U.S. patent number 3,592,577 [Application Number 04/838,737] was granted by the patent office on 1971-07-13 for apparatus for promoting complete combustion.
This patent grant is currently assigned to J. Eberspacher. Invention is credited to Siegfried Kofink.
United States Patent |
3,592,577 |
Kofink |
July 13, 1971 |
APPARATUS FOR PROMOTING COMPLETE COMBUSTION
Abstract
Apparatus for insuring that combustion within a combustion
chamber of an apparatus such as a heater, boiler, furnace, and the
like, includes arranging the fuel, air and ignition means in a
combustion chamber such that combustion takes place in the vicinity
of a heat-conducting and heat-equalizing device in order to insure
an even temperature zone at the combustion space and to minimize
the danger of carbonizing or coking. The heat-conducting and
heat-equalizing device comprises preferably a hollow body made of a
material providing good heat conduction and heat-equalizing
characteristics, such as a mass of a metal material having a
capillary action on liquid contacted thereby. The hollow body is
advantageously filled with a liquid such as sodium and the material
of the metal body, for example, a spun copper or a braid metal
material is such that by capillary action the heat is distributed
by the liquid uniformly over the entire surface of the body. The
heat-conducting and heat-equalizing body is arranged directly in a
space where the major portion of the combustion is to take
place.
Inventors: |
Kofink; Siegfried (Zell/Neckar,
DT) |
Assignee: |
J. Eberspacher (Esslingen am
Neckar, DT)
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Family
ID: |
5710855 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/838,737 |
Filed: |
July 3, 1969 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
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Oct 18, 1968 [DT] |
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P 18 03 815.8 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
431/263;
165/104.26; 431/350 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F23C
99/00 (20130101); F23D 5/123 (20130101); F23C
2700/023 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
F23C
99/00 (20060101); F23D 5/00 (20060101); F23D
5/12 (20060101); F23d 013/24 () |
Field of
Search: |
;431/263,347,350,353,338
;110/97 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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904,901 |
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Sep 1962 |
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GB |
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165,554 |
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Mar 1950 |
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OE |
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Primary Examiner: Dority, Jr.; Carroll B.
Claims
I claim:
1. A combustion device comprising wall means defining a combustion
chamber, means for directing fuel and combustion air into said
combustion chamber and for igniting the fuel and combustion air
therein to provide combustion proceeding along a combustion zone,
and a heat conductive mass arranged in the combustion zone and
being of a material to provide a temperature equalization
throughout said combustion zone, said heat conductive mass
comprising a hollow metallic mass having at least the interior
thereof of a material having a capillary action, and a liquid in
said mass capable of evaporating when subjected to heat to be drawn
by capillary action throughout the length of said mass to equalize
the temperature thereof.
2. A combustion device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said
liquid in said mass being a liquid sodium.
3. A combustion device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said wall
means comprises an axial discharge for the combustion flame, an
axial inlet opposite to said discharge for combustion air, an
antechamber having a spark plug therein, means for admitting a
liquid fuel into said antechamber, said antechamber being connected
to said combustion chamber for mixing the fuel with the combustion
air being moved therethrough and for ignition of the mixture by
said spark plug, said hollow metallic mass comprising a hollow ring
of a conductive metallic material, and said ring having an opening
therethrough for communicating said antechamber to said combustion
chamber.
Description
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates in general to apparatus for improving
combustion, and in particular, to a new and useful device such as a
heater, or the like, having a combustion chamber with means for
admitting fuel and air into a combustion space for combustion in
the vicinity of a body of a highly conductive heat-equalizing
material to promote a heat-equalizing zone of substantially
constant temperature within the combustion chamber.
The present invention is particularly concerned with the provision
of a combustion chamber having a heat-equalizing means therein
arranged to lessen the tendency toward coking or carbonizing of the
fuel during the combustion process with a view to obtaining
preferably a blue combustion, that is, a combustion of the fuel
which, will proceed to the extent that there will be very little or
any residue remaining upon the completion of the combustion.
It is known that coking will occur in combustion chamber devices
utilizing pressure atomization burners, or similar fuel injection
devices, for example, in space heaters for automobiles, that a
coking will occur due to poor or irregular combustion. During the
mixing of the injected fuel and the combustion and upon combustion
and ejection of the hot combustion gases, different temperatures
occur in the combustion chamber particularly at the walls thereof.
