Patent ID: 7390189

Claim:
A burner for combusting a fuel, comprising: a fuel conduit having a plurality of fuel sections, each fuel section being in fluid communication with each other fuel section and adapted to transmit a stream of the fuel, including a fuel inlet section having a first fuel inlet and a first fuel outlet spaced apart from the first fuel inlet, the fuel inlet section having a first cross sectional flow area and being adapted to transmit the stream of the fuel entering the first fuel inlet and exiting the first fuel outlet, a fuel transitional section having a fuel intake and a fuel outtake spaced apart from the fuel intake, the fuel transitional section adapted to transmit at least a portion of the stream of the fuel entering the fuel intake and exiting the fuel outtake, and having a second cross sectional flow area, the second cross sectional flow area varying from an initial cross sectional flow area at the fuel intake to a different cross sectional flow area at the fuel outtake, and a fuel outlet section having a second fuel inlet and a second fuel outlet spaced apart from the second fuel inlet, the fuel outlet section being adapted to transmit at least a portion of the stream of the fuel entering the second fuel inlet and exiting the second fuel outlet, and having a third cross sectional flow area, the third cross sectional flow area being substantially uniform throughout the fuel outlet section; and a first oxidant conduit having a plurality of oxidant sections, each oxidant section being in fluid communication with each other oxidant section and adapted to transmit a stream of an oxidant, including an oxidant inlet plenum being adapted to transmit a stream of the oxidant and having a fourth cross sectional flow area, at least a portion of the oxidant inlet plenum being spaced around substantially all of at least a portion of at least one of the fuel inlet section, the fuel transitional section, and the fuel outlet section, and an oxidant outlet section being adapted to transmit at least a portion of the stream of the oxidant and having a fifth cross sectional flow area, said fifth cross sectional flow area being less than or equal to the fourth cross sectional flow area and being substantially uniform throughout the oxidant outlet section, at least a portion of the oxidant outlet section being spaced around substantially all of at least a portion of the fuel outlet section.