A hydrogen combustion system comprising: an external cylinder 1 constituting the exterior of a double tube construction; an internal cylinder 2 formed by a porous metal plate constituting the interior of said double tube construction; hydrogen combustion catalyst 4 supported with precious metals on spherical ceramic support surface, formed in pellet state, being packed in said internal cylinder 2; an insert pipe 3 formed by porous metal plate inserted in the center of said internal cylinder 2; pre-heating heaters 5 installed between said insert pipe 3 and said internal cylinder 2 to preheat said hydrogen combustion catalyst 4 to ambient atmosphere of over catalytic reaction temperatures; a hydrogen introducing port 8 connecting to said insert pipe 3; an air introducing port 9 provided at the bottom of said external cylinder 1 in the area between said external cylinder 1 and said internal cylinder 2, wherein air for hydrogen combustion is introduced by the drift effect resulting from the differential pressure generated between the packed layer of hydrogen combustion catalyst and the outside, by thermal convection, achieving safe combustion treatment of hydrogen in simple construction, small size and high treatment efficiency.

A turbocharger arrangement in an internal combustion engine is provided. The turbocharger arrangement includes a turbocharger housing surrounding a sealed inner space and a shaft extending through the turbocharger housing. The turbocharger arrangement further includes a turbine wheel arranged on the shaft and driving a compressor unit, a bearing arrangement mounting the shaft in the turbocharger housing, an oil supply device lubricating the bearing arrangement, and a pressure changing unit in fluidic communication with the sealed inner space configured to adjust the pressure in the sealed inner space based on engine operating conditions.

Disclosed are: a casting aluminum alloy that is excellent in elongation as alternative properties of a high cycle fatigue strength and a thermal fatigue strength and is suitably usable for a casting for which both of the excellent high cycle fatigue strength and the excellent thermal fatigue strength are required, for example, an internal combustion engine cylinder head; a casting made of the aluminum alloy; a manufacturing method of the casting; and further, an internal combustion engine cylinder head composed of the aluminum alloy casting and manufactured by the manufacturing method of the casting. The casting aluminum alloy contains, in terms of mass ratios, 4.0 to 7.0% of Si, 0.5 to 2.0% of Cu, 0.25 to 0.5% of Mg, no more than 0.5% of Fe, no more than 0.5% of Mn, and at least one component selected from the group consisting of Na, Ca and Sr, each mass ratio of which is 0.002 to 0.02%.

The spark plug has a configuration satisfying the relationships of B≧0.7A and 0.3 mm≦A≦0.6 mm, where B is an axial thickness along the central axis line Q of the weld portion formed between the base material electrode and the noble-metal chip, and A is an axial distance along the central axis line Q between the intersection points P3 and X. The intersection point P3 is a point at which a phantom axis line radially distant from the central axis line Q by D/2 (D being a diameter of the noble-metal chip) intersects with the boundary line between the weld portion and the noble-metal chip. The intersection point X is a point at which an extension of the contour line of the base material electrode in the vicinity of the weld portion intersects with a boundary line between the weld portion and the base material electrode.

A generator drive system for the generator (3) of an internal combustion engine (1), including a flexible drive having a traction mechanism (5) which is guided across a generator pulley (6) driving the generator (3). The generator (3) is configured and electrically wired such that the generator (3) can be temporarily driven as a motor, and the generator (3) is coupled to the generator pulley (6) or the crankshaft pulley (7) is coupled to the crankshaft (8) via an overrunning clutch (4) which allows the generator (3), when operated as a motor, running faster than the generator pulley (6) or, taking into consideration a gear ratio, the crankshaft (8).

A method of controlling combustion of a gas appliance includes the following steps: a) Read a first burning data in a database; b) Burn gas according to the first burning data; c) Obtain a burning efficiency of the gas appliance; and d) Compare the burning efficiency with a predetermined value, and repeat the step b to the step d when the burning efficiency is higher than the value, or read a second burning data in the database and burn gas according to the second burning data when the burning efficiency is lower than the value. The present invention provides plural stages of burning according to the main component of the gas to be burned to increase the total burning efficiency.

