HYDROGEN-POWERED COOKER BURNER

Abstract

A hydrogen powered cooker burner is provided, having an inlet duct for the hydrogen through a burner body connected to the inlet duct up to a flame spreader. A sealed fluidic hydrogen connection is made by a nozzle coupled to a nozzle holder. In an embodiment, the nozzle has a second thread opposite a first thread. The cooker burner has a tubular sealing tie rod provided with a thread and sealing surfaces. The tubular sealing tie rod is configured so that, while screwing, the sealing surfaces of the tubular sealing tie rod are forced against an element of the burner.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention concerns a cooker burner fueled by pure hydrogen, not mixed with other gases.

KNOWN PRIOR ART

Currently, burners operating with methane gas and LPG have an open portion between the nozzle and the burner body: this opening is appropriately created and used to let air enter the burner (intended as combustion) in order to be mixed with the gas injected by the injector while passing from the nozzle to the orifices in which the flame will be formed in the flame spreader.

Moreover, as is known, hydrogen has a high calorific value which is largely greater than the calorific value of natural gas gases and of those deriving from petroleum, such as methane and LPG for example.

Moreover, when considering the high flammability of hydrogen and its very high calorific value, it is thus necessary to ensure the seal of the gas circuit inside the burner, i.e. to ensure the tightness of the duct inside the burner, from the nozzle up to the orifices provided in the flame spreader, i.e. the place where the flame must be formed.

This such as to prevent the gas from possibly leaking out from the appropriate path and accumulating in the lower part of the cooktop or countertop.

The Chinese document CN 102 183 045 describes a burner which is connected to a hydrogen and oxygen generator such that the burner is independent and separate from external gas supply lines.

The generator's hydrogen and oxygen gas flow rates are controllable separately by means of an electronic control unit.

The hydrogen and oxygen generator has separate outlet channels from the generator for hydrogen and oxygen.

Oxygen is channeled towards a distribution chamber by means of a duct which is inside a larger duct inside which hydrogen is channeled.

In this known embodiment, the hydrogen channel, which goes from the generator to the inlet of the larger hydrogen duct, is simply welded to such inlet.

Object of the present invention is to provide a hydrogen-powered cooker burner which prevents the aforementioned technical problem, i.e. which prevents undesired hydrogen leaks, which could also be dangerous.

Further object of the invention is to obtain the aforesaid result in a practical and economic way.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

These and further objects are achieved by a cooker burner powered with pure hydrogen, comprising an inlet duct of the hydrogen through a burner body fluidically connected to said inlet duct up to a flame spreader, wherein a sealed fluidic hydrogen connection is made in the aforesaid burner by means of a nozzle coupled, preferably by means of at least one first threaded end thereof, to a component of the burner which operates as a support of the nozzle, said nozzle comprising a second threaded end and/or said component comprising an outer thread, wherein the aforesaid cooker burner provides a tubular sealing tie rod which is provided with a thread and sealing surfaces, and wherein the tubular sealing tie rod connects at least fluidically said nozzle with a fluidic passage element of the burner, the aforesaid tubular sealing tie rod being configured in such a way that, while being screwed to said nozzle or to said component, the sealing surfaces of the tubular sealing tie rod are forced against the aforesaid fluidic passage element of the burner.

An advantage of such embodiment is that the hydrogen path inside the cooker burner is completely sealed and leak-proof and prevents undesired leaks of the hydrogen itself.

A further important advantage of the present invention is that a burner appropriately designed to operate with natural gas or LPG can be transformed, whenever needed, into a burner operating with pure hydrogen by replacing the nozzle, the flame spreader and by using the tubular tie rod.

The importance of this aspect is further underlined in that, according to an aspect of the present invention, thanks to the use of the double-threaded nozzle, tubular tie rod and flame spreader with flame holes of appropriate cross-section—thus with holes different from those needed for methane and LPG—a cooking apparatus equipped with the existing methane or LPG burners can easily be converted to operate with pure hydrogen at a later time.

