
made of corrosion-resistant materials, ensures rainwater drainage and maintains operation despite precipitation
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
Burner (1) for a gas flare (20) for illuminating open spaces, in particular terraces or beer gardens, and/or for providing heat outdoors, which burner (1) extends along a longitudinal axis (2) and - comprises a burner tube (3) with at least one ventilation opening (4) extending transversely to the longitudinal axis (2). In order to ensure smooth operation despite precipitation, the invention provides that the burner (1) - comprises a gas distribution element (5) fluidly connected to the burner tube (3) and having a tubular base body (6) comprising at least one gas outlet opening (7) extending transversely to the longitudinal axis (2).