A burner has a fuel/oxidant nozzles and a pair of dynamical lances spaced on either side thereof that inject a jet of fuel and primary oxidant along a fuel injection axis, and jets of secondary oxidant, respectively. Jets of actuating fluid impinge against the jets of secondary oxidant to fluidically angle the jets of secondary oxidant away from the fuel injection axis. The action of the angling away together with staging of the oxidant between primary and secondary oxidant injections allows achievement of distributed combustion conditions.

An apparatus for processing fly ash comprising a heated refractory-lined vessel having a series of spaced angled rows of swirl-inducing nozzles which cause cyclonic and/or turbulent air flow of the fly ash when introduced in the vessel, thus increasing the residence time of airborne particles. Also disclosed is a method of fly ash beneficiation using the apparatus.

A pulverized coal thermal power generation system that significantly reduces the amount of NOx emissions from a boiler and does not require a denitration unit is provided. When a denitration unit is not used, performance to remove mercury from a boiler waste gas is reduced. A waste gas purification system for a pulverized coal boiler, that compensates for this is provided. A pulverized coal boiler having a furnace for burning pulverized coal, burners for supplying pulverized coal and air used for combustion into the furnace so as to burn the pulverized coal in an insufficient air state and after-air ports provided on the downstream side of the burners for supplying air used for perfect combustion characterized in that, an air ratio in the furnace is 1.05 to 1.14, and the residence time of a combustion gas from the burner disposed on the uppermost stage to a main after-air port is 1.1 to 3.3 seconds. Preferably, water is mixed in advance with the air supplied from the after-air port so as to increase the specific heat. Furthermore, pulverized coal carrying air in the burner and a part of air used for combustion are mixed together in advance before they are jetted into the furnace.A waste gas purification system having a pulverized coal boiler, an air heater disposed downstream of the pulverized coal boiler for exchanging heat with a boiler waste gas to heat air used for combustion in the pulverized coal boiler, a dust removing unit, and a desulfurizing unit characterized in that, at least one of a halogen gas supply unit, a catalyst unit for oxidizing a mercury gas, and a mercury adsorbent blowing device is provided so as to oxidize mercury included in the waste gas.

A slag remover for discharging combustion residues of an incineration plant comprises a trough, which has a trough housing having two side walls, which define the trough width, and having a trough bottom, and which is intended to collect the combustion residues evacuated from a combustion chamber of the incineration plant. The trough further comprises at least two push rams for pushing the combustion residues out of the trough, and a shaft rotatably mounted in two shaft bearings and on which at least one drive lever cooperating with a cylinder-piston unit and at least two output levers connected to respectively one of the push rams are disposed in a rotationally secure manner. The cylinder-piston unit is here designed such that the push rams move back and forth between a retracted position and an extended position. The drive lever is disposed between two output levers.

The combustion controller controls the fuel and air that are supplied to the combustion furnace for burning substances, and addresses the aforementioned object by including: fuel supply unit for supplying fuel and air into the combustion furnace; air supply unit for supplying air into the combustion furnace, the air supply unit being disposed downstream of the fuel supply unit in the direction of flow of combustion air; concentration measuring unit for measuring the concentration of hydrogen sulfide of the combustion air by passing a measurement beam of light through the combustion air at a measurement position downstream of the fuel supply unit in the direction of flow of the combustion air; and control unit for controlling the amount of air supplied from the fuel supply unit based on a measurement result provided by the concentration measuring unit.

A carbon fuel combustion process, employing an air gas separation unit, a combustion unit operating either with air or with an oxidizer leaner in nitrogen than air, coming from the air gas separation unit, and a unit for compressing and/or purifying the CO2 coming from the combustion flue gas, wherein the power consumed by the air gas separation unit and/or the flow of oxygen produced by the air gas separation unit and/or the capture of the CO2 coming from the combustion flue gas are variable over time is presented.

