Patent ID: 7104787

Claim:
A radiant tube burner system for combusting fuel and combustion air, thereby forming flue gas, the radiant tube burner system comprising: a burner having a combustion air inlet, a fuel inlet, and a burner head, the burner adapted to convey combustion air and fuel from the combustion air inlet and the fuel inlet to the burner head for combustion; a radiant tube receiving the burner head; an exhaust conduit connected to the radiant tube, the exhaust conduit adapted to convey flue gas toward an exhaust outlet; a blower adapted to generate a pressurized source of combustion air; a combustion air conduit connecting the blower to the combustion air inlet, the combustion air conduit intersecting the exhaust conduit at a location fluidically between the radiant tube and the exhaust outlet; and a venturi formed at an intersection between the combustion air conduit and the exhaust conduit, the venturi arranged to suction a portion of flue gas from the exhaust conduit into the combustion air conduit.