US3280770A - Air supply unit for boilers - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 25, 1966 B. F. KWIAT 3,280,770

AIR SUPPLY UNIT FOR BOILERS Filed Oct. 1, 1964 INVENTOR. 5. F. K W/AT lclmr st A 7'7'ORNEY5 United States Patent 3,280,770 AIR SUPPLY UNlT FOR BOILERS Benjamin F. Kwiat, 54 N. Pleasant Ave., Ridgewood, NJ. Filed Oct. 1, 1964, Ser. No. 400,654 1 Claim. (Cl. 11056) This invention relates to an air supply unit for boilers and refers more particularly to a device capable of being installed in existing oil, coal and gas boilers for the purpose of heating air which is supplied to the combustion chambers of the boilers.

An object of the present invention is the provision of an air heating device which will save a substantial amount of fuel consumed by a boiler, which will increase combustion in and efficiency of a boiler and which will balance the temperature, the turbulence and the operational time of a boiler.

Another object is the provision of anair heating device which will provide for a more complete combustion of fuel and gases in a boiler and which will reduce smoke, soot and carbon deposits, as well as the costs of boiler cleaning and maintenance.

A further object is the provision of an air heating device which can be readily installed on all existing boilers, which requires no maintenance or power to operate and which, at low cost, will provide high combustion efficiency and optimum boiler performance.

Other objects will become apparent in the course of the following specification.

In the accomplishment of the objects of the present invention it was found desirable to provide a tubular unit which is fastened to a boiler below the fuel combustion area while all boiler air intakes are closed olf, so that air entering the combustion chamber must pass through the unit. The unit itself is composed of an air inlet portion, a plurality of sleeves provided with inner deflectors and outer bushings, and screens. Air flows into the inlet portion and is slightly compressed therein, it passes through a reduced opening and then is directed alternately downwardly and upwardly by the deflectors while being heated. The amount of air leaving the unit can be regulated by adjusting the effective size of the screen openings. Air flowing through the unit is compressed as well as heated, whereby compression further increases air temperature. Thus air mixing with the fuel is quite hot so that most effective combustion is produced.

The invention will appear more clearly from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing showing by way of example, a preferred embodiment of the inventive idea.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic view of an oil burner illustrating the location of the air supply unit of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective disassembled View of the parts of the air supply unit on a larger scale.

FIGURE 3 is a section through the assembled air supply unit.

The oil burner shown in FIG. 1 is of the standard type and includes a foundation 11, a main body 12 and a combustion region 13. The air supply unit 14 constituting the subject of the present invention has the shape of an elongated body extending below the entire combustion region 13. The unit 14- is attached to the Wall of the oil burner. All other direct air inlets to the combustion region 13 are sealed ofl, so that outside air reaches the combustion region essentially only through the unit 14. The outlet of the unit 14 is located directly in the combustion region.

3,280,770 Patented Oct. 25, 1966 -If conditions require it, a plurality of units 14 may be installed in a single boiler.

As already stated, the unit 14 can be conveniently installed in all existing boilers, including gas and coal burners.

In the example illustrated, the unit 14 includes an inlet 16 and two inter-connected sleeves 17 and 1 8. Obviously, the number of sleeves may be varied depending upon the size of the boiler. The inlet and the sleeves are made of high quality cast steel; their size may vary depending upon the size of the boiler.

The inlet member 16 has a frusto-conical converging body 19 having at its outer end a flange 20 provided with several slits 21 adapted to receive screws 22 by mean-s of which the unit 14 is attached to the boiler. A partition 23 provided with an aperture 24 is located adjacent the inner end of the inlet member 1 6 and is integral therewith. The body 19 and the partition 23 constitute passage reducers. On the other side of the partition 23 there is a cylindrical flange 25 which serves to connect the inlet member 16 with a reduced end portion 26 of the sleeve 17. Dowel pins 27 extend through aligned openings provided in the parts 25 and 26 and constitute the actual connection.

The sleeve 17 has two angular deflector blades 28 and 29 located at opposite ends of the sleeve and extending substantially parallel to each other but in opposite directions. The blades 28 and 29 may be cast integral with the sleeve 17 and are located upon opposite inner surfaces of the sleeve; they form an angle of approximately 45 degrees with the longitudinal axis of the sleeve. The blades are fairly thin and they terminate in straight edges extending across the entire interior of the sleeve a short distance beyond the longitudinal axis of the sleeve so that a blade occupies more than one-half of the cross sectional area of the sleeve. The blade 28 located adjacent the aperture 24 extends inwardly so as to facilitate the flow of air passing through the aperture 24 while at the same time deflecting this flow. The blade 29 extends in the opposite direction and serves as a temporary barrier creating a turbulence in the air flow.

