Burner comprising a heat shield and method of operating the burner

Abstract

A burner and associated methods are disclosed. The burner comprises a housing and a heat shield. The housing comprises an inlet for receiving gas, one or more outlets for expelling gas, and walls forming a gas cavity for directing the gas from the inlet to the outlet. The heat shield comprises a shield layer configured to cover at least a portion of at least one of the walls to thermally insulate the at least one of the walls from heat outside the gas cavity.

1 . A burner comprising:
 a housing comprising:
 an inlet for receiving gas, 
 one or more outlets for expelling gas; and 
 walls forming a gas cavity for directing the gas from the inlet to the outlet; and 
   a heat shield comprising a shield layer configured to cover at least a portion of at least one of the walls to thermally insulate the at least one of the walls from heat outside the gas cavity.   
     
     
         2 . The burner according to  claim 1 , comprising side walls configured to direct gas axially from the inlet, and a blocking wall configured to redirect the gas to one or more laterally oriented outlets, wherein the heat shield is configured to cover at least a portion of the blocking wall. 
     
     
         3 . The burner according to  claim 2 , wherein the covered at least one wall and the shield layer are separated by a gap. 
     
     
         4 . The burner according to  claim 2 , wherein the heat shield is attached to the covered at least one wall only adjacent to the outlet. 
     
     
         5 . The burner according to  claim 2 , wherein the shield layer is separated from the covered at least one wall by a gap, the gap not being in direct fluid communication with the gas cavity. 
     
     
         6 . The burner according to  claim 2 , wherein the shield layer is separated from the covered at least one wall by a refractory material having a low thermal conductivity, the refractory material being in contact with the shield layer and the covered at least one wall. 
     
     
         7 . The burner according to  claim 2 , wherein the burner is configured to be connected to a surface, the shield layer being configured to cover at least a portion of the at least one wall which has the same orientation as the surface. 
     
     
         8 . The burner according to  claim 2 , wherein the walls are metallic. 
     
     
         9 . The burner according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat shield comprises a metallic material. 
     
     
         10 . The burner according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat shield comprises a refractory material. 
     
     
         11 . The burner according to  claim 10 , wherein the refractory material is a ceramic material. 
     
     
         12 . The burner according to  claim 1 , wherein the shield layer consists of a single layer of material. 
     
     
         13 . The burner according to  claim 1 , wherein the shield layer comprises a first layer of a metallic material and a second layer of a refractory material. 
     
     
         14 . The burner according to  claim 13 , wherein the second layer makes up at least a portion of a surface of the shield layer. 
     
     
         15 . The burner according to  claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises one or more turning vanes for redirecting the gas towards the one or more outlets. 
     
     
         16 . The burner according to  claim 2 , wherein the covered at least one wall is connected to a thermally conducting projection positioned within the housing. 
     
     
         17 . The burner according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat shield is releasably connected to the housing. 
     
     
         18 . The burner according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat shield is integral to the housing. 
     
     
         19 . The burner according to  claim 1 , wherein the shield layer has a concave shape. 
     
     
         20 . The burner according to  claim 1 , wherein the shield layer is disc shaped. 
     
     
         21 . The burner according to  claim 1 , wherein the shield layer is ring shaped. 
     
     
         22 . A method of using the burner of  claim 1 , wherein the method comprises:
 providing a mixture comprising combustible gas and oxygen to the gas cavity via the inlet; and   igniting the mixture of combustible gas and oxygen after the gas is expelled from the outlet.   
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 22 , wherein the combustible gas comprises hydrogen. 
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 22 , wherein the combustible gas comprises methane. 
     
     
         25 . The method according to  claim 22 , wherein the combustible gas is provided at a rate such that the speed of the gas exiting the outlet is greater than a predetermined speed. 
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 22 , wherein the combustible gas comprises more than 85% hydrogen by volume.