Electrically stabilized swirl-stabilized burner

Abstract

A swirl-stabilized burner includes a charge source configured to apply a majority charge to a combustion reaction and at least one stabilization electrode configured to apply electrical attraction or repulsion to the majority charge to control position or stability of the swirl-stabilized combustion reaction.

1 . An electrically stabilized swirl-stabilized burner, comprising:
 a nozzle assembly configured to output a rotating fluid stream including at least one fuel and at least one oxidizer selected to support a combustion reaction;   at least one ionizer configured to output charges at a first polarity to the fluid stream or to the combustion reaction; and   at least one stabilization electrode positioned proximate to the combustion reaction and configured to be held at a stabilization voltage selected to affect a location of the combustion reaction.   
     
     
         2 . The electrically stabilized swirl-stabilized burner of  claim 1 , further comprising: a voltage source operatively coupled to at least the ionizer, the voltage source being configured to output at least one voltage to the ionizer;
 wherein the ionizer is configured to output charges having the same polarity as the at least one voltage.   
     
     
         3 . The electrically stabilized swirl-stabilized burner of  claim 2 , wherein the polarity is constant. 
     
     
         4 . The electrically stabilized swirl-stabilized burner of  claim 2 , wherein the polarity is positive. 
     
     
         5 .- 12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . The electrically stabilized swirl-stabilized burner of claim  12 , wherein the at least one stabilization electrode includes one or more segments of a substantially toric conductor disposed between the nozzle assembly and a low pressure region produced by the swirler. 
     
     
         14 .- 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . The electrically stabilized swirl-stabilized burner of claim  12 , wherein the ionizer includes at least one corona electrode in electrical continuity with a fuel source portion of the nozzle assembly. 
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . The electrically stabilized swirl-stabilized burner of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one stabilization electrode further comprises:
 a distal stabilization electrode disposed away from the nozzle assembly and a nominal position of the combustion reaction; and   a proximal stabilization electrode disposed between the nozzle assembly and the nominal position of the combustion reaction;   
       further comprising:
 a voltage controller configured to apply respective voltages to the distal stabilization electrode and the proximal stabilization electrode. 
 
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . The electrically stabilized swirl-stabilized burner of  claim 18 , wherein the respective voltages are selected to drive the location of the combustion reaction responsive to a combustion variable, and wherein
 the combustion variable is selected from the group consisting of fuel flow rate, fuel pressure, oxidizer flow rate, oxidizer vacuum, oxidizer pressure, air flow rate, air vacuum, air pressure, flue gas flow rate, flue gas pressure, flue gas vacuum, oxygen (O 2 ) concentration, carbon monoxide (CO) concentration, oxide of nitrogen (NOx) concentration, and output heat demand.   
     
     
         21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . The electrically stabilized swirl-stabilized burner of  claim 1 , wherein the ionizer includes at least one corona electrode in electrical continuity with the swirler. 
     
     
         23 . The electrically stabilized swirl-stabilized burner of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one stabilization electrode comprises an annular electrode configured to variably attract a concentration of charges output by the ionizer and carried by the combustion reaction, and
 wherein the variable attracting of the charges by the annular electrode is selected to cause the combustion reaction to
 become increasingly oblate, 
 occur in increasingly close proximity to the annular electrode, or 
 occur in an increasingly stable location, 
   
       with increasing attraction. 
     
     
         24 .- 27 . (canceled) 
     
     
         28 . The electrically stabilized swirl-stabilized burner of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one stabilization electrode comprises an annular electrode configured to variably repel a concentration of charges output by the ionizer and carried by the combustion reaction. 
     
     
         29 . The electrically stabilized swirl-stabilized burner of  claim 28 , wherein the variable repelling of the charges by the annular electrode is selected to cause the combustion reaction to become increasingly elongated or to occur at increasing distance from the annular electrode with increased repelling. 
     
     
         30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . The electrically stabilized swirl-stabilized burner of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one stabilization electrode comprises an annular electrode configured to variably attract or repel a concentration of charges output by the ionizer and carried by the combustion reaction. 
     
     
         32 . (canceled) 
     
     
         33 . The electrically stabilized swirl-stabilized burner of  claim 1 , further comprising: a controller operatively coupled to the ionizer through an isolating coupling. 
     
