US2961171A - Nozzle - Google Patents

Description

1950 B. R. WALSH 2,961,171

NOZZLE Filed Dec. 24, 1958 IN V EN TOR.

BRUCE R. WALSH ATTORNEY United NOZZLE Filed Dec. 24, 1958, Ser. No. 782,917

6 Claims. (Cl. 239-465) The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in high-pressure, gun-type burner nozzles, and more particularly pertains to a gun-type burner nozzle provided with a substantially spherical, swirl-imparting and distributing member with means to secure precise positioning and alignment thereof, together with a cooperating discharge orifice characterized by the stabilization of fuel fiow rate despite varying fuel viscosities.

The present invention is related to that disclosed in my similarly assigned application entitled Apparatus (Case A) filed concurrently with this application, and particularly in that the swirl stem and the associated air passageways disclosed therein or a conventional swirl stem can be employed in the nozzle of this invention, if desired, in lieu of the sphere-like distributing and swirling means hereinafter disclosed.

In general, the present invention is concerned with securing precise alignment of distributing elements that are at least spherical in part such as disclosed in US. Patent No. 2,07l,920 to Czarnecki to realize a symmetrical vortex of fuel flow in the swirl chamber and to make the rate of fuel fiow by the distributing element less susceptible to changes in fuel viscosity. The invention is also concerned with discharging the symmetrical vortex of fuel flow in the swirl chamber as a symmetrical conical spray pattern at a rate relatively unafiected by the viscosity of the fuel. Also, the invention is concerned with the provision of a nozzle of reduced susceptibility to coking, particularly in such critical locations as the discharge orifice and in the slots through which a swirling motion is imparted to the fuel.

Broadly, the invention involves the provision of a swirl chamber that has a fiat wall at the inlet end of the discharge orifice, with the discharge orifice including a cylindrical section of a length not greater than its diameter that defines a sharp-edged right angle with the fiat wall of the swirl chamber. Another aspect of the invention includes means for mounting a distributing member having a spherical surface in exact alignment and engagement with the tapered internal surface of the nozzle body. Such mounting means includes provision for permitting sufficient transverse freedom for the distributing member so that the latter can seat properly while preventing rotation of such member about any axis transverse to the central axis of the nozzle.

The invention will be best understood 'upon reference to the accompanying drawings illustrative of preferred embodiments thereof, wherein Figure 1 is a fragmentary side view of the gun-type nozzle, with the nozzle body being shown in central section, and wherein Figure 2 is an enlarged detail view partly in section of a modified mounting means for the distributing member.

Referring to Figure l, the numeral designates a hollow nozzle body externally threaded at 12 for threaded connection to a fuel supply conduit 14.

The nozzle body 16 is provided with an internal frustoconical surface 16 against which is seated a distributing member 18 establishing a line of contact 19 between the rates Patent member 18 and the nozzle body 10. The member 18 is spaced from the nozzle body 10 and the internal configuration of the nozzle body 10 is such that a swirl chamber 20, preferably of cylindrical configuration, is defined. The end of the swirl chamber 20 remote from the member 18 is defined by a flat wall 22 normal to the central axis of the nozzle body 10.

A discharge orifice 24 is provided for the swirl chamber 20. The discharge orifice 24 includes a cylindrical section 26 that is coincident at its inlet end with the fiat wall 22 to define a sharp-edged right angle 28. The cylindrical section 26 of the discharge orifice has an axial length that is not greater and preferably less than its diameter.

The distributing member 18 presents a spherical surface toward the swirl chamber 2il, and such spherical surface extends rearwardly from the swirl chamber 20 for a substantial interval beyond the line of contact 19 to such an extent that the spherical surface constitutes at least about a hemispherical surface and can be to such an extent as to constitute the major portion of an entire spherical surface.

Mounting means are provided for the distributing member 18 such as to assure a line of contact, indicated at 19, seating of the member 18, and to prevent rotation of the member 18 about any axis transverse to the central axis of the nozzle body 143. Such means comprises an insert element 32 screwed, as at 54, into the nozzle body 10. The insert element 32 is provided with a kerf 36 for tool use in screwing the insert element into the nozzle body 10. Also, the insert element 32 is provided with a central blind bore 38 that communicates with a transverse opening 40 so that fuel can pass through the insert element 32 from the conduit 14 to the member 18. The end of the distributing member 18 remote from the swirl chamber 20 terminates in a fiat surface 42 that engages a flat end of a stud 44 forming a part of the insert element 32, with such engagement being only on a plane normal to the central axis of the nozzle body 10.

