Combustion apparatus

Claim 1

A combustion apparatus comprising: A. a combustion chamber; B. a tile structure having inner and outer side walls, said inner side wall defining an interior cavity of said tile structure, and an end communicating with said combustion chamber; C. a disk-shaped cover plate attached to an opposite end of said tile structure; D. an annular air passage adjacent said outer side wall of said tile structure and connected to a source of air above atmospheric pressure; E. a burner means extending through said cover plate and positioned so that it directs a stream of fuel at a velocity sufficient to create a Coanda effect axially through said interior cavity to said combustion chamber whereby combustion gases are drawn back through said interior cavity to mix with said stream of fuel; F. an air stream inlet on one side only and in said tile structure connecting said air passage to said interior cavity and positioned so that combustion air in an amount less than that necessary to burn said fuel stoichiometrically enters said interior cavity in a direction normal to said stream of fuel and stabilizes the position of said stream of fuel along a portion of said inner side wall opposite said air stream inlet; and G. a baffle plate placed between said annular air supply passage and said combustion chamber, said baffle plate having one or more air jets passing therethrough connecting said air passage to said combustion chamber, at least one of said jets being located on substantially the same side of said tile as said air stream inlet, whereby combustion air is supplied to said combustion chamber at a velocity of not less than about 30 meters per second.