Because of these differences of temperature there is always a
temperature at which some portion of the fuel mixture will not burn
completely but will deposit as a coking product on the walls. Such
deposition products, as for example hard asphalt will deposit at
various locations on the combustion apparatus and hence the
progress of the combustion will be considerably disturbed. This
disturbed combustion will also cause smoke emission, or smoldering,
in the combustion chamber and this will contribute to pollution of
the air. This has particular disadvantages, for example in respect
to space heating systems in motor vehicles. Of course, when these
systems are badly coked or carbonized, they will require servicing
to remove the depositions for example, by scrapping. The time
required for such scrapping is balanced by the fact that the
overall efficiency of the combustion chamber will decrease to an
extent that it cannot be operated any longer.
A primary cause for the coking or carbonizing is the differences of
temperature which exist along the length of a combustion chamber
and therefore attempts have been made to achieve an improvement of
the condition by the use of suitable inserts. It has been tried for
example, to bring about an improvement by the installation of
copper conducting elements but the copper has so low an oxidation
temperature that these inserts burn up in a short time. Other
materials which seem suitable were either too expensive or their
conductivity is too low.
In accordance with the present invention, a combustion chamber
having a means for supplying combustion air and fuel into a zone in
which the fuel and air is to be ignited, and which may include, for
example, means for deflecting and guiding the flame produced, there
is provided an arrangement by which coking is prevented and blue
combustion of the liquid fuel is achieved. To achieve this a heat
tube is arranged in the region of the fuel mixture processing zone
and the combustion zone or combustion space. Such a heat tube
comprises a heat-conducting and heat-equalizing mass which is
preferably in the form of a tube comprising a metallic hollow body
made of a material having a mass capillary action on liquid and
good conductivity, for example, spun copper or a braid material.
The interior of the body is filled with at least a small quantity
of a liquid such as a liquid sodium. This liquid evaporates upon
being heated, and by the capillary action of the material forming
the hollow body and distributes the heat uniformly over the entire
surface of the heat tube so that the temperature gradient
throughout the burning space and the combustion chamber is
substantially zero. By the arrangement of the heat mass or heat
tube in accordance with the invention the combustion chamber space
can be maintained at a substantially uniform temperature along its
entire extent so that there will be little or no likelihood of
undesired coking or carbonizing taking place. The construction is
such that there will usually occur a sudden heat jump in the
combustion chamber of from 50.degree.to 700.degree. C. from the air
supply and fuel mixture supply conduits. This heat jump will depend
on the design of the entire combustion chamber arrangement,
however. By employing a heat tube made of a spun copper mass having
a capillary action on the liquid, it is possible to achieve
substantially 10,000 times the thermal conductivity of ordinary
copper.
In accordance with the embodiment of the invention the heat mass is
designed as a heat tube in the form of a ring or space cylinder.
This cylinder advantageously includes, on the heat admission side,
means for increasing the heat transfer area such as extensions or
ribs. The apparatus may be incorporated in a space heating burner
for example wherein the tube has an opening to accommodate a spark
plug for providing central ignition to a fuel and air mixture which
is admitted axially. In one form the invention may be incorporated
in a resonant burner in which the heat tube is located adjacent the
supply conduits for air and fuel in back of the means for igniting
the mixture.
In another embodiment the heat-conducting and heat-equalizing mass
is maintained in a central location, for example on a pot burner in
which it will extend axially upwardly therefrom in the direction of
flame propagation.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an
improved combustion device which includes a mass of material having
good heat conducting and heat equalizing capabilities which is
arranged in the vicinity of the combustion space and provides a
means for maintaining a uniform temperature in this space in order
to promote complete combustion of the fuel.
A further object of the invention is to provide a combustion
chamber which includes a tube of a material such as a spun copper
or braid having a capillary action characteristic and which
includes a cavity which is filled with a liquid such as sodium
which is adapted to be moved by the capillary action of the
material forming the mass in order to provide a temperature
equalization throughout the length of the mass in the combustion
chamber.
A further object of the invention is to provide a device such as a
pot burner which includes a mass of a material in the pot adapted
to contact the fuel therein and extending upwardly in the direction
of flame propagation and providing a heat-conducting and
heat-equalizing mass for insuring a uniform temperature in the
combustion zone of the burner.
