Burner panels, submerged combustion melters, and methods

Abstract

Combustion burner panels, submerged combustion melters including one or more of the panels, and methods of making the same are disclosed. In certain embodiments, the burner panel includes a panel body having first and second major surfaces, at least one oxidant through-passage extending from the first to the second major surface, and at least one fuel through-passage extending from the first to the second major surface. Oxidant and fuel delivery conduits are positioned in the respective passages. The oxidant and fuel delivery conduits include proximal and distal ends, at least some of the distal ends positioned away from the first major surface of the panel body. In other embodiments the burner panels include a frame enclosing a porous material having through passages for fuel and oxidant. The burner panels may enable delaying combustion in a submerged combustion melter, and therefore promote burner life and melter campaign length.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A combustion burner and frame combination, comprising:
 (a) a frame;   (b) at least one slot nozzle held by the frame, each slot nozzle comprising at least one fuel slot, each fuel slot positioned within a single oxidant slot.   
     
     
         2 . The burner and frame combination of  claim 1  wherein the frame comprises an outer wall and at least one inner wall, the inner and outer walls forming at least one compartment for the at least one slot nozzle. 
     
     
         3 . A combustion burner panel comprising:
 (a) a panel body having first and second major surfaces;   (b) at least one through-passage in the panel body extending from the first to the second major surface;   (c) at least one delivery conduit positioned in the at least one oxidant through-passage;   wherein each of the delivery conduits comprise proximal and distal ends, at least some of the distal ends positioned away from the first major surface of the panel body, and wherein the proximal ends are fluidly connected to a source of fuel and a source of oxidant through valves allowing alternating flow of fuel and oxidant through the delivery conduits.   
     
     
         4 . A combustion burner panel comprising:
 (a) a wall structure defining an internal space having a length, a width, and a thickness;   (b) the internal space completely filled with a material comprising a random or non-random array of pathways therethrough, at least a first portion of the pathways being oxidant pathways, and at least a second portion of the pathways being fuel pathways.   
     
     
         5 . The burner panel of  claim 4  wherein at least a majority of the pathways extend from a first to a second major surface of the material. 
     
     
         6 . The burner panel of  claim 4  wherein the wall structure forms a shape selected from the group consisting of rectangular, triangular, and irregular shapes fitting together without gaps. 
     
     
         7 . A submerged combustion melter comprising at least one submerged combustion burner panel of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         8 . A submerged combustion melter comprising at least one submerged combustion burner panel of  claim 3 . 
     
     
         9 . A submerged combustion melter comprising at least one submerged combustion burner panel of  claim 4 . 
     
     
         10 . A combustion burner panel comprising:
 (a) a panel body;   (b) one or more combustion burners randomly or nonrandomly positioned in the panel, each burner comprising:
 (i) a burner body comprising a substantially planar cap and an external wall and at least two inner walls, the external wall, planar cap, and inner walls arranged to form a fuel chamber, an oxidant chamber, and a coolant chamber, the planar cap having a plurality of fuel and oxidant exits; 
 (ii) at least one fuel conduit fluidly connecting the fuel chamber with a first major exterior surface of the planar cap; 
 (iii) at least one oxidant conduit oxidant conduit fluidly connecting the oxidant chamber with the first major external surface of the planar cap, and 
 (iv) wherein the coolant chamber is positioned closer to the planar cap than both the fuel and oxidant chambers. 
   
     
     
         11 . A method of making the combustion burner panel of  claim 9  comprising:
 (a) forming components, in no particular order:
 (i) the planar cap and external wall as a single component; 
 (ii) a tube table comprising the fluid conduits, the oxidant conduits, and a first horizontal wall, with two vertical walls positioned about the horizontal wall, wherein the fuel and oxidant conduits are of different lengths; 
 (iii) a second horizontal wall having through-passages for oxidant and fuel conduits, and a third vertical wall; and 
 (iv) a third horizontal wall having a single vertical wall pendant therefrom; 
 
 (b) fitting components (i)-(iv) together to form a burner sub-assembly; 
 (c) fitting coolant supply and return conduits to the burner sub-assembly; 
 (d) fitting fuel and oxidant supply conduits to the burner sub-assembly; 
 steps (a)-(d) forming the burner body; and 
 (e) fitting or attaching the burner body to the panel body. 
 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein components (i)-(iv) are formed using one or more methods selected from the group consisting of CNC machining each shape from a billet, EDM cutting each shape from a billet, direct laser metal sintering (aka rapid prototyping, metal 3D printing, SLA printing), near-net or net-shape casting, and heat treatment process selected from time-temperature heat treatment and time-pressure-temperature treatments.