Abstract:
A fuel-fired, forced air draft induced heating furnace is provided with NO x  reduction apparatus associated with a plurality of combustor tubes forming a portion of its heat exchanger structure. In-shot type fuel burners are spaced apart from and face the open inlet ends of horizontal combustion sections of the combustor tubes. The NO x  reduction apparatus includes a plurality of metal mesh tubes having diameters substantially less than the internal diameters of the combustion tubes. The mesh tubes are coaxially supported within the combustor tubes, adjacent their inlet ends, by elongated support members longitudinally passing through the mesh tubes and having first ends anchored to the combustor tube inlet ends, and second ends slidably resting on internal side surface portions of the combustor tubes. During burner operation the burner flames injected into the combustor tubes are forced through the mesh tubes which operate to laterally reduce the cross-sections of the flames, increase their axial velocity through the combustor tubes, and substantially diminish the intimate contact of secondary combustion with the maximum temperature zones of the flames within the combustor tubes.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally relates to fuel-fired heating appliances, such as furnaces, water heaters and boilers and, in a preferred embodiment thereof, more particularly relates to apparatus and methods for reducing NO x  emissions generated by the combustion systems in such appliances. 
     Nitrogen oxide (NO x ) emissions in fuel-fired heating appliances, such as furnaces, water heaters and boilers, are a product of the combustion process, and are formed when the combustion reaction takes place at high temperature conditions typically encountered in such heating appliances. NO x  emissions became an environmental issue in the late 1960&#39;s and early 1970&#39;s due to their detrimental role in atmospheric visibility, photochemical smog and acid deposition. Regulations in the subsequent decade led to significantly reduced amounts of NO x  emissions. 
     Current SCAQMD (South Coast Air Quality Management District) regulations for residential furnaces and water heaters limit NO x  emissions to 40 ng/j of useful heat generated by these types of fuel-fired appliances. Growing environmental concern is leading to even more stringent regulation of NO x  emissions. For example, regulations currently being proposed by SCAQMD for water heaters and boilers limit NO x  emission levels to 30 ppm at 3% oxygen, which is approximately 20.5 ng/j for middle efficiency water heaters and boilers. Conventional fuel-fired appliance combustion systems are not currently capable of meeting these more stringent limitations. For example, a typical in-shot burner system typically employed in these types of fuel-fired appliances produces NO x  emission levels in the range of from about 50 ng/j to about 70 ng/j. 
     One technique currently used to lower NO x  emissions in fuel-fired heating appliances is to position a heat absorbing flame insert within the burner flame path for &#34;quenching&#34; purposes. The resulting lowered combustion flame temperature results in lowered NO x  emission rates. For example, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,146,910, flame cooling can be achieved by placing an insert within the burner flame zone. The insert receives heat from the flame and radiates heat away to thereby cool the flame. Using this quenching technique, gas furnaces with flame inserts are now in commercial production and have NO x  emission rates of somewhat less than about 40 ng/j. 
     Flame insert methods are relatively easy and inexpensive to implement. However, NO x  reduction achieved by existing flame inserts is rather limited because conventional flame insert designs are operative solely through a flame cooling mechanism and, for a given combustion system, only limited flame cooling can be realized without jeopardizing the combustion process itself. Due to this practical limitation, existing flame inserts are able to reduce NO x   emissions to about 30 ng/j--considerably short of the proposed emission limitation set forth above. 
     Some advanced combustion systems such as infrared/porous matrix surface burners, catalytic combustion and fuel/air staging could reach a very low NO x  emission level in compliance with these proposed emission standards, but these methods tend to be quite expensive and usually require extensive system modification. Accordingly, they are not suited for retrofitting existing combustion systems to achieve the desired substantial reduction in system NO x  emissions. 
     From the foregoing it can be seen that it would be highly desirable to provide improved NO x  reduction apparatus, for use in fuel-fired heating appliances of the type generally described above, which will enable the meeting of the proposed NO x  emission standards in a cost-effective manner and is suitable for retrofitting existing combustion systems with the reduction apparatus. It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide such improved NO x  reduction apparatus. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In carrying out principles of the present invention, in accordance with a preferred embodiment thereof, a reduced NO x  emission combustion system is incorporated in a fuel-fired heating appliance, representatively a forced air furnace. 
     The combustion system includes a combustor tube having an open inlet end and an essentially straight combustion section longitudinally extending inwardly from the open inlet. A fuel burner, representatively of the in-shot type, is operative to inject a flame and resulting hot combustion gases into the open inlet end for flow through the combustion section in a manner drawing ambient secondary combustion air into the combustion section around the flame. The fuel burner has a generally circular flame outlet section from which the flame is discharged. The flame outlet section of the burner is coaxial with the combustion section and has a diameter substantially smaller than the internal diameter of the combustor tube combustion section. 