A combustion process wherein a comburent, a fuel and the following components are fed: i) component B) sulphur or compounds containing sulphur in an amount to have a molar ration B1/C1≧0.5, wherein B1 is the sum by moles between the total amount of sulphur present in component B)+the total amount of sulphur (component B11)) contained in the fuel, C1 is the sum by moles between the total amount of alkaline and/or alkaline-earth metals contained in the fuel (component C11))+the amount (component C)) of alkaline and/or alkaline-earth metals in the form of salts and/or oxides contained in component B), ii) component A), comprising low-melting salts and/or oxides or their mixtures, having a melting temperature

A two stage refuse gasification combustion system for processing refuse is disclosed. The system may contain features such as an advancer, a first and second gasifier, a gas regulator, and a post combustor. Additionally, methods for regulating gas and advancing refuse through a two stage refuse gasification combustion system are disclosed.

Methods of combustion include metering a substantially explosible powder into an oxidizing gas using a positive displacement powder dispersion device to suspend the powder in the gas and directing the powder in the gas to form a controlled stream of a moving explosible powder dispersion. In some embodiments, the method further includes igniting the dispersion with an ignition source to produce a stationary deflagrating combustion wave and sustaining combustion by continuing to meter the powder into the gas. In other embodiments, the method further includes adjusting a nozzle velocity of the dispersion to reflect properties of the dispersion to create a sustainable flame and igniting the dispersion to produce a stationary deflagrating wave of the dispersion. In other embodiments, the method further includes igniting the dispersion in a combustion area to produce a stationary deflagrating wave such that a conductive heat transfer from combustion brings the powder to combustion temperature.

A piston assembly includes a piston having a crown with an upper combustion surface with a cylindrical outer surface extending downwardly from the upper combustion surface. A pair of pin bosses depends from the crown to a pair of pin bores having generally cylindrical bearing surfaces aligned along a pin bore axis with a top wall portion extending between the pin bosses. The top wall portion has a concave bearing surface forming a continuous concave bearing surface with the pin bores. A separate skirt is fixed to the piston against relative movement. At least one rib extends upwardly from the top wall portion of the piston on opposite sides of the pin bore axis to a lower wall surface of the crown. The at least one rib joins the crown to the top wall portion to provide structural support to the top wall portion against unwanted deflection.

In a spark plug, a center electrode includes a base member and a discharge chip that has a higher melting point than the base member. The base member and the discharge chip are joined to each other by both a weld and a diffusion layer. The weld is formed, by fusion welding, along an outer periphery of an interface between the base member and the discharge chip into an annular shape. The weld is made up of those parts of the base member and the discharge chip which are molten and mixed together during the fusion welding and solidified after the fusion welding. The diffusion layer is formed radially inside the annular weld. The diffusion layer is made up of those parts of the base member and the discharge chip which are diffused into each other across the interface between the base member and the discharge chip.

A process and a unit for fluidized bed torrefaction and grinding of particles of a biomass with a largest dimension of 2 cm to 5 cm, and which unit contains an envelope having a general shape of a sector having a) two substantially vertical walls delimiting that sector; and b) at least one inclined wall defining three zones, from bottom to top: a lower zone provided with a fluidization means, and provided with a grinder placed at the bottom of that zone; an intermediate zone (2) provided with a fluidization means; and an upper zone (3) provided with a fluidization means; and a pipe (11) for introducing the particles reaching into the unit to the level of the intermediate zone.

