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A transient heating burner including at least two burner elements each having a distribution nozzle configured to flow a fuel, and an annular nozzle surrounding the distribution nozzle and configured to flow an first oxidant, at least one staging nozzle configured to flow a second oxidant, and a con

A transient heating burner including at least two burner elements each having a distribution nozzle configured to flow a fuel, and an annular nozzle surrounding the distribution nozzle and configured to flow an first oxidant, at least one staging nozzle configured to flow a second oxidant, and a controller programmed to independently control the fuel flow to each distribution nozzle such that at least one of the distribution nozzles is active and at least one of the distribution nozzles is passive, wherein an active distribution nozzle fuel flow is greater than an average fuel flow to the distribution nozzles and a passive nozzle fuel flow is less than the average fuel flow, and to control a staging ratio to be less than or equal to about 75%.

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1. A transient heating burner comprising: at least two burner elements each comprising: a distribution nozzle configured to flow a fuel; andan annular nozzle surrounding the distribution nozzle and configured to flow a first oxidant;at least one staging nozzle configured to flow a second oxidant; an

1. A transient heating burner comprising: at least two burner elements each comprising: a distribution nozzle configured to flow a fuel; andan annular nozzle surrounding the distribution nozzle and configured to flow a first oxidant;at least one staging nozzle configured to flow a second oxidant; anda controller programmed: to independently control the fuel flow to each distribution nozzle such that at least one of the distribution nozzles is active and at least one of the distribution nozzles is passive, wherein fuel flow in an active distribution nozzle is greater than an average fuel flow to the distribution nozzles and fuel flow in a passive distribution nozzle is less than the average fuel flow to the distribution nozzles; andto control a staging ratio to be less than or equal to about 75%, wherein the staging ratio is the ratio of the oxygen contained in the second oxidant flow to the sum of the oxygen contained in the first and second oxidant flows. 2. The burner of claim 1, wherein the burner elements are spaced substantially evenly apart in a circumscribed circle; andwherein the staging nozzle is positioned within the circumscribed circle. 3. The burner of claim 2, wherein at least one of the burner elements is angled radially outward at an angle α from the circumscribed circle, wherein the angle α is less than or equal to about 60°. 4. The burner of claim 2, wherein at least one of the burner elements is angled tangentially at an angle β with respect to the circumscribed circle, wherein the angle β is less than or equal to about 60°. 5. The burner of claim 1, wherein the burner elements and the staging nozzle are positioned collinearly with each staging nozzle located equidistant between two burner elements. 6. The burner of claim 1, wherein the distribution nozzles and annular nozzles each have a cross-section with a minor axis and a major axis at least 1.5 times as long as the minor axis; andwherein at least two staging nozzles are positioned collinearly, and are adjacent to each burner element and substantially parallel to the major axes. 7. The burner of claim 1, wherein the staging nozzle has a cross-section with a minor axis and a major axis at least 1.5 times as long as the minor axis; andwherein at least two burner elements are positioned collinearly, and are adjacent to the staging nozzle and substantially parallel to the major axis. 8. The burner of claim 1, wherein the controller is programmed to control fuel flow to a passive distribution nozzle to be greater than zero and less than or equal to half the flow rate of an active distribution nozzle. 9. A method of operating a burner in a furnace, the burner having at least one staging nozzle and at least two burner elements each comprising a distribution nozzle surrounded by an annular nozzle, the method comprising: flowing oxidant at a staging flow rate through the staging nozzle;flowing oxidant at a primary oxidant flow rate through each of the annular nozzles;selecting at least one of the distribution nozzles to be active and at least one of the distribution nozzles to be passive;flowing fuel at an active jet flow rate through the active distribution nozzles; andflowing fuel at a passive jet flow rate through the passive distribution nozzles;wherein the active jet flow rate is greater than an average fuel flow rate through the distribution nozzles and the passive jet flow rate is less than the average fuel flow rate through the distribution nozzles. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein a staging ratio is the ratio of the oxygen contained in the oxidant flowing through the staging nozzle to the sum of the oxygen contained in the oxidant flowing through the staging nozzle and oxygen contained in the oxidant flowing through the annular nozzles, and wherein the staging ratio is less than or equal to about 40%. 11. The method of claim 9, wherein fuel exiting an active distribution nozzle has an active jet velocity and oxidant exiting the staging nozzle has a staging jet velocity; and wherein the ratio of the staging jet velocity to the active jet velocity to be at least about 0.05 and less than 1. 12. The method of claim 9, wherein the oxidant flowing through the annular nozzles has an oxygen concentration of equal to or greater than about 70%. 13. The method of claim 9, wherein the oxidant flowing through the staging nozzle has an oxygen concentration of equal to or greater than about 20.9%. 14. The method of claim 9, wherein the ratio of the active jet flow rate to the passive jet flow rate to be from about 5 to about 40. 15. The method of claim 9, wherein a burner element having a passive distribution nozzle has an equivalence ratio of from about 0.2 to about 1, wherein the equivalence ratio is the ratio of theoretical stoichiometric oxidant flow through the annular nozzle to actual oxidant flow through the annular nozzle to combust the fuel flowing through the distribution nozzle, and wherein a burner element having an active distribution nozzle has an equivalence ratio of from about 1 to about 10, wherein the equivalence ratio is the ratio of theoretical stoichiometric oxidant flow through the annular nozzle to actual oxidant flow through the annular nozzle to combust the fuel flowing through the distribution nozzle. 16. The burner of claim 1, further comprising a sensor configured to provide a signal to the controller; wherein the controller is programmed to control each distribution nozzle to be active or passive based on the signal;wherein the sensor is selected from the group consisting of temperature sensors, radiation sensors, optical sensors, cameras, color sensors, conductivity sensors, proximity sensors, and combinations thereof. 17. The method of claim 9, further comprising: sensing a parameter in the furnace;reselecting which distribution nozzles are active and which distribution nozzles are passive based on the sensed parameter; andperiodically repeating the sensing and reselecting steps.