Patent · US Expired

Low NO.sub.x combustion piloted by low NO.sub.x pilots

US5318436A · kind A · utility

17Cited by
12References
8Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 14, 1991
Grant dateJun 7, 1994
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 14, 2011

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
  • CPC primaryF23D23/00
  • WIPO fieldThermal processes and apparatus
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

An improved method of burning a hydrocarbon fuel in a combustion system includes burning the fuel in a main burner under fuel-lean conditions to produce a main flame and burning a low heating value fuel in a pilot burner to stabilize the main flame and limit the amount of NO.sub.x produced in the pilot burner. The pilot fuel can inherently have a low heating value, can be a diluted high heating value fuel, or can be made by partially oxidizing a high heating value fuel. An improved combustion system for burning a hydrocarbon fuel with limited NO.sub.x emissions has a main burner, a pilot burner, and a partial oxidation stage capable of converting a high heating value fuel to a low heating value fuel in a partial oxidation reaction. The system also has means for burning the low heating value fuel in the pilot burner. The system can include means for removing heat from the partial oxidation stage or low heating value fuel to lower the temperature of the pilot flame.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.