Partial combustion burner with spiral-flow cooled face

Claim 1

A burner for the partial combustion of finely divided solid carbonaceous fuel with an oxygen containing gas in a combustion zone, said burner having a longitudinal axis, and a discharge end, which burner comprises: a central channel disposed along said longitudinal axis of said burner and having an outlet at said discharge end for supplying said solid fuel to the combustion zone; a first substantially annular channel disposed coaxially with said central channel and having an outlet at said discharge end to supply oxygen-containing gas flow to the combustion zone; a second substantially annular channel disposed coaxially with said first annular channel and having an outlet at said discharge end to supply a second gas flow to the combustion zone; a front face disposed at the discharge end of said burner and normal to the longitudinal axis thereof, said front face having a central aperture through which said fuel, first oxygen-containing gas, and second gas flow to the combustion zone; said front face comprising a hollow wall member operatively connected to (a) a supply conduit disposed to supply fluid coolant proximately to a first end of a passageway in said hollow wall member; (b) a return conduit disposed to pass fluid coolant proximately from a final end of said passageway; and including (c) spiral flow means defining said passageway disposed within said hollow wall member to cause fluid coolant entering said hollow wall member from said supply conduit to flow in a spiral direction about the longitudinal axis of the burner.