The sleeve 17 carries a bushing 30. When the unit 14 is attached to the boiler, the sleeve bushings will be located on top. They are constructed so as to permit the escape of a certain amount of air .therethrough while the major part of the air will continue its flow through the unit. The top of the bushing 30 has the shape of a cap provided with slanting surfaces 31 the purpose of which is to protect the unit from any possible fuel drippings.

The end of the sleeve 17 which is opposed to the inlet 16 consists of a flange 32 which receives the reduced end portion 33 of the sleeve 18. This end portion is similar in shape to the end portion 26 of the sleeve 17. The parts 32 and 33 are connected by dowel pins 27 in the same manner in which the sleeve 17 is connected to the inlet 16.

The sleeve 18 has two deflector blades 34 and 35 and a bushing 36. These parts of the sleeve 18 are the same as the deflector blades 28 and 29 and the bushing 30 of the sleeve 17.

The outer end of the sleeve 18 is recessed to serve as a seat for two screens 37 and 38 which are enclosed by an end flange 39 of the sleeve 18. As best shown in FIG. 2, each screen has the shape of a disc provided with a small central opening and a large number of parallel slits 40. The two screens 37 and 38 are located one next to the other. The inner screen 37 fits firmly within the sleeve 18, while the outer screen 38 may be turned relatively to the screen 37, thereby varying the effective size of the passages through which air escapes out of the unit 14. Self tappe-r screws 41 fitting into openings provided in the flange 39 of the sleeve 18, engage the screen 38 and maintain it in any desired position relatively to the screen 37.

3 The relative adjustment of the screens 37 and 38 depends upon the operational requirements of the boiler.

A damper 4-2 may be used in connection with the inlet member 16 to control the amount of air initially flowing into the unit 14. This is advisable in order to maintain heat within the combustion chamber and to diminish the flow-of cold air during start-ups.

In operation, air flows through the unit 14 while receiving heat from the combustion area. Air entering the inlet member 16 is somewhat compressed in the conical body :19 while the velocity of flow is increased. Air is metered by the aperture 24 in the partition v23; then it strikes the blade 28 of the sleeve 17 which directs it "downwardly. Thereupon the air current will strike the blade 29 with the result that eddies will be formed. Some air will escape through the bushing 30, while the major portion will flow into the sleeve 18 Where it will be deflected again by the blades 34 and 3-5. Finally air will reach the screens 37 and 38 and will pass into the combustionchamber through slits provided in the two screens. As already stated, the velocity of the outflowing air may be controlled by adjusting the relative positions of the two screens.

It is apparent that air passing through the unit 14 Will be subjected to compression, so that its temperature will be increased. Hot air reaching the combustion chamber and mixing with the fuel will provide a more etfec-tive combustion while reducing fuel consumption. Practical experimentation has shown that boilers provided in the unit 14 of the present invention save from to of the industrial and commercial heating costs.

area for receiving outside air, heating it and supplying it to said combustion area, said combustion area being devoid of other air intakes, said unit comprising, in combination, an inlet member having a firusto-conical shape, a flange enclosing the larger end of said frus-to-conic-al member for attaching the unit to the boiler, said larger end communicating with outside air, a partition located Within said frusto-conical member adjacent the smaller end thereof, said partition having an opening, at least one sleeve, means connecting one end'of said sleeve with said smaller end of the frusto-conical member,a deflector blade located upon an inner surface of said sleeve adjacent said one end thereof and inclined in the direction toward the interior of the sleeve, another deflector blade located upon an inner surface of said sleeve which is opposite the firstmentione-d inner surface, the second-mentioned deflector blade being located adjacent the other end of the sleeve and being inclined in the direction toward the interior of the sleeve, each of said deflector blades extending at an angle of substantially degrees to the longitudinal axis of the sleeve and covering more than one-half of cross-sectional area of the sleeve, a fixed screen mounted within said sleeve adjacent said other end thereof, a rotatable screen mounted within said sleeve adjacent the first-mentioned screen, each of said screens having longitudinal slits, and means carried by said sleeve and adapted to engage'the second-mentioned screen to maintain it in a predetermined position relatively to the first-mentioned screen.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,568,302 1/ 1926' Toifteen 75 1,578,151 3/1926 Marsh 110-l75 1,631,859 6/1927' Good-ridge 15836 2,212,311 8/1940 Alfisi 110-75 2,520,994 9/1950 Biegal 11075 X 2,549,219 4/1951 McKeague 11075 X KENNETH W. SPRA GUE, Primary Examiner.

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