Patent ID: 7934926

Claim:
Apparatus for preparing a fuel-air mixture for combustion, the apparatus comprising: a blower for providing air at an elevated pressure; an air pre-heater coupled between the blower and an air inlet for pre-heating the air from the blower prior to entering an ejector, wherein the air pre-heater is a regenerative heat exchanger and wherein the heat exchanger pre-heats the air using at least some heat recaptured from a combusted fuel-air mixture; and an ejector comprising: an air inlet coupled to receive the air from the blower; at least one fuel inlet coupled to a fuel delivery system, wherein the fuel delivery system includes a fuel restriction for carrying fuel to at least one fuel inlet, and wherein the fuel restriction is proximal to a hot portion of the air pre-heater for pre-heating the fuel prior to entering the ejector; and an outlet for providing a fuel-air mixture, wherein air flow through the ejector produces a suction that draws fuel from the at least one fuel inlet, the amount of fuel drawn from the at least one fuel inlet being a function of the air flow through the ejector and wherein the ejector comprising a venturi.