GAS BURNER SYSTEM FOR A PLURALITY OF GAS TYPES

Abstract

The present invention is a system that utilizes high pressure gas (greater than ½ psig) to control flow rate and gas discharge velocity to enable interchangeability between a plurality of gases without having to change the gas/air mixing venturi size or air opening. A new approach is to use the available incoming higher gas pressure to the appliance then control the volumetric flow rate with the first orifice and then use a second orifice to change the velocity of discharge into the gas/air mixing venturi of the burner and therefore have adjustability of gas air mixing conditions without having to change the burner system or air flow control even when changing between very different fuel gases.

Claims

1. A gas burner system for receiving a gas at a pressure higher than ½ psig comprising: a first orifice including a diameter hole of specific size to control the volumetric flow rate of a specified fuel gas; a second orifice including a specific size to control the discharge velocity of the gas, the first orifice fluidly connected to the second orifice; a burner adapted to burn a gas/air mixture; and a gas/air mixing venturi, including an air intake opening adapted to receive the gas discharged from the second orifice and air and adapted to uniformly mix the air and the gas for the gas/air mixture.

2. The gas burner system of claim 1, wherein the first orifice is connected to the outlet of a gas valve.

3. The gas burner system of claim 1, wherein the first orifice is connected to the inlet of a gas valve.

4. The gas burner system of claim 1, wherein both the first and second orifices each include a small opening and a larger opening.

5. The gas burner system of claim 4, wherein the small opening of the first orifice is smaller than the small opening of the second orifice.

6. The gas burner system of claim 5, wherein the small opening of the second orifice is oriented such that it is closer to the gas/air mixing venturi than the larger opening of the second orifice.

7. The gas burner system of claim 1, wherein the second orifice is adapted to entrain air through the air intake opening due to the velocity of the gas entering the gas/air mixing venturi.

8. The gas burner system of claim 1, wherein the first orifice includes a fitting comprising a plurality of holes which are adapted to be mechanically plugged, each of the plurality of holes comprising a diameter for respective use with one of a plurality of fuel gases.

9. The gas burner system of claim 1 whereby the first orifice fitting has a plurality of holes which can be mechanically plugged to enable use of a plurality of gas pressures for a single fuel.

10. The gas burner system of claim 1 whereby the fuel gas conversion is accomplished by only changing the first and second orifices, but without alteration to the gas/air mixing venturi.

11. The gas burner system of claim 1, wherein there is no draft inducer for combustion air.

12. The gas burner system of claim 1, further comprising a draft inducer for combustion air.

13. The gas burner system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality burners, each of the plurality of burners including a second orifice fluidly connected with the first orifice.

14. A gas burner system for receiving a gas with a pressure higher than ½ psig, comprising: a fitting including a first orifice, the first orifice including a first end and a second end, the second end including a diameter hole of specific size to control the volumetric flow rate of a specified fuel gas; a burner assembly comprising: a gas connection device spaced apart and separate from the first orifice; a second orifice positioned within the gas connection device and fluidly connected to the first orifice, the second orifice including a specific size to control the discharge velocity of the gas passing therethrough; a gas/air mixing venturi including an air intake opening positioned to receive the gas discharged from the second orifice and air, the gas/air mixing venturi adapted to uniformly mix the air and the gas; and a burner, wherein the second orifice is positioned within the gas connection device, the second orifice is a specific size to control the discharge velocity of the gas into the gas/air mixing venturi; a hollow tube (3) including a first end engaging the first orifice and a second end engaging the gas connection device, the first end of the first orifice is in fluid communication with the gas flow into the system, wherein the second end of the hollow tube is positioned within the gas connection device and wherein the hollow tube physically separates the first orifice and the gas connection device.

15. The gas burner system according to claim 14, wherein the first orifice has a small opening and a larger opening.

16. The gas burner system according to claim 14, wherein the second orifice has a small opening and a larger opening.

17. The gas burner system according to claim 14, further comprising a gas valve, wherein the first orifice is connected to the gas valve.

18. The gas burner system according to claim 14, wherein the fitting comprises a single disc which is mechanically held in place in one of before and after a gas valve.

