Combustion Engineering, Inc.

Canadian Patents and Development Limited/societe Canadienne Des Brevets

Donald A Smith

Richard C LaFlesh

Martin E Smirlock

David J Horan

Arun K Mehta

Gary F Lexa

John Joseph Marshall

Bruce M Pote

An atomizer (14) for producing a finely dispersed spray (16) of a solid-liquid slurry (18) includes a mixing body (22) having an internal mixing chamber (28) and a spray outlet passage (30). The flow cross-section of the mixing chamber (28) is elongated in shape, with an atomizing medium inlet passage (24) for injecting an atomizing medium (20) into the mixing chamber (28) co-linearly with the spray outlet passage (30). The slurry inlet passage (26) injects the slurry (18) into the mixing chamber (28) at an angle (32) oblique to the flow of atomizing medium and perpendicular to the mixing chamber flow cross-section elongation.

Atomizer

A flow splitter for dividing a single stream of pulverulent material entrained in air into a multiplicity of substantially equal substreams for delivery to a multiplicity of receiving stations.

Flow splitter for dividing a stream of pulverulent material into

Solids pumping apparatus

Pulverized coal is ignited, to furnish energy for warm-up or low load operation of a coal burning furnace, by a technique which does not require the combustion of significant quantities of liquid or gaseous fuels. The direct ignition of pulverized coal in accordance with the present invention contemplates the delivery of a dense phase coal/air stream to an ignition zone where it receives ignition energy and the thus ignited mixture is thereafter contained in a recirculation region until the flame becomes self-sustaining.

Direct ignition of pulverized coal

An electrical discharge is controlled in such a manner as to permit its use to reliably ignite a fuel stream consisting of pulverized coal entrained in air. The ignition technique of the present invention creates expanding and contracting plasma pockets at a rate which is high compared to the velocity of the fuel stream and permits the ignition of the fuel stream in a cold furnace and/or without supplemental combustion of liquid or gaseous hydrocarbon fuels.

High energy arc ignition of pulverized coal

A method of direct ignition of pulverized coal to furnish energy for warm-up or low load operation of a coal burning furnace comprises forming a fuel stream consisting of a mixture of pulverized coal and air, the fuel stream having an air to coal ratio and/or a flow velocity which fluctuates. The fluctuating fluid stream is introduced into a combustion area where the coal is ignited by an energy source. The fluctuation of the air to coal ratio and/or the fluctuation of the flow speed provide for the air to coal ratio and/or the flow speed to be swept through a range of values which includes the optimum conditions for ignition.

Direct ignition of a fluctuating fuel stream

A bowl mill for pulverizing coal, wherein two bowl surfaces are rotated on the same shaft. The raw crushed coal is pulverized in one of the bowls, and the pulverized coal therefrom is then transported in an air stream to a classifier from where the fines are carried on to the ultimate point of use, and the more coarse particles are discharged into the second bowl for further grinding.

Plural bowl mills in series

A fuel admission assembly for a tangentially fired furnace that utilizes oil, gas, or other utility grade fuels. The assembly disclosed has the ability to achieve a positive control of the air flow through a specially designed swirler. Because of this unique feature of its design, this assembly will permit efficient tangential boiler operation at 5% excess air or less over a fuel turndown ratio of at least 3 to 1 on each assembly. At the same time, it will not produce unacceptable levels of noxious emissions such as oxides of nitrogen, carbonaceous soot or sulfur smuts over its full operating range. Finally, it requires no additional fan head (windbox pressure drop).

Control of air flow in a burner for a tangentially fired boiler

A main burner oil gun in which hard to ignite liquid fuels can be burned, including an ignition means for the oil gun which will reliably light the oil gun time after time. The oil is sprayed from the oil gun tip in the shape of a hollow cone. Air is introduced surrounding the oil gun, and flows over a baffle plate located transversely of the oil gun, creating eddies of air, some of which break through the curtain of fuel issuing from the tip in a conical shape. This current of air that breaks through the fuel carries some fine droplets of fuel along with it, and forms a recirculation zone extending back to the oil gun tip. The ignition means is located within the hollow conical fuel flow, along the inner edge of the recirculation zone, so that the initial flame established is carried back to a point directly in front of the oil gun tip.

High energy arc ignitor for burner

A pressure jet atomiser of the centrifugal swirl type wherein a forced vortex is gradually accelerated, by being directed through a smoothly converging passage, and is thereafter refined and thinned. Refining of the vortex occurs in a constant diameter nozzle throat section and thinning is achieved by passage through a smooth diverging diffuser downstream of the throat. A constant spray angle for the thinned vortex is achieved by providing the diffuser with an abrupt set-back.

Growing community of inventors

Haddam, CT, United States of America

Donald A Smith