In this regard, the invention further comprises a kit for cooker burners, wherein the aforesaid burner comprises an inlet duct of gas through a burner body fluidically connected to said inlet duct up to a flame spreader, the aforesaid kit comprising a nozzle and a tubular sealing tie rod, wherein the nozzle has at least one first threaded end and wherein the tubular sealing tie rod is provided with a thread and sealing surfaces, wherein the first preferably threaded end of the nozzle is configured for being coupled to a nozzle holder and the thread of the tubular sealing tie rod is configured for being coupled to a second threaded end of the nozzle or to a component belonging to a cup of the burner in a way so that, while screwing, the sealing surfaces of the aforesaid tubular sealing tie rod are forced against a fluidic passage element of the burner.

It is emphasized that there currently are no burners on the market that can be transformed, by using a kit of components, from traditional methane gas or LPG burners into burners operating with pure hydrogen.

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention can be deduced from the dependent claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the reading of the following description provided by way of example and without limitations, with the aid of the figures depicted in the accompanying tables, in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a hydrogen-powered cooker burner, according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional side view of the burner of FIG. 1, denoting the hydrogen flowing from the inlet duct up to where the flame is formed;

FIG. 3 is an axonometric view of the burner of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an axonometric view of a nozzle belonging to the burner of FIG. 1, according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is an axonometric view of a tubular tie rod belonging to the burner of FIG. 1, according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of a hydrogen-powered cooker burner, according to a further embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a sectional side view of the burner of FIG. 6, denoting the hydrogen flowing from the inlet duct up to where the flame is formed;

FIG. 8 is an axonometric view of the burner of FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is an axonometric view of a nozzle belonging to the burner of FIG. 6, according to a further embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 10 is an axonometric view of the tubular tie rod belonging to the burner of FIG. 6, according to a further embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 11 is a sectional view of a hydrogen-powered cooker burner, according to yet another embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 12 is a sectional view of a detail of the burner of FIG. 11.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SOME EMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

First, with reference to FIG. 1, a hydrogen-powered cooker burner is visible in an exploded view and totally denoted by the numerical reference 10, according to a first embodiment of the invention.

The cooker burner 10 comprises an inlet duct 95 of the hydrogen for channeling the hydrogen through a body 40 of the burner 10 and successively to a flame spreader 20, in such a way that the body 40 and the flame spreader 20 of the burner 10 are fluidically connected to the inlet duct 95 of the hydrogen.

In particular, the body 40 of the burner 10 has a through hole 42 and is placed above a cooktop 50, which cooktop is also provided with a through hole 52.

The body 40 is fixed to the cooktop 50 by means of appropriate connecting means, for example fastening screws 49 which are inserted into respective through holes 55 of the cooktop 50.

The burner 10 further comprises a nozzle holder 90, i.e. a component of the burner 10 which operates as a support for a hydrogen nozzle 70, wherein the nozzle holder 90 has a lower portion provided with a seat for a nozzle 70 and an upper portion 60—fluidically separate from the seat for the nozzle 70—which is provided with a through hole 62 for the passage of the fuel. Such through hole 62 has sealing surfaces 66 which form at an enlarged portion 62′ of the same through hole 62 and whose function will be explained in more detail hereinafter in the present description.

The upper portion of the nozzle holder 90 further has an end 64 provided with threaded through holes 65, which are also adapted to accommodate the fastening screws 49 to allow to fasten the nozzle holder 90 to the lower surface of the cooktop 50.

Thus, by means of the fastening screws 49, the burner body 40 is fastened to the upper portion 60 of the nozzle holder 90 by interposing the cooktop 50.

The flame spreader 20 is positioned above the body 40 of the burner 10 in such a way that a distribution chamber 22 is formed between the body 40 of the burner 10 and the flame spreader 20.

