Burner the Direction and/or Size of the Flame of Which Can Be Varied, and Method of Implementing It

Abstract

Burner comprising at least one passage for injecting at least a primary jet, such as a jet of oxidant and/or fuel and/or of a premix of oxidant and fuel, and means of injecting at least one secondary jet of fluid opening into said passage, the interaction between the primary jet and the at least one secondary jet making it possible to vary the direction and/or the size of the flame. Use of said burner for heating a charge with the variable-direction and/or variable-size flame.

1 - 21 . (canceled) 
   
   
       22 . A burner comprising:
 a passage for directing a primary jet of oxidant or of fuel, or of an oxidant-fuel premix to a main outlet aperture,   at least one secondary duct for the injection of a secondary jet,   
     in which:
 the at least one secondary duct opens out onto the passage through a secondary aperture situated upstream of the main aperture and is positioned relative to the passage so that, at the point of interaction between the corresponding secondary jet and the primary jet, the angle between the axis of the corresponding secondary jet and the plane perpendicular to the axis of the primary jet is greater than or equal to 0° and less than 90°, preferably from 0° to 80°, even more preferably from 0° to 45°, and in that 
 the at least one secondary aperture is spaced apart from the main aperture by a distance L less than or equal to ten times the square root of the section of the primary aperture, preferably L≦5*√s, also preferably L≦3*√s, 
 
     characterized in that:
 the burner comprises means of regulating the impulse of each corresponding secondary jet, 
 
     said burner making it possible to vary the direction and/or the aperture of the flame by changing the impulse of at least one corresponding secondary jet. 
   
   
       23 . The burner of  claim 22 , wherein the regulation means controls the ratio between the impulse of each corresponding secondary jet and the impulse of the primary jet. 
   
   
       24 . The burner of  claim 22 , comprising at least one secondary duct positioned relative to the passage so that, at the level of the corresponding secondary aperture, the axes of the primary jet and of said secondary jet are secant or quasi-secant in order to be able to vary the angle of the flame at the outlet from the burner relative to the axis of the primary jet upstream of the corresponding secondary aperture. 
   
   
       25 . The burner of  claim 24 , comprising at least two secondary ducts positioned relative to the passage so that the two corresponding secondary apertures are situated in one and the same plane perpendicular to the axis of the primary jet and that, at the level of these two corresponding secondary apertures, the axes of the corresponding secondary jets are secant or quasi-secant with the axis of the primary fluid jet. 
   
   
       26 . The burner of  claim 25 , wherein the two corresponding secondary apertures are coplanar with the axis of the primary jet at the level of the two secondary apertures and situated either side of this axis of the primary jet. 
   
   
       27 . The burner of  claim 25 , wherein the plane defined by the axis of the primary jet at the level of the two corresponding secondary apertures and one of the two corresponding secondary apertures is perpendicular to the plane defined by the axis of the primary jet and the other of the two corresponding secondary apertures. 
   
   
       28 . The burner of  claim 25 , comprising at least four secondary ducts positioned relative to the passage so that the four corresponding secondary apertures are in one and the same plane perpendicular to the axis of the primary jet and that, at the level of these four secondary apertures, the axes of the corresponding secondary jets are secant or quasi-secant with the axis of the primary jet, two of these corresponding secondary apertures being coplanar with the axis of the primary jet on a first plane and situated either side of this axis, the other two corresponding secondary apertures being coplanar with the axis of the primary jet in a second plane and situated either side of this axis. 
   
   
       29 . The burner of  claim 22 , wherein at least one secondary duct is positioned relative to the passage so that, at the level of the corresponding secondary aperture the axis of the corresponding secondary jet of fluid is not substantially coplanar with the axis of the primary jet of fluid, so as to be able to generate, maintain or reinforce a rotation of the resultant jet of fluid around its axis, and thus vary the aperture of the flame at the outlet of the burner. 
   
   
       30 . The burner of  claim 29 , comprising at least two secondary ducts positioned relative to the passage in such a way that the axes of the corresponding secondary jets are not substantially coplanar with the axis of the primary jet and that the corresponding secondary jets are oriented in the same direction of rotation about the axis of the primary jet. 
   
   
       31 . The burner of  claim 30 , wherein the two corresponding secondary apertures are situated either side of the axis of the primary jet. 
   
   
       32 . The burner of  claim 22 , wherein at least one secondary duct is positioned relative to the passage so that, at the level of the corresponding secondary aperture, the secondary duct presents a thickness e and a height l, the height l being greater than or equal to 0.5 times the thickness e, preferably between 0.5×e and 5×e. 
   
   
       33 . The burner of  claim 22 , comprising means for controlling the ratio of the impulses of the primary fluid jet and of the secondary fluid jet. 
   
   
       34 . The burner of  claim 22 , comprising a block of material in which at least one part of the passage is situated, the main aperture being situated on one of the faces or surfaces of the block. 
   
   
       35 . The burner of  claim 22 , comprising means for controlling the impulses of the primary and/or secondary jets. 
   
   
       36 . The burner of  claim 22 , comprising a refractory port positioned at the end of the passage and at least one secondary duct opening out onto the passage through a secondary aperture situated in the refractory port. 
   
   
       37 . A method for heating a charge by means of a flame, said flame being produced by using a burner of  claim 22 . 
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the direction and/or the aperture of the flame is varied by making a primary jet interact with at least one secondary jet. 
   
   
       39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the primary jet is a jet containing oxidant or fuel or a premix of oxidant and of fuel. 
   
   
       40 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the direction of the flame is varied in order to sweep at least a part of the surface of the charge. 
   
   
       41 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the direction of the flame is varied in at least two secant planes in order to sweep at least a part of the surface of the charge. 
   
   
       42 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein, in a first phase, the flame is directed toward the load and in that, in a second phase, the flame is directed substantially parallel to the charge.