Two-stage vaporizing fuel oil burner

Claim 2

A liquid fuel burner device comprising: a pilot flame fuel atomizer and a main fuel atomizer; fuel supply means to sequentially supply fuel first to said pilot flame fuel atomizer and then to both said pilot flame fuel atomizer and said main fuel atomizer; a housing means for receiving and burning a portion of the atomized fuel from said pilot flame fuel atomizer; first ignition means to ignite said portion of atomized fuel from said pilot flame fuel atomizer to provide a pilot flame in said housing means to heat up said housing means prior to injection of fuel from said main fuel atomizer, means to direct fuel from said main fuel atomizer to said housing means, said pilot flame serving to vaporize the unburned atomized fuel from said pilot flame fuel atomizer and from said main fuel atomizer in said housing means; and means downstream from said pilot flame for receiving and burning the vaporized fuel from said housing means.

Claim 3

The burner device of claim 1, wherein said pilot atomizer and said main atomizer are connected to and positioned within an end of said housing means, said atomizers being contained within a chamber defined by the end of the housing and a baffle plate attached within said housing, said baffle plate having a pair of apertures therethrough, the pilot fuel atomizer and the main fuel atomizer being adapted to spray fuel through each of said apertures in said baffle plate into the interior of said housing.

Claim 4

The burner device of claim 1 wherein the center lines of both spray patterns from said pilot atomizer and said main atomizer within said housing are directed inwardly away from the inner walls of said housing.

Claim 5

A liquid fuel burner device comprising: a pilot flame fuel atomizer and a main fuel atomizer; fuel supply means to sequentially supply fuel first to said pilot flame fuel atomizer and then to both said pilot flame fuel atomizer and said main fuel atomizer; a housing means for receiving and burning a portion of the atomized fuel from said pilot flame fuel atomizer; first ignition means to ignite said portion of atomized fuel from said pilot flame fuel atomizer to provide a pilot flame in said housing means to heat up said housing means prior to injection of fuel from said main fuel atomizer, said pilot flame serving to vaporize the unburned atomized fuel from said pilot flame fuel atomizer and from said main fuel atomizer; burner element means for receiving said vaporized fuel and distributing said fuel exteriorly of said element; and second ignition means to ignite the vaporized fuel which is distributed exteriorly of said burner element means.

Claim 6

A liquid fuel burner device comprising: a pilot flame fuel atomizer and a main fuel atomizer; fuel supply means to sequentially supply fuel first to said pilot flame fuel atomizer and then to both said pilot flame fuel atomizer and said main fuel atomizer; a housing means for receiving and burning a portion of the atomized fuel from said pilot flame fuel atomizer; first ignition means to ignite said portion of atomized fuel from said pilot flame fuel atomizer to provide a pilot flame in said housing means to heat up said housing means prior to injection of fuel from said main fuel atomizer, said pilot flame serving to vaporize the unburned atomized fuel from said pilot flame fuel atomizer and from said main fuel atomizer; burner element means for receiving said vaporized fuel and distributing said fuel exteriorly of said element; and second ignition means to ignite the vaporized fuel which is distributed exteriorly of said burner element means.

Claim 7

The burner device of claim 4 further including a combustion chamber housing having a port therein for receiving said burner element means and in which said second ignition means ignites said vaporized fuel which is distributed exteriorly of said burner element means within the interior of said combustion chamber housing.

Claim 8

The burner device of claim 5 further comprising a blower means positioned exteriorly of and adjacent to said combustion chamber housing, said blower directing air past the exterior walls of said combustion chamber whereby heat is transferred from the exterior combustion chamber walls to said air.

Claim 9

The burner device of claim 6 wherein said pilot flame fuel atomizer and main fuel atomizer are of the type which utilize air under pressure to atomize liquid fuel therefrom.

Claim 10

The burner device of claim 7 further including air pump means for supplying said air under pressure to said pilot flame fuel atomizer and main fuel atomizer.