A device for feeding and controlling secondary air from secondary air ducts into flue gas channels of horizontal coke oven chambers is shown. The flue gas channels are located underneath the coke oven chamber floor on which coal carbonization is realized. The flue gas channels serve for combustion of partly burnt coking gases from the coke oven chamber. The partly burnt gases are burnt with secondary air, thus heating the coke cake also from below to ensure even coal carbonization. Secondary air comes from the secondary air ducts connected to atmospheric air and to the flue gas channels. Controlling elements are mounted in the connecting channels between the flue gas channels and secondary air ducts which can precisely control the air flow into the flue gas channels. Thereby, it is possible to achieve a much more regular heating and heat distribution in coke oven chambers. The actual controlling devices in the connecting channels can be formed by turnable pipe sections, wall bricks, or metal flaps. It is particularly advantageous to utilize a hump-like facility (tabouret) which sits in the secondary air ducts and which is comprised of a tabouret plate with a central opening that is slid under the corresponding embranchment to regulate the gas stream. The controlling mechanism can be actuated manually, electrically, or pneumatically. Thereby, the controlling device can also be automated.

An oil supply device for a crankcase of an internal combustion engine feeds oil from a reservoir to a main oil duct of the crankcase. A filter switching device allows a selection from a plurality of oil filter units in the flow path of the oil to be selectively connected into the oil flow path, to set a proportion of the oil filter units to active and a proportion of the oil filter units to passive. A switching unit switches between the active and passive states and opens up a pressurized oil flow path to the active oil filter unit(s) and also a drainage flow path between the passive oil filter unit(s) and a drainage duct. An evacuation device drains or evacuates oil from the drainage duct which has accumulated at the passive oil filter unit(s).

Embodiments of the present invention provide components and a system for providing a safer environment for using a cutting torch. The system includes a cutting torch and a control box. There is communication from the user to the control box to allow fluids to flow to the torch. The control box includes closed biased valve(s) such that if there is a condition where there is no instruction from the torch to the control box and/or power is lost, the valves will shut, preventing fluid from flowing into the torch.

An encapsulated propellant charge comprised a sealed combustible container comprised of a consumable material and having a substantially cylindrical shape. The sealed combustible container comprises a top wall, a bottom wall, and a side wall therebetween. The top wall, the bottom wall and the side wall define a chamber; which contains a propellant composition.

A supplementary intercooler cools engine air after it has passed through the turbocharger of a vehicle's turbocharged internal combustion engine, but before it enters the engine. The unit has an inlet for capturing the turbo's air charge and an outlet for routing the air charge to the engine after passing through the intercooler. A container stores water until it is needed and a water pump transfers water from the container to the unit. This loosened bond of water is then sprayed on capacitor plates under turbo pressure to be converted into hydrogen and injected into the air intake stream making it a totally “hydrogen-on-demand” intercooler.

Includes a low flow-rate region (R2) that is disposed on an upstream side of a combustion region (R1) within a second pipe (2), and that has a relatively slow flow-rate of combustion gas (G1) within the second pipe, and a flame kernel formation unit (3a) is disposed in the low flow-rate region.

New net shape strength retaining high temperature alloy parts are formed from fine metallurgical powders by mechanically blending the powders and placing them in die, placing a piston in the die, extending the piston into a driving chamber, filling the chamber with CH4 and air and compressing the powders with the filling pressure. Igniting gas in the chamber drives the piston into the cavity, producing pressures of about 85 to 150 tsi, compacting the powders into a near net shape alloy part, ready for sintering at 2300° C. without shrinking. The alloy parts are Re, Mo—Re, W—Re, Re—Hf—HfC, Re—Ta—Hf—HfC, Re—Mo—Hf—HfC, Mo—Re—Ta, Mo—Re-f-HfC, W—Re—Hf—HfC, W—Re—Ta—Hf—HfC or W—Re—Mo—Hf alloys.

A device is provided, which makes it possible to perform a failure diagnostics for a filter more accurately even in the case of an internal combustion engine which is constructed to be capable of using both of gaseous fuel and liquid fuel. The device of the invention comprises judging means which judges any failure of the filter by comparing the added-up amount of the particulate matter contained in the exhaust gas as detected by a PM amount detecting sensor during a predetermined period and the added-up amount of the particulate matter contained in the exhaust gas as estimated by PM amount estimating means during the predetermined period, wherein the PM amount estimating means estimates the added-up amount of the particulate matter contained in the exhaust gas on the basis of the predetermined parameter and only a fuel injection amount of the liquid fuel out of a fuel injection amount of the gaseous fuel and the fuel injection amount of the liquid fuel.