     A perforate tubular flame control member is coaxially supported in the combustion section in the path of the fuel burner flame and has a diameter substantially less than the internal diameter of the combustor tube. The tubular flame control member, preferably formed from a metal mesh material, is operative to cause an axial portion of the fuel burner flame to longitudinally pass therethrough in a manner reducing the lateral dimension of the axial flame portion, increasing its velocity, and substantially shielding it from intimate contact with the ambient secondary combustion air entering the combustion section around the burner flame. This action of the flame control member on the injected burner flame very substantially reduces the NO x  emissions of the furnace. 
     The tubular flame control member is preferably supported within the combustor tube by means of an elongated support member longitudinally extending through the interior of the flame control member and having a first end anchored to the open inlet end of the combustor tube, and a second end slidably resting on a bottom interior side surface portion of the combustor tube. Because the support member is anchored at only one end thereof it may thermally contract or expand within the combustor tube without transmitting thermal stress forces to the combustor tube or receiving thermal stress forces therefrom as the case may be. 
     According to other aspects of the invention the metal mesh flame control tube is configured relative to the heat exchanger structure with which it is associated in a manner enhancing the NO x  reduction achieved by the flame control tube. For example, in illustrated preferred embodiment of the invention, the metal mesh tube is formed from metal wire having a diameter of about 0.014 inches; the diameter of the metal mesh tube is approximately equal to the diameter of the flame holder section of the burner; the length of the metal mesh tube is about one half the length of the combustion section of the combustor tube; the distance from the burner to the metal mesh tube is within the range of from about one to two times the diameter of the metal mesh tube; and the mesh size of the flame control tube is approximately 30×32. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a partially cut away perspective view of a representative forced air, fuel-fired furnace incorporating therein specially designed NO x  reducing apparatus embodying principles of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is an enlarged scale side elevational view of the heat exchanger portion of the furnace; 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged scale perspective view of a support member portion of the NO x  reducing apparatus; 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged scale perspective view of a metal mesh tube portion of the NO x  reducing apparatus; 
     FIG. 5 is an enlarged scale, partially cut away cross-sectional view of the dotted area &#34;A&#34; of the heat exchanger combustor tube shown in FIG. 2 and illustrates the NO x  reducing apparatus operatively installed therein; 
     FIG. 6 (PRIOR ART) is a highly schematic cross-sectional view through the combustor tube illustrating its conventional operation in the absence of the NO x  reducing apparatus of the present invention; and 
     FIG. 7 is a highly schematic cross-sectional view through the combustor tube illustrating the operation of the NO x  reducing apparatus, the support portion of the apparatus having been deleted for purposes of illustrative clarity. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As later described herein the present invention provides specially designed NO x  reduction apparatus 10 (schematically illustrated in FIG. 2) for incorporation in the combustion systems of fuel-fired heating appliances such as furnaces, water heaters and boilers. By way of example the NO x  reduction apparatus is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 as being operatively installed in the heat exchanger section 12 of a high efficiency fuel-fired heating furnace 14 as illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,579. 
     Referring initially to FIGS. 1 and 2, the furnace 14 includes a generally rectangularly cross-sectioned housing 15 having vertically extending front and rear walls 16 and 18, and opposite side walls 20 and 22. Vertical and horizontal walls 24 and 26 within the housing 15 divide the housing interior into a supply plenum 28 (within which the heat exchanger 12 is positioned), a fan and burner chamber 30, and an inlet plenum 32 beneath the plenum 28 and the chamber 30. 
     Heat exchanger 12 includes three relatively large diameter, generally L-shaped primary combustor flame tubes 34 which are horizontally spaced apart and secured at their open inlet ends 36 to a lower portion of the interior vertical wall 24. As best illustrated in FIG. 2, each of the combustor tubes 34 has an essentially straight horizontal combustion section L extending inwardly from its inlet end 36. The upturned outlet ends 38 of the tubes 34 are connected to the bottom side of an inlet manifold 40 which is spaced rightwardly apart from a discharge manifold 42 suitably secured to an upper portion of the interior wall 24. The interior of the inlet manifold 40 is communicated with the interior of the discharge manifold 42 by means of a horizontally spaced series of vertically serpentined flow transfer tubes 44 each connected at its opposite ends to the manifolds 40,42 and having a considerably smaller: diameter than the combustor tubes 34. 
     Three horizontally spaced apart &#34;in-shot&#34; type gas burners 46 are operatively mounted within a lower portion of the chamber 30 and are supplied with gaseous fuel (such as natural gas) through supply piping 48 by a gas valve 50. As can be seen in FIG. 2, each burner 46 is spaced outwardly apart from, and faces, the open inlet end 36 of its associated combustor tube 34. It will be appreciated that a greater or lesser number of combustor tubes 34, and associated burners 46 could be utilized, depending on the desired heating output of the furnace. 
