A gas-fired, powered infrared burner unit comprising a perforate distribution plate configured as a tray and a porous foam metal burner element carried in the tray, the combination overlying the open top of a plenum box and sealingly fastened to an edge flange of said box by a retainer having a surrounding flange fastened to the plenum box flange by welding, staking or other means so as to eliminate the need for a gasket. The foam metal medium is constructed of a foam metal alloy to have a pore size of 1000 micros5%, and produce, along with the perforations in the distribution tray, a port loading of between about 850 and 1,000 BTU/in.sup.2.

A noise reduction plate for a thermal transfer device can include a body having plurality of apertures. The noise reduction plate is installed in the distribution channel of a premix blower and reduces ignition noise.

A catalytic flameless combustion apparatus has a fuel inlet, a combustion-supporting gas inlet, a gas premixer, a combustion plate, an igniter, a gas deflector, a flameless combustion cavity, a catalyst filled in the flameless combustion cavity, a gas collection chamber and an exhaust port. The method for starting the catalytic flameless combustion apparatus includes initially combusting and heating the flameless combustion cavity and the catalyst filled therein with low power flame; and then increasing flow velocity and switching to high power flame for conducting catalytic flameless combustion. The catalytic flameless combustion apparatus can be used for various non-solid fuel combustion and heat extraction processes.

A porous-medium premixing combustor is provided, which includes: an air-fuel gas mixer, a combustor body, a thermocouple, an ignition electrode, and a detecting electrode. The combustor body includes a casing connected to the air-fuel gas mixer; an outer and an inner burner-block, wherein the outer burner-block and the casing are connected, forming a square chamber, and the inner burner-block is provided inside the square chamber, with a via hole communicating with a pipe; and a mixed gas distributing plate, an ordered porous plate, a small-pore foamed ceramic plate, and a big-pore foamed-ceramic plate sequentially provided along an axis direction of the via hole of the inner burner-block. The thermocouple is provided at the casing and extends into the square chamber. The ignition electrode is provided close to an end of the big-pore foamed-ceramic plate. The detecting electrode is provided close to an exit end of the big-pore foamed-ceramic plate.

A thimble shaped burner is made of a porous foam metal material and is adapted to be mounted on the interior of a plenum chamber receiving a fuel/air mixture under pressure. The fuel/air mixture infuses into the interior of the thimble shaped burner body and exits from it through a burner port in a support structure where the fuel/air mixture that has been infused through the burner body is ignited. The burners are typically used in multiples and are mounted by means conventional fasteners passing through reinforced mounting flanges on the interior of an air fuel plenum chamber. Flame lift off is reduced or eliminated by particular configurations and dimensions of annular metal washers that are used in association with the burner bodies for mounting purposes.

A totally aerated combustion burner is provided with a combustion plate part through which air-fuel mixture is ejected. The combustion plate part includes: a porous body made of metal fibers; and a distribution plate stacked on a back surface of the porous body, the distribution plate having formed therein a multitude of distribution holes, thereby enabling reduction in cost. The porous body is formed by nonwoven fabric made by laminating metal fibers in the form of felt. A front surface of the nonwoven fabric is covered by a meshed sheet made of metal. Preferably, the meshed sheet is made by knitting a wire member into the form of a mesh, the wire member being formed by bundling together a plurality of metal fibers. The mesh size of the meshed sheet shall preferably be below a flame-out distance of the air-fuel mixture to be ejected out of the combustion plate part.

A burner assembly (40) for providing a flame and combustion gas to a plurality of inlets includes a support member (70) having a back surface and an inner surface. An elongated opening (72) is formed in the support member. A burner (74) is connected to the support member adjacent the opening and extending upstream from the back surface. The burner is arranged in fluid communication with the plurality of inlets. An interior surface of the burner is contoured to direct flames generally inwardly.

Provided is a surface combustion burner which solves the passage blocking in a combustion part caused by dust, and enables stable combustion for a long term. The surface combustion burner comprises: a nozzle configured to discharge fuel gas and air for combustion; and a laminate, provided on a tip of the nozzle, in which a plurality of mesh plates is laminated, wherein the laminate includes a portion having an offset arrangement between at least any adjacent ones of the mesh plates.

A premix gas burner comprises a main body, a porous wall, a distribution chamber delimited by the main body and by the porous wall, and an entrance in the main body for introducing a premix of combustible gas and air into the distribution chamber. The main body comprises a cylindrical shape. The porous wall comprises a first porous wall segment and a second porous wall segment. The first porous wall segment and the second porous wall segment both comprise pores for the premix gas to flow from the distribution chamber through the pores, for combustion of the premix gas outside the distribution chamber. The first porous wall segment comprises or consists out of a shaped segment. The shaped segment is directed to the inside of the distribution chamber, such that when the burner is in use premix gas flows from the distribution chamber through the pores of the shaped segment to the inside of the shaped segment. The second porous wall segment comprises an annular porous wall segment. The annular porous wall segment is provided at the base of the shaped segment. The base of the shaped element is provided at the side of the shaped element opposite to the location of the entrance in the main body.

A porous-medium premixing combustor is provided, which includes: an air-fuel gas mixer, a combustor body, a thermocouple, an ignition electrode, and a detecting electrode. The combustor body includes a casing connected to the air-fuel gas mixer; an outer and an inner burner-block, wherein the outer burner-block and the casing are connected, forming a square chamber, and the inner burner-block is provided inside the square chamber, with a via hole communicating with a pipe; and a mixed gas distributing plate, an ordered porous plate, a small-pore foamed ceramic plate, and a big-pore foamed-ceramic plate sequentially provided along an axis direction of the via hole of the inner burner-block. The thermocouple is provided at the casing and extends into the square chamber. The ignition electrode is provided close to an end of the big-pore foamed-ceramic plate. The detecting electrode is provided close to an exit end of the big-pore foamed-ceramic plate.