A combustion speed, for example, is estimated or evaluated, with a required accuracy, more simply than the conventional art, while reducing man-hours to produce a heat generation rate waveform of an internal combustion engine. An increase rate of a heat generation rate relative to a change in a crank angle in a heat generation rate increasing period (e.g., a first-half combustion period a) in which the heat generation rate increases after ignition of an air-fuel mixture is defined as a heat generation rate gradient b/a that is one of characteristic values of the heat generation rate waveform. The heat generation rate gradient is estimated based on a fuel density (e.g., fuel density ρfuel@dQpeak at heat generation rate maximum time) at a predetermined time set in advance in the heat generation rate increasing period so as to produce the heat generation rate waveform using the estimated heat generation rate gradient.

A fuel preprocess system for a coal combustion boiler is disclosed. The fuel preprocess system for a coal combustion boiler that dries biomass or refuse-derived fuel in accordance with the present invention can include: a dryer configured to dry the biomass or refuse-derived fuel by use of flue gas generated after combustion in the boiler; and a torrefier configured to devolatilize a fibrous component contained in the dried fuel from the fuel dried in the dryer by use of primary air that is heat-exchanged after the combustion in the boiler.

A method of manufacturing a valve for an internal combustion engine, comprises: (i) a primary step of forging a bulging portion at one end of a rod material to form a generally disk-shape valve head of the valve having a tapered periphery; (ii) an thickness adjustment step of machining an excessively thick portion of the valve head; and (iii) a secondary step of forging a peripheral region of the valve head to create radial slip deformations therein to form a valve face of the valve head. In the step of thickness adjustment, only the front end of the disk-shape valve head is machined without harming dense grain flow lines induced in the tapered face (16a) in the primary forging while advantageously saving the valve material and reducing thickness adjustment time. In the secondary forging, the hardness of the valve face is further enhanced.

A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine having a means for performing a model calculation to calculate, as an exhaust temperature calculation value, the temperature of exhaust gas in an exhaust branch tube at the time of starting an engine, using a model representing the temperature behavior of the exhaust gas in the exhaust branch tube during stop of an engine; and an exhaust temperature actual measurement value output means for detecting the temperature of exhaust gas in the exhaust branch tube, and outputting the detected temperature as an exhaust temperature actual measurement value, wherein the model includes at least one parameter.

The invention relates to a unit for simulating the pressure and temperature conditions of an air flow drawn in by a reciprocating internal combustion engine (1) at a height above sea level, corresponding to the operating height of said reciprocating internal combustion engine (1). According to the invention, the unit comprises at least: (a) a radial inward-flow turbine (2) for expanding an air flow towards the pressure and temperature of the air drawn in by the reciprocating internal combustion engine; (b) a first container (4) and (c) a second container (5) connected to the first container (4) by means of at least a connection pipe (7) in order to balance the pressure between the two containers; (d) a centrifugal compressor (3); and (e) a vacuum pump (6) for maintaining a pressure equal to the pressure of the air flow drawn in by the reciprocating internal combustion engine (1). The invention also relates to the use of said unit for simulating the pressure and temperature conditions of the air drawn in by a reciprocating internal combustion engine.

In an internal combustion engine valve drive arrangement having cam elements which are supported on a camshaft so as to be axially displaceable and having switch gates which are coupled to the cam elements and have gate tracks with track segments and switching segments for displaceing the cam elements, the track segments and the switching segments are formed, at least in part, in partial areas of the switch gates.

An intake control system for a multi-cylinder combustion engine with control valves positioned within intake passageways that can vary the cross-sectional area of the intake runners to increase air intake velocity at low engine speeds. The control system includes an inner frame that can be inserted into a lower manifold after manufacture. The inner frame includes a plurality of flapper valves that are actuated by a four-bar link design, which is driven by a hypoid gear-set. The control system controls an internal DC electric motor that actuates a worm-drive gear-set, which in turn drives the hypoid gear-set to either engage or retract the flapper valves within the intake passageways.

