Thermal nozzle combustion method

Claim 1

Thermal nozzle combustion method comprising: (A) providing oxidant having an oxygen concentration of at least 30 volume percent at an initial velocity less than 300 fps within an oxidant supply duct communicating with a combustion zone; (B) providing fuel separately from oxidant into the oxidant supply duct at a high velocity of greater than 200 feet per second and greater than said oxidant initial velocity entraining oxidant into the high velocity fuel, combusting up to about 20 percent of the oxygen of the oxidant provided into the oxidant supply duct with the fuel to produce heat and combustion reaction products in a combustion reaction, and further entraining combustion reaction products and oxidant into the combustion reaction; (C) mixing combustion reaction products with remaining oxygen of the oxidant within the oxidant supply duct and raising the temperature of remaining oxidant within the oxidant supply duct; and (D) passing heated oxidant out from the oxidant supply duct into the combustion zone at an exit velocity which exceeds the initial velocity by at least 300 feet per second.