Method and apparatus to promote non-stationary flame

Abstract

A burner has a central port and 3 or more outer ports whose axes are angled toward or away from the central port axis. Sequentially varying the outer port(s) from which material is injected at a high enough momentum to deflect the flame from the axis of the central port changes the orientation of the flame with respect to the central port axis.

1 . Burner apparatus comprising 
 (A) a central feed port having an axis;    (B) first supply apparatus for injecting a first stream comprising material selected from the group consisting of fuel, oxidant, and mixtures thereof, through the central feed port along the axis of the central feed port;    (C) three or more outer ports, each having an axis which converges or diverges with respect to the axis of the central feed port; and    (D) three or more unbranched supply lines, equal in number to the number of outer ports, wherein one end of each of said supply lines is connected to a different one of said supply ports and the other end of each of said supply lines is connected to a controllable supply apparatus for sequentially injecting material selected from the group consisting of fuel, oxidant, inert material, and mixtures thereof, into and through different ones of said supply lines whereby said material is sequentially ejected from different ones of said outer ports as a sequence of second streams having a momentum sufficient to deflect the first stream from the axis of said central feed port.    
     
     
         2 . Apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the central feed port has one opening.  
     
     
         3 . Apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the central feed port has 2 to 8 openings.  
     
     
         4 . Apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the first stream comprises fuel and the second stream comprises oxidant.  
     
     
         5 . Apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the first stream comprises oxidant and the second stream comprises fuel.  
     
     
         6 . Apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the first stream comprises a mixture of fuel and oxidant.  
     
     
         7 . Apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the second stream comprises a mixture of fuel and oxidant.  
     
     
         8 . Apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the first stream comprises fuel and the second stream does not contain material that participates in the combustion of said fuel and oxidant.  
     
     
         9 . Burner apparatus comprising 
 (A) a central feed port having an axis;    (B) three or more outer ports, each having an axis which converges or diverges with respect to the axis of the central feed port;    (C) one or more auxiliary feed ports situated closer to the central feed port than any of said outer ports are;    (D) first supply apparatus for injecting a first stream comprising material selected from the group consisting of fuel, oxidant, and mixtures thereof, through the central feed port along the axis of said central feed port;    (E) auxiliary stream supply apparatus for injecting an auxiliary stream comprising material selected from the group consisting of fuel, oxidant, and mixtures thereof, through said auxiliary feed ports non-sequentially; provided that at least one of said first stream and said auxiliary stream comprises fuel and at least one of said first stream and said auxiliary stream comprises oxidant, and    (F) three or more unbranched supply lines, equal in number to the number of outer ports, wherein one end of each of said supply lines is connected to a different one of said supply ports and the other end of each of said supply lines is connected to a controllable supply apparatus for sequentially injecting material selected from the group consisting of fuel, oxidant, inert material, and mixtures thereof, into and through different ones of said supply lines whereby said material is sequentially ejected from different ones of said outer ports as a sequence of second streams having a momentum sufficient to deflect the first stream from the axis of said central feed port.    
     
     
         10 . Apparatus according to  claim 9  wherein said one or more auxiliary feed ports is an annular orifice around the central feed port.  
     
     
         11 . Apparatus according to  claim 9  wherein the streams injected by said controllable supply apparatus do not contain material that participates in the combustion of said fuel and oxidant.  
     
     
         12 . Apparatus according to  claim 9  wherein said first stream comprises fuel, said second stream comprises oxidant, and the streams injected by said controllable supply apparatus comprise oxidant.  
     
     
         13 . Apparatus according to  claim 9  wherein said first stream comprises fuel, said second stream comprises oxidant, and the streams injected by said controllable supply apparatus do not contain material that participates in the combustion of said fuel and oxidant.  
     
     
         14 . A combustion method comprising 
 (A) injecting a first stream comprising material selected from the group consisting of fuel, oxidant, and mixtures thereof, through a central feed port that has an axis, along the axis of said central feed port;    (B) providing three or more outer ports each having an axis which converges or diverges with respect to the axis of the central feed port;    (C) providing three or more unbranched supply lines, equal in number to the number of outer ports, wherein one end of each of said supply lines is connected to a different one of said supply ports and the other end of each of said supply lines is connected to a controllable supply apparatus for sequentially injecting material selected from the group consisting of fuel, oxidant, inert material, and mixtures thereof, into and through different ones of said supply lines,    (D) sequentially injecting said material into different ones of said supply lines and thereby sequentially ejecting said material through different ones of one or more of said outer ports as a sequence of second streams having sufficient momentum to deflect said injected first stream from the axis of said central feed port and to form a mixture with the deflected first stream, and    (E) combusting the mixture of first and second streams.    
     
     
         15 . A method according to  claim 14  wherein the central feed port has one opening.  
     
     
         16 . A method according to  claim 14  wherein the central feed port has 2 to 8 openings.  
     
     
         17 . A method according to  claim 14  wherein the first stream comprises fuel and the second stream comprises oxidant.  
     
     
         18 . A method according to  claim 14  wherein the first stream comprises oxidant and the second stream comprises fuel.  
     
     
         19 . A method according to  claim 14  wherein the first stream comprises a mixture of fuel and oxidant.  
     
     
         20 . A method according to  claim 14  wherein the second stream comprises a mixture of fuel and oxidant.  
     
     
         21 . A method according to  claim 14  wherein the first stream comprises fuel and the second stream does not contain material that participates in the combustion of said fuel and oxidant.  
     
     
         22 . A combustion method comprising 
 (A) injecting a first stream comprising material selected from the group consisting of fuel, oxidant, and mixtures thereof, through a central feed port that has an axis, along the axis of said central feed port;    (B) providing three or more outer ports each having an axis which converges or diverges with respect to the axis of the central feed port;    (C) providing one or more auxiliary feed ports situated closer to the central feed port than any of said outer ports are;    (D) injecting an auxiliary stream comprising material selected from the group consisting of fuel, oxidant, and mixtures thereof, through said auxiliary feed ports non-sequentially; provided that at least one of said first stream and said auxiliary stream comprises fuel and at least one of said first stream and said auxiliary stream comprises oxidant,    (E) providing three or more unbranched supply lines, equal in number to the number of outer ports, wherein one end of each of said supply lines is connected to a different one of said supply ports and the other end of each of said supply lines is connected to a controllable supply apparatus for sequentially injecting material selected from the group consisting of fuel, oxidant, inert material, and mixtures thereof, into and through different ones of said supply lines,    (F) sequentially injecting said material into different ones of said supply lines and thereby sequentially ejecting said material through different ones of one or more of said outer ports as a sequence of second streams having sufficient momentum to deflect said injected first stream from the axis of said central feed port and to form a mixture with the deflected first stream, and    (G) combusting the mixture of first and second streams.    
     
     
         23 . A method according to  claim 22  wherein said one or more auxiliary feed ports is an annular orifice around the central feed port.  
     
     
         24 . A method according to  claim 22  wherein the streams injected by said controllable supply apparatus do not contain material that participates in the combustion of said fuel and oxidant.  
     
     
         25 . A method according to  claim 22  wherein said first stream comprises fuel, said second stream comprises oxidant; and the streams injected by said controllable supply apparatus comprise oxidant.  
     
     
         26 . A method according to  claim 22  wherein said first stream comprises fuel, said second stream comprises oxidant, and the streams injected by said controllable supply apparatus do not contain material that participates in the combustion of said fuel and oxidant.