A Wankel engine having an insert in the peripheral wall of the stator body, the insert being made of a material having a greater heat resistance than that of the peripheral wall, having a subchamber defined therein and having an inner surface bordering the cavity, the subchamber communicating with the cavity through at least one opening defined in the inner surface and having a shape forming a reduced cross-section adjacent the opening, a pilot fuel injector having a tip received in the subchamber, an ignition element having a tip received in the subchamber, and a main fuel injector extending through the housing and having a tip communicating with the cavity at a location spaced apart from the insert.

A flow limiter for a fuel system is provided. The flow limiter includes a self-contained portion that enables testing of the flow limiter prior to assembly into a fuel system. A housing of the flow limiter is arranged to provide reduced or no pressure differential across a wall of the housing, permitting the housing to be reduced in size and thickness and providing improved consistency of operation.

A fastening structure of a fuel delivery pipe and a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine includes three or more bosses provided on each of the cylinder head and the fuel delivery pipe, and fastening portions formed by bolting the bosses on the cylinder head to the bosses on the fuel delivery pipe. The fastening portions at both end portions of the fuel delivery pipe are less rigid than one or more fastening portions in a middle between the fastening portions positioned at both end portions of the fuel delivery pipe.

Embodiments for an engine system are provided. One example internal combustion engine having at least one cylinder head and at least two cylinders, in which each cylinder has at least one inlet opening for the supply of combustion air into the cylinder, comprises an intake line leading to each inlet opening, an overall intake line where the intake lines of at least two cylinders merge, such that a distributor junction point is formed, and a heating device arranged in the overall intake line which has at least one strip-like heating element, a first narrow side of a cross section of which faces toward intake combustion air flow, wherein the heating device is arranged adjacent to the distributor junction point at which the intake lines merge to form the overall intake line, a spacing between the heating device and the distributor junction point being smaller than the diameter of a cylinder.

A method for controlling combustion in an engine is provided. The method comprises under a first condition, adjusting an EGR amount of a total cylinder charge in response to engine out NOx levels being below a first threshold. In this way, NOx levels may be used as feedback to control combustion stability.

A variable valve operating apparatus for an internal combustion engine includes a drive camshaft, and a driven cam lobe that is rotatably supported by the drive camshaft. The variable valve operating apparatus further includes a control sleeve that has a raceway surface, a center of which is eccentric with respect to a center of rotation of its own. The variable valve operating apparatus further includes a link mechanism that is connected to each of the drive camshaft and the driven cam lobe and has a control roller which is in contact with the raceway surface. The variable valve operating apparatus further includes an actuator that drives the control sleeve. The variable valve operating apparatus further includes a control amount of the actuator is controlled to change a moving amount of the raceway surface in the above described plane direction in accordance with an operation condition of an internal combustion engine.

A hysteresis device assembly comprises a first spacer plate, a second spacer plate, a stack plate, and a hub. The hub engages the second spacer plate. The hysteresis device assembly further comprises a tabbed washer comprising a tab. The tab engages the first spacer plate and the stack plate.

An internal combustion engine which can be miniaturized, even where it includes an oil filter between a hydraulic clutch and an oil pump, without significantly increasing the length of an oil passage for the hydraulic clutch, the oil pump and a hydraulic pressure adjustment apparatus. A second oil filter is provided on an oil pan at a lower portion of the internal combustion engine so as to be disposed at a position at which the second oil filter does not overlap with any of a controlling oil pump and a hydraulic pressure adjustment apparatus as viewed in side elevation and which is lower than those of the oil pump and the hydraulic pressure adjustment apparatus.

