Gas incinerator

Details Gas incinerator Gas incinerator

1999-11-03

2001-01-02

Yeung, James C. (Department: 3743)

Combustion

Structural installation

C431S005000, C431S186000, C431S354000

Utility Patent

active

06168422

ABSTRACT:

This invention relates generally to incinerators for burning gas in such a way as to achieve complete combustion without visible flames at the outlet for the combustion gases.
BACKGROUND OF THIS INVENTION
In the field involving the combustion of gaseous products, two distinct constructions can be identified.
The first is that of a conventional burner, of the kind used in boilers, furnaces and the like. The second is properly referred to as an incinerator, or “waste gas incinerators”, where the object is to bum off undesirable gases, for example gases with a substantial content of sulphuric or nitrogen compounds.
The aim in constructing a burner (the first category) is to produce a long and efficient flame which is projected out of the burner toward the surfaces intended to receive the heat from the flame (like water-tubes in a boiler). By contrast, it is desirable to construct an incinerator in such a way that all visible flame is retained within the incinerator, and the gaseous products of combustion escape from the incinerator invisibly.
There is a need in the industry for a gas incinerator suitable for waste and other gases, which eliminates visible flame and which creates a stable internal fireball which is continuously fed with waste gas and air, and wherein the dynamics of the structure allow for the air to be drawn into the combustion area by natural convection, without having to supply a source of pressurized combustion air.
PRIOR ART
Typical of the prior art relating to burners is U.S. Pat. No. 4,245,980, issued Jan. 20, 1981 to Reed et al. In the Reed device, a nozzle connected to a source of fuel is adapted to spray the fuel in a conical configuration into a combustion chamber. The fuel, having been ignited, then is expelled from the combustion chamber. As this device is a burner, rather than an incinerator, the main aim is to ensure that most of the gaseous fuel will be burned outside the burner, since the components or surfaces intended to receive the heat are generally located a certain distance away from the burner.
Another patent directed to a burner is U.S. Pat. No. 4,431,403, issued Feb. 14, 1984, to Nowak et al. In this patent, primary air is mixed with a gaseous fuel and is sprayed divergingly-into a combustion chamber. Secondary air is provided under pressure, and undergoes a division into two pathways. The result is that one portion of the secondary air rotates in a first cyclonic direction, and the other portion of the secondary air rotates in the opposite sense. These two fractions of the secondary air commingle, and this is said to promote good mixing of the secondary air with the fuel/primary air. Here again, the point is to merely initiate burning in the combustion chamber, and to produce a long flame reaching away from the burner, providing heat to various surfaces.
Canadian patent 1,301,048, issued May 19, 1992 to Bob Polak is also of interest. This device is entitled “Acid Gas Burner”, and the patentee states that his invention is particularly directed toward acid gas burners utilized in sulphur plant waste heat boilers. In order to function properly in a boiler, the burners will have to produce a flame front adapted to provide heat to distant surfaces. In this patent, there is a particular indication that the burner is in fact a burner, rather than a device intended to contain a fireball without any visible flames leaving the apparatus. This is found in
FIG. 1
, where gas feed pipes communicate with the combustion chamber in such a way as to produce two kinds of motion: a rotary or cyclonic motion, in which the fuel rotates about a central axis, and a forward sloping component, which gives the fuel a thrust toward the open end of the combustion location, thus in effect “pushing” the fuel in the direction of the opening. If this construction were used for an incinerator, the forward slope of the gas-delivery tubes would force the flame front out of the apparatus in the manner common to all burners.
In this prior patent, there is also the provision of a vane arrangement which swirls a portion of the combustion air as it enters an upstream opening. However the vane arrangement covers only the peripheral portion of the airconveying duct, leaving a central core relatively unaffected. This diminishes the degree of turbulence that can be attained in the device of Polak.
Also of interest is Canadian published application 2,168,807, Jones, issued Feb. 5, 1996 for a “Gas Flare”. In this application, a gas flare is described as including a vent stack for combustion air with a first end and a second end. A gaseous fuel cyclone chamber surrounds the vent stack. The cyclone chamber has an interior wall in common with the vent stock, and an exterior wall spaced around the vent stack. The cyclone chamber narrows to define an access opening adjacent the first end of the vent stack. A fuel injection ring surrounds the first end of the vent stack with fuel nozzles extending into the access opening of the cyclone chamber. Gaseous fuel feeds into the cyclone chamber and is thoroughly mixed prior to combustion. Ignition means is positioned above the first end of the stack. Gaseous fuel flowing under pressure from the cyclone chamber creates a venturi effect, drawing air up the vent stack to form a mixture of air and fuel, which is ignited by the ignition means. Combustion air passes along a passageway which communicates with a second end of the vent stack. The combustion air passage follows a circuitous route, including the exterior wall of the cyclone chamber, whereby combustion air in the air passage draws heat from the cyclone chamber.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THIS INVENTION
This invention is specifically directed to a gas incinerator adapted to create and maintain a fireball in such a way as to avoid having flames within the combustion gases where they leave the device.
More particularly, there is provided a gas incinerator having a combustion chamber above a lower chamber and communicating therewith. Combustion air is able to flow into the lower chamber and thence upwardly toward the combustion chamber. Vanes are provided in the lower chamber, configured so as impart a rotational movement to air moving upwardly toward the combustion chamber. Nozzles are provided for injecting a gaseous fuel into the combustion chamber in such a way as to cause the injected gas to rotate oppositely to the air rotation, in order to provide substantial turbulence and mixing. The injection direction of the waste gas lies substantially parallel with a hypothetical plane transverse to the axis of the cyclonic movement of air, thus avoiding an axial component in the injection direction of the gas, and therefore minimizing the expulsion of gas, air and combustion products from the combustion chamber. An ignition modality is provided for igniting the mixture of gas and combustion air.
Still more particularly, this invention provides a gas incinerator comprising:
a base portion having lower wall means defining a lower chamber,
aperture means in the lower wall means, through which combustion air can flow from outside the incinerator into the lower chamber,
an upper portion having upper wall means defining a combustion chamber in communication with said lower chamber, the combustion chamber having, remote from the lower chamber, an opening through which products of combustion can exit from the combustion chamber,
vane means within said lower chamber, the vane means being configured so as to impart a cyclonic movement in one rotary direction to air moving upwardly from the lower chamber to the combustion chamber,
nozzle means for injecting gas into the combustion chamber in such a direction as to impart, to the injected gas, a cyclonic movement in the rotary direction opposite to said one rotary direction, while avoiding promotion of gas movement out through said opening, and
ignition means for igniting a mixture of gas and combustion air in the combustion chamber, thereby causing combustion air to be drawn into the lower chamber and thence to pass upwardly into the combustion chamber to mix

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Gas incinerator does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Gas incinerator, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Gas incinerator will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2457695