     A draft inducer fan 52 positioned within the chamber 30 is mounted on an upper portion of the interior wall 24, above the burners 46, and has an inlet communicating with the interior of the discharge manifold 42, and an outlet section 54 that may be operatively coupled to an external exhaust flue (not shown). 
     Upon a demand for heat from the furnace 14, by a thermostat (not illustrated) located in the space to be heated, the burners 46 and the draft inducer&#34;fan 52 are energized. As best illustrated in FIG. 2, flames 57 and resulting hot products of combustion 58 from the burners 46 are directed into the open inlet ends 36 of the combustor tubes 34, and the combustion products 58 are drawn through the heat exchanger 12 by the operation of the draft inducer fan 52. Specifically, the burner combustion products 58 are drawn by the draft inducer fan, as indicated in FIG. 2, sequentially through the combustor tubes 34, into the inlet manifold 40, through the flow transfer tubes 44 into the discharge manifold 42, from the manifold 42 into the inlet of the draft inducer fan 52, and through the fan outlet section 54 into the previously mentioned exhaust flue to which the draft inducer outlet is connected. 
     At the same time return air 60 from the heated space is drawn upwardly into the inlet plenum 32 and flowed into the inlet of a supply air blower 61 disposed therein. Return air 60 entering the blower inlet is forced upwardly into the supply air plenum 28 through the illustrated opening in the interior housing wall 26. The return air 60 is then forced upwardly and externally across the heat exchanger 12 to convert the return air 60 into heated supply air 60a which is upwardly discharged from the furnace through its open top end to which a suitable supply ductwork system (not illustrated) is connected to flow the supply air 60a into the space to be heated. 
     FIG. 6 (PRIOR ART) schematically illustrates the operation of the combustor tubes 34, and the in-shot fuel burners 46 associated therewith, in the absence of the NO x  reduction structures 10 installed within the combustor tubes as schematically indicated in FIG. 2. The illustrated burners 46 are of a conventional construction and have open left or inlet ends 62 into which primary combustion air 64 is drawn during burner operation for mixture and combustion with fuel 66 delivered to the burner through piping 48 to produce the flame 57 injected into the open combustor tube end 36 associated with the burner. 
     At the right end of each burner 46 is a conventional flame holder structure 68 which is coaxial with its associated combustor tube inlet section 34. The flame holder 68 has a generally circular shape with a diameter D 1  which is substantially smaller than the interior diameter D 2  of its associated combustor tube. Accordingly, the flame 57 issuing from the flame holder 68 also has a generally circular cross-section. As the flame 57 enters the combustor tube inlet end 36 its cross-section has increased to a diameter larger than that of the flame holder 68 and somewhat smaller than the interior tube diameter D 2 . 
     The injected flame 57 has a velocity V 1 , an upstream end section F 1  in which the flame temperature is generally at a maximum, and a downstream end section F 2  in which the flame temperature has diminished. By aspiration, the injection of the flame 57 into the combustor tube 34 draws secondary combustion air 70 into the tube around the high temperature flame zone F 1 , the incoming secondary combustion air 70 intimately contacting and mixing with the flame zone F 1  and supporting the combustion of the injected flame 57. The conventional combustion air/flame mechanics just described in conjunction with FIG. 6 (PRIOR ART) creates in the furnace 14 NO x  emissions which the NO x  reduction structures 10 of the present invention uniquely and substantially reduce in a manner which will now be described. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 3-5, each NO x  reduction structure 10 is insertable into an inlet end portion of one of the combustor tubes 34--either when the heat exchanger 12 is originally installed in the furnace 14, or later in a retrofit application. Each NO x  reduction structure 10 includes an elongated metal support plate member 72 and an elongated open-ended tubular metal mesh member 74 that functions as a flame control member as later described herein. Support plate member 72 has an elongated body portion 76 with an elongated transverse stiffening rib 78 formed along a lower side edge portion thereof, a downturned inner end portion 80, and an upturned outer end portion 82 having a downwardly extending snap connection notch 84 formed therein. As indicated in FIG. 7, the tubular metal mesh member 74 has a length L 2  substantially less than the combustor tube length L 1 , and a diameter D 3  substantially less than the interior diameter D 2  of the combustor tube. 
     Each NO x  reduction structure 10 is assembled simply by inserting the outer end 82 of the support member body 76 through the interior of the metal mesh tube 74 until the tube comes to rest in its axially retained position on the support member 72 as illustrated in FIG. 5. To releasably hold the NO x  reduction structure in place within its associated combustor tube 34, a small diameter metal rod 86 (see FIG. 5) is tack welded, in a horizontal orientation, to the inlet end 36 of the combustor tube 34. 
