Renewable Fuel Source Burner for a Furnace

Abstract

A furnace comprising a housing defining a combustion chamber therein, a burner in the housing, the burner comprising a body defining a burning zone, a fuel feeder in communication with the burning zone adapted to feed a renewable fuel source therein, an air supplier in fluid flow communication with the burning zone for supplying oxygen for fuel combustion, a cooling jacket integrated in the body and cooling the burning zone independently of the air supplier, the burner being operable to release hot combustion gases into the combustion chamber, and a heat exchanger in the housing capturing heat from the hot combustion gases and transferring the heat to another medium.

1 . A furnace comprising:
 a housing defining a combustion chamber therein;   a burner in the housing, the burner comprising a body defining a burning zone, a fuel feeder in communication with the burning zone adapted to feed a renewable fuel source therein, an air supplier in fluid flow communication with the burning zone for supplying oxygen for fuel combustion, a cooling jacket integrated in the body and cooling the burning zone independently of the air supplier, the burner being operable to release hot combustion gases into the combustion chamber; and   a heat exchanger in the housing capturing heat from the hot combustion gases and transferring the heat to another medium.   
     
     
         2 . The furnace of  claim 1 , wherein the cooling jacket of the burner is separately controlled from the air supplier thereby cooling the burner irrespective of the air supplier. 
     
     
         3  The furnace of  claim 1 , wherein the cooling jacket of the burner includes at least one of an air cooling jacket and a water cooling jacket. 
     
     
         4 . The furnace of  claim 1 , wherein the cooling jacket is disposed proximal to the air supplier for cooling the air supplier. 
     
     
         5 . The furnace of  claim 1 , wherein the air supplier includes at least one air conduit integrated in the body of the burner, the air conduit having a plurality of air inlets in fluid flow communication with the burning zone. 
     
     
         6 . The furnace of  claim 5 , wherein the burning zone defines an area of greater burning and an area of lesser burning, and wherein the air inlets release air directly into the area of greater burning. 
     
     
         7 . The furnace of  claim 6 , wherein the burner has an elongated body defining a longitudinal direction, and wherein the air conduit extends in the longitudinal direction and the air inlets release air generally perpendicular to the longitudinal direction into the burning zone. 
     
     
         8 . The furnace of  claim 7 , wherein the body of the burner includes inner and outer walls and wherein the cooling jacket extends between the inner and outer walls in the longitudinal direction. 
     
     
         9 . The furnace of  claim 8 , wherein the air conduit is defined in an inner wall of the body, and wherein the cooling jacket extends adjacent the air conduit. 
     
     
         10 . The furnace of  claim 1 , wherein the burning zone has an area of greater burning and an area of lesser burning, and wherein the fuel feeder supplies the renewable fuel source directly into the area of lesser burning of the burning zone. 
     
     
         11 . The furnace of  claim 10 , wherein the burner is operable to burn a portion of the renewable fuel source in the burning zone, and wherein the fuel feeder supplies the renewable fuel source below the burning portion of the renewable fuel source already in the burning zone. 
     
     
         12 . The furnace of  claim 11 , wherein the burning zone has a bottom portion and a top portion, and wherein the fuel feeder supplies the renewable fuel source directly into the bottom portion of the burning zone. 
     
     
         13 . The furnace of  claim 12 , wherein the body has a floor and the bottom portion of the burning zone is defined by the floor. 
     
     
         14 . The furnace of  claim 13 , wherein the fuel feeder is disposed proximal to the floor in the body of the burner. 
     
     
         15 . The furnace of  claim 1 , wherein the body includes a floor and the air conduit is spaced from the floor. 
     
     
         16 . The furnace of  claim 1 , wherein the burning zone of the burner is at least partially enclosed. 
     
     
         17 . The furnace of  claim 16 , wherein the body includes at least one top cover at least partially enclosing the burning zone of the burner. 
     
     
         18 . The furnace of  claim 1 , wherein the burner has a front door openable for easy access to the burning zone. 
     
     
         19 . The furnace of  claim 1 , further comprising a control system in communication with the cooling jacket, the air supplier and the fuel feeder of the burner, the cooling system independently operating the cooling jacket, the air supplier and the fuel feeder. 
     
     
         20 . A burner comprising a body defining a burning zone having an area of greater burning and an area of lesser burning, an air supplier in fluid flow communication with the burning zone supplying oxygen for fuel combustion, a fuel feeder in communication with the burning zone supplying a renewable fuel source directly into the area of lesser burning of the burning zone. 
     
     
         21 . The burner of  claim 20 , wherein the burner is operable to burn a portion of the renewable fuel source in the burning zone, and wherein the fuel feeder supplies the renewable fuel source below the burning portion of the renewable fuel source already in the burning zone. 
     
     
         22 . The burner of  claim 21 , wherein the burning zone has a bottom portion and a top portion, and wherein the fuel feeder supplies the renewable fuel source directly into the bottom portion of the burning zone. 
     
     
         23 . The burner of  claim 22 , wherein the body has a floor and the bottom portion of the burning zone is defined by the floor. 
     
     
         24 . The burner of  claim 23 , wherein the fuel feeder is disposed proximal to the floor in the body of the burner. 
     
     
         25 . A method of operating a furnace comprising a heat exchanger and a burner, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a burner having an air supplier and a cooling jacket, the air supplier and the cooling jacket being independently fed;   determining a maximum and a minimum temperature for the heat exchanger and for the burner;   determining an actual temperature in the heat exchanger and in the burner;   controlling the air supplier and the cooling jacket independently thereby moderating the actual temperature in the heat exchanger and in the burner relative to the respective maximum and minimum temperatures.