Claim 11

A liquid fuel burner device comprising: a substantially horizontally oriented elongated housing having a first and second end; a pilot fuel atomizer and a main fuel atomizer positioned within said first end of said housing; a baffle plate attached within said housing downstream of said atomizers, said baffle plate having at least first and Second apertures, said first aperture leading into the larger end of an open-ended hollow restrictor body having convergent walls which is positioned such that the convergent walls of said hollow restrictor body serve to collect those fuel droplets sprayed from said pilot atomizer that impinge on the inner converging walls of said restrictor body thereby restricting the amount of fuel droplets that escape through the narrowest opening of said restrictor body downstream of said pilot atomizer, said main atomizer being positioned adjacent said second aperture, the fuel droplets from the main atomizer being directed through said second aperture; a substantially vertically oriented fuel supply tank to sequentially supply fuel to each of said atomizers, said tank having a fuel inlet at the bottom end, a pilot atomizer feed line on a first plane above the bottom and a main atomizer feed line on a second plane above said atomizer feed line whereby, as the liquid level rises in the tank, the pilot feed line directs fuel to said pilot atomizer prior to admittance of fuel to the main atomizer; at least one air aspiration port in said housing between said first end of the housing and the baffle plate, said air aspiration port serving to admit air into said housing, said air being directed around each of said atomizers and through said apertures in said baffle plate; a chamber means defined by said housing downstream of said baffle plate for receiving and burning a portion of the atomized fuel from said pilot atomizer to heat up said chamber prior to injection of fuel from said main atomizer; first ignition means positioned interiorly of the housing downstream of said baffle plate, said ignition means being adapted to ignite a portion of the atomized fuel oil droplets from said pilot atomizer thereby providing a pilot flame in said chamber means, said flame serving to vaporize the unburned fuel droplets from said pilot atomizer and from said main atomizer; said housing further defining an aperture therein adjacent said pilot flame to stabilize said flame; at least one hollow burner element means connected to said second end of said housing, said burner element means having a plurality of equidistantly spaced slots transverse to the axis of said burner element, said slots serving to distribute said vaporized fuel exteriorly of said element; and second ignition means exteriorly of said burner element means to ignite said vaporized fuel thereby providing the primary source of flame for said oil burner.

Claim 12

A liquid fuel burner device comprising: a substantially horizontally oriented elongated housing having a first and second end; a pilot fuel atomizer and a main fuel atomizer positioned within said first end of said housing; a baffle plate attached within said housing downstream of said atomizers, said baffle plate having at least first and Second apertures, said first aperture leading into the larger end of an open-ended hollow restrictor body having convergent walls which is positioned such that the convergent walls of said hollow restrictor body serve to collect those fuel droplets sprayed from said pilot atomizer that impinge on the inner converging walls of said restrictor body thereby restricting the amount of fuel droplets that escape through the narrowest opening of said restrictor body downstream of said pilot atomizer, said main atomizer being positioned adjacent said second aperture, the fuel droplets from the main atomizer being directed through said second aperture; a substantially vertically oriented fuel supply tank to sequentially supply fuel to each of said atomizers, said tank having a fuel inlet at the bottom end, a pilot atomizer feed line on a first plane above the bottom and a main atomizer feed line on a second plane above said atomizer feed line whereby, as the liquid level rises in the tank, the pilot feed line directs fuel to said pilot atomizer prior to admittance of fuel to the main atomizer; at least one air aspiration port in said housing between said first end of the housing and the baffle plate, said air aspiration port serving to admit air into said housing, said air being directed around each of said atomizers and through said apertures in said baffle plate; a chamber means defined by said housing downstream of said baffle plate for receiving and burning a portion of the atomized fuel from said pilot atomizer to heat up said chamber prior to injection of fuel from said main atomizer; first ignition means positioned interiorly of the housing downstream of said baffle plate, said ignition means being adapted to ignite a portion of the atomized fuel oil droplets from said pilot atomizer thereby providing a pilot flame in said chamber means, said flame serving to vaporize the unburned fuel droplets from said pilot atomizer and from said main atomizer; said housing further defining an aperture therein adjacent said pilot flame to stabilize said flame; at least one hollow burner element means connected to said second end of said housing, said burner element means having a plurality of equidistantly spaced slots transverse to the axis of said burner element, said slots serving to distribute said vaporized fuel exteriorly of said element; and second ignition means exteriorly of said burner element means to ignite said vaporized fuel thereby providing the primary source of flame for said oil burner.

Claim 13

The burner device of claim 9 wherein the pilot fuel atomizer and the main fuel atomizer are of the type which include a plenum including a curved apertured surface, means for supplying air under pressure to the interior of the plenum and means for supplying fuel to be burned to the curved surface of the plenum at a point spaced from the aperture therein whereby the fuel flows in the form of a highly stressed thin film thereover, the air emitting through the aperture in said surface atomizing fuel in a fog-like mist.

Claim 14

The burner device of claim 10 further including fuel oil collection means in said first end of said housing, said collection means serving to collect unatomized fuel oil.

Claim 15

The burner device of claim 11 further including fuel pump recirculation means and means to direct said unatomized fuel oil in said collection means to said fuel pump recirculation means.

Claim 16

The burner device of claim 12 further including air pump means, said air pump means serving to pump air to said atomizer means.

Claim 17

The burner device of claim 13 wherein the open-ended hollow restrictor body is a cone that is part of said baffle plate and extends away from said pilot atomizer so as to collect those fuel droplets sprayed from said pilot atomizer that impinge the inner wall of said cone.