Abstract: An oxygen enrichment system is provided which uses the existing air/fuel burners of a regenerative furnace to distribute additional oxygen to the burners for increased efficiency, and reduced nitrous oxide emissions. The centrally positioned cooling air lances in the burners of a regenerative furnace are modified to deliver oxygen when the burners are firing for oxygen enrichment. During the burner firing cycle, oxygen is delivered from an oxygen supply through the oxygen lance to provide a central oxygen jet. The fuel is delivered concentrically around the oxygen jet. During the non-firing cycle of the burner, cooling air or other cooling fluid is delivered from the cooling air supply through the oxygen jet for cooling the offside of the furnace.

Abstract: Superior heat transfer in a kiln is achieved by the use of at least one injector which injects both an oxidant, preferably containing oxygen, and a secondary fuel into the kiln. The injectors are provided so that the energy resulting from the combustion of the different fuels in the kiln heats specified regions of the kiln, without causing hot spots on the refractory walls. A firing scheme is described for the oxygen and fuels which allows an increase in the amount of heat released toward the load, resulting in significant increases in kiln efficiency and production. Low quality fuels may be used, as well as using and/or recycling more insufflated dust, without an adverse effect on the main flame.

Abstract: A low firing rate oxy-fuel burner which may be comprised of commercially available standard components and which includes an oxidant conduit and a fuel conduit within the oxidant conduit. The fuel conduit has a fuel nozzle at the forward end thereof with a fuel swirler in the form of a twist drill positioned therein which is maintained in a an aerodynamically centered position by the flowing fuel stream. The oxidant conduit has an oxidant nozzle at the forward end thereof with an oxidant swirler in the form of helical spring position therein and surrounding the fuel nozzle.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for the production of reformed gases. Natural gas and oxygen are combusted in a first stage to produce carbon dioxide and water. The products of combustion are conveyed to a second stage. Reforming gas and oxygen are injected into the second stage and mixed with the products of combustion to react with the carbon dioxide and water to produce carbon monoxide and hydrogen. The process and apparatus are particularly adapted for use in supplementing the reform gases produced in a Direct Reduced Iron plant wherein iron ore is reduced to iron inside a shaft furnace. The process and apparatus may also be used to provide heated enrichment natural gas for use as a source of carbon in the shaft furnace to provide for carburization of the iron. Additionally, the process and apparatus may be used as a process control device for controlling the temperature of the reformed gases flowing to the shaft furnace.

Abstract: Burner firing method and device are presented where an oxidizing oxygen-fuel burner is fired at an angle to the reducing air-fuel burner flame to reduce overall NOx emissions from high temperature furnaces. The oxidizing oxy-fuel burner stoichiometric equivalence ratio (oxygen/fuel) is maintained in the range of about 1.5 to about 12.5. The reducing air-fuel burner is fired at an equivalence ratio of 0.6 to 1.00 to reduce the availability of oxygen in the flame and reducing NOx emissions. The oxidizing flame from the oxy-fuel burner is oriented such that the oxidizing flame gas stream intersects the reducing air-fuel flame gas stream at or near the tail section of the air-fuel flame. The inventive methods improve furnace temperature control and thermal efficiency by eliminating some nitrogen and provide an effective burnout of CO and other hydrocarbons using the higher mixing ability of the oxidizing flame combustion products.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for combustion of a fuel and oxidant in which a first portion of a fuel is mixed with an oxidant to form a fuel-lean fuel/oxidant mixture in a fuel-lean combustion zone. The remaining portion of fuel is mixed with the fuel-lean fuel/oxidant mixture downstream of the fuel-lean combustion zone, forming a substantially stoichiometric fuel/oxidant mixture. The stoichiometric fuel/oxidant mixture is ignited, forming a primary flame having high luminosity and low NO.sub.x emissions.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for combustion of a fuel and oxidant in which a first portion of a fuel is mixed with an oxidant to form a fuel-lean fuel/oxidant mixture in a fuel-lean combustion zone. The remaining portion of fuel is mixed with the fuel-lean fuel/oxidant mixture downstream of the fuel-lean combustion zone, forming a substantially stoichiometric fuel/oxidant mixture. The stoichiometric fuel/oxidant mixture is ignited, forming a primary flame having high luminosity and low NO.sub.x emissions.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for injecting fuel and oxidant into a combustion burner. At a fuel exit plane of a fuel discharge nozzle, fuel is discharged in a generally planar fuel layer which has an upper boundary and a lower boundary. At an oxidant exit plane, oxidant is preferably discharged in both a top layer along the upper boundary of the fuel layer and a bottom layer along the lower boundary of the fuel layer. In a downstream flow direction, the fuel and oxidant preferably converge in a generally vertical plane and diverge in a generally horizontal plane. The discharged fuel and oxidant form a fishtail or fan-shaped flame configuration. The fuel exit plane can be moved upstream or downstream with respect to the oxidant exit plane to vary the flame characteristics and the flame shape. A refractory manifold can be used to further enhance the fishtail or fan-shaped flame configuration.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for combustion of a liquid fuel and oxygen which produces a fishtail or fan-shaped flame configuration.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for generating oxy-liquid fuel with lowered NO.sub.x products using low pressure oxygen to atomize liquid fuel and produce an oxy-liquid fuel flame and surrounding the oxy-liquid fuel flame by an oxidizer, confining the oxy-liquid fuel flame and oxidizer in a precombustor for a distance determined by the rate of flame propagation and the diameter of the pre-combustor.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for injecting fuel and oxidant into a combustion burner. At an exit plane of a nozzle, fuel is discharged in a generally planar fuel layer which has an upper boundary and a lower boundary. Also at the exit plane, oxidant is preferably discharged in both a top layer along the upper boundary of the fuel layer and a bottom layer along the lower boundary of the fuel layer. In a downstream flow direction, the fuel and oxidant preferably converge in a generally vertical plane and diverge in a generally horizontal plane. The discharged fuel and oxidant form a fishtail or fan-shaped flame configuration. A refractory manifold can be used to further enhance the fishtail or fan-shaped flame configuration.

