Abstract: A heater and a method of its use are configured for use at cold operating temperatures. The heater has a supply line for transporting a volume of fuel between a fuel tank and burner. An inline heater is supplied in a supply line for the burner, and preferably is located upstream of a fuel filter for filtering the fuel so as to prevent wax condensation in the filter. The heater also has a return line that normally returns unused fuel from the burner to the heater, hence reducing the volume of fuel that needs to be heated by the heater and reducing system power requirements. The heater may be thermostatically controlled to maintain the temperature of the heated fuel to a value that is at or above a temperature required for good fuel atomization but below a flashpoint of the fuel. A valve is provided in the return line to permit diversion of the returned fuel to the fuel tank during a purge operation at initial startup.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing mineral fibers includes rotating an orificed spinner and supplying molten mineral material to the spinner to centrifuge streams of molten mineral material. A downward annular flow of attenuating gases is directed to attenuate the streams of molten mineral material into mineral fibers. A mixture of combustion air and combustion gas is supplied to an annular burner positioned around the spinner. Heat from the annular burner is directed toward the spinner and the streams of molten mineral material to heat the spinner and assist in attenuating the streams of molten mineral material into mineral fibers. A pressure sensor senses the pressure of the combustion air prior to the introduction of the combustion air to the burner. The pressure of the combustion air is controlled in response to the sensed pressure to maintain the pressure of the combustion air at a specific pressure.

Abstract: A heater (12) includes a burner (16), a valve (20), and an inducer (18). A thermostat (24) is electrically coupled to the heater (12) and a control board (44) is disposed in the heater (12) and electrically connected to the thermostat (24). The control board (44) includes an inducer relay (50), a valve relay (52), and a control timer (54) for switching the valve (20) between a high flow stage and a low flow stage and the inducer (18) between a high speed stage and a low speed stage, respectively, wherein the inducer relay (50), the valve relay (52), and the control timer (54) are mounted to the control board (44) to define a singular and compact controller (30).

Abstract: A processor system and method for pretreating ALL FUELS prior to combustion of a any combustion device such as an engine in which fuel in a liquid state is contained in a high pressure chamber and superheated to a state of elevated temperature and pressure.super heated fuel is then injected into the combustion chamber for burning as demanded by the combustion device. This process holds true for ALL FUELS, Liquids, Gaseous, Pulverized Solids and Solids. Making it an Ideal UNIVERSAL self contained process that can be adapted to existing needs as well as new needs for total energy use. This Process will allow ALL FUELS to burn more cleanly and efficiently and will promote optimum combustion.

Abstract: A combustion device for use in an oxidation furnace, includes a nozzle providing H.sub.2, a nozzle providing O.sub.2, and an electrical heating coil placed in the H.sub.2 nozzle for heating the H.sub.2 to a temperature at which it reacts with the O.sub.2.

Abstract: A preheater system for waste oil burners utilizes a primary preheater remote from the burner nozzle and a secondary preheater adjacent the burner nozzle. The primary preheater ordinarily provides heat to the waste oil when the burner is operating. The secondary preheater ordinarily maintains the waste oil adjacent the burner nozzle at atomization temperature when the burner is not operating. Flow of waste oil from the primary preheater to the burner nozzle is precluded when the burner is not operating.

Abstract: A liquid fuel burner is disclosed, comprising a cup-shaped housing having a fuel inlet; a plate enclosing the top of the housing, the plate having fuel passages therethrough; a wick on the outer surface of the plate communicating with the fuel passages; and a liquid fuel pump for delivering fuel under pressure to the inlet of the housing for conveying liquid fuel under pressure into the housing, through the fuel passages and into the wick. The burner is provided with a check valve upstream of the fuel inlet to the housing, the valve having a closure member biased in an upstream direction. The burner is ignited by a glow plug adjacent the housing and starter wick between the burner wick and glow plug.

Abstract: A device for controlling fuel combustion in a burner detects the temperature in the burner and controls, based on the detected temperature, electric power supplied to an atmozing glow plug of a fuel atomizer which heats and atomizes fuel.

