Ultra-low NOx multi-port air staged burner apparatus
A burner apparatus and a method of operating the burner apparatus can include a housing and an array maintained by the housing. The burner apparatus can function according to an air staged mode of operation. The array can include a group of low-capacity fuel swirlers and low-capacity air swirlers, wherein individual or groups of the low-capacity fuel swirlers and/or low-capacity air swirlers among the array can be turned on or off based on a required burner capacity.
1. A burner apparatus, comprising:
a housing;
an array maintained by the housing and which functions according to an air staged mode of operation, the array comprising a plurality of low-capacity fuel swirlers and low-capacity air swirlers, wherein individual or groups of low-capacity fuel swirlers and/or low-capacity air swirlers among the array are turned on or off based on a required burner capacity; and
a common fuel source and a common air source are operable to supply fuel and air to at least one of the low-capacity fuel swirlers and the low-capacity air swirlers among the plurality of low-capacity fuel swirlers and low-capacity air swirlers, and wherein the fuel and air are mixed within each swirler to form a combustible mixture.
2. The burner apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a plurality of discharge sleeves that separates an outlet of the array from the low-capacity fuel swirlers and/or low-capacity air swirlers.
3. The burner apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the fuel is cut-off to a group of swirlers among the low-capacity fuel swirlers and/or low-capacity air swirlers while a flow of the air is maintained, thereby facilitating the air staged mode of operation.
4. The burner apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the combustible mixture of the fuel and the air flows downstream from the low-capacity fuel swirlers and the low-capacity air swirlers.
5. A burner apparatus, comprising:
an array which functions according to an air staged mode of operation, the array comprising a plurality of low-capacity fuel swirlers and low-capacity air swirlers, wherein individual or groups of the low-capacity fuel swirlers and/or low-capacity air swirlers among the array are turned on or off based on a required burner capacity; and
a common fuel source and a common air source are operable to supply fuel and air to at least one of the low-capacity fuel swirlers and the low-capacity air swirlers among the plurality of low-capacity fuel swirlers and low-capacity air swirlers, and wherein the fuel and air are mixed within each swirler to form a combustible mixture.
6. The burner apparatus of claim 5 further comprising comprises a plurality of discharge sleeves that separates an outlet of the array from the low-capacity fuel swirlers and/or low-capacity air swirlers.
7. The burner apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the fuel is cut-off to a group of the array among the low-capacity fuel swirlers and/or low-capacity air swirlers while a flow of the air is maintained, thereby facilitating the air staged mode of operation.
8. The burner apparatus of claim 5 , wherein:
the combustible mixture of the fuel and the air flows downstream from the low-capacity fuel swirlers and the low-capacity air swirlers.
9. A method of operating a burner apparatus, comprising:
operating an array maintained within a housing according to an air staged mode of operation, the array comprising a plurality of low-capacity fuel swirlers and low-capacity air swirlers;
turning on or off individual or groups of the low-capacity fuel swirlers and/or low-capacity air swirlers among the array based on a required burner capacity; and
supplying fuel and air by a common fuel source and a common air source to at least one of the low-capacity fuel swirlers and the low-capacity air swirlers among the plurality of low-capacity fuel swirlers and low-capacity air swirlers, and wherein the fuel and air are mixed within each swirler to form a combustible mixture.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the housing comprises a plurality of discharge sleeves that separates an outlet of the array from the low-capacity fuel swirlers or the low-capacity air swirlers.
11. The method of claim 10 further comprising cutting-off the fuel to a group of the array among the low-capacity fuel swirlers and/or low-capacity air swirlers while a flow of the air is maintained, thereby facilitating the air staged mode of operation.
12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the housing comprises a plurality of discharge sleeves that separates an outlet of the swirlers from the low-capacity fuel swirlers and low-capacity air swirlers.
13. The method of claim 9 wherein the combustible mixture of the fuel and the air-flows downstream from the low-capacity fuel swirlers and the low-capacity air swirlers.
14. The method of claim 9 further comprising facilitating the air staged mode of operation by cutting-off fuel to a group of swirlers among the low-capacity fuel swirlers and/or the low-capacity air swirlers while a flow of the air is maintained.