In turn, the flame spreader 20 has a plurality of holes 24 for the flames, which holes are arranged corolla-like on the outer surface of the flame spreader 20.

It should be noted that the burner 10, as already known in the art, generally comprises a nozzle holder 90, i.e. a component designed to support at least one nozzle 70 for injecting fuel (hydrogen in this case) and which is arranged below the cooktop 50, an intermediate body 40 of the burner 1, which intermediate body is arranged above the cooktop 50 and connected to the nozzle holder 90, and finally an upper flame spreader 20 placed above the body 40.

As will become clear, in other embodiments however included in the present invention, the nozzle holder 90 can be replaced by a burner cup, which burner cup is still placed below the cooktop and provided with a support for at least one fuel nozzle, and the flame spreader 20, still placed on top, can be integrated with the intermediate body 40 and surmounted by an appropriate removable cover, or can be a component separate from the intermediate body 40 and also surmounted by a removable cover.

The hydrogen coming in through the inlet duct 95 of the burner 10 is thus channeled through the through hole 62 of the upper portion 60 of the nozzle holder 90, acting as a fluidic passage element of the fuel and the distribution chamber 22, up to the flame spreader 20.

The sealed fluidic connection of the hydrogen inside the burner 10 is perfected by means of the nozzle 70 (FIG. 4) which is couplable, in this first embodiment of the invention, to the nozzle holder 90, for example by screwing a first threaded end 72 of the aforesaid nozzle 70 into a nut screw 92 present on the nozzle holder 90.

As set forth previously, the nozzle holder 90 further has an upper portion 60 provided with a through hole 62, where the through hole 62 has sealing surfaces 66.

Moreover, the nozzle 70 has a second threaded end 74 opposite the first threaded end 72 along the axis and which is engaged with a corresponding thread 34 belonging to a tubular sealing tie rod 30.

In particular, in all embodiments of the invention described, the tubular sealing tie rod 30 is hollow and allows hydrogen to pass therein.

The thread of the second threaded end 74 of the nozzle 70 is preferably fine pitch.

The tubular sealing tie rod 30 (FIG. 5) has, among other things, sealing surfaces 36 generally jutting substantially radially with respect to the axial extent of the same tubular tie rod 30 and which are adapted to be engaged with the sealing surfaces 66 inside the through hole 62 of the upper portion 60 of the nozzle holder 90.

The sealing surfaces 36 of the tubular tie rod 30 are axially opposite said thread 34 and can be provided with one or more slots 37 to allow the rotation, and thus the screwing, of the same tubular tie rod 30 at its thread 34.

When mounting the burner 10 of FIGS. 1-5, the first threaded end 72 of the nozzle 70 is screwed into the nut screw 92 present on the nozzle holder 90.

Successively, the second portion 60 of the nozzle holder 90 is brought below the cooktop 50 and the body 40 of the burner 10 is leaned on the cooktop 50.

Thus, by means of the screws 49, the body 40 of the burner 10 and the upper portion 60 of the nozzle holder 90 are connected, by interposing the cooktop 50.

Finally, the tubular sealing tie rod 30 is inserted into the through hole 42 of the body 40 of the burner 10 and successively into the through hole 62 of the upper portion of the nozzle holder 90 until making the sealing surfaces 36 of the tubular tie rod 30 come into contact with the sealing surfaces 66 placed at the enlarged portion 62′ of the through hole 62.

At this point, by acting on the slit 37, the tubular tie rod 30 is screwed onto the first threaded end 72 of the nozzle 70. Such screwing causes the tubular sealing tie rod 30 to be forced against the sealing surfaces 66 of the enlarged portion 62′ of the through hole 62, thus creating a hydrogen-tight seal in that point.

Contemporaneously, further sealing surfaces, which perfect the leak-proof seal of the burner 10 of FIGS. 1-5, form in the points corresponding to the coupling between the first threaded end 72 of the nozzle 70 and the nut screw 92 of the nozzle holder 90 and to the coupling between the second threaded end 74 of the nozzle and the thread 34 of the tubular sealing tie rod 30.