A further object of the invention is to provide the combustion
device having means for maintaining a combustion zone or
temperature equalization and which is simple in design, rugged in
construction, and economical to manufacture.
The various features of novelty which characterize the invention
are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and
forming a part of this specification. For a better understanding of
the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects
attained by its use, reference should be had to the accompanying
drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated and
described preferred embodiments of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the Drawings:
FIG. 1 is a partial axial sectional view of an automobile space
heater having a combustion chamber constructed in accordance with
the invention;
FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of a resonant burner;
FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of a household pot burner for
home heating units; and
FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of an atomizing burner for a
boiler or similar device.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to the drawings in particular, the invention embodied
therein in FIG. 1 comprises an automobile space heater generally
designated 50 which includes a housing 52 defining a combustion
chamber 1 having a radial extension 54 defining a chamber 4 for a
spark plug 6. Fuel is admitted through a conduit 5 into the
antechamber 4 for combustion in the combustion chamber or space 1.
Combustion air is admitted through a central tubular member 7 to
the combustion chamber zone defined within the chamber 1. Discharge
of the heated high-temperature gases is through a flame nozzle
section 8 of the housing 52.
In accordance with the invention the combustion space 1 is provided
with a heat-conducting and heat-equalizing device in the form of a
hollow tube 2 made of a metallic material such as spun copper or
braid. The material of the tube 2 is advantageously such that it
effects a capillary action on liquid in contact therewith. It is
effective to draw a liquid such as liquid sodium 56, which is
partially filled into the interior thereof, throughout the length
of the tube in order to provide a temperature equalization zone
within the combustion chamber 1. The tubular mass 2 therefore
provides a means for distributing the heat uniformly over the
entire surface of the tube in the combustion chamber space 1 to
insure that there is no area of temperature variation in this space
which would prevent the good burning of the fuel admitted thereto.
The distribution of the sodium throughout the mass of the tube 2 by
capillary action is such that the temperature gradient may be
reduced to substantially zero. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the
tube 2 is provided with an opening 2a to permit access of the spark
plug 6.
In the embodiment indicated in FIG. 2, there is provided a resonant
or oscillating burner generally designated 58 which includes an
axially elongated combustion zone or space 9 and is provided with
an ignition antechamber for a spark plug 6'. In this construction a
temperature equalizing mass 2' in the form of a tubular member is
positioned in the principal combustion zone 11 adjacent to and to
the rear of the spark plug 6'. The tubular mass 2' is arranged
directly adjacent and in heat conduction with a flame tube 10.
Combustion air is supplied through a combustion inlet connection 12
and fuel is supplied through a nozzle 13, into the combustion space
11.
In the embodiment indicated in FIG. 3, there is shown a burner of a
type which may be employed in a boiler or similar heating apparatus
and which includes a burner pot 14 having an evaporator disc 15
spaced from the bottom wall of the pot and which is supplied with a
fuel through an inlet 13. The required combustion air is directed
in through an inlet 16 which is directed through a perforated air
supply pot ring 17. A flame ring 18 is mounted on one end of the
combustion air supply ring 17 and it carries a flame holder 19. In
accordance with the feature of this embodiment a heat-conducting
and heat-equalizing mass 20 in the form of a tube 20 is arranged in
conductive connection between the flame holder 19 and the
fuel-evaporating disc 15. A plurality of extending ribs 21 provide
increased conductive surfaces for the tube 20. The tube 20 may
advantageously be filled with a liquid sodium 60 for example as in
the embodiment of FIG. 1.
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, there is shown a conventional
boiler furnace portion 62 having a flue 22. An atomizer burner 23
is positioned in a wall of the boiler and extends into the furnace
chamber. The atomizer burner 23 includes a central fuel delivery
conduit 26 terminating in an atomizer nozzle 24 which directs the
fuel in the form of a spray 64 into the combustion zone. An air
diffuser piece or air nozzle 27 is arranged at one end of the
atomizer burning housing assembly for aiding in the directing of
the air into association with the fuel spray 64. Combustion air
flows through the atomizer burner housing 23 to the combustion
space at the interior of the furnace 62. In this embodiment a heat
ring tube 2" is arranged directly adjacent the burner nozzle
assembly and it is made of a mass providing a good heat conduction
and good heat equalization throughout an axial length in the
furnace 62 corresponding to the combustion length.
* * * * *