Inwardly firing burner and uses thereof

Abstract

An inwardly firing burner design is shown which can be used in a variety of heating applications. A water heater apparatus is also shown which includes a water heating tank having generally cylindrical sidewalls with upper and lower ends, each of which is closed by a transverse wall section to define a closed tank interior. The tank also has a water inlet and a water outlet. A plurality of vertically arranged fire tubes are connected between the upper and lower transverse wall sections, each fire tube having an open interior for conducting products of combustion. A burner assembly is mounted on the tank which features the inwardly firing construction that eliminates the need for an external combustion chamber.

1 . An inwardly firing burner for use on gas burner applications where benefit is obtained from firing directly into a heat exchanger without the need for a separate combustion chamber, where combustion is largely completed within the burner or where low NOx operation is desired, the burner comprising:
 a outer body assembly, the outer body having a transverse wall opening therein for communication with a blower, the outer body having an interior and one or more end openings;   an inner chamber assembly mounted within the interior of the burner outer body, the inner chamber having largely opposing sidewalls and forming a peripheral seal to the openings of the outer body to form an open internal region which constitutes a combustion region for the burner and one or more end openings for exhausting the products of combustion;   an intermediate chamber assembly having sidewalls which allow the assembly to be positioned about the inner chamber and within the interior of the outer body, the walls of the intermediate chamber assembly also having a one or more predetermined openings between the sealed region formed between the outer body and the inner chamber, whereby a distributed flow path is created for gases passing from the blower, between the interior of the outer body and the sidewalls of the inner chamber;   an igniter element operatively associated with the outer body for igniting air and fuel supplied to the interior of the inner chamber to thereby produce products of combustion for heating.   
     
     
         2 . The burner of  claim 1 , wherein the igniter element is at least one electrode mounted on the outer body assembly. 
     
     
         3 . The burner of  claim 1 , wherein the sidewalls of the inner chamber, which is mounted within the interior of the burner outer body, are formed of a heat resistant material. 
     
     
         4 . The burner of  claim 1 , wherein the sidewalls of the inner chamber, which is mounted within the interior of the burner outer body, are in the majority facing inward. 
     
     
         5 . The burner of  claim 1 , wherein the burner mixes air and gas in the presence of a flame to create products of combustion, and wherein the inwardly firing design of the burner contains a majority of the flame within the burner itself, thereby eliminating the need for a separate refractory lined combustion chamber. 
     
     
         6 . The burner of  claim 1 , wherein the inwardly firing burner allows combustion to be established and largely completed within an envelope defined by the outer body of the burner itself, thereby resulting in a self-chambered burner design. 
     
     
         7 . An inwardly firing burner for use on a water heater of the type having a water heating tank having generally cylindrical sidewalls which define an interior, the tank also having upper and lower ends, a water inlet and a water outlet, and a series of fire tubes located within the tank interior, the fire tubes having open interiors which are adapted to receive products of combustion created by the burner, the burner comprising:
 a cylindrical outer body, the outer body having a transverse wall opening therein for communication with a blower, the outer body having an interior and first and second oppositely arranged, end openings;   an inner cylindrical chamber mounted within the interior of the burner outer body, the inner cylindrical chamber forming a peripheral sealed end region at the first end opening of the outer body, the inner cylindrical chamber having sidewalls which form an open internal region which constitutes a combustion region for the burner and an end opening for exhausting the products of combustion to the fire tubes of an associated water heating tank;   an ignition cap assembly, the cap assembly comprising a cylindrical body portion having cylindrical sidewalls, the sidewalls being of a selected external diameter which allows the cylindrical body portion to be received about the inner cylindrical chamber and within the interior of the cylindrical outer body, the sidewalls of the cap assembly also having a predetermined depth which is less than a corresponding depth of the cylindrical sidewalls of the outer body, thereby creating a gap with respect to the sealed peripheral region formed at the first end opening of the burner, the cap assembly also having a lid portion which seats upon and seals with the second end opening of the cylindrical outer body, whereby a serpentine flow path is created for gases passing from the blower, between the interior of the outer body and the cylindrical body portion of the cap assembly and between the sidewalls of the cap assembly and the sidewalls of the inner cylindrical chamber; and   an igniter element operatively associated with the cap assembly for igniting air and fuel supplied to the interior of the inner cylindrical chamber to thereby produce products of combustion for heating water contained within an associated water heater tank.   
     
