Patents by Inventor Tomas Ekman

Tomas Ekman 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: 20230313985
    Abstract: Burner comprising an inner fluid supply unit and an outer fluid supply unit, wherein the inner fluid supply unit comprises a first inner fluid ejection element, a second inner fluid ejection element encompassing the first inner fluid ejection element and a third inner fluid ejection element encompassing the second inner fluid ejection element and wherein the inner fluid supply unit is configured for ejecting a first oxidant, a second oxidant and a fuel. The outer fluid supply unit comprises at least two outer fluid ejection elements, arranged at a specific radial distance from the inner fluid supply unit, wherein each individual outer fluid ejection element is configured for ejecting the first oxidant and the second oxidant by means of a central fluid ejection element and an encompassing fluid ejection element encompassing the central fluid ejection element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2021
    Publication date: October 5, 2023
    Inventors: Henrik GRIPENBERG, Lennart RANGMARK, Tomas EKMAN, Johannes LODIN, Andrew Peter RICHARDSON
  • Publication number: 20230003378
    Abstract: A method for heating a furnace with a longitudinal direction and a cross plane which is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, which furnace includes at least one heating zone heated using combustion of a fuel with an oxidant, and which furnace is further arranged with a dark zone downstream of said heated zone, to which dark zone no fuel is supplied directly. Wherein the fuel and oxidant supplied to the heating zone is substoichiometric, in that between 10% and 40% of the total oxidant for achieving stoichiometric or near stoichiometric combustion is supplied directly to the dark zone, a flue gas temperature is measured in and/or downstream of the dark zone, and the share of the total oxidant supplied to the dark zone is controlled so as not to exceed a predetermined maximum measured such temperature. The invention further relates to a method for retrofitting an existing furnace, and a furnace.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2020
    Publication date: January 5, 2023
    Inventors: Tomas EKMAN, Ola RITZÉN, David MUREN
  • Patent number: 11092333
    Abstract: A burner is provided which includes a tile surrounding an opening of the tile extending along a burner axis, the tile including a front side and a rear side, wherein the rear side has an air inlet connected to the opening for feeding air into the opening, and the front side has a discharge outlet connected to the opening for discharging a flame into a surrounding area. The burner includes at least one oxygen lance extending along the burner axis in a first recess of the tile, and the oxygen lance having an ejection nozzle at an end region of the lance for ejecting oxygen, wherein the at least one oxygen lance is mounted with the ejection nozzle positioned along the burner axis to be adjustable between an uppermost position and a lowermost position via a zero-position in between the uppermost position and the lowermost position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: Messer Industries USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Bernhard Schreiner, Lennart Rangmark, Tomas Ekman, Ambrogio Gusberti
  • Patent number: 10746402
    Abstract: A method is provided for heating a furnace arranged with a heating zone heated with a burner providing a flame extending in a longitudinal direction and fed with a fuel and a primary oxidant, the burner is operated with a mass relationship between the fed fuel and primary oxidant permitting less than 50% of the fed fuel to be combusted using the primary oxidant, and a respective pair of secondary oxidant lances are provided one either side of the furnace pointing into the heating zone, lancing a secondary oxidant into the heating zone downstream of the burner substantially parallel with a cross plane, such that a temperature is measured downstream of the lances and that each of the lance pairs includes an upstream, low-speed first and a downstream, high-speed second lance, wherein the amount of secondary oxidant supplied via the first lance is regulated to achieve a homogenous lateral temperature profile. A related furnace is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: LINDE AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Ola Ritzén, David Muren, Tomas Ekman
  • Patent number: 10352555
    Abstract: A burner, particularly Low-NOx-burner, the method for generating a flame by combustion of a fuel, having a tile surrounding an opening of the tile extending along a burner axis, the tile further having a front side and a rear side facing away from the front side, wherein the rear side comprises an air inlet connected to the opening for feeding air into the opening, and wherein the front side having a discharge outlet connected to the opening for discharging a flame generated by the burner into a surrounding area, and wherein the tile further having an inside facing the opening as well as an outside facing away from the opening. The burner further has at least one oxygen lance extending along the burner axis in a first recess of the tile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Linde Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Bernhard Schreiner, Lennart Rangmark, Tomas Ekman, Ambrogio Gusberti
  • Patent number: 10344970
