Perforated flame holder support member for structural integrity

Abstract

A furnace includes a perforated flame holder formed from an array of tiles. The perforated flame holder is stabilized by a support member extending between at least adjacent tiles. Elongated support members may be positioned to extend through each of the tiles in a respective column of the array of tiles.

1 . A combustion system, comprising:
 a fuel and oxidant source configured to output a fuel and an oxidant;   a perforated flame holder including a group of burner tiles arranged side by side, each burner tile including:
 an input face aligned to receive the fuel and the oxidant; 
 an output face; and 
 a plurality of perforations extending between the input face and the output face, the perforated flame holder being configured to support a combustion reaction of the fuel and the oxidant within the perforations, wherein a first burner tile of the plurality of burner tiles includes a receiving feature; and 
   a first support member extending into the first burner tile via the receiving feature and holding the perforated flame holder in alignment to receive the fuel and oxidant into the perforations.   
     
     
         2 . The combustion system of  claim 1 , wherein the first support member terminates within the first burner tile. 
     
     
         3 . The combustion system of  claim 2 , wherein the first support member is a ceramic dowel. 
     
     
         4 . The combustion system of  claim 1 , wherein the first support member extends entirely through the first burner tile along an axis substantially parallel to the input face of the first burner tile. 
     
     
         5 . The combustion system of  claim 1 , wherein a second burner tile of the plurality of burner tiles includes a receiving feature. 
     
     
         6 . The combustion system of  claim 5 , wherein the second burner tile is positioned above the first burner tile. 
     
     
         7 . The combustion system of  claim 6 , wherein the second burner tile is positioned laterally from the first burner tile. 
     
     
         8 . The combustion system of  claim 5 , wherein the first support member extends through the first burner tile and into the second burner tile via the receiving feature of the second burner tile. 
     
     
         9 . The combustion system of  claim 5 , further comprising a second support member extending into the second burner tile via the receiving feature of the second burner tile. 
     
     
         10 . The combustion system of  claim 9 , wherein the second support member extends vertically into the receiving feature of the second burner tile. 
     
     
         11 . The combustion system of  claim 10 , wherein the first support member extends horizontally into the first burner tile. 
     
     
         12 . The combustion system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of burner tiles includes a first group of burner tiles including the first burner tile, each burner tile of the first group including a respective receiving feature. 
     
     
         13 . The combustion system of  claim 12 , wherein the first support member extends into each burner tile of the first group via the respective receiving features. 
     
     
         14 . The combustion system of  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of burner tiles includes a second group of burner tiles each including a respective receiving feature. 
     
     
         15 . The combustion system of  claim 14 , further comprising a second support member extending into each burner tile of the second group via the respective receiving features. 
     
     
         16 . The combustion system of  claim 14 , wherein the first group of burner tiles is a first row of burner tiles, and wherein the second group of burner tiles is a second row of burner tiles. 
     
     
         17 . The combustion system of  claim 14 , wherein the second support member passes through each burner tile of the second group along an axis transverse to a flow of the fuel from the fuel and oxidant source toward the perforated flame holder. 
     
     
         18 . The combustion system of  claim 13 , wherein the first support member passes through each burner tile of the first group along an axis transverse to a flow of the fuel from the fuel and oxidant source toward the perforated flame holder. 
     
     
         19 . The combustion system of  claim 1 , wherein the first burner tile includes a second receiving feature. 
     
     
         20 . The combustion system of  claim 19 , further comprising a second support member extending into the first burner tile via the second receiving feature. 
     
     
         21 . The combustion system of  claim 1 , comprising a fastener coupled to an end of the first support member. 
     
     
         22 . The combustion system of  claim 21 , wherein the fastener is configured to distribute a tension load to a surface of one of the plurality of burner tiles such that while the support member is under tension, the plurality of burner tiles is under compression. 
     
     
         23 . The combustion system of  claim 1 , wherein the first support member is configured to maintain an arrangement of the burner tiles by providing compression to the burner tiles tending to force the burner tiles together. 
     
     
         24 . The combustion system of  claim 1 , wherein the first support member is cylindrical in shape. 
     
     
         25 . The combustion system of  claim 1 , wherein the first support member is in crosswise section. 
     
     
         26 . The combustion system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of burner tiles is arranged in an arcuate shape. 
     
