Fuel vaporizer burner assembly and method

Claim 2

In a fuel burner assembly, the combination comprising: a fuel feed coil with a central passage having an inlet arranged for coupling to a source of liquid fuel and an outlet terminating in a spray nozzle for spraying the fuel passing from the coil in a fine stream, said coil having a plurality of coil turns arranged along and spaced outwardly from a common axis, said coil having a flame inlet end and a flame outlet end; an expansion tube disposed outwardly of and along in heat receiving relation to the coil and between said flame inlet end and said flame outlet end defining an expansion chamber for expanding and vaporizing the fuel passing from the spray nozzle, said chamber having a lower portion with said spray nozzle disposed therein and an upper portion having an outlet substantially above the spray nozzle to cause the vaporized fuel to rise in the expansion chamber and pass through the outlet; and a burner nozzle located below the outlet of the expansion chamber having a fuel inlet coupled to the fuel outlet of the expansion chamber to receive vaporized fuel therefrom and an outlet arranged for directing a flame through said feed coil to heat the fuel passing therethrough; and a blast tube downstream of the outlet of the burner nozzle and aligned with said coil to confine and direct the flame from the burner nozzle and through the flame outlet end of said coil.

Claim 3

In a fuel burner assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said expansion tube has a generally arcuate shape and is coaxially aligned around said fuel feed coil.

Claim 4

In a fuel burner assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said expansion tube is essentially semicircular in arcuate extent.

Claim 5

In a fuel burner assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein The internal diameter of said expansion tube is about five times the internal diameter of said coil.

Claim 6

In a fuel burner assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said burner nozzle includes a body with a restricted orifice between the fuel inlet and outlet thereof which the fuel must pass to provide a high velocity stream of fuel, a first stage chamber with radial openings through the body adjacent the restricted orifice for the inspiration of air into the fuel passing therethrough, said body having a second stage chamber downstream of said first stage chamber with second radial openings through the body adjacent the second stage chamber to inspire additional air into the fuel stream.

Claim 7

In a fuel burner assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein a space is maintained between the outlet of said burner nozzle and the inlet of said blast tube and at the downstream end of said feed coil to draw additional air into the flame being produced.

Claim 8

In a fuel burner assembly comprising: a fuel feed coil with a central passage having an inlet at the upper end arranged for coupling to a source of liquid fuel and an outlet at the lower end for spraying the fuel passing from the coil in a fine stream, said coil having a plurality of coil turns arranged along and spaced outwardly from a common axis, said coil having a flame inlet end and a flame outlet end; a generally upright substantially semi-circular expansion tube disposed adjacent to and along the side of the coil rearwardly of said flame outlet end having a circular transverse cross-section, and closed at the ends by end caps defining an expansion chamber for expanding and vaporizing the fuel passing from the spray nozzle, said chamber having a lower portion with said spray nozzle disposed therein and an upper portion having an outlet substantially above the spray nozzle to cause the vaporized fuel to rise in the expansion chamber and pass through the outlet, said expansion tube being coaxially aligned with and around the center of the feed coil and directing the fuel in a generally upward arcuate course of travel and through the upper outlet; a burner nozzle located below the outlet of the expansion chamber having a fuel inlet coupled to the outlet of the expansion chamber to receive fuel therefrom and an outlet arranged for directing a flame through said feed coil to heat the fuel passing therethrough, said nozzle having a narrow restricted axially extending orifice leading into a pair of successive stages which induce air into the fuel stream and deliver the feed through the burner outlet; and a blast tube coaxially aligned with and spaced downstream of the outlet of said burner nozzle to confine and direct the flame end having the outlet and telescoped in said coil so that said coil forms an axial extension thereof.

Claim 9

In a fuel burner assembly comprising: a fuel feed coil with a central passage having an inlet at the upper end arranged for coupling to a source of liquid fuel and an outlet at the lower end for spraying the fuel passing from the coil in a fine stream, said coil having a plurality of coil turns arranged along and spaced outwardly from a common axis, said coil having a flame inlet end and a flame outlet end; a generally upright substantially semi-circular expansion tube disposed adjacent to and along the side of the coil rearwardly of said flame outlet end having a circular transverse cross-section, and closed at the ends by end caps defining an expansion chamber for expanding and vaporizing the fuel passing from the spray nozzle, said chamber having a lower portion with said spray nozzle disposed therein and an upper portion having an outlet substantially above the spray nozzle to cause the vaporized fuel to rise in the expansion chamber and pass through the outlet, said expansion tube being coaxially aligned with and around the center of the feed coil and directing the fuel in a generally upward arcuate course of travel and through the upper outlet; a burner nozzle located below the outlet of the expansion chamber having a fuel inlet coupled to the outlet of the expansion chamber to receive fuel therefrom and an outlet arranged for directing a flame through said feed coil to heat the fuel passing therethrough, said nozzle having a narrow restricted axially extending orifice leading into a pair of successive stages which induce air into the fuel stream and deliver the feed through the burner outlet; and a blast tube coaxially aligned with and spaced downstream of the outlet of said burner nozzle to confine and direct the flame end having the outlet and telescoped in said coil so that said coil forms an axial extension thereof.