    Abstract: A burner device (100) having a longitudinal axis (L), a fuel outlet and an oxidant outlet, includes an inner tube (110) carrying an oxidant to the oxidant outlet in the inner tube, and an outer tube (120) arranged concentrically with the inner tube and carrying a fuel to the fuel outlet in the outer tube. The oxidant outlet includes at least one aperture (112,113) directing the oxidant at a primary oxidant angle (b) of between 45° and 82.5° from the longitudinal axis, and the fuel outlet includes at least one aperture (122,123) directing the fuel at a fuel angle (a) of between 45° and 82.5° from the longitudinal axis, the fuel angle being at least as large as the primary oxidant angle. A related heating method is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: Linde Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Tomas Ekman, Rudiger Eichler
  • Publication number: 20180347813
    Abstract: A method is provided for heating a furnace arranged with a heating zone heated with a burner providing a flame extending in a longitudinal direction and fed with a fuel and a primary oxidant, the burner is operated with a mass relationship between the fed fuel and primary oxidant permitting less than 50% of the fed fuel to be combusted using the primary oxidant, and a respective pair of secondary oxidant lances are provided one either side of the furnace pointing into the heating zone, lancing a secondary oxidant into the heating zone downstream of the burner substantially parallel with a cross plane, such that a temperature is measured downstream of the lances and that each of the lance pairs includes an upstream, low-speed first and a downstream, high-speed second lance, wherein the amount of secondary oxidant supplied via the first lance is regulated to achieve a homogenous lateral temperature profile. A related furnace is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2018
    Publication date: December 6, 2018
    Inventors: Ola Ritzén, David Muren, Tomas Ekman
  • Patent number: 9896735
    Abstract: A method for heating a blast furnace stove includes combusting a fuel with a lower heating value (LHV) of 9 MJ/Nm3 or less in a combustion zone which is arranged in a combustion chamber in the stove, and causing the combustion gases to flow through and thereby heat refractory material in the stove. The fuel is combusted with an oxidant including at least 85% oxygen, and combustion gases are recirculated into the combustion zone for diluting the mixture of fuel and oxidant therein sufficiently for the combustion to be flameless.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: Linde Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Andrew Cameron, Tomas Ekman, Mats Gartz
  • Publication number: 20170284659
    Abstract: The invention relates to a burner, particularly Low-NOx-burner, for generating a flame by combustion of a fuel, comprising: a tile (15, 15a, 15b) surrounding an opening (2, 2a, 2b) of the tile (15, 15a, 15b) extending along a burner axis (12), the tile (15, 15a, 15b) further comprising a front side (20) and a rear side (21) facing away from the front side (20), wherein the rear side (21) comprises an air inlet (10, 10a, 10b) connected to said opening for feeding air (A, A?, A?) into said opening (2, 2a, 2b), and wherein said front side (20) comprises a discharge outlet (9, 9a, 9b) connected to said opening (2, 2a, 2b) for discharging a flame (30) generated by the burner (1) into a surrounding area (S), and wherein the tile (15, 15a, 15b) further comprises an inside (22) facing said opening (2, 2a, 2b) as well as an outside (23) facing away from said opening (2, 2a, 2b).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2015
    Publication date: October 5, 2017
    Applicant: LINDE AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Bernhard Schreiner, Lennart Rangmark, Tomas Ekman, Ambrogjo Gusberti
  • Patent number: 9739484
    Abstract: A method includes combustion products from combustion of fuel with oxidant brought first through a first heat exchanging step (150;201), in which thermal energy is transferred from the combustion products to the fuel which is thereby preheated, and the cooled combustion products thereafter are brought through a second heat exchanging step (151;203), in which thermal energy is transferred from the cooled combustion products to the oxidant which is thereby also preheated. A related system for preheating the fuel and oxidant is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: Linde Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Tomas Ekman
  • Patent number: 9689614
    Abstract: A method for combustion in an industrial furnace having fuel and a first oxidizer to heat a material includes arranging at least one lance in a sidewall of the furnace; supplying a second oxidizer with an oxygen content of at least 85 percent by weight in the form of a jet traveling at at least sonic velocity to the interior of the furnace through the at least one lance; running the jet of the second oxidizer in the horizontal plane above the material between and essentially in parallel with two consecutive rows of the roof burners; balancing an amount of the second oxidizer supplied per time unit so that the oxygen content supplied via the second oxidizer constitutes at least 50 percent by weight of the total supplied oxygen per time unit in the furnace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: Linde Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Anders Lugnet, Tomas Ekman
  • Publication number: 20160298839
    Abstract: A burner device (100) having a longitudinal axis (L), a fuel outlet and an oxidant outlet, includes an inner tube (110) carrying an oxidant to the oxidant outlet in the inner tube, and an outer tube (120) arranged concentrically with the inner tube and carrying a fuel to the fuel outlet in the outer tube. The oxidant outlet includes at least one aperture (112,113) directing the oxidant at a primary oxidant angle (b) of between 45° and 82.5° from the longitudinal axis, and the fuel outlet includes at least one aperture (122,123) directing the fuel at a fuel angle (a) of between 45° and 82.5°from the longitudinal axis, the fuel angle being at least as large as the primary oxidant angle. A related heating method is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2016
