Fuel atomizing unit with oven chamber

Claim 1

An atomizing unit interposable in a conduit which feeds a relatively cold mixture of fuel droplets dispersed in an air stream at a varying flow rate to a combustion chamber for ignition therein, said unit acting to effect vaporization of said mixture before it enters said combustion chamber and comprising: A. a metal plate fabricated of a material which is non-reactive with said mixture and possessing heat sink characteristics, said plate having a flow passage which registers with said conduit, said plate having a cavity therein; B. a permeable assembly seated in said cavity and constituted by a pair of parallel planar mesh screens having an electrical heating element in the space therebetween to define an atomization zone which restricts the flow of said mixture through said passage, said screens intercepting and dissecting said droplets to develop in the output of the unit a fog-like suspension of minute particles in air, said screens having a mesh size introducing a restriction to flow whose impedance is at least about 15%; C. a pair of gaskets formed of thermal insulation placed above and below said plate to render said plate effective as an oven chamber having a relatively stable temperature which surrounds said zone; and D. means to energize said element to heat said zone to a temperature level exceeding about 550° F. in the absence of said cold mixture to cause said fog in the presence of said mixture to attain a temperature level lying above about 150° F. to promote vaporization thereof, said oven chamber maintaining said temperature level despite said variations in flow rate.