Abstract: A dopant-opaque layer of polysilicon is deposited on gate oxide on the upper substrate surface to serve as a pattern definer during fabrication of the device. It provides control over successive P and N doping steps used to create the necessary operative junctions within a silicon substrate and the conductive structures formed atop the substrate. A trench is formed in the upper silicon surface and a source conductive layer is deposited to electrically contact the source region as a gate conductive layer is deposited atop the gate oxide layer. The trench sidewall is profile tailored using a novel O.sub.2 --SF.sub.6 plasma etch technique. An oxide sidewall spacer is formed on the sides of the pattern definer and gate oxide structures, before depositing the conductive material. A planarizing layer is applied and used as a mask for selectively removing any conductive material deposited atop the oxide spacer.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling the combustion in a heater detects the temperature in a burner and selects a re-ignition mode for fuel dependent on the temperature in the burner. The apparatus controls an atomizing device which atomizes fuel in the selected re-ignition mode, and an igniting device which ignites the fuel atomized by the atomizing device.

Abstract: A device for controlling fuel combustion in a heater including a burner for combusting fuel heated and atomized by a fuel atomizer detects the condition of fuel combustion in the burner and controls the amount of heat energy applied to the fuel by the fuel atomizer dependent on the detected condition of fuel combustion.

Abstract: In a circular vaporizing type liquid fuel combustion apparatus for reducing the quantity of tar accumulation therein, the inner wall of the metal vessel is coated with a film which consists essentially of 15.0 to 50.0 wt. % high-thermal conductive and high-emissive material, a catalyst for decomposing organic materials and a binder, the temperature of the metal vessel being kept in the film boiling temperature region.

Abstract: A multi-pass ceramic recuperator includes a temperature compensator mounted within the gaseous flow of an intermediate pass. The compensator includes a bleed valve actuated by a temperature sensitive mechanism which is mounted outside the compensator body and directly in the gaseous flow.

Abstract: There is disclosed a combustion apparatus of a fuel vaporizing type wherein fuel is led to a fuel injector for vaporization and the vaporized fuel is fed to a burner via a gas nozzle for combustion. The combustion apparatus features the provision of a device for removing at a high temperature tar attached in the fuel injector. Preferably, the removal of the tar is accomplished by fuel-empty burning. Therefore, there is no possibility that tar is deposited in the fuel injector, resulting in no faulty or incomplete combustion nor an accident to the combustion apparatus. It is further unnecessary to exchange the fuel injector or a vaporizing core installed therein or clear the interior of the fuel injector. The combustion apparatus demands only the fuel-empty burning device for the removal of tar with high temperature heating and is of simple and low cost structure. Controls are further provided for keeping constant the temperature of the fuel injector during fuel-empty burning.

Abstract: A liquid fuel vaporizing burner comprising a combustion chamber, a fuel inlet, a primary air inlet, a secondary air inlet, and a microprocessor controller. The fuel inlet communicates with the combustion chamber. The primary air inlet communicates with the combustion chamber and is interactive with the fuel inlet. The heated secondary air inlet extends about the combustion chamber in heat exchange relationship. The combustion chamber has walls of generally heat conductive material. The combustion chamber comprises a combustion region and an exhaust region. The secondary air inlet opens at one end to the atmosphere and at its other end to a mixing passage. The microprocessor controller is electrically connected to thermocouples about the burner, to the primary and secondary air inlets, and to the fuel inlet.

Abstract: An atomizer injects fuel oil into one end of a heated tube. As the atomized fuel travels down the tube, it is vaporized. A nozzle at the other end of the tube assures that pressure is built up in the tube so that fuel oil vapor is applied as a steady continuous stream from the nozzle directly into a combustion chamber where it is mixed with ambient air and burned. Ambient air is drawn into the combustion chamber through a vent and a blower is not used. A secondary tube is in communication with the main tube through a bore in the side wall of the main heating tube near the outlet nozzle. A screen at the outlet nozzle prevents particles from clogging the nozzle. These particles fall into the secondary tube to be collected in a sump at the end of the secondary tube. Electric current is passed through the walls of the main heating tube and the secondary tube to generate heat to vaporize the fuel and to provide a temperature gradient along the main heating tube such that a maximum temperature of above 400.degree.

Abstract: A heating system comprising the combination of storage vessels (10, 12) for conventional heating oil and waste oil, respectively, and in which the two storage vessels (10, 12) are effectively sealed apart, one from the other. At the initial stage of heating, conventional heating oil generates temperature of a predetermined amount and the waste oil from vessel (12) is thereafter utilized after having been heated either from a feedback of heat (26, 28) developed by the conventional heating oil from vessel (10) or by a separate electrical resistor element (133), such heating making the waste oil effective as a heating medium. The flows from the two storage vessels (10, 12) containing the waste oil and conventional oil, are pressure controlled (64, 84) so that relief pressure feedback (70, 82) is provided in each distribution network (14, 30).

