Soft-Welded Burner Deck for Thermal Expansion

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Solution Overview

Problem

Gas premix burners with sintered metal fiber decks suffer from acoustic instabilities due to thermal expansion, leading to noise issues, and classical welding methods restrict the ability of metal fiber decks to expand freely, causing potential damage and limiting shape flexibility.

Innovation Solution

A gas premix burner with a woven, knitted, or braided burner deck that is soft-welded over at least 50% of its surface to a perforated plate or mesh, allowing for free expansion and reducing acoustic instabilities, while enabling the production of burners with complex shapes like cylindrical or double-curved designs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If the burner deck is fully welded to the supporting plate, then the structural strength and coherence are improved, but the thermal expansion freedom is reduced causing acoustic instabilities and noise

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural coherenceVSAvoidacoustic instability
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The burner deck is welded only at its periphery to the supporting plate, while the central combustion area remains unwelded. This localized welding approach provides structural support at the edges while allowing the central region to expand freely during combustion, eliminating acoustic instabilities and noise while maintaining structural coherence.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Stability of the object's composition

If classical welding methods are used, then the structural stability is improved, but the shape flexibility is reduced limiting complex designs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural stabilityVSAvoidshape flexibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

Peripheral welding provides structural stability where needed, while the unwelded central area maintains shape flexibility. This approach enables the burner deck to be formed into complex shapes such as cylindrical or double-curved designs, as the unwelded portion can be shaped without welding constraints while the welded periphery provides necessary structural support.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Strength

If the burner deck is fully welded, then the structural strength is improved, but the thermal stress absorption is reduced causing potential damage

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural strengthVSAvoidthermal damage resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The unwelded central combustion area allows free thermal expansion and contraction, enabling the burner deck to absorb thermal stresses without damage. The welded periphery provides structural strength while the unwelded center acts as a stress-absorbing zone, improving reliability and preventing thermal damage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The burner deck is functionally segmented into a welded peripheral zone for structural support and an unwelded central zone for thermal stress absorption. This segmentation allows each zone to perform its specific function optimally, with the unwelded portion freely expanding during combustion to absorb thermal stresses.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

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 soft-welded burner deck absorbs thermal stresses, reduces noise by minimizing acoustic instabilities, and allows for the creation of burners with lower specific weight and complex shapes, maintaining performance and reducing the risk of thermal damage.

Implementation Method 1

the soft welded burner deck absorbs thermal stresses, reduces noise by minimizing acoustic instabilities

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal expansion: Thermal Expansion

Data Source

PatentEP3017099B1Premix gas burner
Publication Date: 2019.05.22 BEKAERT COMBUSTION TECH
  • EP3017099B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP3017099B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

Gas premix burner The invention relates to a gas premix burner (100), comprising • - a perforated plate (135), a woven wire mesh or an expanded metal sheet; • - a woven, knitted or braided burner deck (130) comprising metal fibers, placed on the perforated plate (135), woven wire mesh or expanded metal sheet. The woven, knitted or braided burner deck is soft welded over at least part of its surface to the perforated plate, woven wire mesh or expanded metal sheet.