Burner resonance canceling apparatus

Abstract

A burner resonance canceling apparatus adapted to cancel a resonance caused in a burner tube having a side wall, apertures disposed on the side wall, a first end configured for receiving a fuel mixture flow, a closed second end, a central axis extending through the first end and the second end, the apparatus includes a member having an enlarged end, a reduced end and a central axis extending through the enlarged end and the reduced end, wherein the enlarged end is configured to be positioned at the second end, the central axes are substantially coaxially disposed and the reduced end is configured to face the fuel mixture flow brought through the first end into the burner tube and the burner tube and the member cooperate to define a chamber the fuel mixture flow is configured to traverse from the reduced end to the enlarged end.

Claims

1. A burner resonance canceling apparatus adapted to cancel a resonance caused in a burner tube, the burner tube having a side wall, a plurality of apertures disposed on the side wall, a first longitudinal end configured for receiving a fuel mixture flow, a closed second longitudinal end, a central axis extending through the first longitudinal end and the second longitudinal end, said burner resonance canceling apparatus comprises an impervious member having an enlarged end, a reduced end and a central axis extending through said enlarged end of said member and said reduced end of said member, wherein said enlarged end of said member is configured to be positioned at the closed second longitudinal end, said central axis of said member is disposed substantially coaxially with the central axis of said burner tube and said reduced end of said member is configured to face the fuel mixture flow brought through the first longitudinal end into the burner tube and the burner tube and said member cooperate to define a chamber the fuel mixture flow is configured to traverse from said reduced end of said member to said enlarged end of said member before exiting the apertures of the burner tube, whereby one of a flowrate-induced burner resonance and a flowrate change-induced burner resonance is mitigated.

2. The burner resonance canceling apparatus of claim 1, wherein said flowrate-induced burner resonance is a condition wherein the fuel mixture flowrate is under about 36 kbtu/hr.

3. The burner resonance canceling apparatus of claim 1, wherein said flowrate change-induced burner resonance is a condition wherein the fuel mixture flowrate decreases from over about 100 kbtu/hr to under about 40 kbtu/hr.

4. The burner resonance canceling apparatus of claim 1, wherein said member is a cone.

5. The burner resonance canceling apparatus of claim 1, wherein said member is a frusto-cone.

6. The burner resonance canceling apparatus of claim 1, wherein said member is configured to taper inwardly from said enlarged end of said member to said reduced end of said member.

7. The burner resonance canceling apparatus of claim 1, said chamber is configured such that the fuel mixture flowrate is maintained from said reduced end of said member to said enlarged end of said member.

8. A heat exchanger comprising: (a) a burner comprising a burner tube comprising a side wall, a plurality of apertures disposed on said side wall, a first longitudinal end configured for receiving a fuel mixture flow, a closed second longitudinal end, the cross-sectional area of said burner tube is larger at said first longitudinal end than the cross-sectional area of said burner tube at said second longitudinal end, whereby one of a flowrate-induced burner resonance and a flowrate change-induced burner resonance is mitigated; and (b) a coil tube comprising a lumen, an inlet and an outlet, wherein said coil tube is configured for carrying a fluid flow from said inlet to said outlet, wherein said burner is configured to be disposed within said lumen such that heat transfer can occur between said fluid flow and said burner to increase the temperature of the fluid flow from said inlet to said outlet.

9. The heat exchanger of claim 8, wherein said flowrate-induced burner resonance is a condition wherein the fuel mixture flowrate is under about 36 kbtu/hr.

10. The heat exchanger of claim 8, wherein said flowrate change-induced burner resonance is a condition wherein the fuel mixture flowrate decreases from over about 100 kbtu/hr to under about 40 kbtu/hr.

11. The heat exchanger of claim 8, wherein said burner tube is conically shaped.

12. The heat exchanger of claim 8, wherein said burner tube is frusto-conically shaped.

13. The heat exchanger of claim 8, wherein said member is configured to taper inwardly from said first longitudinal end of said burner tube to said second longitudinal end of said burner tube.

14. The heat exchanger of claim 8, wherein said chamber is configured such that the fuel mixture flowrate is maintained from said first longitudinal end of said burner to said second longitudinal end of said burner.