The distributing member 18 is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced swirl slots 46 that extend across the line of contact 19 which are inclined thereto as clearly shown in the drawing. In lieu of the slots 46 being provided in the member 13, slots corresponding thereto can be provided in the nozzle body to extend across the line of contact in inclined relation thereto. This is illustrated in Figure 3 wherein slots 70 are provided in the nozzle body to extend across the line of contact between the member 72 and the nozzle body 74 in inclined relation thereto.

The operation of the nozzle shown in Figure 1 will be easily understood. Fuel is introduced into the interior of the nozzle body 10 under pressure from the conduit 14 through the blind bore 38 and the tranverse opening 46. The fuel so introduced enters the swirl chamber 20 at a high velocity through the swirl slots 46 with a swirling motion, thence passing from the swirl chamber through the discharge orifice 24 as a conical spray.

The nature of the engagement of insert element 32 with the member 18 allows precise seating of the member 18 against the frusto-conical surface 16, and leakage of fuel between the frusto-conical surface and the member 18 other than through the slots 46 is avoided. The engagement of the insert element 32 with the member 18 allows transverse movement of the member 18 so that precise seating thereof is realized even with slightly imperfect alignment of the insert element 32. This is important as machining of parts capable of perfect alignment of an insert member is a goal difiicult of consistent achievement. Leakage of fuel due to improper seating is conducive to coking and can also impair the spray by unbalancing the swirling action given the fuel in the swirl chamber 20.

Since the fuel is constricted to flow essentially solely in the slots 46 for a very short distance in the immediate vicinity of the line of contact 19, the rate of fuel flow is relatively unaffected by changes in fuel viscosity as compared to lengthy slots in which fuel is constrained to how. Also, such reduced length of constricted flow lessens the likelihood of coking obstructing the flow of fuel in the slots 46. V

The sharp-edged right angle 28 defined between the flat surface 22 and the cylindrical section 26 of the discharge orifice 24 coupled with the length of the cylindrical section 26 being less than its diameter is very important in the operation of the nozzle in that a venturi-shaped flow will take place in such cylindrical section 26 such that viscous contact of the fuel with the sides of the cylindrical section 26 is substantially reduced, whereby the rate of fuel discharge therethrough is to a substantially corresponding extent unaffected by fuel viscosity. Also, such lack of viscous contact of the fuel with the sides of the cylindrical section 26 minimizes the likelihood of coking in such section 26 as well as minimizing the deleterious effects of any coking that might occur therein.

In Figure 2, there is illustrated a modified structure for assuring proper seating of the distributing member 18.

'Thenumeral t} designates a substantially spherical distributing member that corresponds to the member 18 of Figure 1. The member 50 is provided with slots 52 that correspond to the slots 46 of Figure l. The numeral 54 designates an insert element that corresponds to the element 32 of Figure l, and in a similar manner the insert element 54 includes a stud 56. The stud 56 terminates in a centrally positioned frusto-conical tip 58 that is received in a frusto-conical recess 60 provided in the distributing member 56. As shown, the transverse dimensions of the recess 66 are greater than the transverse dimensions of the tip 58, so that a limited lateral freedom for the member 50 relative to the tip 58 is permitted. Preferably, the tip 58 has a length sufficient to seat against the bottom of the recess 60 and, in order to insure lateral freedom, such contacting is only over a surface whose plane is normal to the central axis of the nozzle body. If desired, the flat surface 62 of the stud 56 can contact the member 50 about the base of the tip 58.

The illustrated embodiments of the invention are susceptible to numerous variations without departing from the spirit ofthe invention. As examples of minor departures of such character is tapering the interior of the nozzle body to only approximate illustrated frusto-conical surface 16; giving the swirl chamber 20 a frusto-conical configuration while preserving the fiat wall 22 rather than the illustrated generally cylindrical configuration; and lapping the member 18 with the nozzle body to slightly widen the line of contact 19. Obviously, the nozzle body 10 need not be an integral body, but of joined component parts. Accordingly, attention is directed to the appended claims in order to ascertain the actual scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a gun-type burner'nozzle, apparatus comprising a hollow nozzle body having a central axis, the interior of the nozzle body having a generally frustoconical surface adjacent to and tapered toward one end of the nozzle body, a distributing member disposed within the nozzle body and seated against the internal frusto-conical surface of the nozzlebody, means defining slots intermediate the seated portions of the distributing member and the nozzle.

body for imparting a swirling motion to fuel passing through the slots toward said one end of the nozzle body, said distributing member being spaced from said oneend of the nozzle body to define a swirl chamber symmetrical about the central axis for receiving swirling fuel from the slots, said nozzle body having a flat internal surface normal to the central axis defining the end of the swirl chamber remotefrom said distributing member, and said nozzle body having an axial discharge orifice in said one end thereof that communicates with the swirl chamber, said discharge orifice including at least in part a section of cylindrical configuration having one end coincident with said flat surface to define a sharp-edged right angle at the intersection of the discharge orifice with the swirl chamber, said cylindrical section of the discharge orifice having an axial length not greater than the diameter thereof.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein the swirl chamber has a cylindrical configuration adjacent the discharge orifice.

