Patent ID: 8177547

Claim:
A method for starting a burner designed to combust a synthesis gas, wherein the burner has a first fuel passage and a second fuel passage, the first fuel passage concentrically encompassing the second fuel passage and the synthesis gas is supplied to the burner, mixed with combustion air and combusted, and wherein the second fuel passage is first charged with synthesis gas to a predetermined burner power to start the burner in an initial phase and the first fuel passage is then subsequently charged with synthesis gas in a start phase following the initial phase, comprising: supplying a small synthesis gas mass flow via an ignition pilot burner; igniting the small synthesis gas mass flow to form an ignition pilot flame; initiating a flow of synthesis gas out of the second fuel passage after the ignition pilot flame has been ignited; and igniting the second fuel passage gas flow via the ignition pilot flame to form a pilot flame, wherein the ignition pilot burner is arranged upstream of a swirl generator and synthesis gas is supplied through the second fuel passage such that the pilot flame is removed from the region of the swirl generator, wherein removal is effected by reducing the calorific value of the synthesis gas supplied through the second fuel passage in such a manner that a flow speed of the synthesis gas is set, which is significantly higher than the flame speed, wherein the calorific value is reduced by diluting the synthesis gas with an inert medium, wherein only the second fuel passage is charged with synthesis gas in the initial phase, wherein the second fuel passage is charged with synthesis gas during the start phase, wherein during the initial phase a continuously increasing mass flow of synthesis gas is supplied to the second fuel passage to a maximum burner power achievable over the second fuel passage, wherein an inert medium is mixed with the synthesis gas to set a required calorific value, and wherein when the first fuel passage is connected in the start phase, a large quantity of inert medium is first mixed with the synthesis gas supplied in the first fuel passage such that a sudden jump in power is prevented during the transition from initial phase to start phase.