Abstract: An oil burner system includes a burner nozzle connected to a supply of fuel oil by a nozzle assembly having integrated therein an electric heater for prewarming the oil fed to the nozzle. The nozzle assembly has first connector at one end directly connected to the burner nozzle and a second connector at its other end directly connected to an oil supply conduit. The preheater comprises an elongated rectangular PTC heating resistor having a pair of parallel sides of greater width than the thickness of the resistor and coextensive electrical contacts extending longitudinally and transversely in electrical engagement with the parallel sides. A pair of parallel flattened thin wall metal conduit sections extend coextensively between the first and second connectors and define thin unimpeded generally rectangular cross section flow path for the oil to be heated.

Abstract: A vaporizing apparatus includes a vaporizing chamber for producing vapors from a hydrocarbon fuel which are drawn into a mixing chamber by pressurized air, and the mixture is delivered to a manifold where a portion is return to the vaporizing chamber and ignited for heating and vaporization, a safety control system sensing the presence of a flame and the temperature of the vaporization chamber and interrupts flow of vapors when the flame is absent or the temperature is outside prescribed limits. A starter burner which uses the hydrocarbon fuel as a combustible material for preheating the vaporizing chamber is also automatically shut off by the control system when the vaporization chamber reaches the operating temperature. The starter burner includes a mixing valve and a combustion chamber with mixing chamber therebetween for drawing ambient air into the mixture of pressurized air and combustible material.

Abstract: A heating device for preheating heating oil flowing through a pipe has a heat conduction body to which a plate-shaped ceramic PTC resistance heating element is connected in heat exchange-relationship. The heating element has a thickness in the range of 0.5 to 2 millimeters, a Curie temperature between 120.degree. and 220.degree. C. and a specific resistance of 430 to 5000 ohm-cm rated at a supply voltage between 110 and 220 volts such that the maximum temperature achieved by the heating element over a range of heat transfer rates is relatively constant and is determined by the resistivity and the Curie temperature of the heating element rather than by the rate of heat transfer. If designed for energization at 220 volts, the heating element has the same thickness and Curie temperature as in the first example described above, but with a specific resistance of 1700 to 20,000 ohm-cm as measured at 220 volts.

Abstract: Light fuel oil of low viscosity is supplied to a pressure atomizing oil burner. A flow heater which is positioned upstream of the pressure atomizing nozzle, preheats the fuel oil to a temperature of approximately 150.degree. C. but not over the coking and cracking temperature of the fuel. With heat efficiencies up to approximately 25,000 kcal/hour density and viscosity are continuously decreased in the flow heater in order to reduce the thickness of the oil film leaving the atomizing nozzle and thus to decrease the flow rate.With heat efficiencies higher than approximately 25,000 kcal/hour density and viscosity are decreased before the ignition phase by preheating, in order to reduce the thickness of the oil film flowing out of the atomizing nozzle and thus to decrease the flow rate in the following ignition phase. After the ignition phase the preheating is reduced or stopped.

Abstract: A system of preheating of gaseous fuels to a furnace in which the fuels have a wide range of molecular weights, and corresponding calorific values, and in which all of the combustion air is provided by inspiration, due to the flow energy of the fuel. The invention involves the monitoring of oxygen in the products of combustion moving from the furnace to the stack, or, alternatively, monitoring the molecular weight of the fuel on the inlet line, and controlling the preheating of the fuel in a heat exchanger, so as to maintain a selected temperature of the fuel going to the burners, in accordance with the molecular weight of the fuel.

Abstract: This invention relates to improvements in the art of liquid fuel combustion and, more particularly, concerns a method and apparatus for the controlled gassification of liquid fuels, the thorough premixing of the then gassified fuel with air and the subsequent gas-phase combustion of the mixture to produce a flame substantially free of soot, carbon monoxide, nitric oxide and unburned fuel.

Abstract: A process and apparatus are described for producing hydrogen-rich product gases by mixing a spray of liquid hydrocarbon with a stream of air in a startup procedure and the mixture is ignited for partial oxidation, then the stream of air is heated by the resulting combustion to reach a temperature such that a signal is produced. The signal triggers a two way valve which directs liquid hydrocarbon from a spraying mechanism to a vaporizing mechanism with which a vaporized hydrocarbon is formed. The vaporized hydrocarbon is subsequently mixed with the heated air in the combustion chamber where partial oxidation takes place and hydrogen-rich product gases are produced.

Abstract: This invention comprises a method whereby heated residual fuel oils can be successfully burned in existing conventional forced atomizing air type small capacity industrial oil burners.