Tilting Wall-Fired Burner for Steam Temperature Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional wall-fired burners in steam generation plants, particularly those using multiple fuels, face challenges in efficiently controlling steam temperature and reducing emissions such as NOx, CO, and VOC, especially when transitioning between coal and natural gas firing.

Innovation Solution

A tilting wall-fired burner design featuring a bar linkage that connects the fuel tip and air tips for joint rotation about pivot axes, allowing adjustment of fuel and airflow direction to control steam temperature and emissions, with a rotating drive mechanism and arm connector to facilitate tilting of the tips, enhancing air staging and mixing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If conventional wall-fired burners direct air and fuel perpendicularly outward from the furnace wall, then the burner structure is simple, but the ability to control steam temperature and emissions is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveability to control steam temperature and emissionsVSAvoidburner structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The burner employs a tilting mechanism that allows the burner assembly to rotate about a pivot axis, dynamically adjusting the firing angle between the burner and furnace wall. This dynamic adjustment capability enables optimization of steam temperature and emissions control by changing the combustion trajectory, while the mechanical tilting structure maintains reasonable complexity through the use of pivot joints and linkage mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Productivity

If the burner is designed with fixed perpendicular orientation, then the device complexity is low, but the productivity and emission control capability are limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesteam generation capacityVSAvoidburner structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The tilting mechanism enables dynamic adjustment of the burner orientation to optimize combustion efficiency and steam generation capacity. By allowing the burner to tilt toward or away from the furnace center, the system can maximize heat transfer efficiency and steam production rate, with the mechanical complexity managed through straightforward pivot and linkage design.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Adaptability or versatility

If multiple fuel types are used in wall-fired burners, then the versatility is improved, but the control of emissions such as NOx, CO and VOC becomes more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemultiple fuel capabilityVSAvoidemissions control
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The tilting mechanism allows dynamic adjustment of the combustion trajectory and mixing characteristics, enabling optimization of emission control for different fuel types. By adjusting the firing angle, the system can control the residence time and mixing intensity of fuel and air, thereby reducing NOx, CO and VOC emissions across multiple fuel configurations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

4Ease of operation

If the burner maintains fixed orientation, then the ease of operation is high, but the ability to optimize combustion characteristics is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveburner operation simplicityVSAvoidcombustion optimization capability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The tilting mechanism provides a single degree of freedom adjustment that simplifies operation while enabling combustion optimization. The burner can be tilted to predetermined positions or continuously adjusted during operation, providing versatile combustion control without requiring complex multi-axis mechanisms, thus maintaining ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

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 tilting wall-fired burner design increases steam generation capacity, reduces maintenance, and effectively controls NOx, CO, and VOC emissions by optimizing combustion characteristics and residence time within the furnace.

Implementation Method 1

A tilting wall-fired burner design featuring a bar linkage that connects the fuel tip and air tips for joint rotation about pivot axes, allowing adjustment of fuel and airflow direction to control steam temperature and emissions

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCombustion: Combustion

Data Source

PatentEP3242082B1Tiltable wall-fired gas burner
Publication Date: 2019.10.02 BABCOCK POWER SERVICES INC
  • EP3242082B1 patent drawingFigure 1~4
  • EP3242082B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6
  • EP3242082B1 patent drawingFigure 7~9

AI summary

A wall-fired burner (100) includes a fuel tip (102) defining a fuel direction axis (X) and a fuel tip pivot axis (Z) perpendicular thereto. A first air tip (104) is adjacent to the fuel tip. The first air tip defines a first air direction axis (D) and a first air tip pivot axis (F) perpendicular thereto. A second air tip (106) is adjacent to the fuel tip, opposite from the first air tip across the fuel tip. The second air tip defines a second air direction axis (A) and a second air tip pivot axis (C) perpendicular thereto. A mechanism (108) operatively connects the fuel tip, the first air tip and the second air tip for at least one of independent and/or joint movement of the fuel tip, the first air tip and the second air tip.