Pulse combustion system and method

• US 6,210,149 B1
• Filed: 05/21/1999
• Issued: 04/03/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lawrence M. Matta, Vitaly L. Feingold, Vitaly S. Severyanin, Zinovy Z. Plavnik
• Original Assignee: Lawrence M. Matta, Vitaly L. Feingold, Vitaly S. Severyanin, Zinovy Z. Plavnik
• Inventors: Plavnik, Zinovy Z., Severyanin, Vitaly S., Feingold, Vitaly L., Matta, Lawrence M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Price, Carl D.
• Application Number:
  US09/316,225
• Time in Patent Office: 683 Days
• Field of Search: 431/1, 431/9, 431/350, 431/353, 431/75, 60/39.77, 122/24, 34/539, 126/116 R, 432/25, 432/186
• US Class Current: 431/1
• CPC Class Codes: F23C 15/00 Apparatus in which combustion takes place in pulses influenced by acoustic resonance in a gas mass for generating combustion products of high pressure or high velocity F23R7/00; starting devices F23D11/42

Abstract

A pulse combustion system having at least one combustion chamber, having an outlet end of a generally coaxial air conduit, a fuel nozzle, and an ignitor arranged generally in a first section of the chamber, and having a tangential exhaust pipe arranged generally in a second section of the chamber. At least one primary exhaust pipe extends from the combustion chamber and a plurality of secondary exhaust pipes extend from the primary pipe. An enclosure is disposed about the combustion chamber and exhaust pipes, with a blower in communication with the enclosure.

Also, a pulse combustion method of transferring heat to a material, generally including the steps of setting up a helical swirl of thermal and acoustic pulse waves within a chamber, expanding the waves along a length of the chamber, and propagating the waves tangentially out of the chamber into a resonant exhaust manifold and onto a material.

Claims

1. A pulse combustion system, comprising:

a) at least one elongated combustion chamber having at least one endwall, at least one sidewall with a length, and an exhaust outlet defined in said sidewall at a position generally proximate to said endwall;

b) at least one exhaust pipe having a first end extending from said combustion chamber and in alignment with said exhaust outlet;

c) at least one air conduit extending coaxially through said endwall of said combustion chamber and extending coaxially into said combustion chamber, said air conduit having an outlet end disposed within said combustion chamber such that said exhaust outlet is between said endwall and said air conduit outlet;

d) at least one fuel nozzle extending into said combustion chamber and disposed within said combustion chamber such that said exhaust outlet is between said endwall and said fuel nozzle; and

e) at least one igniter associated with said combustion chamber,

wherein fuel is entered into said combustion chamber through said fuel nozzle, air is entered into said combustion chamber through said air conduit and mixes with said fuel to form a fuel/air mixture, said fuel/air mixture is ignited by said igniter to form a burning fuel/air mixture and generate a thermal and an acoustic pulse wave, said burning mixture expands in a helical swirl about said air conduit and along said length of said combustion chamber, said burning mixture combusts to produce exhaust gas, and said burning mixture or exhaust gas exhausts from said combustion chamber through said exhaust pipe.

2. The pulse combustion system of claim 1, wherein said elongated combustion chamber is generally cylindrical.

3. The pulse combustion system of claim 1, wherein said combustion chamber has a curved portion, said exhaust outlet is positioned on said curved portion, and said exhaust pipe extends tangentially from said curved portion.

4. The pulse combustion system of claim 3, wherein said fuel nozzle has a plurality of orifices defined therein at an angle relative to a longitudinal or radial axis of said elongated combustion chamber such that said angled fuel nozzle orifices induce a flow of said fuel/air mixture in a rotary direction, and wherein said tangential exhaust pipe extends from said combustion chamber in said rotary direction to accept said rotary flow of said burning mixture.

5. The pulse combustion system of claim 1, wherein said exhaust pipe comprises a manifold having at least one primary exhaust pipe and a plurality of secondary exhaust pipes extending from said primary exhaust pipe.

6. The pulse combustion system of claim 1, wherein said combustion chamber comprises a first section partially defined by said sidewall and a second section partially defined by said sidewall and said endwall, said fuel nozzle and said air conduit outlet are disposed within said first section, said exhaust outlet is disposed within said second section, and said air conduit extends through said second section.

7. The pulse combustion system of claim 5, wherein said first section and said second section of said combustion chamber each comprise a space that is substantially half of said combustion chamber.

8. The pulse combustion system of claim 1, wherein said air conduit outlet end is tapered inward and said air conduit has an inlet end that is tapered outward.

9. The pulse combustion system of claim 1, wherein said air conduit allows airflow therethrough free of any movable constrictions to permit air to be drawn into said combustion chamber.