15. A burner resonance canceling apparatus adapted to cancel a resonance caused in a burner tube, the burner tube having a side wall, a plurality of apertures disposed on said side wall, a first longitudinal end configured for receiving a fuel mixture flow, a closed second longitudinal end, a chamber defined by the interior space of the burner tube, said burner resonance canceling apparatus comprises a plate disposed on the first longitudinal end of the burner tube, isolating said chamber from a space upstream of said chamber, said plate further comprises a plurality of openings disposed in a spiral format on said plate and a plurality of baffles, each baffle coupled to one of said plurality of openings of the plate, said plurality of baffles are configured to direct portions of the fuel mixture flow through said plurality of openings from the space upstream of said chamber into said chamber, which together, form a confluent flow in a spiral format in said chamber and subsequently exit through the plurality of apertures of the burner tube, whereby one of a flowrate-induced burner resonance and a flowrate change-induced burner resonance is mitigated.

16. The burner resonance canceling apparatus of claim 15, wherein said apertures and baffles of said plate are obtained by cutting the plate with a plurality of semi-circular-shaped tool tips and pushing resulting flaps to yield apertures and baffles.

17. The burner resonance canceling apparatus of claim 15, wherein said flowrate-induced burner resonance is a condition wherein the fuel mixture flowrate is under about 36 kbtu/hr.

18. The burner resonance canceling apparatus of claim 15, wherein said flowrate change-induced burner resonance is a condition wherein the fuel mixture flowrate decreases from over about 100 kbtu/hr to under about 40 kbtu/h r.

19. The burner resonance canceling apparatus of claim 15, said chamber is configured such that the fuel mixture flowrate is maintained from said first longitudinal end of the burner tube to said second longitudinal end of the burner tube.

20. The burner resonance canceling apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a member having an enlarged end and a reduced end, wherein said enlarged end of said member is configured to be positioned at said closed second longitudinal end of the burner tube.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In order that the manner in which the above-recited and other advantages and objects of the invention are obtained, a more particular description of the invention briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a burner without a resonance canceling apparatus.

(3) FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a burner having one embodiment of an apparatus for canceling resonance that can potentially be generated within the burner due to a change in the burner demand or a low demand, depicting a mixture mass flowrate that is maintained as it advances through the burner.

(4) FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a burner having one embodiment of an apparatus for canceling resonance that can potentially be generated within the burner due to a change in the burner demand or a low demand, depicting a mixture mass flowrate that is increased as it advances through the burner.

(5) FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a burner having yet another embodiment of an apparatus for canceling resonance that can potentially be generated within the burner due to a change in the burner demand or a low demand, depicting a mixture mass flowrate that is increased as it advances through the burner.

(6) FIG. 5 is a top view of a plate configured to enhance mixing of a fuel and air flow and to ensure the mass flowrate of such mixture is maintained within the chamber shown in FIG. 4.

(7) FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a burner having yet another embodiment of an apparatus for canceling resonance that can potentially be generated within the burner due to a change in the burner demand or a low demand, depicting a coil tube that is configured in the shape of the burner.

(8) FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a burner having yet another embodiment of an apparatus for canceling resonance that can potentially be generated within the burner due to a change in the burner demand or a low demand, depicting a cylindrical coil tube used with the burner.

PARTS LIST

(9) 2burner 3burner tube 4insert or member 5side wall of burner tube 6flat surface 8fuel mixture flow 10diameter of flat surface of insert 12height of insert 14diameter of base of insert 16diameter of burner tube 18height of burner tube 20plate 22diverter or baffle 24opening 26mesh 28coil tube 30aperture of burner tube 32central axis of burner tube 34central axis of insert

PARTICULAR ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION

(10) By inserting a cone into a burner tube, the velocity of a fuel mixture flow is increased as the flow travels from a fuel mixture flow receiving end of the burner tube to a longitudinal end opposite that of the receiving end. As the fuel mixture flowrate is decreased, the flame that was previously lifted from a mesh settles towards the burner. As the fuel mixture flowrate is low, it becomes even more difficult to have the fuel mixture flow mixed well. Without an insert and at low fuel mixture flowrate, the flame tends to oscillate about the mesh or on the outer surface of the burner tube, generating undesired resonance in the mixture flow and hence the burner which can cause noise and vibration. With an insert, such resonance is mitigated as the flame is lifted appropriately from the outer surface of the burner tube or the mesh.

(11) In one embodiment, a plate having cheese grate type apertures disposed in a spiral pattern is interposed between a top casting and a burner to promote mixing of the fuel mixture flow and to prevent burner chamber pressure pulses to feed back onto the gas valve that is disposed upstream of the chamber, thereby reducing the resonance that can potentially be caused without such apparatus.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(12) The term about is used herein to mean approximately, roughly, around, or in the region of. When the term about is used in conjunction with a numerical range, it modifies that range by extending the boundaries above and below the numerical values set forth. In general, the term about is used herein to modify a numerical value above and below the stated value by a variance of 20 percent up or down (higher or lower).

