Swirl-stabilised burner having an inertisation front and related methods

Abstract

A burner for producing a stabilized flame with an inertisation front upstream from the stabilized flame includes a swirl generator and an inlet device with a passage therethrough. The swirl generator swirls an inert process medium about a swirl axis in a flow direction and one or more openings in the inlet device provide one or more partial mass flows containing combustion educts. The inert process medium inhibits combustion of the combustion educts through the inertisation front to displace the stabilized flame from the one or more openings.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A burner for making a combustion product in order to supply to a combustion chamber downstream of the burner a fuel medium, an oxidation medium, and a process medium having inerting properties such that a swirl-stabilised flame having an inertisation front is formed in the combustion chamber, the burner comprising:
 at least one swirl generator configured to swirl the process medium about a swirl axis extending in a flow direction;   an inlet device having a passage in fluid communication with the at least swirl generator; and   a plurality of openings downstream in the flow direction from the at least one swirl generator, the plurality of openings configured to provide one or more partial mass flows including at least the fuel medium and the oxidation medium to the passage of the inlet device.   
     
     
         2 . The burner according to  claim 1 , further comprising an injection device, wherein the plurality of openings are located in the injection device. 
     
     
         3 . The burner according to  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of openings are arranged radially about the swirl axis. 
     
     
         4 . The burner according to  claim 1 , wherein the inlet device includes a plurality of passages. 
     
     
         5 . The burner according to  claim 1 , wherein the passage is annular. 
     
     
         6 . The burner according to  claim 1 , wherein the swirl generator determines a swirl number of the one or more partial mass flows in the passage. 
     
     
         7 . The burner according to  claim 1 , wherein the burner comprises a plurality of passages. 
     
     
         8 . The burner according to the  claim 1 , wherein the one or more partial mass flows further include the process medium. 
     
     
         9 . A method for combusting a combustion medium in which a fuel medium, an oxidation medium, and a process medium having inerting properties are supplied to a burner of a downstream combustion chamber such that a stabilised flame is formed in the combustion chamber, the method comprising:
 swirling the process medium in a passage with a swirl generator about a swirl axis in a flow direction;   providing one or more partial mass flows to the passage through one or more openings in the passage;   mixing the one or more partial mass flows in the process medium to produce a combustion medium;   combusting the combustion medium downstream a front distance from the openings; and   establishing an inertisation front displacing a flame the front distance from the openings in the flow direction.   
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the fuel medium and the oxidation medium are mixed with the process medium at different longitudinal locations in the flow direction. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein at least one of the fuel medium and the oxidation medium is pre-mixed with the process medium to form a process medium-duct mixture before providing the process medium-duct mixture in the one or more partial mass flows. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein providing the one or more partial mass flows in the process medium includes providing the one or more partial mass flows downstream in the flow direction in an inlet device from the swirl generator. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the inertisation front has an inner inertisation zone in the flow direction between the most downstream one or more openings and the fuel medium and oxidation medium converging in a flame foot of the flame. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 9 , further comprising branching off the fuel medium or the oxidation medium through a bypass. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein branching off the fuel medium or the oxidation medium further comprises cooling the fuel medium or the oxidation medium in the bypass. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 9 , further comprising thermally controlling a total mass flow of the combustion medium by adding a cooling medium. 
     
     
         17 . A burner for making a combustion product in order to supply to a combustion chamber downstream of the burner a fuel medium, an oxidation medium, and a process medium having inerting properties such that a swirl-stabilised flame having an inertisation front is formed in the combustion chamber, the burner comprising:
 at least one swirl generator configured to swirl the process medium about a swirl axis extending in a flow direction;   an inlet device having at least a first passage and a second passage in fluid communication with the at least swirl generator; and   a plurality of openings downstream in the flow direction from the at least one swirl generator, the plurality of openings configured to provide one or more partial mass flows including at least the fuel medium and the oxidation medium to the passage of the inlet device.   
     
     
         18 . The burner according to  claim 17 , wherein the first passage and second passage are concentric annular passages. 
     
     
         19 . The burner according to  claim 17 , wherein the at least one swirl generator swirls the process medium about a swirl axis in a first swirl direction in the first passage and about the swirl axis in an opposing second swirl direction in the second passage. 
     
     
         20 . The burner according to  claim 17 , wherein at least one of the plurality of openings is radially positioned between the first passage and second passage.