     
         34 . The electrically stabilized swirl-stabilized burner of  claim 33 , wherein the isolating coupling includes at least one capacitor. 
     
     
         35 . The electrically stabilized swirl-stabilized burner of  claim 33 , wherein the isolating coupling includes an inductor. 
     
     
         36 . The electrically stabilized swirl-stabilized burner of  claim 33 , wherein the isolating coupling includes an opto-coupling. 
     
     
         37 . The electrically stabilized swirl-stabilized burner of  claim 33 , wherein the isolating coupling includes a resonant coupling. 
     
     
         38 . The electrically stabilized swirl-stabilized burner of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a controller operatively coupled to the ionizer and the at least one stabilization electrode; and   a sensor operatively coupled to the controller and configured to sense at least one parameter corresponding to the combustion reaction; and   wherein the controller is configured to control a charge flow from the ionizer responsive to sensor feedback.   
     
     
         39 . (canceled) 
     
     
         40 . The electrically stabilized swirl-stabilized burner of  claim 38 , wherein the controller is configured to control application of at least one activation voltage to the at least one stabilization electrode responsive to sensor feedback. 
     
     
         41 . (canceled) 
     
     
         42 . The electrically stabilized swirl-stabilized burner of  claim 40 , wherein the at least one parameter includes a combustion reaction location. 
     
     
         43 . The electrically stabilized swirl-stabilized burner of  claim 40 , wherein the at least one parameter includes an instability in location of the combustion reaction. 
     
     
         44 . The electrically stabilized swirl-stabilized burner of  claim 40 , wherein the at least one parameter includes at least one selected from the group consisting of a current flow from the combustion reaction, an image of the combustion reaction, fuel flow rate, fuel pressure, oxidizer flow rate, oxidizer vacuum, oxidizer pressure, air flow rate, air vacuum, air pressure, flue gas flow rate, flue gas pressure, flue gas vacuum, oxygen (O 2 ) concentration, carbon monoxide (CO) concentration, oxide of nitrogen (NOx) concentration, and heat output from the combustion reaction. 
     
     
         45 . The electrically stabilized swirl-stabilized burner of  claim 1 , further comprising: a controller operatively coupled to the at least one stabilization electrode through an electrically isolating coupling. 
     
     
         46 . A method for operating an electrically- and swirl-stabilized burner, comprising:
 emitting fuel and oxidant from a nozzle assembly along an axis in a downstream direction with a rotational velocity around the axis;   supporting a swirl-stabilized combustion reaction with the fuel and oxidant;   supplying electrical charges to the combustion reaction;   supporting an electrode downstream from the nozzle assembly; and   applying a voltage to the electrode to cause the electrical charges carried by the combustion reaction to interact with the voltage carried by the electrode.   
     
     
         47 . The method for operating an electrically- and swirl-stabilized burner of  claim 46 , wherein causing the electrical charges carried by the combustion reaction to interact with the voltage carried by the electrode is selected to stabilize the combustion reaction. 
     
     
         48 . The method for operating an electrically- and swirl-stabilized burner of  claim 46 , wherein causing the electrical charges carried by the combustion reaction to interact with the voltage carried by the electrode includes applying an electrostatic force to the charges carried by the combustion reaction. 
     
     
         49 . The method for operating an electrically- and swirl-stabilized burner of  claim 48 , wherein the force includes a component applied in a direction parallel to the axis. 
     
     
         50 .- 51 . (canceled) 
     
     
         52 . The method for operating an electrically- and swirl-stabilized burner of  claim 46 ,
 wherein the charges supplied to the combustion reaction have a first polarity; and   wherein the voltage applied to the electrode has a second polarity the same as the first polarity.   
     
     
         53 . The method for operating an electrically- and swirl-stabilized burner of  claim 46 , wherein the charges supplied to the combustion reaction have a first polarity; and
 wherein the voltage applied to the electrode has a second polarity opposite to the first polarity.   
     
     
         54 . The method for operating an electrically- and swirl-stabilized burner of  claim 46 , wherein applying the voltage to the electrode comprises placing the electrode in electrical continuity with an electrical ground. 
     
     
         55 . The method for operating an electrically- and swirl-stabilized burner of  claim 46 , wherein supporting an electrode comprises supporting a toroidal electrode concentric to the axis. 
     
