Rail heater and method of use

Abstract

A rail heater for heating a rail of a railroad to a neutral temperature has a plurality of combustion chambers that are commonly linked via tubes or pipes such that they are in fluid communication with each other. This allows for fuel in one of the combustion chambers to be ignited, and then the flame propagates through the tubes or pipes to ignite the other combustion chambers. Each combustion chamber has a flame outlet that directs a torch-like flame to a neutral axis of the rail to heat the same.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A rail heater comprising:
 a frame having rail-engaging wheels;   a fuel source;   a burner assembly coupled, directly or indirectly, to the frame, wherein burner assembly is positioned closely adjacent a first rail of a railroad, wherein the burner assembly includes at least one combustion chamber that ignites fuel supplied from the fuel source and directs a flame from the at least one combustion chamber at a neutral axis of the first rail.   
     
     
         2 . The rail heater of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an air intake in fluid communication with the at least one combustion chamber, wherein the air intake supplies air to the combustion chamber for combustion with the fuel.   
     
     
         3 . The rail heater of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a plenum having an inlet and an outlet, wherein the inlet is in fluid communication with the air intake and the outlet is in fluid communication with the at least one combustion chamber.   
     
     
         4 . The rail heater of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a burner unit coupled to the at least one combustion chamber; and   tubing that connects the outlet of the plenum to the burner unit.   
     
     
         5 . The rail heater of  claim 1 , wherein the burner assembly comprises:
 a first plurality of combustion chambers aligned in a first row on a field side of the first rail; and   tubing that fluidly connects each combustion chamber from the first plurality of combustion chambers.   
     
     
         6 . The rail heater of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 at least one flame outlet on each combustion chamber from the first plurality of combustion chambers;   wherein the flame output from each of the at least one flame outlet is a torch-like flame pointed at the neutral axis on the field side of the first rail.   
     
     
         7 . The rail heater of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 a single ignitor connected to a burner unit that is connected to one combustion chamber in the first plurality of combustion chambers, wherein the single ignitor ignites fuel in the one combustion chamber and ignition thereof causes the remaining combustion chambers to ignite via the tubing that connects each combustion chamber from the first plurality of combustion chambers.   
     
     
         8 . The rail heater of  claim 5 , wherein the burner assembly further comprises:
 a second plurality of combustion chambers aligned in a second row on a gauge side of the first rail; and   tubing that fluidly connects each combustion chamber from the second plurality of combustion chambers.   
     
     
         9 . The rail heater of  claim 8 , wherein the burner assembly further comprises:
 at least one flame outlet on each combustion chamber from the second plurality of combustion chambers;   wherein the flame output from each of the at least one flame outlet is a torch-like flame pointed at the neutral axis on the gauge side of the first rail.   
     
     
         10 . The rail heater of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a single ignitor connected to a burner unit that is connected to one combustion chamber in the second plurality of combustion chambers, wherein the single ignitor ignites fuel in the one combustion chamber and ignition thereof causes the remaining combustion chambers to ignite via the tubing that connects each combustion chamber from the second plurality of combustion chambers.   
     
     
         11 . The rail heater of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 an exhaust pipe located between the first plurality of combustion chambers and the second plurality of combustion chambers.   
     
     
         12 . The rail heater of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a cabin for an operator of the rail heater, wherein the cabin is located forward of the burner assembly relative to a drive direction of the rail heater.   
     
     
         13 . The rail heater of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 nozzles to pre-wet or mist a rail tie that is adapted to reduce burning thereof during a heating operation.   
     
     
         14 . A method comprising:
 inputting air into a burner unit on a burner assembly carried by a frame of a rail heater having rail-engaging wheels that move along a first rail of a railway;   mixing air and diesel fuel in the burner unit;   combusting the air and diesel fuel mixture in a first combustion chamber;   generating a torch-like flame at an outlet of the first combustion chamber;   directing the torch-like flame toward a neutral axis of the first rail; and   heating the first rail to a neutral temperature.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 combusting a mixture of air and diesel fuel in another combustion chamber that is in fluid communication with the first combustion chamber via tubing, wherein combustion in another combustion chamber occurs in response to a single ignitor coupled to the first combustion chamber and a combustion reaction that moves through the tubing between combustion chambers.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 driving the rail heater forwardly along the first rail, wherein a cabin that houses an operator is position forwardly of the burner assembly that is adapted to reduce the likelihood of the cabin moving through exhaust from the burner assembly as the rail heater moves forward.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 inputting air into the burner unit from an air plenum that is in fluid communication with a plurality of combustion chambers, wherein the first combustion chamber is one of the combustion chambers from the plurality of combustion chambers.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 exhausting heat through an exhaust stack that extends through an air plenum.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 inputting air into a second burner unit on a second burner assembly carried by the frame of the rail heater, wherein the second burner assembly is positioned on an opposite side of the first rail;   mixing air and diesel fuel in the second burner unit;   combusting the air and diesel fuel mixture in a second combustion chamber;   generating a torch-like flame at an outlet of the second combustion chamber;   directing the torch-like flame toward the neutral axis of the first rail on an opposite side of the first rail from the first combustion chamber; and   heating the first rail to the neutral temperature.