Wide flame burner

Abstract

A burner comprises a refractory nozzle body enclosing a cavity and having a plurality of conduits each extending from said cavity to openings in the exterior of said nozzle body, wherein the axes of all said conduits lie in a common plane and the axes of any two of said conduits are either parallel to each other or form an angle diverging from said nozzle body, the nozzle body also having a passageway extending from said cavity to an opening in said nozzle body located on the opposite side of said cavity from said conduits; and a reactant distributor, made of metal, comprising a plurality of feeders each comprising a first tube and a second tube surrounding and coaxial with the first tube and defining an annular space between said tubes, there being one feeder in each of said conduits, wherein the distance from the ends of the first and second tubes of each feeder to the opening of the conduit in which the feeder is located is at least 1.5 times the diameter of said opening, and an inlet for oxidant and an inlet for fuel, wherein each first tube is connected in fluid communication with one of said inlets and each of said annular spaces is connected in fluid communication with said inlet for oxidant, wherein said distributor is releasably sealably engaged in said passageway with said inlets accessible outside said nozzle body, and wherein said distributor is removable out of said nozzle body through said passageway.

1 . A nozzle assembly for injection of oxidant and fuel into a combustion zone, comprising
 (A) a refractory nozzle body enclosing a cavity and having a plurality of conduits each extending from said cavity to openings in the exterior of said nozzle body, wherein the axes of all said conduits lie in a common plane and the axes of any two of said conduits are either parallel to each other or form an angle diverging from said nozzle body, the nozzle body also having a passageway extending from said cavity to an opening in said nozzle body located on the opposite side of said cavity from said conduits; and   (B) a reactant distributor, made of metal, comprising
 (1) a plurality of feeders each comprising a first tube and a second tube surrounding and coaxial with the first tube and defining an annular space between said tubes, there being one feeder in each of said conduits, wherein the distance from the ends of the first and second tubes of each feeder to the opening of the conduit in which the feeder is located is at least 1.5 times the diameter of said opening, and 
 (2) an inlet for oxidant and an inlet for fuel, wherein each first tube is connected in fluid communication with one of said inlets and each of said annular spaces is connected in fluid communication with said inlet for oxidant, 
   wherein said distributor is releasably sealably engaged in said passageway with said inlets accessible outside said nozzle body, and wherein said distributor is removable out of said nozzle body through said passageway.   
   
   
       2 . A burner comprising a nozzle assembly according to  claim 1  removably mounted in a refractory burner block. 
   
   
       3 . A nozzle assembly for injection of oxidant and fuel into a combustion zone, comprising
 (A) a first refractory nozzle body enclosing a cavity and having a plurality of conduits each extending from said cavity to openings in the exterior of said first nozzle body, wherein the axes of all said conduits lie in a common plane and the axes of any two of said conduits are either parallel to each other or form an angle diverging from said first nozzle body, the first nozzle body also having a passageway extending from said cavity to an opening in said first nozzle body located on the opposite side of said cavity from said conduits;   (B) a first reactant distributor, made of metal, comprising a plurality of feeders each comprising a first tube and a second tube surrounding and coaxial with the first tube and defining an annular space between said tubes, there being one feeder in each of said conduits of said first nozzle body, wherein the distance from the ends of the first and second tubes of each feeder to the opening of the conduit in which the feeder is located is at least 1.5 times the diameter of said opening,   wherein said first reactant distributor is releasably sealably engaged in said passageway of said first nozzle body, and wherein said first reactant distributor is removable out of said first nozzle body through said passageway in said first nozzle body,   (C) a second refractory nozzle body enclosing a cavity and having a plurality of conduits each extending from said cavity to openings in the exterior of said second nozzle body, wherein the axes of all said conduits lie in a common plane and the axes of any two of said conduits are either parallel to each other or form an angle diverging from said second nozzle body, the second nozzle body also having a passageway extending from said cavity to an opening in said second nozzle body located on the opposite side of said cavity from said conduits;   (D) a second reactant distributor, made of metal, comprising a plurality of feeders each comprising a third tube and a fourth tube surrounding and coaxial with the third tube and defining an annular space between said tubes, there being one feeder in each of said conduits of said second nozzle body, wherein the distance from the ends of the third and fourth tubes of each feeder to the opening of the conduit in which the feeder is located is at least 1.5 times the diameter of said opening,   wherein said second reactant distributor is releasably sealably engaged in said passageway of said second nozzle body, and wherein said second reactant distributor is removable out of said nozzle body through said passageway, and   (E) an inlet for oxidant and an inlet for fuel, wherein each first tube and each third tube are connected in fluid communication with one of said inlets and each of said annular spaces is connected in fluid communication with said inlet for oxidant, and wherein said inlets are accessible outside said first and second nozzle bodies.   
   
   
       4 . A burner comprising a refractory burner block in which a nozzle assembly according to  claim 3  is removably mounted. 
   
   
       5 . A combustion method comprising feeding fuel and oxidant to a nozzle body according to  claim 1  through the respective inlets therefor in said nozzle body, wherein fuel is fed through at least one of said first tubes and oxidant is flowed through said annular spaces at a velocity less than 90 feet per second, and combusting said fuel and oxidant.