Claim 10

In fuel burning apparatus, the combination comprising: a surface heating device having a wall and an aperture extending through the wall, a fuel burner assembly mounted on the surface heating device to direct a flame produced through the aperture, said fuel burner comprising: a fuel feed coil with a central passage having an inlet arranged for coupling to a source of liquid fuel and an outlet terminating in a spray nozzle for spraying the fuel passing from the coil in a fine stream said coil being adjacent the wall leaving a space therebetween, said coil having a plurality of coil turns arranged along a common longitudinal axis and spaced outwardly from a common axis, said coil having a flame inlet end and a flame outlet end, an expansion tube disposed outwardly of and transverse to the common longitudinal axis of the coil and between said flame inlet end and said flame outlet end defining an expansion chamber for expanding and vaporizing the fuel passing from the spray nozzle, said chamber having a lower portion with said spray nozzle disposed therein and an upper portion having an outlet substantially above the spray nozzle to cause the vaporized fuel to rise in The expansion chamber and pass through the outlet; and a burner nozzle located below the outlet of the expansion chamber having a fuel inlet coupled to the fuel outlet of the expansion chamber to receive vaporized fuel therefrom and an outlet arranged for directing a flame through said feed coil to heat the fuel passing therethrough; and a blast tube downstream of the outlet of the burner nozzle and aligned with said coil to confine and direct the flame from the burner nozzle and through the apertures.

Claim 11

In fuel burning apparatus, the combination comprising: a surface heating device having a wall and an aperture extending through the wall, a fuel burner assembly mounted on the surface heating device to direct a flame produced through the aperture, said fuel burner comprising: a fuel feed coil with a central passage having an inlet arranged for coupling to a source of liquid fuel and an outlet terminating in a spray nozzle for spraying the fuel passing from the coil in a fine stream said coil being adjacent the wall leaving a space therebetween, said coil having a plurality of coil turns arranged along a common longitudinal axis and spaced outwardly from a common axis, said coil having a flame inlet end and a flame outlet end, an expansion tube disposed outwardly of and transverse to the common longitudinal axis of the coil and between said flame inlet end and said flame outlet end defining an expansion chamber for expanding and vaporizing the fuel passing from the spray nozzle, said chamber having a lower portion with said spray nozzle disposed therein and an upper portion having an outlet substantially above the spray nozzle to cause the vaporized fuel to rise in The expansion chamber and pass through the outlet; and a burner nozzle located below the outlet of the expansion chamber having a fuel inlet coupled to the fuel outlet of the expansion chamber to receive vaporized fuel therefrom and an outlet arranged for directing a flame through said feed coil to heat the fuel passing therethrough; and a blast tube downstream of the outlet of the burner nozzle and aligned with said coil to confine and direct the flame from the burner nozzle and through the apertures.

Claim 12

In a method of burning a liquid fuel comprising the steps of: preheating a flow of liquid fuel and discharging the heated fuel as a spray; spraying the heated fuel into the lower portion of a heated expansion chamber to vaporize the fuel; causing the vaporized fuel to rise in the expansion chamber, removing the vaporized fuel from an upper portion of the expansion chamber; and directing the vaporized fuel in a downward direction from the expansion chamber into a burner nozzle which produces a flame therefrom.

Claim 13

In a method of burning a liquid fuel comprising the steps of: preheating a flow of liquid fuel and discharging the heated fuel as a spray; spraying the heated fuel into the lower portion of a heated expansion chamber to vaporize the fuel; causing the vaporized fuel to rise in the expansion chamber, removing the vaporized fuel from an upper portion of the expansion chamber; and directing the vaporized fuel in a downward direction from the expansion chamber into a burner nozzle which produces a flame therefrom.

Claim 14

In a method as set forth in claim 9 further including the inspiration of additional air into the fuel stream prior to burning.

Claim 15

In a fuel burner assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said feed coil extends through a lower side wall portion of the expansion tube locating the spray nozzle within the expansion tube, said expansion tube having an access opening normally closed by a removable plug in a lower wall portion opposite said spray nozzle.