3. In a gun-type burner nozzle, apparatus comprising a hollow nozzle body having a central axis, the interior of the nozzle body having a generally frusto-conical surface adjacent to and tapered toward one end of the nozzle body, a member disposed within the nozzle body having at least in part a spherical configuration, said member presenting a spherical surface toward said one end of the nozzle body, means for positioning and also holding the member so that the spherical surface thereof is seated by substantially a line of contact against the internal frustoconical surface of the nozzle body, means for preventing rotation of the member about any axis inclined to the central axis, said member having a plurality of slots therein that are circumferentially spaced along said line of contact with such slots being inclined to and extending across said line of contact, said member being spaced from said one end of the nozzle body to define a swirl chamber symmetrical about the central axis, said nozzle body having a fiat internal surface normal to the central axis defining the end of the swirl chamber remote from said member, and said nozzle body having an axial discharge orifice in said one end thereof that communicates with the swirl chamber, said discharge orifice including at least in part a section of cylindrical configuration having one end coincident with said fiat surface to define a sharp-edged right angle at the intersection of the discharge orifice with the swirl chamber, said cylindrical section of the discharge orifice having an axial length not greater than the diameter thereof.

4. The combination of claim 3, wherein said means for positioning and holding'said member includes an insert element threaded in the nozzle body, said insert element carrying a stud that extends toward said member, said means for preventing rotation including said member and the stud having only flat surfaces in engagement on a plane normal to the central axis.

5. In a gun-type burner nozzle, apparatus comprising a hollow nozzle body having a central axis, the interior of the nozzle body having a generally frusto-conical surface adjacent to and tapered toward one end of the nozzle body, a member disposed within the nozzle body having in part a spherical configuration, said member presenting a spherical surface toward said one end of the nozzle body, the spherical surface of said member engaging the internal frusto-conical surface of the nozzle body upon substantially a line of contact, said member having a plurality of slots therein that are circumferentially spaced along said line of contact with such slots being inclined to and extending across said line of contact, said member being spaced from said one end of the nozzle body to define a swirl chamber symmetrical about the central axis, said nozzle body having an axial discharge orifice in said one end thereof that communicates with the swirl chamber, and an insert element threaded in the nozzle body, said insert element carrying a stud that extends toward said member, said stud having a flat surface, said memher having a corresponding flat surface, the only surfaces of contact between said stud and said member being the flat surfaces on a plane normal to the central axis whereby said member can move laterally with respect to said stud during positioning.

6. In a gun-type burner nozzle, apparatus comprising a hollow nozzle body having a central axis, the interior of the nozzle body having a generally frusto-conical surface adjacent to and tapered toward one end of the nozzle body, a member disposed within the nozzle body having in part a spherical configuration, said member presenting a spherical surface toward said one end of the nozzle body, the spherical surface of said member engaging the internal frusto-conical surface of the nozzle body upon substantially a line of contact, the internal frusto-conical surface of the nozzle body having a plurality of slots therein that are circumferentially spaced along said line of contact with such slots being inclined to and extended across said line of contact, said member being spaced from said one end of the nozzle body to define a swirl chamber symmetrical about the central axis, said nozzle body having an axial discharge orifice insaid one end thereof that communicates with the swirl chamber, and an insert element threaded in the nozzle body, said insert element carrying a stud that extends toward said mem her, said stud having a fiat surface, said member having a corresponding fiat surface, the only surfaces of contact between said stud and said member being the flat surfaces on a plane normal to the central axis whereby said member can move laterally with respect to said stud during positioning.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNiTED STATES IATENTS 1,259,052 Starr Mar. 12, 1918 2,071,920 Czarnecki Feb. 23, 1937 2,107,601 Davis Feb. 8, 1938 2,562,731 Murphy July 31, 1951 2,566,532 Olson Sept. 4, 1951 2,607,193 Berggren Aug. 19, 1952

Images