Side Burner Flame Guide Design to Reduce Central Unheated Zone
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Solution Overview
Problem
Outdoor gas side burners on grills are inefficient and fail to match the cooking performance and functionality of indoor stove top burners, with a large central zone beneath cooking pots not heated by the flame and inefficient heat transfer due to design features like large burner heads and parallel support rods, leading to combustion failure and reduced energy efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A side burner design with a burner head and flame guide element that directs the combustible gas feed stream to exit at an angle of 0° to 30° upward from horizontal, reducing the central unheated zone and improving heat transfer efficiency, combined with a burner pan and support elements that eliminate air insulated zones and enhance fuel efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the burner head is made large in diameter to prevent flame-out in high winds, then reliability under adverse conditions is improved, but the central unheated zone beneath the cooking pot becomes very large, reducing heat transfer efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The burner head is segmented into multiple discharge ports arranged around the circumference, with each port directing flame in a specific direction. This segmentation allows the large burner head to maintain combustion stability while distributing heat more effectively across the cooking pot surface, reducing the central unheated zone.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the burner head are designed with different discharge characteristics. The discharge ports are positioned and angled to create localized flame patterns that target specific areas of the cooking pot, ensuring that even the central region receives adequate heat while maintaining overall combustion stability.
2Reliability
If the burner head is spaced far below the cooking pot support to prevent flame impingement and combustion failure, then reliability is improved, but the distance reduces heat transfer efficiency to the cooking pot
Solution Approach 1:
The burner head positioning is optimized to achieve a dynamic balance between reliability and efficiency. The specific spacing allows the flame to extend upward and contact the cooking pot bottom effectively while maintaining sufficient distance to prevent direct impingement that would cause combustion failure, achieving both combustion stability and heat transfer efficiency.
3Reliability
If higher fuel input is provided at low valve control settings to sustain flame in high wind, then reliability under adverse conditions is improved, but energy efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The discharge port geometry and arrangement are designed to optimize fuel-air mixing and combustion efficiency. This allows the burner to maintain stable combustion in high wind conditions with lower fuel input compared to conventional burners, improving fuel efficiency while maintaining reliability.
4Reliability
If the fuel/air mixture is ejected at a downward angle from the discharge ports to prevent flame-out, then reliability is improved, but the central zone beneath the cooking pan is not heated, reducing cooking performance
Solution Approach 1:
The discharge ports are asymmetrically positioned and angled relative to the burner head center. This asymmetric design creates flame patterns that extend upward and outward, ensuring that the central region beneath the cooking pot receives heat while maintaining the downward angle necessary to prevent flame-out in windy conditions.
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 new design significantly increases the direct contact area of the combustion flame with the cooking pot, reduces air insulated zones, and meets high wind and adverse condition requirements, achieving improved cooking performance and energy efficiency compared to prior art burners.
Implementation Method 1
The flame guide element has a plurality of guide openings positioned for discharging the combustible gas feed stream into the burner head toward the discharge ports
Implementation Method 2
for discharging a combustible gas feed stream received from a fuel line
Implementation Method 3
discharge ports extending around the burner head for discharging a combustible gas fuel (typically a fuel and primary air mixture) for combustion
Data Source
AI summary
A burner apparatus which can be used as a side burner for an outdoor grill. The burner apparatus includes a burner head having a plurality of surrounding discharge ports and a flame guide element positioned in the burner head for receiving the combustible gas feed stream. The flame guide element has a plurality of guide openings which discharge the combustible gas stream into the burner head toward the discharge ports such that the combustible gas stream flows out of the discharge ports of the burner head at an angle which is preferably in the range of from 0° to about 30° upward from horizontal. This greatly increases the effectiveness and fuel efficiency of the burner by increasing the flame contact area for a cooking pot placed on the burner, allowing the use of a more shallow burner pan, and allowing the burner head to be raised.