Furnace having cyclically moving flames

Claim 2

In a furnace having a combustion zone in which a stream of oxygen-containing gas and a stream of fuel impinge at an angle to form a flame or hot gas stream which in turn impinges upon a surface to be heated, the improvement comprising cyclically varying the mass flow rate of at least one of said oxygencontaining stream and said fuel stream so as to vary the point of impingement of said flame or hot gases upon said surface to be heated.

Claim 3

A process according to claim 1 wherein said furnace is a regenerative furnace having masses of refractories onto which said flame or stream of hot gas is impinged.

Claim 4

The process according to claim 1 wherein at least one of said oxygen-containing stream and said fuel stream enters said combustion zone through a constricted inlet fed by a conduit and wherein the pressure at said constricted inlet is varied by pressure varying means in communication with said conduit.

Claim 5

A process according to claim 3 wherein said pressure varying means is a surge tank connected to a down stream valve operated in response to the pressure in said surge tank.

Claim 6

A process according to claim 3 wherein said pressure varying means comprises a rotating element located within said conduit and having a configuration which cyclically presents varying cross-sectional areas in the plane transverse to flow through said conduit.

Claim 7

A process according to claim 5 wherein said rotating element is powered by external power means.

Claim 8

A process according to claim 5 wherein said rotating element is substantially a disc.

Claim 9

A process according to claim 5 wherein said rotating element is a solid having various cross-sectional areas in the plane transverse to gas flow.

Claim 10

A process according to claim 5 wherein said rotating element is powered by power means driven by the energy of the gas stream flowing through said conduit.

Claim 11

A process according to claim 9 wherein said rotating element comprises a series of rotatable vanes whose axis of rotation is spaced a distance from the longitudinal center line of said conduit, and is substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal center line of said conduit.

Claim 12

Apparatus for the heating of surfaces by the combustion of fluids, said apparatus comprising the combination: a. a surface to be heated, b. a combustion chamber communicating with said surface, c. fuel inlet means communicating with said combustion chamber, d. oxygen-containing gas inlet means communicating with said combustion chamber directed at an angle to said fuel inlet means, e. conduit means communicating with at least one of said fuel inlet means or oxygen-containing gas inlet means, f. pressure fluctuation means operably located in relation to said conduit so as to cause intermittent pressure variation in said conduit, whereby said pressure variation causes a hot gas or flame stream produced by the combustion of said fuel in contact with said oxygen-containing gases to move across said surface to be heated.

Claim 13

Apparatus for the heating of surfaces by the combustion of fluids, said apparatus comprising the combination: a. a surface to be heated, b. a combustion chamber communicating with said surface, c. fuel inlet means communicating with said combustion chamber, d. oxygen-containing gas inlet means communicating with said combustion chamber directed at an angle to said fuel inlet means, e. conduit means communicating with at least one of said fuel inlet means or oxygen-containing gas inlet means, f. pressure fluctuation means operably located in relation to said conduit so as to cause intermittent pressure variation in said conduit, whereby said pressure variation causes a hot gas or flame stream produced by the combustion of said fuel in contact with said oxygen-containing gases to move across said surface to be heated.