Abstract: An oxy-fuel burner for a forehearth system comprising an oxygen conduit and a fuel conduit disposed concentrically within the oxygen conduit, forming an annulus between the fuel conduit and the oxygen conduit. The fuel firing end of the fuel conduit is recessed within the oxygen conduit at a distance from the oxygen firing end of the oxygen conduit. The ratio of the inside diameter of the oxygen firing end of the oxygen conduit to the inside diameter of the fuel firing end of the fuel conduit is in the range of about 2:1 to 8:1.

Abstract: A burner for combustion of a fuel/oxidant mixture mountable on a burner block having a hot face, a cold face opposite the hot face and forming a communication having a circular cross-section between the hot face and the cold face, comprising an oxidant conduit and a fuel conduit disposed concentrically within the oxidant conduit and forming an annulus between the fuel conduit and the oxidant conduit. One end of the fuel conduit extends into the burner block communication and is disposed at a distance from the burner block hot face.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for generating an oxy-fuel flame with lowered NOX products by confining the oxy-fuel flame produced in a concentric orifice burner along a path defined by the rate of flame propagation and the diameter of the burner.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for generating an oxy-fuel flame with lowered NOX products by confining the oxy-fuel flame produced in a concentric orifice burner along a path defined by the rate of flame propagation and the diameter of the burner.

Abstract: An adjustable atomizing orifice liquid fuel burner having two distinct mechanisms for changing flame characteristics, the first of which involves changing the liquid fuel spray pattern exiting the fuel nozzle and the second of which involves adjusting the atomizing medium flow properties out of the atomizing venturi. A liquid fuel tubular member having a liquid fuel tip sealingly connected to the outlet end thereof is concentrically disposed within an atomizing fluid tubular member, the atomizing fluid outlet end of which forms a venturi. The liquid fuel tip is adjustable in a longitudinal direction within the venturi formed by the atomizing fluid outlet end of the atomizing fluid tubular member. The liquid fuel tip further comprises means for imparting a swirl to the liquid fuel as it exits the liquid fuel tip.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for combustion of carbon black enriched gaseous hydrocarbon fuels in which carbon black particles are entrained in a carrier fluid and injected through a center nozzle of a fluid injector into a combustion chamber, the fluid injector having an outer nozzle concentrically disposed around the center nozzle forming an annular chamber between the center nozzle and the outer nozzle through which at least a first portion of a gaseous hydrocarbon fuel is injected into a combustion chamber forming a carbon black enriched gaseous hydrocarbon fuel. The carbon black enriched gaseous hydrocarbon fuel is subsequently mixed with combustion air and burned producing a highly luminous flame.

Abstract: An oxy-fuel system for reducing NO.sub.x formation in corrosive high temperature environments including a self-cooled adjustable oxy-fuel burner that generally produces a luminous flame having a concentric fuel rich phase and an outer surrounding oxidizer rich phase the flame directed through a precombustor mounted on the flame end of the burner the precombustor having a length to diameter (L/d) ratio fixed by the firing rate of the burner.