19. The gas burner system according to claim 14, wherein the fitting comprises a plurality of first orifices and each of the plurality of first orifices is sized to control the volumetric flow rate of a respective fuel gas.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] The drawings are to help illustrate the concepts of the present invention but are not intended to be an accurate dimensional representation of the gas burner system.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a partial sectional view of the gas burner system of the invention.

[0015] FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the first orifice (2) shown in FIG. 1.

[0016] FIG. 3 is a sectional side view of an optional first orifice (2).

[0017] FIG. 4 is sectional side view of another optional first orifice (2) with multiple outlet openings.

[0018] FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the second orifice (5) as shown in FIG. 1.

[0019] FIG. 6 is a partial sectional view of the gas burner system of the invention incorporating a draft inducer.

DESCRIPTION OF THE GAS BURNER SYSTEM

[0020] The system of the present invention has a gas valve to isolate the gas when the appliance is not in operation, a first small diameter precise drilled orifice that controls the volumetric flow rate of the gas. The first orifice can be one of many different diameters depending on the fuel gas and pressure supplied to the appliance. The gas is transported to the second larger diameter precise drilled orifice which controls the discharge velocity of the gas into a gas/air mixing venturi device.

[0021] The system can be adapted to interchange between any plurality of fuel gases such as Natural Gas, Propane and Butane without the need to change any of components in the system other than the first and second orifice. The fitting for the first orifice can be arranged to have multiple diameter holes where the holes can be plugged to make the change between gases possible with only changing the second orifice.

[0022] In viewing FIG. 1 of the drawing the gas burner system of the present invention is indicated by reference numeral 10. A gas valve 1 is connected to a gas source, not shown. A first orifice 2 may be connected to either the inlet or the outlet of gas valve 1 or may be positioned anywhere in the assembly prior to a second orifice 5, as long as it is fluidly connected with the gas flow. As shown in FIG. 2 the first orifice (2) has a small opening 11 at one end communicating with the controlled volumetric flow side and can have a larger opening 12 at the other end communicating with the supply pressure, it could be positioned either with the small opening towards the gas valve or away from the gas valve. As shown in FIG. 3 the orifice (2) may optionally be a small hole 13 in a single disc 14 which is mechanically held in place either before or after the gas valve 1. Optionally first orifice 2 may have the configuration shown in FIG. 4, wherein the first orifice 2, can be a single fitting 15, having a plurality of holes 16 and 17 wherein one or more of the individual holes 16 and 17 can be plugged 18, if desired, to enable a single fitting 15 to be suitable for a plurality of fuel gases or supply pressures. The function of the first orifice is to control the volumetric flow rate of the fuel gas supplied at a pressure higher than ½ psig.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 1, a hollow tube 3 fluidly communicating with the first orifice 2 and the burner assembly 8. The burner assembly 8 has a gas connection device 4 fluidly connected to tube 3, thus capable of supplying gas to the burner assembly. Positioned within the connection device 4 is a second orifice 5 that delivers the gas to the gas/air mixing venturi 6. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the second orifice 5 has a small opening 19 and a larger opening 20. The size of the small opening 19 of the second orifice 5 is larger than the small opening 11 of the first orifice 2. As shown in FIG. 3 the second orifice 5 may optionally be a small hole 13 in a single disc 14 which is mechanically held in place immediately prior to the gas/air mixing venturi 6. The function of the second orifice is to control the discharge velocity for a specific gas.

[0024] The gas/air mixing venturi 6 has an air intake opening 9 sized to permit proper mixing of the gas (from second orifice 5) with the air. The flow of air into the gas/air mixing venturi occurs because the air is entrained or induced into the mixing apparatus due to the flow of gas out of the second orifice 5. The gas/air mixing venturi 6 is fluidly connected to burner 7. The details of the burner 7 do not constitute any specific part of the present invention, other than the requirement of a burner. Thus, the burner assembly 8 constitutes the gas connection device 4, the gas/air mixing venturi 6, the second orifice 5, air intake opening 9 and the burner 7.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 6 is an alternate gas burner assembly incorporating a draft inducer 21.

[0026] Thus, in accordance with the details and scope of the present invention, all features, details and obvious variations of the present invention are within the scope of the present invention.