Appeal No. 2000-01345
Application 09/097,176
hot combustion gases at a temperature high
enough even for combustion of methane at
ambient combustor inlet air temperatures
yet at a temperature well below the
adiabatic combustion temperature thus
allowing burner outlet temperatures high
enough for modern gas turbines. . . . In
operation of a burner of the present
invention, a fuel-air mixture is passed
into contact with a catalytic element for
reaction thereon. The resulting reacted
admixture is then admixed with the fresh
fuel and air passing into the combustor
thus enhancing reactivity and enabling
stable combustion even with very lean fuel-
air admixtures of 0.2 or even 0.1
equivalence ratio [column 2, lines 9
through 29].
Pfefferle states that such combustors are particularly
suited for use as pilot burners (see column 3, lines 19
through 23). Figure 1 illustrates an exemplary embodiment
wherein
fuel and air are passed into contact with a radial
flow mesolith catalyst 11 mounted within swirler 12
such that reacted gases from catalyst 11 are
directed into admixture with the fuel and air
passing though swirler 12 whereby the combustion
effluent from catalyst 11 enhances efficient gas
phase combustion of very lean fuel-air mixtures in
reaction zone 14. . . . Recirculating combustion
gases (shown by the arrows) maintains [sic] an
effective catalyst temperature at low combustor
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