Hydrogen Dark Radiant Tube Burner With Flashback-Safe Air Mixing

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing radiant heaters emit pollutants such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and hydrocarbons, despite achieving high efficiency, necessitating further reduction in emissions while maintaining efficiency.

Innovation Solution

Utilizing a hydrogen-based fuel source exclusively for the dark radiator, with a blower connected to an ejector, and employing a high air-fuel ratio to control flame temperature and mix hydrogen with combustion air outside the blower, eliminating the need for premixing chambers and flame flashback prevention.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If natural gas or LPG is used as fuel, then the heater achieves high efficiency, but carbon-containing pollutants (carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrocarbons) are emitted

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheating efficiencyVSAvoidcarbon-containing pollutant emissions
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the chemical composition parameter of the fuel from carbon-containing gases (natural gas, LPG) to hydrogen, which contains no carbon. This fundamental parameter change eliminates the source of carbon-containing pollutants while maintaining the energy release capability through hydrogen combustion, resolving the contradiction between efficiency and pollutant emissions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Object-generated harmful factors

If hydrogen is used as fuel exclusively, then carbon-containing pollutant emissions are eliminated, but flame temperature increases leading to nitrogen oxide formation and material thermal impairment

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecarbon-containing pollutant emissionsVSAvoidnitrogen oxide formation and thermal impairment
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces air as an intermediary substance that mixes with hydrogen before combustion. By controlling the air-to-hydrogen ratio to be higher than the stoichiometric ratio, the air acts as a temperature moderating agent that absorbs excess heat and prevents flame temperature from reaching the threshold for nitrogen oxide formation and material thermal impairment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the combustion parameter by using a high air-to-fuel ratio (higher than stoichiometric) instead of the conventional ratio. This parameter change controls the flame temperature to remain below the limit temperatures for nitrogen oxide formation and material thermal impairment, resolving the contradiction between using hydrogen and preventing its harmful effects.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Manufacturing precision

If hydrogen and combustion air are mixed inside the blower, then the mixing ratio can be controlled, but the blower material is exposed to flame flashback risk and thermal impairment

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemixing ratio controlVSAvoidblower material integrity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the mixing process from the blower function. The blower is responsible only for supplying air, while the mixing of hydrogen and air occurs in a separate mixing chamber. This segmentation protects the blower from flame flashback and thermal exposure while still achieving controlled mixing ratios through the design of the mixing chamber and ejector system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a mixing chamber as an intermediary component between the hydrogen source and the blower. This intermediary allows the hydrogen and air to mix in a controlled environment away from the blower, preventing flame flashback to the blower while maintaining precise mixing ratio control through the ejector mechanism.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Loss of energy

If a premixing chamber is used to mix fuel gas and air, then complete combustion is achieved, but the device complexity increases and flame flashback risk arises

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecombustion efficiencyVSAvoidburner structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the mixing function from a dedicated premixing chamber and integrates it into the existing blower system through an ejector mechanism. The high-velocity air flow from the blower creates a low-pressure zone that draws hydrogen in and mixes it thoroughly, achieving complete combustion without requiring a separate complex premixing chamber structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent makes the blower multi-functional by having it perform both air supply and fuel-air mixing functions. The blower's air flow serves dual purposes: providing combustion air and creating the ejector effect for hydrogen induction and mixing. This eliminates the need for separate premixing equipment, reducing device complexity while maintaining combustion efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

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

Achieves reduced pollutant emissions by using hydrogen combustion, maintaining efficiency, and preventing flame flashback, thus minimizing nitrogen oxide formation and thermal impairment.

Implementation Method 1

A flame is generated by burning a mixture of fuel gas and air within the burner

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCombustion: Combustion

Implementation Method 2

the burner is configured so that part of the air supplied by the blower is directed to the mixer and another part of the air is directed to a secondary air duct, in order to supply a portion of the combustion air to the flame without fuel

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMixing:

Implementation Method 3

The flame heats the radiant tube uniformly, generating thermal radiation that is emitted onto the area to be heated

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal radiation: Thermal Radiation

Implementation Method 4

The exhaust gases produced by combustion are removed from the radiant tube by a fan

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectForced convection: Forced Convection

Data Source

PatentEP4729835A2Dark emitters
Publication Date: 2026.04.22 SCHWANK GMBH
  • EP4729835A2 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4729835A2 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4729835A2 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

The invention relates to a dark radiator, comprising a burner (1, 5, 6, 7), a blower (2) and a radiant tube (3) connected to an exhaust gas discharge line, wherein the burner (1) is connected to a fuel gas supply, wherein the blower (2) is configured to supply combustion air to the burner (1), wherein the burner (1) is configured to emit a flame into the radiant tube (3, 3'), and wherein the fuel gas supply is connected to a hydrogen source.