    Publication date: October 13, 2016
    Inventors: Tomas Ekman, Rudiger Eichler
  • Publication number: 20160145700
    Abstract: A method for heating a blast furnace stove includes combining flue gas recycling and oxy-fuel combustion for concentrating CO2 for facilitating carbon capture and reducing CO2 emissions from a plant operatively associated with the stove. Top gas from a blast furnace associated with the stove may be the fuel for the stove.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2016
    Publication date: May 26, 2016
    Inventors: Andrew Cameron, Tomas Ekman, Mats Gartz
  • Patent number: 9341369
    Abstract: Burner device (2) for an industrial furnace (1) comprising a channel (3) for fuel, a channel (4) for a first oxidant, an outlet (9) for flue gases, a control device (10) and a heat buffer (7), where the first oxidant and the flue gases alternating are led through the heat buffer (7). The invention is characterized in that a separate lancing device (6) is arranged to supply a second oxidant to the burner device (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: AGA AB
    Inventors: Tomas Ekman, Anders Lugnet
  • Publication number: 20160047544
    Abstract: A method includes combustion products from combustion of fuel with oxidant brought first through a first heat exchanging step (150; 201), in which thermal energy is transferred from the combustion products to the fuel which is thereby preheated, and the cooled combustion products thereafter are brought through a second heat exchanging step (151; 203), in which thermal energy is transferred from the cooled combustion products to the oxidant which is thereby also preheated. A related system for preheating the fuel and oxidant is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2014
    Publication date: February 18, 2016
    Inventor: Tomas Ekman
  • Publication number: 20160024604
    Abstract: A method for heating a blast furnace stove having a combustion chamber with a combustion zone therein, includes causing combustion gases to flow through and be exhausted from refractory material in the stove for heating said material, supplying and adding an oxidant comprising an oxygen content of at least 85% into the combustion chamber for recirculating the combustion gases including said oxidant into the combustion zone, wherein the recirculating the combustion gases is from a location inside the combustion chamber, but outside an area of the combustion chamber occupied by the combustion zone, and the supplying the oxidant to the combustion zone is at high velocity through at least one lance, thereby entraining the combustion gases into the combustion zone, diluting a mixture of the fuel and the oxidant with the recirculated combustion gases, and flamelessly combusting said mixture in the combination zone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2015
    Publication date: January 28, 2016
    Inventors: Andrew Cameron, Tomas Ekman, Mats Gartz
  • Patent number: 9004910
    Abstract: Method for combustion of a fuel uses an existing air burner (1), including a first supply opening (5) for fuel and a second supply opening (7) for air, which supply openings (5,7) open out into a combustion zone (3). The method is characterised in that a gaseous fuel with an LHV (Lower Heating Value) of less than 7.5 MJ/Nm3 is supplied through the second supply opening (7), in that an oxidant including at least 85 percent by weight oxygen is also supplied to the combustion zone (3) through a supply device for oxidant, and in that the gaseous fuel is caused to be combusted with the oxidant in the combustion zone (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Linde AG
    Inventors: Tomas Ekman, Anders Lugnet, Ola Ritzén
  • Patent number: 8899970
    Abstract: Burner device (2) for an industrial furnace (1) comprising a channel (3) for fuel, a channel (4) for a first oxidant, an outlet (9) for flue gases, a control device (10) and a heat buffer (7), where the first oxidant and the flue gases alternatingly are led through the heat buffer (7). The invention is characterized in that a separate lancing device (6) is arranged to supply a second oxidant to the burner device (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: AGA AB
    Inventors: Tomas Ekman, Anders Lugnet
  • Publication number: 20140193758
    Abstract: Burner device (2) for an industrial furnace (1) comprising a channel (3) for fuel, a channel (4) for a first oxidant, an outlet (9) for flue gases, a control device (10) and a heat buffer (7), where the first oxidant and the flue gases alternating are led through the heat buffer (7). The invention is characterized in that a separate lancing device (6) is arranged to supply a second oxidant to the burner device (2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2014
    Publication date: July 10, 2014
    Applicant: AGA AB
    Inventors: Tomas EKMAN, Anders LUGNET
  • Patent number: 8689708
    Abstract: Method and device for combusting a solid phase fuel, where the fuel is caused, by the help of a non-pneumatic feeding element (11), to be fed to an inlet opening (11a) in a burner device (10), where the burner device (10) includes a first inlet (13a) for the oxidant through which an oxidant is caused to flow via a first supply conduit (13). The first inlet (13a) for oxidant is arranged in the form of a first opening arranged by the inlet opening, through which the oxidant is caused to flow out, through a burner pipe (16) and out through a burner orifice (17) to a combustion space (18), so that the oxidant by ejector action causes the fuel to be conveyed through the burner pipe and out through the burner orifice (17), and water vapour is added to the oxidant before the oxidant reacts with the fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: AGA AB
    Inventors: Tomas Ekman, Anders Lugnet