It should be noted that the upper portion 60 of the component 90 (nozzle holder) supporting the nozzle 70 constitutes a fluidic passage element of the burner 10, which is separate from the same nozzle 70 and fluidically connected to the latter by means of the aforesaid tubular tie rod 30 (FIGS. 2 and 3).

FIGS. 6-10 depict a hydrogen-powered cooker burner 100, according to a further embodiment of the invention.

As in the previous case, the cooker burner 100 comprises an inlet duct 95 of the hydrogen for channeling the hydrogen through a body 40 of the burner 100 and successively to a flame spreader 20, in such a way that the body 40 and the flame spreader 20 of the burner 100 are fluidically connected to the inlet duct 95.

In particular, the body 40 of the burner 100 has a through hole 42 provided with sealing surfaces 46 and is placed above a cooktop 50, which cooktop is also provided with a through hole 52.

The body 40 is fastened to the cooktop 50, for example by inserting the lower portion of the body 40 into a hole 52 of the cooktop 50.

The burner 100 further comprises a nozzle holder 90, i.e. a component of the burner 100 which operates as a support for a nozzle 70, which has a nut screw 92.

A cup 80 of the burner 10 and which provides holes 82 for connecting the cup 80 by means of appropriate connecting means, for example fastening screws 49 which are inserted into respective through holes 55 of the cooktop 50, is further attached to the cooktop 50.

The flame spreader 20 is positioned above the body 40 of the burner 100 in such a way that a distribution chamber 22 is formed between the body 40 of the burner 100 and the flame spreader 20.

In turn, the flame spreader 20 has a plurality of holes 24 for the flames, which holes are arranged corolla-like on the outer surface of the flame spreader 20.

The hydrogen coming in through the inlet duct 95 of the burner 100 is thus channeled, through the hole 42 of the body 40 acting as a fluidic passage element of the fuel, up to the flame spreader 20.

The fluidic connection of the hydrogen inside the burner 100 is perfected by means of a nozzle 70 (FIG. 9) which is couplable to the nozzle holder 90, for example by screwing a first threaded end 72 of the aforesaid nozzle 70 into a nut screw 92 present on the nozzle holder 90.

Moreover, the nozzle 70 has a second threaded end 74 aligned in a position opposite the first threaded end 72 and which is engaged with a corresponding thread 34 belonging to a tubular sealing tie rod 30.

The tubular sealing tie rod (FIG. 5) has, among other things, sealing surfaces 36—jutting substantially in radial direction from the axial extent of the tubular tie rod 30—which are adapted to be engaged with the sealing surfaces 46 placed inside the body 40 of the burner 100 and arranged at the end axially opposite the one in which the thread 34 is formed.

The sealing surfaces 36 of the tubular tie rod 30 can be provided with one or more slots 37 to allow the screwing of the same tubular tie rod 30.

When mounting the burner 100 of FIGS. 6-10, the first threaded end 72 of the nozzle 70 is screwed into the nut screw 92 present on the nozzle holder 90 and the cup 80, where the nozzle holder 90 has already previously been mounted, is brought into contact with the cooktop 50 and the cup 80 is joined to the cooktop 50 by means of the screws 49.

At this point, the body 40 is positioned into the cup 80 and the tubular sealing tie rod 30 is inserted into the through hole 42 of the body 40 of the burner 100 until making the sealing surfaces 36 of the tubular tie rod 30 come into contact with the sealing surfaces 46 placed inside the body 40 of the burner 100.

At this point, by acting on the slit 37, the tubular tie rod 30 is screwed onto the first threaded end 72 of the nozzle 70.

Such screwing causes the tubular sealing tie rod 30 to be forced against the sealing surfaces 46 placed inside the body 40 of the burner 100, which body 40 constitutes a fluidic passage element of the burner 100 separate from the nozzle 70 and fluidically connected to the latter by means of the tubular sealing tie rod 30 (FIG. 7).