(13) FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a burner without a resonance canceling apparatus. As shown, a burner tube 3 is disposed within the lumen of a coil tube 28, e.g., in a coil tube heat exchanger. Reference is made to at least FIG. 2 of U.S. Pat. No. 8,656,867 to Deivasigamani et al. for a coil tube heat exchanger employing a burner tube. The burner tube 3 is configured to receive a fuel mixture (fuel, e.g., propane, natural gas, etc. and air) flow through its cavity that eventually leads to the mesh 26 where the mixture is combusted to generate heat subsequently transferred to a flow, e.g., water flow, through the coil tube 28. For illustration purposes, the length of the arrows depicted in FIGS. 1-7 is used to represent the magnitude of the velocity of the mixture flow. Therefore, longer arrows represent flows with higher velocity while shorter arrows represent flows with lower velocity. Referring back to FIG. 1, it can be shown that, at low flowrates, or when a flowrate drops from a high level to a low level (as represented by the magnitude or length of the arrows), there may be discontinuities in the flow as the fuel mixture flowrate magnitude decreases upon entering the burner tube cavity. In contrast, FIGS. 2-3 depict cases where the fuel mixture flowrate is maintained. In a burner according to FIG. 1, if the fuel mixture flowrate drops beyond a minimum flowrate threshold, i.e., under about 36 kbtu/hr or about 0.6 Cubic Feet per Minute (CFM), a burner resonance will start to develop. A burner resonance also occurs when the fuel mixture flowrate decreases from over about 100 kbtu/hr or about 1.67 CFM to under about 40 kbtu/hr or about 0.67 CFM.

(14) FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a burner having one embodiment of an apparatus for canceling resonance that can potentially be generated within the burner due to a change in the burner demand or a low demand, depicting a mixture flowrate that is maintained as it advances through the burner. The burner tube 3 and the member 4 cooperate to define a chamber. As the longitudinal cross-sectional area of the burner tube of the chamber decreases from the mixture receiving end of the burner tube to the closed end, the mixture velocity increases as represented by the increased length of the arrows. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a burner 2 having one embodiment of an apparatus or insert 4 for canceling resonance that can potentially be generated around the burner due to a change in the burner demand or a low demand. It shall be noted that the magnitude of the arrows increases as the mixture approaches the closed end of the burner tube 3, with larger increases for the flow shown in FIG. 3, as the cross-sectional area of the chamber decreases (with a larger diameter 10 of the flat surface of the insert 4). A burner whose resonance the present apparatus is designed to eliminate, has a burner tube 3 including a side wall 5, a plurality of apertures 30 disposed on the side wall 5, a first longitudinal end configured for receiving a fuel mixture flow 8 and a closed second longitudinal end. For simplicity, only outlines of mesh materials are depicted in FIGS. 1-7 to show the approximate locations of such materials. The burner resonance canceling apparatus or insert 4 includes a member having an enlarged end, a reduced end and a central axis 34 extending through the enlarged end and the reduced end. The enlarged end is positioned on the closed second longitudinal end. In one embodiment, the member 4 is simply disposed on the interior surface of the burner tube 3 at the second longitudinal end. In another embodiment, the member 4 is securely attached to the interior surface. The member 4 is preferably disposed symmetrically within the burner tube 3, i.e., the member 4 is preferably disposed such that the central axis 34 of the member 4 is disposed substantially coaxially with the central axis 32 of the burner tube 3. The reduced end of the member 4 is configured to face the fuel mixture flow forced, e.g., using a blower, through the first longitudinal end into the burner tube 3 as it traverses the chamber from the first longitudinal end to the second longitudinal end before exiting the apertures 30 of the burner tube 3. As a burner demand drops, the rate at which a fuel mixture flow is provided to the burner tube is reduced. This drop in flowrate may be effected, e.g., by lowering the fan speed of a blower which drives the fuel mixture flow into the burner tube 3 to sustain combustion at the mesh materials 26. The velocity of the fuel mixture flow increases as the fuel mixture travels from the first longitudinal end with a larger cross-sectional area to the second longitudinal end with a smaller cross-sectional area. The increase in velocity balances a decrease in velocity of the fuel mixture flow as the ensuing flue gas (developed downstream of combustion or mesh materials) pressure pulses travel back into the burner, thereby isolating the gas valve and other equipment disposed outside of the burner tube 3 from the burner dynamics. Burner resonance occurs when heat release due to combustion is in phase with fuel-air mixture delivery. Once resonance starts, it persists to become a self-excited vibration. Fuel burning at the burner releases heat which causes pressure increase/oscillation which in turn causes the fuel mixture flow to move back and forth and hence creating resonance and noise when it interacts with the burner tube 3 and other components along the mixture flow path, e.g., gas valve, etc.

