System and method for laser ignition of fuel in a coal-fired burner

US11859817B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• General Electric Company · US

Inventors

• Sameer Dinkar Vartak · White Plains, US
• Sreenivasa Rao Gubba · Savanuru, IN
• Kamesh Lakshmi Narayanan · Chennai, IN
• Arun K. Sridharan · Fremont, US
• Ankur Maheshwari · Hyderabad, IN
• Dragisa Ristic · Wendlingen am Neckar, DE
• Moorthi Subramaniyan · Bengaluru, IN

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 7, 2020
• Grant date: Jan 2, 2024
• Expiry date: Dec 25, 2041

Classification

• Technology area (CPC F): Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
• CPC primary: F24D19/10
• WIPO field: Thermal processes and apparatus
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

A system and method of igniting a coal air-fuel mixture, including a burner having a burner tube operable to carry a flowing mixture of fuel and air to a furnace for combustion therein and a first flow directing device disposed within the tube, operable to direct a first portion of the flowing fuel and air mixture to a location in the burner tube. The system also includes a laser igniter within the burner tube, the laser igniter including a laser tube having a first end with a laser light input and a second end with a light output, and a laser light source operably coupled to the laser light input. The laser light source, including a laser. The laser ignitor directing photons from the light output at the location in the burner tube to ignite at least a part of the first portion of the fuel.