Contemporaneously, further sealing surfaces, which perfect the hydrogen-tight seal of the burner 100 of FIGS. 6-10, form in the points corresponding to the coupling between the first threaded end 72 of the nozzle 70 and the nut screw 92 of the nozzle holder 90 and to the coupling between the second threaded end 74 of the nozzle and the thread 34 of the tubular sealing tie rod 30.

According to an embodiment of the invention, a burner appropriately designed to operate with methane gas or LPG can be transformed, whenever needed, into a burner operating with pure hydrogen by replacing the nozzle, the flame spreader and by using the tubular tie rod.

In this regard, the invention further comprises a kit for adapting cooking burners 10, 100 operating with natural gas or LPG to operate with pure hydrogen.

The burners 10, 100 comprise an inlet duct 95 of gas through a burner body 40 fluidically connected to said inlet duct 95 up to a flame spreader 20.

The kit further comprises a nozzle 70 and a tubular sealing tie rod 30, wherein the nozzle 70 has a first threaded end 72 and possibly a second threaded end 74 opposite the first threaded end 72.

The tubular sealing tie rod 30 is provided with a thread 34 on an end thereof and with sealing surfaces 36 on its other end, wherein the first threaded end 74 of the nozzle 70 is configured for being coupled to a nozzle holder 90 and the second threaded end 74 of the nozzle 70 is configured for engaging with the thread 34 of the tubular sealing tie rod 30 such as, while screwing, the sealing surfaces 36 of the tubular sealing tie rod 30 are forced against a fluidic passage element of the burner 10 separate from the nozzle 70 to make a sealed fluidic connection of the burner 10, 100, which makes the latter adapted to be powered with pure hydrogen.

FIG. 11 is a sectional view of a hydrogen-powered cooker burner, according to yet a further embodiment of the invention, and FIG. 12 is a sectional view of a detail of the burner of FIG. 11.

In this further embodiment, the thread 34 of the tubular sealing tie rod 30 is engaged with a component 85 of the burner 200 which operates as a support of a hydrogen nozzle 70 and which preferably belongs, or is anyhow attached, to a cup 80 of the burner 200.

More in particular, the tubular sealing tie rod 30, similarly to the tubular tie rods of the embodiments described above, comprises a thread 34 at an axial end thereof and sealing surfaces 36 substantially jutting in radial direction at its other axial end.

The component 85, for example shaped like an annular sleeve of cylindrical extent, has an outer thread 89 in this embodiment.

The tubular tie rod 30 is thus shaped in such a way that its thread 34 is sealingly screwed onto the outer thread 89 of the component 85 and that, thanks to the aforesaid screwing, the sealing surfaces 36 of such tubular sealing tie rod 30 are forced against a fluidic passage element of the burner 200 separate from the nozzle 70, which is in this case constituted by the body 40 of the same burner 200.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 11 and 12, such component 85 is made in one piece with the cup 80 of the burner 200, thus constituting an inner ring-shaped component which, as mentioned, is provided with an outer thread 89 for engaging with the thread 34 of the tubular sealing tie rod 30 and which is further provided with an inner thread 87 for engaging with a first threaded end 72 of the nozzle 70.

In this case, the nozzle 70 has only one first threaded end 72.

A bushing 88 can further be provided inside the tubular tie rod 30, in order to increase the fluidic seal and mechanical strength of such tubular tie rod 30.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the nozzle 70 can be connected to the nozzle holder 90 of the burner 10 by means of a bayonet mount (not shown for simplicity).

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the nozzle 70 can be connected to the component 85, i.e. to the annular sleeve-shaped component of cylindrical extent of the burner 200, by means of a bayonet mount (not shown for simplicity).

