Advanced mechanical atomization for oil burners

1. An atomizer spray plate, comprising:

a body having an inlet surface and an exit surface;

a swirl chamber within said body and adjacent to the inlet surface;

an atomizer hole extending through the body from said swirl chamber to the exit surface; and

a plurality of elongated protrusions upon the inlet surface extending radially from said swirl chamber;

wherein said plurality of elongated protrusions define a plurality of venturi inlets to said swirl chamber between adjacent protrusions;

wherein a fluid flows from the inlet surface through said plurality of venturi inlets into the swirl chamber;

wherein said plurality of venturi inlets are shaped such as to receive the fluid at a first velocity and provide the fluid to said swirl chamber at a second increased velocity in accordance with the Venturi effect; and

wherein each of said plurality of venturi inlets has a first width and a second width downstream from the first width with respect to the direction of the fluid flow, the second width being greater than the first width.

2. The atomizer according to claim 1 , wherein the spray plate is adapted to receive a liquid fuel via the inlet surface and discharge a fuel mist via the exit surface.

3. The atomizer according to claim 2 , wherein the fuel mist has a mean droplet diameter less than 120 μm.

4. The atomizer spray plate according to claim 1 , wherein said swirl chamber has a first diameter adjacent to the inlet surface and a second diameter adjacent to said atomizer hole, the first diameter being greater than the second diameter.

5. The atomizer spray plate according to claim 1 , wherein said swirl chamber has a frustoconical shape.

6. The atomizer spray plate according to claim 1 , wherein said swirl chamber has a hemispherical shape.

7. The atomizer spray plate according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of protrusions are situated at an angle with respect to a tangent to an inlet edge of said swirl chamber at the base of the particular protrusion, the angle being less than ninety degrees.

8. The atomizer spray plate according to claim 1 , wherein said plurality of protrusions comprises at least nine protrusions equally spaced about said swirl chamber.

9. The atomizer spray plate according to claim 1 , wherein the inlet surface includes a raised outer edge circumscribing said plurality of protrusions.

10. The atomizer spray plate according to claim 1 , wherein the inlet surface is adapted to receive fuel oil at an outboard portion of the inlet surface and supply the fuel oil via the venturi inlets to said swirl chamber.

11. The atomizer spray plate according to claim 1 , wherein said body is substantially cylindrical.

12. The atomizer spray plate according to claim 1 , wherein the exit surface includes two or more discharge slots for directing a spray pattern of exiting fluid.

13. An atomizer spray plate, comprising:

a body having an inlet surface and an exit surface;

a swirl chamber within said body and adjacent to the inlet surface;

an atomizer hole extending through the body from said swirl chamber to the exit surface; and

a plurality of venturi inlets upon the inlet surface extending radially from said swirl chamber;

wherein a fluid flows from the inlet surface through said plurality of venturi inlets into the swirl chamber;

wherein said plurality of venturi inlets are shaped such as to receive the fluid at a first velocity and provide the fluid to said swirl chamber at a second increased velocity in accordance with the Venturi effect; and

wherein each of said plurality of venturi inlets has a first width and a second width downstream from the first width with respect to the direction of the fluid flow, the second width being greater than the first width.

14. The atomizer according to claim 13 , wherein the spray plate is adapted to receive a liquid fuel via the inlet surface and discharge a fuel mist via the exit surface.

15. The atomizer according to claim 14 , wherein the fuel mist has a mean droplet diameter less than 120 μm.

16. The atomizer spray plate according to claim 13 , wherein said swirl chamber has a frustoconical shape.

17. The atomizer spray plate according to claim 13 , wherein the exit surface includes two or more discharge slots for directing a spray pattern of exiting fluid.

18. The atomizer spray plate according to claim 13 , wherein said swirl chamber has a first diameter adjacent to the inlet surface and a second diameter adjacent to said atomizer hole, the first diameter being greater than the second diameter.

19. An atomizer assembly for an oil fired burner, comprising:

a spray plate comprising a body having an inlet surface and an exit surface, a swirl chamber adjacent to the inlet surface, an atomizer hole extending through the body from said swirl chamber to the exit surface, and a plurality of elongated protrusions upon the inlet surface extending radially from said swirl chamber, wherein said plurality of elongated protrusions define a plurality of venturi inlets to said swirl chamber between adjacent protrusions, wherein a fluid flows from the inlet surface through said plurality of venturi inlets into the swirl chamber, and wherein said plurality of venturi inlets are shaped such as to receive the fluid at a first velocity and provide the fluid to said swirl chamber at a second increased velocity in accordance with the Venturi effect;

a back plate mountable adjacent to the inlet surface; and

a housing comprising said spray plate and said back plate;

wherein the atomizer is adapted to receive liquid fuel and discharge a fuel mist via the exit surface

wherein each of said plurality of venturi inlets has a first width and a second width downstream from the first width with respect to the direction of the fluid flow, the second width being greater than the first width.

20. The atomizer according to claim 19 , wherein the exit surface includes two or more discharge slots for directing a spray pattern of exiting fluid.