Abstract: A gas fired burner is provided for use in applications such as chemical process furnaces for process heaters in refineries and chemical plants, and the like. The burner is provided with a plurality of fuel gas inlets for enabling manipulation of the flame shape and combustion characteristics of the burner, based upon variation in the distribution of fuel gas between the various fuel gas inlets.A combination pilot and flame holder for a burner, such as may be used in process heaters and furnaces for refineries, chemical plants and the like, is also provided. The pilot is mounted atop a supply pipe for premixed fuel and air, which is positioned in the bore of a burner quarl. The pilot includes a radially outwardly extending flange which is upstream of a surface combustion flame holder for establishing a radially directed surface combustion flame.The present invention also provides a low-emissions burner and pilot system for use in such process heaters and furnaces.

Abstract: A particle suspension furnace having an upper injector section, an intermediate combustion section and a lower separation section. The injector section comprises a central fuel conduit for supplying a rich fuel/air mixture to a burner at the base of the injector section, and a concentric annular mixing chamber for supplying a mixture of reactive or meltable batch particles and oxygen to the burner. The fuel-rich burner flame diffuses radially-outwardly to consume the peripherally-supplied oxygen and form an oxygen/fuel combustion mixture having a predetermined selected stoichiometry which is variable above and below 1:1 stoichiometry depending upon whether a reducing or oxidizing atmosphere is desired. The suspended particles absorb heat to quench the burner temperature and reduce the NO.sub.x pollutant formation.

Abstract: A continuously-variable rate pulse combustion apparatus comprising a main burner, a primary burner operably connected to the main burner, main and primary fuel supply lines including valves for self-feeding a combustible gaseous mixture to the main and primary burners, respectively, main and primary air supply lines including valves for providing one-way flow of air to the main and primary burners, a combustion chamber for pulse combustion of the combustible gaseous mixture to provide combustion gases, and an exhaust mechanism for self-exhausting the combustion gases from the combustion chamber. An inlet air decoupler is provided for acoustically decoupling the main and primary air supply lines.