10. The pulse combustion system of claim 1, wherein said fuel nozzle comprises a fuel conduit concentrically disposed about said air conduit, extending through said combustion chamber endwall, and extending into said combustion chamber.

11. The pulse combustion system of claim 10, wherein said fuel conduit has an endwall with a plurality of orifices defined therein at an angle relative to a longitudinal axis of said elongated combustion chamber.

12. The pulse combustion system of claim 10, wherein said fuel conduit has an endwall and a curved surface with a portion adjacent said endwall, said curved surface portion having a plurality of orifices defined therein at an angle relative to a radial axis of said fuel conduit.

13. The pulse combustion system of claim 1, further comprising at least one heat exchanger fin removably coupled to said exhaust pipe.

14. The pulse combustion system of claim 1, further comprising an enclosure disposed about at least a portion of said combustion chamber and said exhaust pipe.

15. The pulse combustion system of claim 14, wherein said enclosure has at least one cooling air inlet and at least one cooling air outlet, and further comprising a blower associated with said cooling air inlet.

16. The pulse combustion system of claim 1, wherein two combustion chambers are provided with said inlet end of said air conduit of a first chamber in communication with said inlet end of said air conduit of a second chamber.

17. The pulse combustion system of claim 16, wherein said two combustion chambers are arranged in a generally horizontal arrangement such that said air conduits are oppositely faced and axially aligned.

18. The pulse combustion system of claim 16, wherein said two combustion chambers are provided in a generally vertical arrangement.

19. A pulse combustion system for directing heat toward a material, comprising:

a) at least one combustion chamber having an exhaust outlet defined therein;

b) at least one resonant exhaust manifold having at least one primary exhaust pipe extending from said combustion chamber and in alignment with said exhaust outlet, and having a plurality of secondary exhaust pipes extending from said primary exhaust pipe, said secondary exhaust pipes each having an outlet end directed toward said material, primary exhaust pipe having a cross-sectional inlet area and said secondary exhaust pipes have a cumulative cross-sectional outlet area that is about equal to or greater than the primary exhaust pipe cross-sectional inlet area, but no more than about 20 percent greater than the primary exhaust pipe cross-sectional inlet area;

c) at least one air conduit extending into said combustion chamber and allowing free airflow therethrough;

d) at least one fuel nozzle extending into said combustion chamber; and

e) at least one igniter associated with said combustion chamber,

wherein fuel is entered into said combustion chamber through said fuel nozzle, air is entered into said combustion chamber through said air conduit and mixes with said fuel to form a fuel/air mixture, said fuel/air mixture is ignited by said igniter to form a burning fuel/air mixture and generate a thermal and an acoustic pulse wave, said burning mixture expands within said combustion chamber, said burning mixture combusts to produce exhaust gas, said burning mixture or exhaust gas exhausts from said combustion chamber through said primary exhaust pipe, said burning mixture or exhaust gas propagates through said primary and said secondary exhaust pipes, and said exhaust gas exhausts from said outlet ends of said secondary pipes and toward said material.

20. The pulse combustion system of claim 19, wherein said combustion chamber has a curved portion and said primary exhaust pipe extends tangentially from said curved portion.

21. The pulse combustion system of claim 19, wherein said primary exhaust pipe has at least one distribution member, and said secondary pipes extend from said distribution member.

22. The pulse combustion system of claim 21, wherein said distribution member generally has the shape of an inverted “

V”

.

23. The pulse combustion system of claim 19, wherein said secondary exhaust pipes are arranged in at least one row.

24. The pulse combustion system of claim 19, wherein said secondary exhaust pipe outlet ends are substantially coplanar.

25. The pulse combustion system of claim 19, wherein said at least one combustion chamber comprises at least one endwall and at least one sidewall with a length, and said exhaust outlet is defined in said sidewall at a position generally proximate to said endwall, said air conduit has an outlet disposed within said combustion chamber such that said exhaust outlet is between said endwall and said air conduit outlet, and said fuel nozzle is disposed within said combustion chamber such that said exhaust outlet is between said endwall and said fuel nozzle.

26. The pulse combustion system of claim 19, wherein an average total exhaust pipe length is generally one quarter of a length of a sound wave generated by said pulse combustion system.

27. The pulse combustion system of claim 19, wherein said primary pipe has a length between said combustion chamber outlet and said secondary pipe outlets that is generally about two-thirds of an average total exhaust pipe length.

28. The pulse combustion system of claim 19, further comprising at least one heat exchanger fin removably coupled to said primary exhaust pipe.

29. The pulse combustion system of claim 19, further comprising an enclosure generally disposed about said at least a portion of said combustion chamber and said exhaust pipe.

