Methods for preparing fuels and also for thereafter feeding them into furnaces and burning them therein

Claim 3

A method according to claim 1, and simultaneously changing the angle of the resultant discharge from the opening.

Claim 4

A method according to claim 1, the linear velocity of the gaseous medium being in the range of about 100 - 1000 ft./sec. and under surrounding atmospheric conditions the angle of the spray cone is in the range of about 60* - 80*.

Claim 5

In a method for burning fuel by the use of apparatus including a furnace having a combustion zone, first means including a conduit in communication with an atomizing nozzle including a swirl chamber and a discharge orifice in communication with the chamber and second means surrounding the first means and spaced therefrom, the second means extending downstream beyond the first means and having a discharge opening substantially coaxial with and of greater diameter than that of the orifice, said opening being in communication with said combustion zone, third means in the space between the first and second means, all of the third means located entirely upstream of the discharge terminus of the orifice for imparting swirling to air when fed through the space, the diameters of the orifice and opening being so proportioned and the opening being so spaced downstream from the orifice that when fuel under pressure is continuously fed in the liquid state at a viscosity up to 300 SSU through the first means it emerges from the orifice when under surrounding atmospheric conditions in the form of about a 50* -100* spray cone of swirling fuel particles whose average diameter is 25 - 150 microns and at an emission linear velocity of 4-200 ft/sec. from the orifice, but when air under pressure is continuously fed through the space and towards the opening the thrid means imparts swirling motion thereto after which the swirling air strikes the conical spray at a linear velocity of 100 - 2000 ft/sec. to reduce the angle of the spray to a value sufficient to prevent the spray from wetting the wall defining the opening and to reduce the size of the particles to a value such that all of the particles are no greater than 10 microns as they emerge from the opening but when the spray cone is under surrounding atmospheric conditions, it will wet the wall; the steps comprising continuously feeding through the first means fuel in the liquid state at a viscosity up to 300 SSU at such pressure that when under surrounding atmospheric conditions it emerges from the orifice in the form of about a 50* - 100* spray cone of swirling fuel particles having average particle size of 25 - 150 microns and emission linear velocity of 4-200 ft/sec. from the orifice, simultaneously feeding air through the space and towards the opening to provide swirling air which strikes the spray cone at a sufficient linear velocity, in the range of about 100-2000 ft/sec., to reduce the angle of the spray to such value that the wall defining the opening is not wetted thereby and to reduce the size of the fuel particles to such value that all of them emerging from the opening have a diameter no greater than 10 microns, but when the cone is under surrounding atmospheric conditions, the wall will become wetted thereby; all of said air is converted to the swirling condition upstream of the discharge terminus of the orifice and then in that condition is fed towards te opening and cone; said simultaneous feeding of the fuel and air also effecting feeding of the resultant spray of said reduced angle and reduced particle size towards the combustion zone of the furnace; ignitIng the resultant spray; and feeding other air into the combustion zone of the furnace to effect substantially complete combustion of the fuel particles fed therein; the rate of feeding the first mentioned air is no greater than 10 percent of the rate of feeding the said other air.

Claim 6

In a method for burning fuel by the use of apparatus including a furnace having a combustion zone, first means including a conduit in communication with an atomizing nozzle including a swirl chamber and a discharge orifice in communication with the chamber and second means surrounding the first means and spaced therefrom, the second means extending downstream beyond the first means and having a discharge opening substantially coaxial with and of greater diameter than that of the orifice, said opening being in communication with said combustion zone, third means in the space between the first and second means, all of the third means located entirely upstream of the discharge terminus of the orifice for imparting swirling to air when fed through the space, the diameters of the orifice and opening being so proportioned and the opening being so spaced downstream from the orifice that when fuel under pressure is continuously fed in the liquid state at a viscosity up to 300 SSU through the first means it emerges from the orifice when under surrounding atmospheric conditions in the form of about a 50* -100* spray cone of swirling fuel particles whose average diameter is 25 - 150 microns and at an emission linear velocity of 4-200 ft/sec. from the orifice, but when air under pressure is continuously fed through the space and towards the opening the thrid means imparts swirling motion thereto after which the swirling air strikes the conical spray at a linear velocity of 100 - 2000 ft/sec. to reduce the angle of the spray to a value sufficient to prevent the spray from wetting the wall defining the opening and to reduce the size of the particles to a value such that all of the particles are no greater than 10 microns as they emerge from the opening but when the spray cone is under surrounding atmospheric conditions, it will wet the wall; the steps comprising continuously feeding through the first means fuel in the liquid state at a viscosity up to 300 SSU at such pressure that when under surrounding atmospheric conditions it emerges from the orifice in the form of about a 50* - 100* spray cone of swirling fuel particles having average particle size of 25 - 150 microns and emission linear velocity of 4-200 ft/sec. from the orifice, simultaneously feeding air through the space and towards the opening to provide swirling air which strikes the spray cone at a sufficient linear velocity, in the range of about 100-2000 ft/sec., to reduce the angle of the spray to such value that the wall defining the opening is not wetted thereby and to reduce the size of the fuel particles to such value that all of them emerging from the opening have a diameter no greater than 10 microns, but when the cone is under surrounding atmospheric conditions, the wall will become wetted thereby; all of said air is converted to the swirling condition upstream of the discharge terminus of the orifice and then in that condition is fed towards te opening and cone; said simultaneous feeding of the fuel and air also effecting feeding of the resultant spray of said reduced angle and reduced particle size towards the combustion zone of the furnace; ignitIng the resultant spray; and feeding other air into the combustion zone of the furnace to effect substantially complete combustion of the fuel particles fed therein; the rate of feeding the first mentioned air is no greater than 10 percent of the rate of feeding the said other air.

Claim 7

A method according to claim 4, and simultaneously varying the angle of the spray discharging from the opening by moving the third means to a different location with respect to the opening.

Claim 8

In a method according to claim 5, and the step of simultaneously varying the angle of the spray discharging from the first mentioned opening, by changing the location of the third means with respect to the first mentioned opening.

Claim 9

In the method of burning fuel according to claim 4, the apparatus further including a chamber including a body member having a closure with an inlet opening associated with the discharge end of the second means and a member couped with the body member, and spaced from the closure, the second mentioned member having a discharge opening therein substantially coaxial with the inlet opening and the first mentioned discharge opening, and the step of continuously feeding through the inlet opening and the second mentioned chamber and through the second mentioned discharge opening the resultant spray discharging from the first mentioned discharge opening.

Claim 10

In a method according to claim 7, the openings in the closure and the second mentioned member being so dimensioned and spaced from each other that when the resultant spray is in the burning condition in the course of its passage through the second mentioned chamber to reduce the static pressure therein so that air and fuel downstream of the second mentioned member travels upstream continuously into the second mentioned chamber to aid in maintaining a collar of flame therein and around said burning spray in the course of its passage through the second mentioned chamber.

Claim 11

In a method according to claim 9, the rate of feeding the first mentioned air is no greater than 5 percent of the rate of feeding the said other air.