Cyclonic combustion

Claim 2

A process for cyclonic combustion of fuel and oxidant comprising: mixing said fuel and said oxidant forming a fuel/oxidant mixture; tangentially injecting said fuel/oxidant mixture into a first combustor chamber at an upstream end of said first combustor chamber; igniting said fuel/oxidant mixture producing combustion products; exhausting said combustion products through a second combustor chamber concentrically aligned and in fluid communication with said first combustor chamber; and cooling a wall of said second combustor chamber.

Claim 3

A process in accordance with claim 1, wherein said combustion products are exhausted through a concentrically aligned orifice at a downstream end of said second combustor chamber.

Claim 4

A process in accordance with claim 1, wherein said oxidant is air.

Claim 5

A process in accordance with claim 1, wherein said fuel/oxidant mixture comprises about 105% to about 160% of the oxidant required for complete combustion of said fuel.

Claim 6

A process in accordance with claim 1, wherein a diluent is mixed with at least one of said fuel, said oxidant, and said fuel/oxidant mixture prior to tangential injection into said first combustor chamber.

Claim 7

A process in accordance with claim 1, wherein said diluent is selected from the group consisting of air, recirculated flue gases, water, steam and mixtures thereof.

Claim 8

A cyclonic combustor comprising: at least one first combustor chamber wall defining a first combustor chamber, said first combustor chamber having an upstream end, a downstream end and a substantially cylindrical longitudinally extending outer wall, said first combustor chamber being substantially uncooled; at least one second combustor chamber wall defining a second combustor chamber having an upstream end, a downstream end and a substantially cylindrical longitudinally extending outer wall, said downstream end of said first combustor chamber in fluid communication with and substantially longitudinally aligned with said upstream end of said second combustor chamber, said second combustor chamber being substantially cooled; and tangential injection means for tangentially injecting a mixture of fuel and oxidant into said first combustor chamber secured to said first combustor chamber wall.

Claim 9

A cyclonic combustor comprising: at least one first combustor chamber wall defining a first combustor chamber, said first combustor chamber having an upstream end, a downstream end and a substantially cylindrical longitudinally extending outer wall, said first combustor chamber being substantially uncooled; at least one second combustor chamber wall defining a second combustor chamber having an upstream end, a downstream end and a substantially cylindrical longitudinally extending outer wall, said downstream end of said first combustor chamber in fluid communication with and substantially longitudinally aligned with said upstream end of said second combustor chamber, said second combustor chamber being substantially cooled; and tangential injection means for tangentially injecting a mixture of fuel and oxidant into said first combustor chamber secured to said first combustor chamber wall.

Claim 10

A cyclonic combustor in accordance with claim 7, wherein an orifice wall is secured to said second combustor chamber wall proximate said downstream end of said second combustor chamber, said orifice wall having an opening concentrically aligned with said second combustor chamber.

Claim 11

A cyclonic combustor in accordance with claim 8, wherein said opening has an opening diameter less than an inside diameter of said second combustor chamber.

Claim 12

A cyclonic combustor in accordance with claim 8, wherein said opening in said orifice wall is longitudinally non-cylindrical.

Claim 13

A cyclonic combustor in accordance with claim 7, wherein a first orifice wall is secured to said first combustor chamber wall proximate said downstream end of said first combustor chamber, said first orifice wall having a first orifice wall opening concentrically aligned with said first combustor chamber.

Claim 14

A cyclonic combustor in accordance with claim 11, wherein a second orifice wall is secured to said second combustor chamber wall proximate said downstream end of said second combustor chamber, said second orifice wall having a second orifice wall opening concentrically aligned with said second combustion chamber.

Claim 15

A cyclonic combustor in accordance with claim 12, wherein said first orifice wall opening has a diameter less than the inside diameter of said first combustor chamber and said second orifice wall opening has a diameter less than the inside diameter of said second combustor chamber.

Claim 16

A cyclonic combustor in accordance with claim 12, wherein at least one of said first orifice wall opening and said second orifice wall opening is longitudinally non-cylindrical.

Claim 17

A cyclonic combustor in accordance with claim 11, wherein said first orifice wall opening has a diameter less than an inside diameter of said first combustor chamber.

Claim 18

A cyclonic combustor in accordance with claim 7, wherein said tangential injection means for tangentially injecting said mixture of fuel and oxidant comprises means for mixing said fuel and said oxidant.

Claim 19

A cyclonic combustor in accordance with claim 16, wherein said means for mixing said fuel and said oxidant is in communication with at least one nozzle having a nozzle exit in communication with said first combustor chamber and is disposed at least one nozzle inner diameter equivalent upstream of said nozzle exit.

Claim 20

A cyclonic combustor in accordance with claim 16, wherein said tangential injection means further comprises means for mixing a diluent with at least one of said fuel, said oxidant and said mixture of fuel and oxidant.

Claim 21

A cyclonic combustor in accordance with claim 18, wherein said diluent is selected from the group consisting of air, recirculated flue gases, water, steam and mixtures thereof.

Claim 22

A cyclonic combustor in accordance with claim 7 further comprising means for preventing flame flashback.

Claim 23

A cyclonic combustor in accordance with claim 20, wherein said means for preventing flashback comprises a flame arrestor disposed in said tangential injection means for tangentially injecting said mixture of fuel and oxidant.

Claim 24

A cyclonic combustor in accordance with claim 20, wherein said tangentially injection means comprises said means for preventing flame flashback, said means for preventing flame flashback comprising a controlled velocity nozzle.

Claim 25

A cyclonic combustor in accordance with claim 7, wherein said tangential injection means comprises at least one nozzle having a nozzle wall forming a nozzle exit in communication with said first chamber.

Claim 26

A cyclonic combustor in accordance with claim 23, wherein said nozzle comprises means for cooling said nozzle.

Claim 27

A cyclonic combustor in accordance with claim 24, wherein said means for cooling said nozzle comprises an outer nozzle wall disposed around said nozzle wall forming an annular chamber around said nozzle.

Claim 28

A cyclonic combustor in accordance with claim 25, wherein said annular chamber is open at an annular chamber end toward said first combustor chamber.

Claim 29

A cyclonic combustor in accordance with claim 25, wherein said annular chamber is closed at an annular chamber end toward said first combustor chamber and an inner nozzle wall is disposed around said nozzle between said outer nozzle wall and said nozzle wall, substantially parallel to said outer nozzle wall and having an inner nozzle wall end towards said first combustor chamber at a distance from said closed end of said annular chamber, forming an inner annular chamber between said inner nozzle wall and said nozzle wall and an outer annular chamber wall between said inner nozzle wall and said outer nozzle wall.

Claim 30

A cyclonic combustor in accordance with claim 27, wherein said outer annular chamber wall forms a cooling fluid inlet opening distal from said first combustor chamber and said nozzle wall forms a cooling fluid outlet opening distal from said first combustor chamber whereby a cooling fluid introduced through said cooling fluid inlet opening flows through said outer annular chamber, said inner annular chamber and exits through said cooling fluid outlet opening.