(15) In one preferred embodiment, the burner tube 3 is cylindrically shaped. In one embodiment, the member 4 is configured to taper inwardly from the enlarged end (base of member) to the reduced end (tip of member). In one embodiment, the member 4 is a cone, i.e., with the tip of the member being a sharp point, as shown in dashed outlines in FIGS. 2-3 and 6. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2-3, the member 4 is a frusto-cone member. In one embodiment, a plurality of protrusions are disposed on the surface of each member to aid in swirling the fuel mixture flow to create a more evenly mixed air-fuel flow.

(16) In one embodiment, the height 18 of the burner tube 3 is about 168 mm, the height of the insert 4 is about 155 mm, the diameter 16 of the burner tube 3 is about 60 mm and the diameter 14 of the base of the insert is about 58 mm. It shall be noted that as the fuel mixture flow 8 proceeds in the burner 2 when forced into the chamber with a blower, its velocity increases since the cross-sectional area of the fuel mixture flow decreases. In one embodiment, the diameter 10 of the reduced end of the insert 4 is about 21 mm. In one embodiment, the height 12 of the insert 4 is about 137 mm.

(17) FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a burner 2 having another embodiment of an apparatus 4 for canceling resonance that can potentially be generated around the burner 2 due to a change in the burner demand or a low demand. FIG. 5 is a top view of a plate 20 configured to enhance mixing of a fuel and air flow and guide portions of the flow in a spiral format. In this embodiment, the plate 20 is interposed between a flange of a burner tube and the top casting of a heat exchanger such that a fuel mixture flow must traverse the plate 20 as it is forced fed with a blower from the top casting to the burner tube 3. In this embodiment, the entire interior space of the burner tube defines a chamber as it does not require an insert as shown in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 2-3. The apparatus includes a plate disposed on the first longitudinal end, isolating the chamber from a space upstream of the chamber in which the fuel mixture flow originates. The plate includes a plurality of openings and a plurality of diverters or baffles 22 configured to allow the fuel mixture flow from the space upstream of the chamber into the chamber and enhances mixing of the fuel mixture flow brought through the first longitudinal end via openings 24 into the chamber and subsequently through the plurality of apertures 30 of the burner tube. In one embodiment, the openings 24 and baffles 22 of the plate are obtained by cutting a plate with a plurality of semi-circular-shaped tool tips and pushing resulting flaps to yield cheese grate type openings and diverters or baffles. In one embodiment, the openings 24 are disposed in a spiral pattern. The plurality of baffles 22 are configured to direct portions of the fuel mixture flow through the plurality of openings 24 from the space upstream of the chamber into the chamber, which together, form a confluent flow in a spiral format in the chamber and subsequently through the plurality of apertures of the burner tube. The baffles may also be purpose-built as long as at least a portion of each baffle protrudes into the path of the fuel mixture flow to induce swirling of the fuel mixture flow to promote mixing of the fuel mixture flow and to guide the flow in a desired path. Using the present plate, insert or a combination of the two, resonance caused by the decreased flowrate of the fuel mixture flow in the burner can be mitigated.

(18) FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a burner 2 having yet another embodiment of an apparatus for canceling resonance that can potentially be generated within the burner due to a change in the burner demand or a low demand. In this embodiment, instead of a cylindrically shaped burner tube as shown in FIG. 3, the burner tube 3 is conically shaped with the first end being the enlarged end and the second closed end being the reduced end. It shall be noted that, similar to the chamber of the burner tube 3 of FIGS. 2-3, the burner tube of FIG. 6 also shows a diminishing cross-sectional area in the direction from the first end of the burner tube 3 to the second end of the burner tube 3. The coil tube 28 is preferably shaped similarly such that the distance between the coil tube 28 and the burner 2 is maintained at a distance suitable for heat transfer from the burner 2 to the coil tube 28. However, if increased exposure, e.g., length of a coil tube to the burner tube is desired, a cylindrical coil may alternatively be used as shown in FIG. 7.

(19) The detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings that show, by way of illustration, specific aspects and embodiments in which the present disclosed embodiments may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice aspects of the present invention. Other embodiments may be utilized, and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the disclosed embodiments. The various embodiments can be combined with one or more other embodiments to form new embodiments. The detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims, with the full scope of equivalents to which they may be entitled. It will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that any arrangement that is calculated to achieve the same purpose may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of embodiments of the present invention. It is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive, and that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Combinations of the above embodiments and other embodiments will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon studying the above description. The scope of the present disclosed embodiments includes any other applications in which embodiments of the above structures and fabrication methods are used. The scope of the embodiments should be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.