Obviously, modifications or improvements that are dictated by contingent or particular reasons may be made to the invention as described, without thereby departing from the scope of the invention as claimed below.

Claims

1. A cooker burner fueled by pure hydrogen, comprising an inlet duct of the hydrogen through a burner body fluidically connected to said inlet duct up to a flame spreader, wherein a sealed fluidic hydrogen connection is made in the aforesaid burner by means of a nozzle coupled, optionally by means of a first threaded end thereof, to a component of the burner which operates as a support of the nozzle, said nozzle comprising a second threaded end and/or said component comprising an outer thread, wherein the aforesaid cooker burner provides a tubular sealing tie rod which is provided with a thread and sealing surfaces, and wherein the tubular sealing tie rod connects at least fluidically said nozzle with a fluidic passage element of the burner, the aforesaid tubular sealing tie rod being configured in such a way that, while being screwed to said nozzle or to said component, the sealing surfaces of the tubular sealing tie rod are forced against said fluidic passage element of the burner.

2. The cooker burner according to claim 1, wherein the thread of the tubular sealing tie rod is engaged with said second outer threaded end of the nozzle in such a way that, while screwing, the sealing surfaces of the aforesaid tubular sealing tie rod are forced against a fluidic passage element of the burner.

3. The cooker burner according to claim 1, wherein the thread of the tubular sealing tie rod is engaged with a component belonging to a cup of the burner, wherein said component is provided with said outer thread and operates as a support of the nozzle in such a way that, while being screwed with said component, the sealing surfaces of the aforesaid tubular sealing tie rod are forced against a fluidic passage element of the burner.

4. The cooker burner according to claim 3, wherein the component belonging to a cup of the burner and with which the thread of the tubular sealing tie rod is engaged, is a ring-shaped component inside the aforesaid cup of the burner, which ring-shaped component is provided with an outer thread for engaging with the thread of the tubular sealing tie rod and with an inner thread for engaging with a threaded end of the nozzle.

5. The cooker burner according to claim 1, wherein the component of the burner on which the nozzle is engaged is a nozzle holder.

6. The cooker burner according to claim 5, wherein the fluidic passage element against which the sealing surfaces of the aforesaid tubular sealing tie rod are forced, is an upper portion of the nozzle holder.

7. The cooker burner according to claim 5, wherein the upper portion of the nozzle holder is provided with a through hole having sealing surfaces forming at an enlarged portion of the aforesaid through hole and against which the sealing surfaces of the tubular sealing tie rod are forced by screwing the nozzle.

8. The cooker burner according to claim 1, wherein the element of the burner, against which the sealing surfaces of the aforesaid tubular sealing tie rod are forced, is the burner body.

9. The cooker burner according to claim 8, wherein the body of the burner has a through hole provided with sealing surfaces against which the sealing surfaces of the tubular sealing tie rod are forced by screwing the nozzle.

10. The cooker burner according to claim 1, wherein the thread of the second threaded end of the nozzle is of fine pitch.

11. The cooker burner according to claim 1, wherein the first threaded end of the nozzle can be screwed into a nut screw belonging to the nozzle holder such as to form further sealing surfaces.

12. The cooker burner according to claim 1, wherein further sealing surfaces are formed between the second threaded end of the nozzle and the thread of the tubular sealing tie rod.

13. A kit for cooker burners, wherein the aforesaid burner comprises an inlet duct f gas through a burner body fluidically connected to said inlet duct up to a flame spreader, the aforesaid kit comprising a nozzle and a tubular sealing tie rod, wherein the nozzle has a first threaded end and wherein the tubular sealing tie rod is provided with a thread and sealing surfaces, wherein the first threaded end of the nozzle is configured for being coupled to a nozzle holder and the thread of the tubular sealing tie rod is configured for being coupled to a second threaded end of the nozzle or to a component belonging to a cup of the burner in such a way that, while screwing, the sealing surfaces of the aforesaid tubular sealing tie rod are forced against an element of the burner.