Submerged Combustion Burner Flame Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional submerged combustion burners for melting vitrifiable materials tend to produce unstable flames, especially under extreme agitation conditions, leading to inefficiencies and increased wear in the melting process.
Innovation Solution
A submerged combustion melter design featuring three concentric tubes, where the internal tube is connected to oxygen, the middle tube to fuel gas, and the outer tube to oxygen, creating a stable flame by enveloping the fuel gas with oxygen, and optionally incorporating a cooling tube and nitrogen source for enhanced stability and protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional submerged combustion burners are used, then the melting process can proceed, but the flame becomes unstable under extreme agitation conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The burner employs a nested tube structure with three concentric tubes where the internal tube is surrounded by the middle tube, which is in turn surrounded by the outer tube. This nesting arrangement allows multiple gas flows (fuel gas and oxygen-containing gas) to be delivered simultaneously in a controlled manner, creating a stable flame envelope that resists disruption from melt agitation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical parameters of the combustion system by introducing multiple gas flow streams through different tubes with different velocities and compositions. The internal tube delivers fuel gas at one velocity while the middle and outer tubes deliver oxygen-containing gas at different velocities, creating a controlled combustion environment that maintains stability under agitation.
2Productivity
If fuel gas and oxygen are blown through concentric tubes for combustion, then submerged combustion melting can be achieved, but the flame stability deteriorates under extreme conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The burner delivers different gas compositions and flow velocities at different radial positions within the combustion zone. The internal tube provides fuel gas centrally, while the middle and outer tubes provide oxygen-containing gas in annular regions, creating localized combustion zones with optimal fuel-to-oxidant ratios that maintain stability even under extreme agitation 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 design achieves a stable flame even in agitated melts, reducing furnace wear and improving process control, allowing for efficient melting of materials at high temperatures with reduced energy consumption and increased product homogeneity.
Implementation Method 1
introducing fuel gas and oxygen containing gas through the mass of molten material, causing said fuel gas and oxygen to mix and burn within said mass, melting additional raw material by the heat generated by the burning gas mixture
Data Source
AI summary
The claims define a submerged combustion melter comprising a submerged combustion burner (1) comprising three concentric tubes, all being closed at one end and open at the same opposite end, the internal tube (3) being connected to a source of oxygen containing gas (7), the middle tube (9) surrounding the internal tube (3) being connected to a source of fuel gas (11), and the outer tube (15) being connected to a source (19) of oxygen containing gas. The claims are also directed to a method of introducing a flame and/or combustion products into a melt from a submerged combustion burner and also directed to the use of the burner as a submerged combustion burner in a melter.