Abstract: A burner assembly for combusting fuel in a combustion zone to reduce NOx emissions includes a water spray subassembly including a water outlet configured to direct water at an angle with respect to an axis of the burner assembly, the water outlet further configured to direct the water in a direction for mixing with the air upstream of the combustion zone. A method is also provided for combusting fuel in a combustion zone to reduce NOx emissions.

Abstract: A variable capacity burner assembly for the combustion of a fuel-air mixture is disclosed which includes a combustion air supply housing having spaced front and rear walls and including an opening in said front wall for the discharge of combustion air into a combustion zone. Disposed within the housing are a plurality of plate-like air directing vanes arranged in a circular array such that combustion air passing therethrough has a rotary, swirling motion imparted thereto prior to its discharge into the combustion zone. Flow control means for varying the volume of combustion air passing through said vanes are provided which include a generally planar baffle member having a circular array of slots therein corresponding to the array of air directing vanes, which vanes are in registry with said slots.