     
         8 . The burner of  claim 7 , wherein the igniter element is at least one electrode mounted on the lid region of the cap assembly. 
     
     
         9 . The burner of  claim 7 , wherein the sidewalls of the inner cylindrical chamber which is mounted within the interior of the burner outer body are formed of a heat resistant material. 
     
     
         10 . The burner of  claim 7 , wherein the lid portion of the cap assembly is a planar member which is of a greater relative outer diameter than that of the outer body, whereby the lid portion forms an outwardly extending flange region which seats upon and seals with the second end opening of the cylindrical outer body. 
     
     
         11 . A water heater assembly, comprising:
 a water heating tank having generally cylindrical sidewalls with upper and lower ends, each of which is closed by a transverse wall section to define a closed tank interior;   a plurality of vertically arranged fire tubes connected between the upper and lower transverse wall sections, each fire tube having an open interior for conducting products of combustion;   a blower and burner assembly which is mounted at a selected one of the upper and lower ends of the water heating tank for providing products of combustion to the open interiors of the fire tubes;   a flue collector chamber located on the respective end of the tank opposite the burner assembly for collecting and exhausting the products of combustion from the vertically arranged fire tubes; and   wherein the burner is an inwardly firing burner which eliminates the need for an external combustion chamber mounted on the exterior of the water heater tank.   
     
     
         12 . The water heater assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the burner mixes air and gas in the presence of a flame to create products of combustion, and wherein the inwardly firing design of the burner contains a majority of the flame within the burner itself, thereby eliminating the need for refractory materials and a separate refractory lined combustion chamber. 
     
     
         13 . The water heater assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the inwardly firing burner allows combustion to be established and completed within an envelope defined by the outer body of the burner itself, thereby resulting in a self-chambered burner design. 
     
     
         14 . The water heater assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the burner of the blower and burner assembly has a cylindrical outer body, the outer body having a transverse wall opening therein for communication with the blower, the outer body having an interior and first and second oppositely arranged, end openings, the first end of the burner being mounted on the water heater tank in communication with the interior of the fire tubes. 
     
     
         15 . The water heater assembly of  claim 14 , wherein an inner cylindrical chamber is mounted within the interior of the burner outer body, the inner cylindrical chamber forming a peripheral sealed end region at the first end opening of the outer body, the inner cylindrical chamber having sidewalls which form an open internal region which constitutes a combustion region for the burner and an end opening for exhausting the products of combustion to the fire tubes of an associated water heating tank. 
     
     
         16 . The water heater assembly of  claim 15 , further comprising an ignition cap assembly, the cap assembly comprising a cylindrical body portion having cylindrical sidewalls, the sidewalls being of a selected external diameter which allows the cylindrical body portion to be received about the inner cylindrical chamber and within the interior of the cylindrical outer body, the sidewalls of the cap assembly also having a predetermined depth which is less than a corresponding depth of the cylindrical sidewalls of the outer body, thereby creating a gap with respect to the sealed peripheral region formed at the first end opening of the burner, the cap assembly also having a lid portion which seats upon and seals with the second end opening of the cylindrical outer body, whereby a serpentine flow path is created for gases passing from the blower, between the interior of the outer body and the cylindrical body portion of the cap assembly and between the sidewalls of the cap assembly and the sidewalls of the inner cylindrical chamber; and
 an igniter element operatively associated with the cap assembly for igniting air and fuel supplied to the interior of the inner cylindrical chamber to thereby produce products of combustion for heating water contained within an associated water heater tank.   
     
     
         17 . The water heater assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the igniter element is at least one electrode mounted on the lid region of the cap assembly. 
     
     
         18 . The water heater assembly of  claim 17 , wherein the sidewalls of the inner cylindrical chamber which is mounted within the interior of the burner outer body are formed of a heat resistant material. 
     
     
         19 . The water heater assembly of  claim 18 , wherein the lid portion of the cap assembly is a planar member which is of a greater relative outer diameter than that of the outer body, whereby the lid portion forms an outwardly extending flange region which seats upon and seals with the second end opening of the cylindrical outer body.