Energy recovery system

Claim 2

An air heater for use in association with a radiant heating tube, the recirculating air heater comprising: a heat exchanger having a combustion air inlet and a heated combustion air outlet, and a heated gas inlet and a heated gas outlet; the heated combustion air outlet having a transfer pipe connected thereto, an opposite end of the transfer pipe adapted to be connected to an inlet end of a radiant heating tube, and the heated gas inlet to the heat exchanger adapted to be connected to a discharge end of said radiant heating tube; the transfer pipe extending from the heated gas outlet of the heat exchanger to an entrance to a radiant heating tube having an air control damper means situated therein; an end of the transfer pipe adapted to be connected to an entrance to a radiant heating tube having a venturi portion therein, an oil nozzle means being situated within the venturi portion of the transfer pipe adjacent the intake end of said radiant heating tube; oil supply means being connected to the oil nozzle means; and igniter means situated adjacent to and downstream of said oil nozzle means within the transfer pipe for igniting a mixture of atomized oil and combustion air, the oil burner high pressure mechanical atomizing nozzle permit fine atomization of the oil within the radiant heating tube; the venturi portion adapted to facilitate mixing of combustion air and atomized oil, the heated combustion air effecting complete vaporization of the atomized oil, thereby preventing oil drops from contacting walls of the radiant heating tube which would otherwise create carbon deposits resulting in burning out of the radiant heating tube; the air control damper means providing a control of combustion air in the venturi portion; a flame adapted to be generated within the radiant heating tube, the flame heating the radiant heating tube to incandescence.

Claim 3

An air heater according to claim 1, wherein the oil supply means comprises a finned oil pipe portion within the transfer pipe and upstream of the high pressure mechanical atomizing nozzle, the finned oil pipe portion adapted to increase the temperature of oil being supplied to the nozzle in order to facilitate complete atomization of the oil.

Claim 4

An air heater according to claim 1, wherein an end of the transfer pipe is adapted to be connected to an intake end of a radiant heating tube having a diameter of at least 3 inches.

Claim 5

An improved air heating system comprising: a furnace enclosure having a radiant heating tube mounted therein; an air heater connected between an intake end and an outlet end of the radiant heating tube, the air heater comprising: a heat exchanger having a combustion air inlet and a heated combustion air outlet, and a heated gas inlet and a heated gas outlet; the heated combustion air outlet having a transfer pipe connected thereto, an opposite end of the transfer pipe adapted to be connected to the intake end of a radiant heating tube, and the heated gas inlet to the heat exchanger adapted to be connected to the outlet end of said radiant heating tube; the transfer pipe extending from the heated gas outlet of the heat exchanger to the inlet to the radiant heating tube having an control damper means situated therein; an end of the transfer pipe adapted to be connected to the inlet to a radiant heating tube having a venturi portion therein, an oil nozzle means being situated within the venturi portion of the transfer pipe adjacent the intake end of said radiant heating tube; oil supply means being connected to the oil nozzle means; and igniter means situated adjacent to and downstream of said oil nozzle means within the transfer pipe for igniting a mixture of atomized oil and combustion air, the high pressure mechanical atomizing nozzle to permit fine atomization of the oil within the radiant heating tube; the venturi portion adapted to facilitate mixing of combustion air and atomized oil, the heated combustion air effecting complete vaporization of the atomized oil, thereby preventing oil drops from contacting walls of the radiant heating tube which would otherwise create carbon deposits resulting in burning out of the radiant heating tube; the air control damper means providing a control of combustion air in the venturi portion; a flame adapted to be generated within the radiant heating tube, the flame heating the radiant heating tube to incandescence.

Claim 6

An improved air heating system comprising: a furnace enclosure having a radiant heating tube mounted therein; an air heater connected between an intake end and an outlet end of the radiant heating tube, the air heater comprising: a heat exchanger having a combustion air inlet and a heated combustion air outlet, and a heated gas inlet and a heated gas outlet; the heated combustion air outlet having a transfer pipe connected thereto, an opposite end of the transfer pipe adapted to be connected to the intake end of a radiant heating tube, and the heated gas inlet to the heat exchanger adapted to be connected to the outlet end of said radiant heating tube; the transfer pipe extending from the heated gas outlet of the heat exchanger to the inlet to the radiant heating tube having an control damper means situated therein; an end of the transfer pipe adapted to be connected to the inlet to a radiant heating tube having a venturi portion therein, an oil nozzle means being situated within the venturi portion of the transfer pipe adjacent the intake end of said radiant heating tube; oil supply means being connected to the oil nozzle means; and igniter means situated adjacent to and downstream of said oil nozzle means within the transfer pipe for igniting a mixture of atomized oil and combustion air, the high pressure mechanical atomizing nozzle to permit fine atomization of the oil within the radiant heating tube; the venturi portion adapted to facilitate mixing of combustion air and atomized oil, the heated combustion air effecting complete vaporization of the atomized oil, thereby preventing oil drops from contacting walls of the radiant heating tube which would otherwise create carbon deposits resulting in burning out of the radiant heating tube; the air control damper means providing a control of combustion air in the venturi portion; a flame adapted to be generated within the radiant heating tube, the flame heating the radiant heating tube to incandescence.