     
         27 . The combustion system of  claim 1 , wherein the first support member is a rod that passes through the first burner tile. 
     
     
         28 . The combustion system of  claim 1 , wherein each burner tile is a reticulated ceramic burner tile including a plurality of reticulated fibers. 
     
     
         29 . (canceled) 
     
     
         30 . The combustion system of  claim 1 , wherein each burner tile includes one or more of zirconia, alumina silicate, silicon carbide, extruded mullite, or cordierite. 
     
     
         31 .- 34 . (canceled) 
     
     
         35 . The combustion system of  claim 1 , wherein the perforated flame holder is configured to support a combustion reaction of the fuel and oxidant upstream, downstream, and within the burner tiles. 
     
     
         36 . The combustion system of  claim 1 , wherein each burner tile includes about 10 pores per inch. 
     
     
         37 . The combustion system of  claim 1 , wherein the perforations of each burner tile are formed as passages between the reticulated fibers. 
     
     
         38 . The combustion system of  claim 37 , wherein the perforations of each burner tile are branching perforations. 
     
     
         39 . The combustion system of  claim 38 , wherein the input face of each burner tile corresponds to an extent of the reticulated fibers proximal to the fuel and oxidant source and wherein the output face of each burner tile corresponds to an extent of the reticulated fibers distal to the fuel and oxidant source. 
     
     
         40 . (canceled) 
     
     
         41 . The combustion system of  claim 1 , wherein the first support member extends in a horizontal direction. 
     
     
         42 . The combustion system of  claim 1 , wherein the first support member extends in a vertical direction. 
     
     
         43 . The combustion system of  claim 1 , wherein the perforated flame holder is positioned above the fuel and oxidant source and wherein the fuel and oxidant source outputs the fuel and oxidant in a vertical direction toward the perforated flame holder. 
     
     
         44 . The combustion system of  claim 1 , wherein the perforated flame holder is positioned laterally from the fuel and oxidant source and wherein the fuel and oxidant source outputs the fuel and oxidant in a horizontal direction toward the perforated flame holder. 
     
     
         45 .- 50 . (canceled) 
     
     
         51 . A method, comprising:
 outputting a fuel into a furnace volume;   outputting an oxidant into the furnace volume;   supporting a perforated flame holder including a plurality of burner tiles arranged side by side in alignment to receive the fuel and oxidant by passing a support member into at least one of the burner tiles via a receiving feature of the at least one burner tile, each burner tile including:
 an input face; 
 an output face; 
 a plurality of perforations extending between the input face and the output face; 
   receiving the fuel and oxidant into the perforations of each burner tile; and   supporting a combustion reaction of the fuel and oxidant within the perforations of each burner tile.   
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein supporting the perforated flame holder includes passing the support member into multiple burner tiles. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein supporting the perforated flame holder includes passing multiple support members each into a respective burner tile of the plurality of burner tiles. 
     
     
         54 - 102 . (canceled) 
     
     
         103 . A device, comprising:
 a first burner tile including:
 an input face; 
 an output face; 
 a plurality of perforations extending between the input face and the output face; and 
 a receiving feature; and 
   a support member extending into the burner tile via the receiving feature, the support member including a portion protruding from the burner tile.   
     
     
         104 . The device of  claim 103 , wherein the support member is a ceramic dowel. 
     
     
         105 . The device of  claim 103 , wherein the protruding portion is configured to couple the first burner tile to a second burner tile by extending into a receiving feature of the second burner tile. 
     
     
         106 . The device of  claim 103 , wherein the protruding portion is configured to couple the first burner tile to a support structure configured to hold the burner tile in a selected position. 
     
     
         107 . The device of  claim 103 , comprising a second burner tile coupled to the first burner tile by the support member. 
     
     
         108 . The device of  claim 107 , wherein the protruding portion of the support member extends into the second burner tile. 
     
     
         109 . The device of  claim 103 , wherein the receiving feature includes an aperture in a lateral face of the first burner tile. 
     
     
         110 . The device of  claim 103 , further comprising a fuel and oxidant source configure to output fuel and oxidant onto the first burner tile. 
     
     
         111 . The device of  claim 109 , further comprising a support structure coupled to the first burner tile by the protruding portion of the support member and configured to hold the first burner tile in alignment to receive the fuel and oxidant from the fuel and oxidant source. 
     
     
         112 .- 113 . (canceled)