Patent ID: 7914279

Claim:
An apparatus for improved mixing of oxygen and a mixture of a non-gaseous fuel and conveying gas for improved combustion in a combustion chamber, said apparatus comprising: a) a source of a mixture of non-gaseous fuel and conveying gas; b) a source of oxygen; c) a burner operatively associated with a combustion chamber; d) a fuel duct in fluid communication with said source of mixed non-gaseous fuel and conveying gas, wherein said fuel duct includes a portion that extends along an axis towards said burner; e) a tubular oxygen lance fluidly communicating with said source of oxygen, wherein said lance is disposed along said axis and has a diameter D; and f) at least first and second injection elements in fluid communication with said source of oxygen, disposed within the fuel duct and being configured to inject oxygen into, and mix therewith, a flow of said mixture upstream of, or at, said burner, wherein; 1) said at least first and second injection elements comprises first, second, third, and fourth injection elements disposed at a same axial position along said axis; 2) each of said injection elements comprises a leg extending outwardly and axially from said lance and at least one aperture disposed at an end of said leg facing said burner; 3) each of said legs and said apertures are configured to receive a flow of oxygen from said lance and inject it into a flow of said mixed non-gaseous fuel and conveying gas; and 4) each of said legs is radially spaced from one another with respect to said axis by a distance X, which is greater than the length of diameter D.