     
         56 . The method for operating an electrically- and swirl-stabilized burner of  claim 46 , wherein supporting an electrode comprises supporting a plurality of electrodes distributed concentric to the axis. 
     
     
         57 . The method for operating an electrically- and swirl-stabilized burner of  claim 46 , wherein supporting an electrode comprises supporting a single electrode disposed at a position intermediate between the nozzle assembly and a target combustion reaction position. 
     
     
         58 . The method for operating an electrically- and swirl-stabilized burner of  claim 46 , wherein supporting an electrode comprises supporting a single electrode disposed concentric to the axis at a distance along the axis corresponding to a target combustion reaction position. 
     
     
         59 . The method for operating an electrically- and swirl-stabilized burner of  claim 46 , wherein supporting an electrode comprises supporting a single electrode disposed away from the nozzle assembly distal from a target combustion reaction position along the axis. 
     
     
         60 . The method for operating an electrically- and swirl-stabilized burner of  claim 46 , wherein supporting an electrode comprises:
 supporting a first electrode disposed intermediate between the nozzle assembly and a target combustion reaction position; and   supporting a second electrode disposed away from the nozzle assembly distal from a target combustion reaction position.   
     
     
         61 . The method for operating an electrically- and swirl-stabilized burner of  claim 46 , wherein supplying electrical charges to the combustion reaction comprises supplying charges having an alternating polarity. 
     
     
         62 . The method for operating an electrically- and swirl-stabilized burner of  claim 46 , wherein supplying electrical charges to the combustion reaction comprises supplying charges having a constant polarity. 
     
     
         63 . (canceled) 
     
     
         64 . The method for operating an electrically- and swirl-stabilized burner of  claim 63 , wherein supplying electrical charges to the combustion reaction comprises emitting the electrical charges with a current that is a function of a distance between a position of the combustion reaction and a target position of the combustion reaction. 
     
     
         65 .- 67 . (canceled) 
     
     
         68 . The method for operating an electrically- and swirl-stabilized burner of  claim 46 , further comprising:
 detecting a position of the combustion reaction;   comparing the position to a target position; and   adjusting the voltage applied to the electrode to cause an electrostatic force to be applied to the charged particles carried by the combustion reaction to be a function of a distance from the combustion reaction position to the target position.   
     
     
         69 . The method for operating an electrically- and swirl-stabilized burner of  claim 68 , wherein the voltage adjustment is selected to cause the electrostatic force applied to the charged particles to be proportional to a square root of the distance from the combustion reaction position to the target position over a range of the distance. 
     
     
         70 . The method for operating an electrically- and swirl-stabilized burner of  claim 68 , wherein the voltage adjustment is selected to cause the electrostatic force applied to the charged particles to be linearly proportional to the distance from the combustion reaction to the target position over a range of the distance. 
     
     
         71 . The method for operating an electrically- and swirl-stabilized burner of  claim 68 , wherein detecting a position of the combustion reaction comprises:
 detecting a current flow through the electrode.   
     
     
         72 . The method for operating an electrically- and swirl-stabilized burner of  claim 68 , wherein detecting a position of the combustion reaction comprises:
 receiving a radiated signal with a photodiode.   
     
     
         73 . The method for operating an electrically- and swirl-stabilized burner of  claim 68 , wherein detecting a position of the combustion reaction comprises:
 capturing an image of the combustion reaction with a focal plane detector.   
     
     
         74 . The method for operating an electrically- and swirl-stabilized burner of  claim 68 , wherein detecting a position of the combustion reaction, comparing the position to a target position, and adjusting the voltage applied to the electrode is performed in part by a microprocessor or microcontroller executing instructions carried by a non-transitory computer readable medium. 
     
     
         75 . The method for operating an electrically- and swirl-stabilized burner of  claim 68 , wherein detecting a position of the combustion reaction, comparing the position to a target position, and adjusting the voltage applied to the electrode is performed in part by a proportional, integral, differential (PID) controller. 
     
     
         76 . The method for operating an electrically- and swirl-stabilized burner of  claim 68 , wherein the voltage adjustment is selected to cause the electrostatic force applied to the charged particles to be proportional to the distance from the combustion reaction position to the target position over a range of the distance.