Method and apparatus for burning liquid fuels

Claim 1

Apparatus for burning liquid fuel, comprising an evaporator chamber having boundary walls defining a passageway for a gaseous evaporation medium, extended surface means having surfaces spaced apart in the direction of gas flow and disposed in said passageway between and extending transversely of said walls and wetted by the liquid fuel, an inlet for said gaseous evaporation medium disposed at one end of said passageway, an outlet for a combustible mixture of said evaporation medium and evaporated fuel disposed at the opposite end of said passageway, said surfaces being spaced both from said inlet and from said outlet, means for conducting the liquid fuel onto said surfaces, means to force said evaporation medium through the evaporator chamber along said surfaces to evaporate at least a portion of the liquid fuel in the evaporator chamber, means located before the evaporator chamber for preheating the evaporation medium, means for collecting and recirculating unevaporated liquid fuel, and means for burning the combustible mixture at a location spaced from said evaporator chamber and beyond said outlet and for separating said surfaces from the combustion of said combustible mixture.