Hydrogen burner with a shut-off valve near the gas jets

Abstract

A gas burner includes a distribution chamber formed between walls within the burner, with the walls extending parallel to one another. A shut-off valve, adjacent to an inlet hole through which a gas, preferably hydrogen, used as a fuel, enters the distribution chamber, closes when the pressure of the gas being supplied drops below a predetermined level, so that air is not allowed to flow backward into the apparatus supplying the gas, thus preventing potentially explosive conditions.

1 . A gas burner comprising: 
 a pair of walls extending parallel to one another to form a distribution chamber extending between the walls;    an input hole in one of the walls, extending into the distribution chamber;    a plurality of channels extending outward within the walls from the distribution chamber and along a periphery of the distribution chamber; and    a shut-off valve outwardly adjacent the input hole in the distribution chamber, wherein the shut-off valve allows a gas used as a fuel to flow into the distribution chamber when the valve is open, and wherein the shut-off valve closes in response to a drop in a pressure level at which the gas is supplied through the shut-off valve.    
   
   
       2 . The gas burner of  claim 1 , wherein the shut-off valve comprises a check valve.  
   
   
       3 . The gas burner of  claim 2 , additionally comprising 
 a temperature sensor outwardly adjacent to some of the plurality of channels; and    an additional valve allowing the gas used as a fuel to flow into the check valve when the additional valve is open, and closing in response to a drop in a temperature measured by the temperature sensor below a predetermined level.    
   
   
       4 . The gas burner of  claim 1 , additionally comprising a temperature sensor outwardly adjacent to some of the plurality of channels, wherein the shut-off valve closes in response to a drop in a temperature measured by the temperature sensor below a predetermined level.  
   
   
       5 . The gas burner of  claim 1 , wherein the gas used as a fuel is not mixed with an oxidizing agent before passing through the plurality of channels.  
   
   
       6 . The gas burner of  claim 1 , wherein a wall extending adjacent the distribution chamber includes a plurality of holes admitting an oxidizing agent to be mixed with the gas used as a fuel within the distribution chamber.  
   
   
       7 . The gas burner of  claim 1 , wherein the gas used as a fuel is hydrogen.