Multi-output Valve Distributor for Non-stationary Flame Burner
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial processes that require elevated temperatures for heating and melting materials often suffer from non-uniform temperature distribution due to fixed flame positions, leading to inefficiencies and potential damage from 'hot spots' or excessive oxidation.
Innovation Solution
A burner system with a central feed port and multiple outer ports, where a valve distributor allows for sequential injection of fuel and oxidant streams through different ports, creating a non-stationary flame that deflects and mixes to provide a more uniform heat distribution, avoiding hot spots and optimizing temperature uniformity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a fixed flame position is used in a burner, then the burner structure is simple and easy to operate, but the temperature distribution across the material surface becomes non-uniform, creating hot spots and excessive oxidation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the flame position variable rather than fixed. A movable burner assembly is implemented that can change its position relative to the material surface, allowing the flame to dynamically adjust and distribute heat more uniformly across the surface. This resolves the contradiction by transforming the static burner structure into a dynamic system that adapts to achieve uniform temperature distribution.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs periodic action through oscillating or reciprocating motion of the burner assembly. The flame position is varied periodically across the material surface, ensuring that different areas receive heat exposure in a cyclical manner. This periodic movement of the flame distributes thermal energy more evenly over time, achieving uniform temperature distribution while using a relatively simple mechanical oscillation mechanism.
2Productivity
If the burner is positioned to maximize heat flux, then heating efficiency is improved, but hot spots and damage to the material or enclosure occur
Solution Approach 1:
The movable burner assembly dynamically adjusts its position to distribute the high heat flux across different areas of the material surface over time. By continuously or periodically changing position, the system maintains high overall heating efficiency while preventing any single location from receiving excessive concentrated heat that would cause hot spots or damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system maintains continuous heating action across the entire material surface by moving the flame through different positions. This ensures that all areas receive adequate heat exposure over time, achieving uniform temperature distribution and maximizing overall heating efficiency without concentrating energy in one location, thereby preventing hot spots.
3Ease of operation
If the flame is kept at a fixed position to simplify operation, then ease of operation is maintained, but temperature uniformity across the material surface deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The burner assembly automatically performs periodic oscillation or reciprocation through a defined range, exposing different areas of the material surface to the flame in a cyclical pattern. This automated periodic motion achieves uniform temperature distribution across the surface while requiring minimal operator intervention, thus maintaining ease of operation while improving temperature uniformity.
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 a more uniform temperature distribution across the material being heated, reducing the risk of hot spots and excessive oxidation, while allowing for efficient heat transfer and stable combustion, thus enhancing the performance and longevity of heating processes.
Implementation Method 1
a valve distributor within the valve chamber and rotatable therein in said first region about said axis... the valve distributor containing a channel extending inwardly from the side surface of the valve distributor... to receive gas from said open space
Implementation Method 2
processes requiring such elevated temperatures often combust carbonaceous fuel, in one or more burners each of which produces a flame
Implementation Method 3
creating a non-stationary flame that deflects and mixes to provide a more uniform heat distribution
Data Source
AI summary
A valve useful in distributing gas received in one inlet to several outlets in a sequence, and burner apparatus including this valve for feeding material in sequence to outlets of a burner thereby forming a non-stationary flame at the burner.