High intensity gas fired infrared emitter

Abstract

A high intensity gas-fired infrared emitter including a frame having a plurality of side walls, an open bottom, and an open top, a flame arrestor mounted inside the frame and including a bottom, a top surface having a recess, and a plurality of apertures extending from the bottom to the recessed top surface, and a cellular surface panel formed of a plurality of cells and mounted inside the recess of the flame arrestor such that the plurality of apertures of the flame arrestor form pathways which extend into the cellular surface panel.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A high intensity gas-fired infrared emitter, comprising:
 a frame having a plurality of side walls, an open bottom, and an open top;   a flame arrestor mounted inside the frame and including a bottom, a top surface having a recess, and a plurality of apertures extending from the bottom to the recessed top surface; and   a cellular surface panel formed of a plurality of cells and mounted inside the recess of the flame arrestor such that the plurality of apertures of the flame arrestor form pathways which extend into the cellular surface panel.   
     
     
         2 . The high intensity gas-fired infrared emitter of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of cells of the cellular surface panel comprises a geometry to form a restricted path for products of combustion. 
     
     
         3 . The high intensity gas-fired infrared emitter of  claim 1 , wherein the cellular surface panel comprises at least two consecutively connected solid porous bodies. 
     
     
         4 . The high intensity gas-fired infrared emitter of  claim 3 , wherein the at least two consecutively connected solid porous bodies have different sizes. 
     
     
         5 . The high intensity gas-fired infrared emitter of  claim 1 , further comprising a body mounted within the frame and a resilient element configured to retain the flame arrestor, the cellular surface panel and the body within the frame. 
     
     
         6 . The high intensity gas-fired infrared emitter of  claim 5 , wherein the body supports a deflector plate positioned dimensionally offset relative to the body. 
     
     
         7 . The high intensity gas-fired infrared emitter of  claim 5 , wherein an offset is arranged between the flame arrestor and the body mounted within the frame to increase a volume of a chamber formed therein. 
     
     
         8 . The high intensity gas-fired infrared emitter of  claim 1 , wherein the flame arrestor is made of a lightweight ceramic fiber material composed principally of aluminum oxide and silicon dioxide. 
     
     
         9 . The high intensity gas-fired infrared emitter of  claim 1 , further comprising a fire check assembly coupled to the body to stop gas flow to the cellular surface panel in a failure event. 
     
     
         10 . A high intensity gas-fired infrared emitter, comprising:
 a frame having at least one side wall, an open bottom, and an open top;   a flame arrestor mounted inside the frame and including a bottom, a top surface having a recess, and a plurality of apertures extending from the bottom to the recessed top surface;   a cellular surface panel mounted inside the recess of the flame arrestor such that the plurality of apertures of the flame arrestor form pathways which extend into the cellular surface panel; and   a fire check assembly coupled with the emitter, the assembly further comprising:
 a solder joint positioned proximate a gas outlet; and 
 a plunger rod fixed to the solder joint and in a compressed state via a resilient member; 
   wherein the solder joint is configured to break when exposed to a flame causing the plunger rod to be displaced to close a gas inlet.   
     
     
         11 . The high intensity gas-fired infrared emitter of  claim 10 , wherein the resilient member is a spring urging the plunger rod towards the gas inlet. 
     
     
         12 . The high intensity gas-fired infrared emitter of  claim 10 , wherein the cellular surface panel comprises at least two consecutively connected solid porous bodies. 
     
     
         13 . The high intensity gas-fired infrared emitter of  claim 10 , wherein the flame arrestor is made of a lightweight ceramic fiber material composed principally of aluminum oxide and silicon dioxide. 
     
     
         14 . The high intensity gas-fired infrared emitter of  claim 10 , wherein the cellular surface panel is formed from silicon carbide (Si—SiC). 
     
     
         15 . A method of operating a high intensity gas-fired infrared emitter, the emitter comprising a frame, a flame arrestor mounted inside the frame, and a cellular surface panel mounted inside the flame arrestor, the method comprising the steps of:
 introducing a combustible mixture into the high intensity gas-fired infrared emitter through an inlet manifold;   dispersing the combustible mixture into a cavity;   forcing, by a deflector plate, the combustible mixture to fill a chamber;   forming a pressure tight seal within the chamber;   passing the combustible mixture through apertures within the flame arrestor to maintain a low air-gas temperature prior to combustion; and   igniting the mixture to heat cells of the cellular surface panel.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the chamber is formed by at least one gasket, the flame arrestor, a cast iron body, the frame, and at least one resilient member.