Through-port Oxy-fuel Burner Design for Glass Furnace Retrofit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Converting air-fuel firing systems in glass furnaces to oxy-fuel firing is challenging due to space limitations and structural integrity issues, leading to high pressure drops and turbulence when installing oxy-fuel burners, resulting in short flames and nozzle overheating.
Innovation Solution
A burner design with a first cooling fluid jacket and concentric oxidant and fuel conduits, featuring a bend angle of 45° to 120° and a length-to-diameter ratio of 0.8 to 7, with a convex inner surface in the oxidant conduit and a concave outer surface in the fuel conduit, to minimize turbulence and promote straight flow, along with optional oxidant staging to control flame temperature.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the oxy-fuel burner is installed through a small hole in the port neck to maintain structural integrity, then the structural integrity is preserved, but the burner design becomes complex requiring abrupt flow direction changes close to the discharge nozzle
Solution Approach 1:
The burner is divided into multiple sections: a vertical section for inserting through the port neck, a bend section with controlled angle (45°-120°) for flow direction change, and a horizontal discharge section. This segmentation allows the burner to navigate the spatial constraints while maintaining structural integrity and reducing flow turbulence.
Solution Approach 2:
The bend angle parameter is optimized to be between 45°-120° rather than sharp 90° bends, and the length-to-diameter ratio is controlled (0.8-7) to balance flow straightening with compact design. These parameter changes reduce turbulence and pressure drop while accommodating the small installation hole constraints.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a long horizontal section is used to terminate the discharge nozzle, then the flow direction change is gradual, but the hole size must be large impacting structural steel and space is insufficient in the regenerator port
Solution Approach 1:
The bend section uses a curved geometry with controlled bend angle (45°-120°) instead of sharp angular changes. This curvature gradually redirects the flow from vertical to horizontal direction, reducing turbulence and pressure drop while fitting within the limited space and small hole constraints of the regenerator port.
3Volume of moving object
If the discharge nozzle is positioned close to the elbow section, then space is saved in the regenerator port, but high pressure drop and turbulence occur causing rapid mixing and combustion close to the nozzle
Solution Approach 1:
The length-to-diameter ratio of the horizontal discharge section is optimized (0.8-7) to provide sufficient flow development length after the bend. This ensures that the flow is sufficiently straightened and stabilized before reaching the discharge nozzle, preventing premature combustion and nozzle overheating while maintaining compact burner dimensions for port installation.
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 design allows for efficient oxy-fuel firing with reduced turbulence and flame length, minimizing nozzle overheating and extending burner life, while maintaining structural integrity and improving glass melting efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a first cooling fluid jacket... passing a coolant through the first cooling fluid jacket
Implementation Method 2
first cooling fluid jacket... to prevent overheating of the burner
Implementation Method 3
Turbulence causes rapid mixing and consequently combustion close to the nozzle
Implementation Method 4
rapid mixing and consequently combustion
Implementation Method 5
combustion flames for glass melting... combusting the fuel or the other fuel with the first oxidant gas to form combustion products
Implementation Method 6
combustion... producing high temperature flames
Data Source
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AI summary
A fluid-cooled through-port oxy-fuel burner for converting an air-fuel regenerator port from air-fuel combustion to oxy-fuel combustion and an associated furnace and method. The oxy-fuel burner is suitable for installing through a regenerator port neck. The burner has an elbow-like bend to accommodate the geometry of the regenerator port neck. The burner has a cooling fluid jacket, a fuel conduit, a first oxidant conduit, and optionally an oxidant staging conduit.