Horizontally fired burner system

Abstract

A horizontally-fired burner system includes, in a combustion volume, a distal flame holder, the distal flame holder including a plurality of columns each formed from a respective plurality of refractory tiles, and a fuel and combustion air source configured to output a flammable fuel and air mixture toward the distal flame holder. The distal flame holder is configured to hold a combustion reaction adjacent to each of the plurality of columns.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A horizontally-fired burner system, comprising:
 in a combustion volume, a distal flame holder, the distal flame holder including a plurality of columns each formed from a respective plurality of refractory tiles; and   a fuel and combustion air source configured to output a flammable fuel and air mixture toward the distal flame holder via one or more main fuel nozzles;   wherein the distal flame holder is configured to hold a combustion reaction adjacent to each of the plurality of columns.   
     
     
         2 . The horizontally-fired burner system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of columns are disposed vertically in the combustion volume and in parallel to each other within the combustion volume. 
     
     
         3 . The horizontally-fired burner system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one column of the plurality of columns has a greater cross-sectional area than another column of the plurality of columns. 
     
     
         4 . The horizontally-fired burner system of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the distal flame holder is configured to hold the combustion reaction upstream from, downstream from, and beside each of the plurality of columns.   
     
     
         5 . The horizontally-fired burner system of  claim 1 ,
 wherein at least a portion of the plurality of refractory tiles includes perforated refractory tiles.   
     
     
         6 . The horizontally-fired burner system of  claim 5 ,
 wherein the perforated refractory tiles are configured to hold at least a portion of the combustion reaction within perforations of each perforated refractory tile.   
     
     
         7 . The horizontally-fired burner system of clam  6 , wherein the perforated refractory tiles are formed from reticulated fibers. 
     
     
         8 . The horizontally-fired burner system of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of water tubes arranged adjacent to at least one of a ceiling, a floor, and walls defining the combustion volume. 
     
     
         9 . The horizontally-fired burner system of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a plurality of steel tabs extending into the combustion volume between respective sets of mutually adjacent water tubes of the plurality of water tubes;   wherein the distal flame holder further includes a mounting structure upon which each column of the plurality of columns is supported; and   wherein the plurality of steel tabs are operatively coupled to the mounting structure to mechanically fix the location of the distal flame holder in the combustion volume.   
     
     
         10 . The horizontally-fired burner system of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a mortar bed formed over a bottom portion of a portion of the water tubes;   wherein the plurality of columns are supported by the mortar bed.   
     
     
         11 . The horizontally-fired burner system of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 one or more tabs extending downward into the combustion volume from the ceiling of the combustion volume;   wherein the distal flame holder further includes a mounting structure that extends to a position near the ceiling of the combustion volume; and   wherein the one or more tabs are operatively coupled to the mounting structure near the ceiling of the combustion volume to provide stability to the mounting structure and the plurality of columns.   
     
     
         12 . The horizontally-fired burner system of  claim 1 , wherein the distal flame holder further comprises:
 a mounting structure upon which a plurality of columns are supported; and   a plurality of ceramic tubes operatively coupled to the mounting structure and disposed adjacent to each respective column, the plurality of ceramic tubes being disposed to substantially prevent a plurality of refractory tiles from becoming dislodged from the respective columns.   
     
     
         13 . The horizontally-fired burner system of  claim 12 , wherein the plurality of ceramic tubes are formed from at least one of sintered silicon carbide or yttrium-stabilized zirconia-alumina (YZA). 
     
     
         14 . The horizontally-fired burner system of  claim 1 , wherein each refractory tile of the plurality of refractory tiles includes a keying feature configured to secure said each refractory tile to an adjacent refractory tile of the plurality of refractory tiles. 
     
     
         15 . The horizontally-fired burner system of  claim 1 , wherein respective refractory tiles are formed from one or more materials selected from the group consisting of zirconium, silicon carbide, and yttrium-stabilized zirconia-alumina. 
     
     
         16 . The horizontally-fired burner system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a mixing tube disposed in the combustion volume between the fuel and combustion air source and the distal flame holder to receive fuel and combustion air from the fuel and combustion air source, the mixing tube being configured to entrain flue gas with the fuel and the combustion air and to cause mixing of the fuel, the combustion air, and the flue gas prior to receipt of the mixture at the distal flame holder.   
     
     
         17 . The horizontally-fired burner system of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 a mixing tube support structure configured to support the mixing tube, the mixing tube support structure configured to be supported by a surface defining the combustion volume.   
     
     
         18 . The horizontally-fired burner system of  claim 16 , wherein the mixing tube is assembled inside the combustion volume from individual pieces sized to fit into the combustion volume through a man-way access hole having a diameter of less than about 20 inches. 
     
     
         19 . The horizontally-fired burner system of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 a flame holder actuator operatively connected to the pre-heat burner;   a sensor configured to detect a distal flame holder temperature; and   a controller operatively coupled to the flame holder actuator, the controller configured to cause the pre-heat burner to, based on the detected distal flame holder temperature, hold a pre-heat flame when the distal flame holder needs to be pre-heated and to not hold the pre-heat flame when the distal flame holder is at an operating temperature.   
     
     
         20 . The horizontally-fired burner system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a pre-heat burner disposed proximate the fuel and combustion air source, the pre-heat burner being operable to heat the distal flame holder to a temperature equal to or greater than an auto-ignition temperature of the fuel.   
     
     
         21 . The horizontally-fired burner system of  claim 20 , wherein the pre-heat burner is operable to be extinguished just prior to providing main fuel from main fuel nozzles of the fuel and air source. 
     
     
         22 . The horizontally-fired burner system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a distal pilot burner disposed adjacent to a plurality of columns;   wherein the distal pilot burner is configured to maintain a pilot flame during combustion of main fuel in a combustion reaction held by the distal flame holder.   
     
     
         23 . The horizontally-fired burner system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a distal pilot burner disposed adjacent to the plurality of columns in the combustion volume;   wherein the distal pilot burner is configured to successively provide a pre-heating flame to raise a temperature of the distal flame holder to at least an auto-ignition temperature of main fuel prior to introduction of the main fuel, and to maintain a pilot flame during combustion of the main fuel in the combustion reaction held by the distal flame holder.   
     
     
         24 . The horizontally-fired burner system of  claim 23 , wherein the distal pilot burner is configured to support a large combustion reaction during pre-heating of the distal flame holder and to support a smaller combustion reaction during subsequent combustion of the main fuel. 
     
     
         25 . The horizontally-fired burner system of  claim 24 , wherein the distal pilot burner provides fuel for respective diffusion flames supported by each of the plurality of holes. 
     
     
         26 . The horizontally-fired burner system of  claim 23 , wherein:
 the distal pilot burner includes a plurality of fuel runners, each having a plurality of holes and each fuel runner of the plurality of fuel runners disposed adjacent to a respective one of the plurality of vertical columns.   
     
     
         27 . The horizontally-fired burner system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 one or more sensors disposed at the distal flame holder and configured to detect at least one of a flame presence, a temperature, a flame characteristic, a pressure, a fuel/air proportion, a refractory tile condition, and a vibration amount;   a fuel amount actuator disposed as part of the fuel and combustion air source and configured to change an amount of fuel supplied by the fuel and combustion air source;   a controller operatively coupled to the one or more sensors and the fuel amount actuator, the controller configured to control the fuel amount actuator to change an amount of fuel supplied by the fuel and combustion air source based on one or more signals received from the one or more sensors.   
     
     
         28 . The horizontally-fired burner system of  claim 27 , wherein the controller is further configured to store data based on the one or more signals received from the one or more sensors.