30. The pulse combustion system of claim 29, wherein said enclosure has at least one partition interposed between said combustion chamber and said secondary exhaust pipes, wherein said partition and said enclosure define an air flow passageway across said secondary pipes and at least a part of said primary exhaust pipe.

31. The pulse combustion system of claim 29, wherein said enclosure has at least one cooling air inlet and at least one cooling air outlet, and further comprising a blower associated with said cooling air inlet of said enclosure.

32. The pulse combustion system of claim 19, further comprising a conveyor system adjacent said secondary pipe outlet ends, said conveyor system capable of carrying said material.

33. A pulse combustion system, comprising:

a) at least one generally cylindrical combustion chamber having a length, at least one endwall, at least one curved sidewall, and an exhaust outlet defined in said curved sidewall at a position generally proximate to said endwall;

b) at least one resonant exhaust manifold having at least one primary exhaust pipe having a first end extending from said combustion chamber and in alignment with said exhaust outlet, said primary pipe comprising a distribution member, and said manifold having a plurality of secondary exhaust pipes extending from said distribution member;

c) at least one air conduit extending coaxially through said endwall of said combustion chamber and extending coaxially into said combustion chamber, said air conduit having an outlet end disposed within said combustion chamber such that said exhaust outlet is between said endwall and said air conduit outlet;

d) at least one fuel nozzle extending into said combustion chamber and disposed within said combustion chamber such that said exhaust outlet is between said endwall and said fuel nozzle;

e) at least one igniter associated with said combustion chamber;

f) at least one heat exchanger fin removably coupled to said primary exhaust pipe;

g) an enclosure generally disposed about at least a portion of said combustion chamber and said exhaust pipe, said enclosure having at least one cooling air inlet and at least one cooling air outlet; and

h) a blower associated with said cooling air inlet of said enclosure,

wherein fuel is entered into said combustion chamber through said fuel nozzle, air is entered into said combustion chamber through said air conduit and mixes with said fuel to form a fuel/air mixture, said fuel/air mixture is ignited by said igniter to form a burning fuel/air mixture and generate a thermal and an acoustic pulse wave, said burning mixture expands in a helical swirl about said air conduit and along said length of said combustion chamber, said burning mixture combusts to produce exhaust gas, and said burning mixture or exhaust gas tangentially exhausts from said combustion chamber through said tangential primary exhaust pipe, said exhaust gas propagates through said primary and said secondary exhaust pipes, and said exhaust gas exhausts from said outlet ends of said secondary pipes and toward said material.

34. The pulse combustion system of claim 33, wherein said combustion chamber comprises a first section partially defined by said sidewall and a second section partially defined by said sidewall and said endwall, said fuel nozzle and said air conduit outlet are disposed within said first section, said exhaust outlet is disposed within said second section, and said air conduit extends through said second section.

35. The pulse combustion system of claim 33, wherein said ignitor comprises a spark plug or a pilot burner.

36. The pulse combustion system of claim 33, wherein said enclosure has at least one partition interposed between said combustion chamber and said secondary exhaust pipes.

37. The pulse combustion system of claim 33, wherein said enclosure has a lining of an insulation material.

38. A pulse combustion system, comprising:

a) at least two elongated combustion chambers each having at least one endwall, at least one sidewall with a length, and an exhaust outlet defined in said sidewall at a position generally proximate to said endwall;

b) each combustion chamber having at least one exhaust pipe having a first end extending from said combustion chamber and in alignment with said exhaust outlet;

c) each combustion chamber having at least one air conduit extending through said endwall of said combustion chamber and extending into said combustion chamber such that said exhaust outlet is disposed between said endwall and an outlet end of said air conduit;

d) each combustion chamber having at least one fuel nozzle extending thereinto such that said exhaust outlet is disposed between said endwall and fuel nozzle; and

e) each combustion chamber having at least one igniter associated therewith,

wherein for each combustion chamber fuel is entered thereinto through said fuel nozzle, air is entered thereinto through said air conduit and mixes with said fuel to form a fuel/air mixture, said fuel/air mixture is ignited by said igniter to form a burning fuel/air mixture and generate thermal and an acoustic pulse waves, said burning mixture expands in a helical swirl about said air conduit and along said length of said combustion chamber, said burning mixture combusts to produce exhaust gas, and said burning mixture or exhaust gas exhausts from said combustion chamber through said exhaust pipe.

39. The pulse combustion system of claim 38, wherein said two combustion chambers are arranged in a generally horizontal arrangement such that said air conduits are oppositely faced and axially aligned.

40. The pulse combustion system of claim 38, wherein said two combustion chambers are provided in a generally vertical arrangement.

41. The pulse combustion system of claim 38, wherein each of said air conduit extends coaxially into its respective combustion chamber.