BURNER UTILIZING OXYGEN LANCE FOR FLAME CONTROL AND NOx REDUCTION

Abstract

A method of providing oxygen enriched fuel into a combustion atmosphere of a furnace includes injecting a fuel stream into the combustion atmosphere, and providing oxygen into the fuel stream during the injecting of the fuel stream into the combustion atmosphere. A fluid injection apparatus for a combustion atmosphere of a furnace is also provided and includes a housing having a space therein and a discharge orifice in communication with the space, a lance for oxygen disposed in the space and in communication with the discharge orifice, and an inlet duct for a fuel stream in communication with the space external to the lance.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of providing oxygen enriched fuel into a combustion atmosphere of a furnace, comprising:
 injecting a fuel stream into the combustion atmosphere; and   providing oxygen into the fuel stream during the injecting of the fuel stream into the combustion atmosphere.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the providing oxygen comprises injecting the oxygen into the fuel stream. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising mixing the oxygen and the fuel stream. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising creating turbulence in the fuel stream for mixing with the oxygen. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising creating turbulence in the oxygen for mixing with the fuel stream. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising adjusting a flow rate of the oxygen for controlling a flow rate of the fuel stream to be responsive to a flow rate of the oxygen. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the injecting the fuel stream into the combustion atmosphere occurs prior to the oxygen entering the furnace. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the providing oxygen is to an interior of the fuel stream. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the furnace is a regenerative furnace and the injecting and the providing occur beneath at least one port of said regenerative furnace. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the furnace is a regenerative furnace and the injecting and the providing occur at a side of at least one port of said furnace. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the furnace is a regenerative furnace and the injecting and the providing occur in a middle of at least one port of said furnace. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the furnace is a recuperative furnace and the injection and the providing occur in a recuperative burner hot air stream for said furnace. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the furnace is an oxy-fuel furnace and the oxygen provided to the fuel stream is in an amount up to a hundred percent (100%) of the oxygen being provided into the fuel stream. 
     
     
         14 . A fluid injection apparatus for a combustion atmosphere of a furnace, comprising:
 a housing having a space therein and a discharge orifice in communication with the space;   a lance for oxygen disposed in the space and in communication with the discharge orifice; and   an inlet duct for a fuel stream in communication with the space external to the lance.   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , further comprising a nozzle mounted to the housing at the discharge orifice. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the lance is adjustably moveable within the space to control a flow of the oxygen and the fuel stream into the combustion atmosphere. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the housing is mounted to at least one of an end wall, a sidewall, a crown, and a peep site hole of the furnace and the discharge opening is in communication with the combustion chamber of the furnace. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , further comprising a vortex member disposed in the space for creating turbulence of the fuel stream. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the vortex member comprises a swirler vane. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , further comprising a vortex member disposed at an interior of the oxygen lance for creating turbulence of the oxygen. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the vortex member comprises a swirler vane. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the fuel stream is selected from the group consisting of natural gas, producer gas, coke oven gas, syngas, methane, ethane, propane, butane, pentane, low calorific biomas or any other commercially available fuel.