High efficiency burner

Abstract

A high efficiency natural draft gas burner that uses a plate attached to the burner tube to block secondary air from being introduced into a firetube or confined space vessel, ensuring that only inspired air nearly homogenously mixed with fuel is ignited at the burner tip. The venturi may be sized and shaped to ensure proper mixing of the inspired air and fuel, thus reducing emissions. This proper mixing combined with the lack of secondary air may reduce the fuel consumption and CO 2 emissions of the burner by as much as 75%.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A burner assembly comprising:
 an air inlet;   a fuel inlet;   a venturi in fluid communication with the air inlet and the fuel inlet;   a burner tip in fluid communication with the venturi, where the burner tip is housed in a firetube or confined space; and   a plate surrounding the burner tip such that the plate essentially prevents secondary air from entering the firetube or confined space,   
       such that air enters the burner assembly via the air inlet and travels through the venturi, fuel enters the burner assembly via the fuel inlet and mixes with the air in the venturi to produce a near homogenous air-fuel mixture, and the air-fuel mixture exits the burner assembly via the burner tip. 
     
     
         2 . The burner assembly of  claim 1  further comprising an ignitor, where the ignitor is positioned to ignite the air-fuel mixture as it exits the burner tip. 
     
     
         3 . The burner assembly of  claim 1  further comprising a flame arrestor element and a pilot assembly, where the pilot assembly is positioned to ignite the air-fuel mixture as it exits the burner tip. 
     
     
         4 . The burner assembly of  claim 1  further comprising a tube joining the venturi to the burner tip such that the air-fuel mixture exits the venturi, travels through the tube, and then travels to and through the burner tip. 
     
     
         5 . The burner assembly of  claim 1  where the burner assembly uses less fuel and produces lower emissions than a burner assembly without the secondary air restricting plate. 
     
     
         6 . The burner assembly of  claim 5  where the burner assembly produces substantially no CO emissions and less than 10 parts per million NO x  emissions. 
     
     
         7 . The burner assembly of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a single plenum; 
 a second air inlet; 
 a second fuel inlet; 
 a second venturi in fluid communication with the second air inlet and the second fuel inlet; and 
 a second burner tip in fluid communication with the second venturi, where both burner tips are surrounded by a common isolating plate such that the plate prevents secondary air from entering the firetube or confined space, 
 
       where both burner tips are housed in the single firetube or confined space and where air for both air inlets passes through the single plenum. 
     
     
         8 . The burner assembly of  claim 1  further comprising a flame arrestor element, a plenum, and an air control damper, such that air passes through the flame arrestor element, the plenum, and the air control damper prior to entering the air inlet. 
     
     
         9 . The burner assembly of  claim 1  further comprising insulation adjacent to the plate.