Patents by Inventor Steven J. Bortz

Steven J. Bortz 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).

  • Patent number: 5470224
    Abstract: A two stage rapid mix burner provides apparatus and method which significantly reduce the burner size of a rapid mix burner, and/or the burner pressure drop, while maintaining the rapid mix feature and stability of the basic rapid mix design. The burner can also be easily altered to fit in non-circular geometries, such as a corner or tangential fired boiler. The invention uses a circular basic rapid mix burner located internally of a larger burner which can be non-circular. The inner burner provides the flow of hot gases which stabilizes the outer burner. In effect, the combustion gases produced in the inner burner replace the strong internal recirculation flow generated by the basic RMB as an ignition source for the outer burner flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 28, 1995
    Assignee: Radian Corporation
    Inventor: Steven J. Bortz
  • Patent number: 5433600
    Abstract: A burner having a primary flame zone and a secondary flame zone. The throat of the quarl in the center of the primary flame zone is provided with a gas nozzle supported by a swirl element. The orifices of the nozzle are radially and obliquely distributed so that the gas introduced via the frustoconical chamber mixed with the primary air to form a swirl current. The frustoconical chamber extends to the inner surface of the burner to form a circular extended section to restrain the width of the flame; the extended section is parallel to the secondary air inlets distributed on the burner body around the periphery of the frustoconical chamber to effectively control the formation of NOx during combustion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 18, 1995
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Jing-Lyang Jeng, Jar-Lu Huang, Li-Chiang Chen, Steven J. Bortz
  • Patent number: 5407347
    Abstract: A forced draft burner apparatus and method providing extremely low NO.sub.x, CO and hydrocarbon emissions, while maintaining the desirable features of a nozzle mix burner. This is accomplished by injecting the fuel gas in a position that would be typical for a nozzle mix burner, while generating such rapid mixing that, effectively, premixed conditions are created upstream of the ignition point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 18, 1995
    Assignee: Radian Corporation
    Inventor: Steven J. Bortz
  • Patent number: 5240410
    Abstract: Disclosed is a structure of a burner which can be fueled with gas fuel or oil fuel. The main features includes: a specially designed swirl generator; an annular hollow gas gun; an oil gun received in the gas gun where the gas jets of the gas gun and the oil jets of the oil gun have an predetermined angle with respect to the centerline. Under designed operating conditions, a swirling air flow can be generated with a low pressure drop and low turbulences, which is beneficial to flame stability, reducing flame temperature, and delaying the mixing of air and fuel, thus inhibiting the formation of NO.sub.x. Staging air and flue gas recirculation are available for further reduction of nitrogen oxides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 31, 1993
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Shyh-Ching Yang, Steven J. Bortz
  • Patent number: 5165902
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing nitrogen dioxide (NO.sub.2) emissions in a dry sodium scrubbing process without significantly reducing sulfur dioxide (SO.sub.2) and nitrogen oxides (NO.sub.x) removal efficiencies. A sodium additive is injected into a flue gas duct carrying flue gas from a combustor to a particulate collection device to remove sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides from the flue gas. The flue gas is humidified by introducing water into the flue gas duct at a point upstream of the sodium additive introduction point. Through control of the moisture content of the flue gas and the temperature in the particulate collection device, the amount of NO.sub.2 emissions is reduced to a value below that which causes the creation of a brown plume emanating from the gas stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 1991
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1992
    Assignee: Research Cottrell, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven J. Bortz, John W. Podlenski
  • Patent number: 5161946
    Abstract: A swirl generator with improved axial vanes having desired shape obtained according to equations. The axial vanes are disposed on a bluff body, are curved, inclined and overlap on one another. When air flow passes through the axial vanes, the desired low pressure drop, and low tubulent intensity swirling flow are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1990
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1992
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Steven J. Bortz, Shyh-Ching Yang
  • Patent number: 5084256
    Abstract: A method is provided for reducing the sulfur content of exhaust (flue) gas from a combustion installation manufacturing process, or chemical process comprising the step of injecting dry powder alkali hydrate sorbent directly into intermediate temperature (800.degree.-1200.degree. F.) combustion/process gases. The alkali hydrate sorbent reacts rapidly with the sulfur-containing gases in this temperature regime to produce primarily alkali sulfites. The unreacted portion of the sorbent largely remains in the form of an alkali hydrate and may react further with residual sulfur, especially in the presence of water, at lower temperatures. A novel combustion chamber is also provided having an injection means for injecting alkali hydrate sorbent into a combustion volume where the temperature is in the range of 800.degree.-1200.degree. F., to cause a predetermined reaction of the alkali hydrate sorbent with SO.sub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 28, 1992
    Assignee: Electric Power Research Institute, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael W. McElroy, Roderick Beittel, Steven J. Bortz, George R. Offen
  • Patent number: 4843980
    Abstract: An effective process is provided for cleanly and safely combusting coal or other carbonaceous material in a manner which enhances the environment by reducing emission of pollutants. In order to reduce nitrogen oxide and sulfur oxide emissions during combustion, combustion is carried out in the presence of one or more additives comprising an alkali metal salt, such as sodium chloride. To further enhance the reaction and removal of sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides, the additive can include an iron-containing compound, such as iron oxide, and/or a metal oxide, such as manganese oxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 1988
    Date of Patent: July 4, 1989
    Assignees: Lucille Markham, The University of Southern Mississippi, Frontend International Technologies, Inc., Parsons & Crowther
    Inventors: Lucille Markham, Steven J. Bortz