The present invention relates to a combustion device 100 for burning refractory hazardous gases and a burning method for the combustion device. More particularly, the combustion device 110 for burning refractory hazardous gases, which is provided in a scrubber system 1 for burning waste gases, the combustion device 110 includes: a first porous body 141; a second porous body 142; and an igniter for forming a flame surface 143 at the interior of the combustion device 110, wherein the flame surface 143 formed by the igniter is located between the first porous body 141 and the second porous body 142, and so as to form the flame surface 143, at least one of the first porous body 141 and the second porous body 142 is moved to conduct excess enthalpy combustion.

The hydrogen combustion catalyst includes a catalyst metal supported on a carrier made of an inorganic oxide, wherein: a functional group having at least one alkyl group with three or less carbon atoms is bonded to a terminal of a hydroxyl group on the carrier surface by substitution; platinum and palladium are supported as the catalyst metal; and a chlorine content is 300 ppm to 2,000 ppm per 1 mass % of the total supported amount of a supported amount of platinum and a supported amount of palladium. The total supported amount of platinum and palladium is preferably 0.1 to 5.0 mass % based on mass of a whole catalyst. In the hydrogen combustion catalyst according to the present invention, when treating a gas that contains iodine and hydrogen, catalyst poisoning by iodine is suppressed.

Methods, devices, and systems for combustion resonance suppression are described herein. One device includes a memory, and a processor configured to execute executable instructions stored in the memory to receive a number of operating conditions of a burner, determine whether resonance characteristics are present in a combustion chamber housing the burner based on the number of operating conditions of the burner, and modify at least one of an air supply and a fuel supply to the burner upon determining resonance characteristics are present in the combustion chamber.

A flame powered intermittent pilot combustion controller may include a first power source and a second power source separate from the first power source, a thermal electric and/or photoelectric device, an igniter and a controller. The thermal electric and/or photoelectric device may charge the first power source when exposed to a flame. The controller and the igniter may receive power from the first power source when the first power source has sufficient available power, and may receive power from the second power source when the first power source does not have sufficient available power.

An charge element disposed proximate to a combustion reaction is caused to carry a voltage while also being prevented from arc-discharging or arc-charging to or from the combustion reaction, by a current limiting element in electrical continuity with the charge element.

This invention relates to a burner (1) for burning a suspension of solid fuel in oxygen containing gas. A portion of the suspension is passed through a first conduit (10) which contains a bluff body (12) and helical vanes to impart turbulence and swirl to the suspension. A further portion of the suspension is passed through a second conduit (40) which is coaxial with the first conduit. Means for varying the relative sizes of each portion are provided. The arrangement allows improved fuel/air mixing, flame shape, heat transfer and control of NOx emissions.

Techniques for controlling a solid fuel combustion appliance, e.g., a wood burning stove, are disclosed. A control system measures an exhaust gas temperature of airflow through an outlet of the solid fuel combustion appliance. The control system determines a derivative of the exhaust gas temperature with respect to time. The derivative of the exhaust gas temperature with respect to time is compared to a predetermined threshold. The control system modulates the inlet damper in response to determining that the derivative of the exhaust gas temperature with respect to time reaches the predetermined threshold.

A method directs fuel-oxidant premix into a reaction zone through a first total premix inlet flow area, and causes the premix to combust and form a stable flame projecting into a process chamber through an outlet from the reaction zone. At a time when the process chamber has a temperature at or above an auto-ignition temperature of the fuel, the flame is blown off to initiate diffuse combustion in the process chamber without a stable flame. The flame is blown off by directing the premix into the reaction zone through a second total premix inlet flow area greater than the first total premix inlet flow area.

Described is a device (11) for controlling the combustion of a burner (1), comprising: •first means (12) for measuring the fuel flow rate (Vg); •second means 13 for measuring the flow rate of the comburent (Va) •first operator means (14) for controlling the opening of an inlet valve (5) as a function of the quantity of fuel to be supplied to the burner (1); •second operator means (15) for controlling the comburent flow regulator means (8) as a function of the quantity of comburent to be supplied to the burner (1); According to this invention, the device (11) comprises a unit (16) for controlling the first operator means (14) and the second operator means (15) as a function of the values measured by the first measuring means (12) and by the second measuring means (13).