Luminous burner

Abstract

An apparatus and method for creating a flame-on-water effect proves a burner connected to a gas supply. The burner includes a plurality of apertures disposed vertically lower than a gas supply opening within the burner. As such, when the burner is submerged below the surface of a body of water, a gas pocket is maintained within the burner above the apertures. During operation, the burner provides a dispersed supply of gas under water, which gas rises to the surface and is ignited to create the flame-on-water effect.

1 . A device for delivering unignited gas below a surface of a body of water, comprising: 
 a hollow burner head having an upper surface and a lower surface, a plurality of apertures being formed through the burner member below the upper surface;    a gas supply tube having an opening within the head, the opening disposed generally above the level of the apertures.    
   
   
       2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of apertures are formed through the lower surface.  
   
   
       3 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of apertures are disposed within an aperture plane.  
   
   
       4 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the head comprises a tube having a generally rectangular cross-section.  
   
   
       5 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the tube has a generally square cross-section.  
   
   
       6 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the burner head comprises a tube having a generally circular cross-section.  
   
   
       7 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the head comprises a tube having a diameter of about ¾″.  
   
   
       8 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein the gas supply opening is disposed at least ½″ above the lower surface.  
   
   
       9 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the supply tube extends generally upwardly from the lower surface.  
   
   
       10 . The device of  claim 9 , wherein the supply tube opening is spaced at least ¼″ from the upper surface.  
   
   
       11 . The device of  claim 9 , wherein the supply tube opening is spaced from the upper surface so that an imaginary surface area between the opening and the upper surface is at least equivalent to the cross-sectional surface area of the supply tube opening.  
   
   
       12 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the burner head communicates with a gas inlet chamber having an upper surface, and the gas inlet chamber upper surface is disposed generally higher than the burner head upper surface.  
   
   
       13 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein the gas supply tube opening is disposed in the gas inlet chamber and at or above the burner head upper surface.  
   
   
       14 . The device of  claim 1  additionally comprising a splash guard disposed between the gas supply opening and the plurality of apertures.  
   
   
       15 . The device of  claim 14 , wherein the splash guard comprises a filter.  
   
   
       16 . The device of  claim 14 , wherein the splash guard comprises a wall extending downwardly from the upper surface of the burner tube.  
   
   
       17 . The device of  claim 1  additionally comprising a control apparatus communicating with the gas supply tube, the control apparatus comprising a water purge device configured to accumulate and selectively purge water within the gas supply tube.  
   
   
       18 . The device of  claim 17 , wherein the control apparatus additionally comprises a gas supply on/off valve.  
   
   
       19 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the apertures have a size between about 1/16″ and ¼″.  
   
   
       20 . A method for supplying unignited gas to a surface of a body of water, comprising: 
 providing a hollow burner having an upper surface and a lower surface, a plurality of apertures being formed through the burner below the upper surface;    providing a gas supply tube communicating with the burner, the gas supply tube opening into the burner at a point above the plurality of apertures; and    arranging the burner within a body of water so that the apertures are disposed no more than about three inches from a surface of the body of water.    
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the plurality of apertures are arranged substantially within an aperture plane.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21  additionally comprising arranging the burner tube so that the aperture plane is substantially horizontal.