Micro burner apparatus and associated method

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a micro burner configured for testing a combustion reaction and its effect on surrounding structures. The micro burner includes a leak plate having a testing aperture that is configured to simulate a microleak of a gaseous fuel into a combustion environment, containing a reaction gas, to test a combustion reaction between the reaction gas and the gaseous fuel within the combustion environment. The micro burner also includes a gas supply line couplable to the leak plate and, when coupled, configured to supply the gaseous fuel through the testing aperture and into the combustion environment. The micro burner further includes an ignition source configured to initiate the combustion reaction between the reaction gas and the gaseous fuel within the combustion environment.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A micro burner comprising:
 a leak plate comprising a testing aperture, wherein the testing aperture is configured to simulate a microleak of a gaseous fuel into a combustion environment, containing a reaction gas, to test a combustion reaction between the reaction gas and the gaseous fuel within the combustion environment;   a gas supply line couplable to the leak plate and, when coupled, configured to supply the gaseous fuel through the testing aperture and into the combustion environment; and   an ignition source configured to initiate the combustion reaction between the reaction gas and the gaseous fuel within the combustion environment.   
     
     
         2 . The micro burner of  claim 1 , wherein the combustion environment comprises a combustion chamber comprising:
 a housing defining an internal chamber configured to contain the reaction gas and further contain the combustion reaction between the reaction gas and the gaseous fuel; and   a leak-plate opening within the housing;   wherein:
 the leak plate is removably attachable to the leak-plate opening to close the leak-plate opening and seal the internal chamber of the combustion chamber; and 
 when the leak plate is attached to the leak-plate opening and when the gas supply line is coupled to the leak plate, the gas supply line is configured to supply the gaseous fuel through the testing aperture and into the internal chamber. 
   
     
     
         3 . The micro burner of  claim 2 , wherein the combustion chamber further comprises at least one visualization window configured to allow exterior observation of the combustion reaction within the internal chamber. 
     
     
         4 . The micro burner of  claim 1 , wherein the combustion environment comprises an open-air environment. 
     
     
         5 . The micro burner of  claim 1 , wherein the testing aperture of the leak plate is one of a pin hole or a slot. 
     
     
         6 . The micro burner of  claim 1 , wherein the testing aperture of the leak plate has an area of less than or equal to 32 mm 2 . 
     
     
         7 . The micro burner of  claim 1 , wherein the gas supply line is configured to regulate a flow rate of the gaseous fuel through the testing aperture of the leak plate so that the flow rate is less than or equal to one mmol/s. 
     
     
         8 . The micro burner of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a second leak plate comprising a second testing aperture;   the leak plate and the second leak plate are interchangeable, such that the gas supply line is individually couplable to a selected one of the leak plate or the second leak plate; and   a size of the testing aperture of the leak plate is different than a size of the second testing aperture of the second leak plate.   
     
     
         9 . The micro burner of  claim 1 , wherein the leak plate further comprises:
 a receiver plate comprising an exterior surface and an interior surface, opposite of the exterior surface; and   a leak insert comprising the testing aperture and configured to be selectively attached to the interior surface of the receiver plate;   wherein the gas supply line is couplable to the exterior surface of the receiver plate to supply the gaseous fuel through the testing aperture of the leak insert.   
     
     
         10 . The micro burner of  claim 9 , wherein the leak insert further comprises:
 a slot-insert receiver comprising a recessed portion having a first slot surface and a slot aperture extending from the recessed portion through a width of the slot-insert receiver; and   a slot insert comprising a second slot surface and is sized to be fitted within the recessed portion of the slot-insert receiver, such that the testing aperture is defined between the first slot surface of the slot-insert receiver and the second slot surface of the slot insert.   
     
     
         11 . The micro burner of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the leak insert comprises a receiver-mating surface and a supply surface, opposite of the receiver-mating surface; and   the supply surface of the leak insert has a non-planar surface.   
     
     
         12 . The micro burner of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one thermocouple within the combustion environment configured to measure a temperature of the combustion reaction. 
     
     
         13 . The micro burner of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one sensor within the combustion environment configured to measure a combustion characteristic of the combustion reaction, wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one of a pressure sensor, an optical sensor, a gas sensor, or a heat sensor. 
     
     
         14 . The micro burner of  claim 1 , wherein the gaseous fuel is hydrogen gas. 
     
     
         15 . A leak plate for a micro burner comprising:
 a receiver plate comprising an exterior surface and an interior surface, opposite of the exterior surface; and   a leak insert comprising a testing aperture configured to simulate a microleak of a gaseous fuel into a combustion environment;   wherein:
 the leak insert is removably attachable to the interior surface of the receiver plate; and 
 when the leak insert is attached to the interior surface of the receiver plate, a gas supply line is couplable to the exterior surface of the receiver plate to supply the gaseous fuel through the testing aperture and into the combustion environment to test a combustion reaction between a reaction gas and the gaseous fuel. 
   
     
     
         16 . The leak plate of  claim 15 , wherein the testing aperture is one of a pin hole or a slot. 
     
     
         17 . The leak plate of  claim 15 , further comprising a second leak insert comprising a second testing aperture configured to simulate a microleak of the gaseous fuel into the combustion environment;
 wherein:
 the second leak insert is removably attachable to the interior surface of the receiver plate; 
 the leak insert and the second leak insert are interchangeable, such that a selected one of the leak insert or the second leak insert is individually attachable to the interior surface of the receiver plate to test a corresponding combustion reaction between the reaction gas and the gaseous fuel; and 
 a size of the testing aperture of the leak insert is different than a size of the second testing aperture of the second leak insert. 
   
     
     
         18 . A method of testing a combustion reaction within a micro burner, the method comprising:
 supplying a gaseous fuel through a testing aperture of a leak plate and into a combustion environment, wherein the testing aperture is configured to simulate a microleak of the gaseous fuel into the combustion environment;   activating an ignition source to initiate the combustion reaction between a reaction gas and the gaseous fuel within the combustion environment; and   monitoring the combustion reaction within the combustion environment.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 after the combustion reaction is complete, detaching a gas supply line from the leak plate, the gas supply line configured to supply the gaseous fuel;   selectively attaching a second leak plate to the gas supply line to supply the gaseous fuel through a second testing aperture of the second leak plate and into the combustion environment, wherein the second testing aperture is configured to simulate a microleak of the gaseous fuel into the combustion environment, and wherein a size of the second testing aperture of the second leak plate is different than a size of the testing aperture of the leak plate;   activating the ignition source to initiate a subsequent combustion reaction between the reaction gas and the gaseous fuel within the combustion environment; and   monitoring the subsequent combustion reaction within the combustion environment.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 after the combustion reaction is complete, removing a leak insert, comprising the testing aperture, from a receiver plate of the leak plate;   selectively attaching a second leak insert comprising a second testing aperture to the receiver plate of the leak plate, a size of the second testing aperture of the second leak insert is different than a size of the testing aperture of the leak insert;   supplying the gaseous fuel through the second testing aperture of the leak insert of the leak plate and into the combustion environment, wherein the second testing aperture is configured to simulate a microleak of the gaseous fuel into the combustion environment;   activating the ignition source to initiate a subsequent combustion reaction between the reaction gas and the gaseous fuel within the combustion environment; and   monitoring the subsequent combustion reaction within the combustion environment.