Patents by Inventor Bruce E. Cain

Bruce E. Cain has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20040063054
    Abstract: A method includes the step of extinguishing a flame fired from a burner in a reaction zone upon determining that a sensed combustion chamber temperature is at or above the auto-ignition temperature of a fuel. A subsequent step is performed before the sensed combustion chamber temperature drops below the auto-ignition temperature. The subsequent step provides a flow of the fuel through the burner and into the combustion chamber through a reaction zone outlet. This initiates diffuse combustion of the fuel by auto-ignition in the combustion chamber in the absence of a flame fired from the burner in the reaction zone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2003
    Publication date: April 1, 2004
    Inventor: Bruce E. Cain
  • Patent number: 6652265
    Abstract: A burner apparatus is operated in a plurality of distinct modes. In a startup mode, flows of oxidant and primary fuel are ignited by an igniter and are provided simultaneously with a flow of secondary fuel until a process chamber reaches the auto-ignition temperature of the secondary fuel. In a subsequent mode, flows of oxidant and secondary fuel are provided simultaneously to the exclusion of a flow of primary fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2003
    Assignee: North American Manufacturing Company
    Inventor: Bruce E. Cain
  • Patent number: 6638061
    Abstract: Primary fuel and preheated oxidant are injected into a combustion zone to produce a flame with a predetermined adiabatic flame temperature. The preheated oxidant is injected at a target rate of oxidant injection. The primary fuel is injected at a first reduced rate which is less than a corresponding target rate of fuel injection. Secondary fuel is simultaneously injected into the combustion zone separately from the flame at a second reduced rate which is equal to the difference between the first reduced rate and the target rate of fuel injection. In this manner, combustion of the fuel with the preheated oxidant provides the amount of heat expected from the target rates of injection, while maintaining an adiabatic flame temperature that is lower than it might otherwise be if the target rate of fuel injection were provided entirely at the flame. The lower adiabatic flame temperature provides a correspondingly lower rate of NOx production.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2003
    Assignee: North American Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Bruce E. Cain, Thomas F. Robertson, John N. Newby
  • Patent number: 6431859
    Abstract: An apparatus including a housing defining a heating process chamber. The housing has an opening communicating the process chamber to the ambient atmosphere. A burner is included that fires into a combustion chamber to heat gas. Also included is a collector structure located outside the opening. The collector structure is configured to collect air and exfiltrated gas from an outside area adjacent to the opening. The apparatus also includes a duct structure communicating the collector structure with the burner so as to supply the collected air and exfiltrated gas to the burner and thereby to supply combustion oxidant to the burner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: North American Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Thomas B. Neville, Bruce E. Cain, Brian J. Schmotzer, Thomas F. Robertson
  • Publication number: 20020094501
    Abstract: An apparatus including a housing defining a heating process chamber. The housing has an opening communicating the process chamber to the ambient atmosphere. A burner is included that fires into a combustion chamber to heat gas. Also included is a collector structure located outside the opening. The collector structure is configured to collect air and exfiltrated gas from an outside area adjacent to the opening. The apparatus also includes a duct structure communicating the collector structure with the burner so as to supply the collected air and exfiltrated gas to the burner and thereby to supply combustion oxidant to the burner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2001
    Publication date: July 18, 2002
    Inventors: Thomas B. Neville, Bruce E. Cain, Brian J. Schmotzer, Thomas F. Robertson
  • Publication number: 20020090583
    Abstract: A burner apparatus is operated in a plurality of distinct modes. In a startup mode, flows of oxidant and primary fuel are ignited by an igniter and are provided simultaneously with a flow of secondary fuel until a process chamber reaches the auto-ignition temperature of the secondary fuel. In a subsequent mode, flows of oxidant and secondary fuel are provided simultaneously to the exclusion of a flow of primary fuel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2001
    Publication date: July 11, 2002
    Inventor: Bruce E. Cain
  • Patent number: 6206686
    Abstract: A low NOx burner and related method are disclosed including the steps of supplying a first reactant stream and introducing a second reactant stream into the first reactant stream at a first point so as to produce co-flowing streams. This resulting fuel/oxidant stream is discharged into a furnace environment having inert combustion products substantially equilibrated to furnace temperature, so as to entrain the combustion products and mix them together with the co-flowing stream. The temperature of the co-flowing stream is increased by the entrained products until it ignites in a combustion region displaced from the first point. Thus ignition cannot occur until the reactant stream has been diluted by inert products of combustion, reducing both oxygen concentration and peak flame temperature, so as to suppress NOx production.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2001
    Assignee: North American Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Keith J. Nieszczur, Bruce E. Cain, John N. Newby, Thomas F. Robertson, Richard D. Sutton