     The assembled structure 10 is then inserted, support member body end 80 first, into the inlet end 36 of its associated combustor tube 34, and the rod 86 is snapped into the support member body end notch 84. This positions the support member 72 within and longitudinally parallel to the combustor tube 34, with the support body inner end portion 80 bearing against the bottom interior side of the combustor tube and the tubular metal mesh member 74 coaxially supported within an inlet end portion of the combustor tube 34. The supported tubular metal mesh member 74 is inwardly offset a short distance from the tube inlet end 36, and an annular air flow space 88 is defined between the outer side surface of the tubular member 74 and the inner side surface of the combustor tube 34. 
     Referring now to FIG. 7, in which the support member 72 has been deleted for purposes of illustrative clarity, during firing of the illustrated burner 46 and operation of the draft inducer fan 52 the flame 57 is passed through the tubular metal mesh member 74, thereby reducing the diameter of the high temperature flame zone F 1 , and increasing its velocity to V 2 , compared to the conventional flame diameter and velocity V 1  depicted in FIG. 6. This alteration of the flame configuration, and the velocity of its high temperature zone F 1 , achieved by the NO x  reduction structure 10 the NO x  generation of the flame is substantially reduced. 
     More specifically, due to the close coupling between the flame 57 and the tubular metal mesh member, and the associated interaction between the flame and the member 72 the high temperature zone F 1  of the flame is effectively confined within the envelope of the member 72, and the flame volume is laterally reduced in the zone thereof in which NO x  production is the highest. This reduced reaction zone volume and the short flue gas residence time due to the increased flame speed both contribute to reduced NO x  formation. 
     In addition to its positive effect in changing the flame shape and speed, the NO x  reduction structure 10 also alters the combustion air distribution pattern in a positive manner. Without the structure 10, as shown in FIG. 6, the flame 57 is totally exposed to the flow of secondary combustion air 70. In contrast, with the reduction structure 10 in place the perforate surface of the tubular member 74 serves as a barrier to secondary air penetration to and intimate contact with the high temperature flame region F 1 , thereby delaying the mixing between the primary flow from the burner 46 and the secondary combustion air. This reduced air availability at the high temperature flame zone, and the resultant delayed air/flame mixing, serve to further reduce the NO x  formation rate. A still further reduction in the NO x  formation is achieved by the thermal &#34;quenching&#34; effect of the inserted metal reduction structure members 72 and 74 across which the flame 57 flows. 
     The unique NO x  reduction apparatus 10 of the present invention retains the advantages of in-shot type fuel burners and conventional flame inserts, such as low cost and high turn-down ratio. It provides a stable and clean combustion over a wide burner operation range, is inexpensive to manufacture and easy to install, and lends itself quite well to retrofit applications. And, quite importantly, it provides a high degree of NO x  emission reduction. For example, in its representative forced air heating furnace application illustrated and described herein, the NO x  reduction apparatus 10 is operative to reduce NO x  emissions to below 20 ng/j. 
     In developing the present invention it has been found that is important to properly size the tubular metal mesh member 74 in order to obtain desirable combustion characteristics relating to NO x  and CO emission levels, combustion noise, ignition, etc. For example, as best shown in FIG. 7, it has been found to be preferable that the diameter D 3  of the metal mesh tube 74 be approximately equal to the diameter D 1  of the burner flame holder 68. Additionally, the preferred length L 2  of the mesh tube 74 is about half the length L 1  of the combustor tube 34. The preferred distance X 1  between the burner 46 and the metal mesh tube 74 is within the range of from about one to two times the tube diameter D 3 . 
     The diameter of the metal wire used to form the mesh tube 74 and the mesh spacing of the tube have also been found to affect the NO x  reduction capabilities of the structure 10. For example, the preferred wire diameter is about 0.014 inches, and the preferred mesh size, which provides a low NO x  emission rate together with a clean combustion process, is approximately 30×32 (i.e., 30 openings per inch in one direction along the tube, and 32 openings per inch in the transverse direction). 
     Returning again to FIG. 5, it will be noted that the elongated support member 72 is anchored at only end portion 82 thereof to the combustor tube 34. Accordingly, the support member 72 is free to thermally contract and expand in a longitudinal direction, without transmitting an expansion or contraction force to the combustor tube, or receiving such thermal forces from the combustor tube. Additionally, as can also be seen in FIG. 5, the length of the metal mesh tube 74 is slightly shorter than the distance between the end portions 80,82 of the support member body 76, thereby permitting relative thermal contraction and expansion between the support member 72 and the metal mesh tube 74. 
     The foregoing detailed description is to be clearly understood as being given by way of illustration and example only, the spirit and scope of the present invention being limited solely by the appended claims.