초록

A combustion system such as a furnace or boiler includes a non-planar perforated flame holder configured to hold a combustion reaction.

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1. A non-planar perforated flame holder, comprising: an input face configured to receive a fuel-air mixture;an output face configured to emit products of a combustion reaction of the fuel-air mixture; anda non-planar flame holder body having a plurality of perforations extending from the input face

1. A non-planar perforated flame holder, comprising: an input face configured to receive a fuel-air mixture;an output face configured to emit products of a combustion reaction of the fuel-air mixture; anda non-planar flame holder body having a plurality of perforations extending from the input face to the output face and collectively configured to promote the combustion reaction of the fuel-air mixture within the perforations;wherein when the non-planar perforated flame holder is operably positioned a distance from a fuel nozzle, a central area of the non-planar flame holder body is configured to be further displaced from the fuel nozzle than a perimeter area of the non-planar flame holder body to equalize tensile load through the non-planar flame holder body. 2. The non-planar perforated flame holder of claim 1, wherein the non-planar flame holder body is arcuate. 3. The non-planar perforated flame holder of claim 2, wherein the non-planar flame holder body is a catenary arch. 4. The non-planar perforated flame holder of claim 2, wherein the non-planar flame holder body is parabolic. 5. The non-planar perforated flame holder of claim 2, wherein the non-planar flame holder body is rotationally symmetric. 6. The non-planar perforated flame holder of claim 1, wherein the non-planar flame holder body is a stepped arch. 7. The non-planar perforated flame holder of claim 1, wherein the input face is non-planar and is configured to equalize flow of the fuel-air mixture into the plurality of perforations. 8. The non-planar perforated flame holder of claim 1, wherein the non-planar flame holder body is arcuate and includes a departure angle that is at least 15 degrees, wherein the departure angle defines an angular displacement of an end of the non-planar flame holder body from a center of the non-planar flame holder body, wherein the departure angle is measured from a plane that is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the center of the non-planar flame holder body. 9. The non-planar perforated flame holder of claim 8, wherein the non-planar flame holder body is arcuate and includes a departure angle that is at least 30 degrees. 10. The non-planar perforated flame holder of claim 8, wherein the non-planar flame holder body is arcuate and includes a departure angle that is at least 45 degrees. 11. The non-planar perforated flame holder of claim 1, wherein the non-planar flame holder body is a single continuous unit. 12. The non-planar perforated flame holder of claim 1, wherein the non-planar flame holder body includes a plurality of sections that are coupled together to operate as a singular unit. 13. The non-planar perforated flame holder of claim 12, wherein the plurality of sections are coupled together with adhesive. 14. The non-planar perforated flame holder of claim 12, wherein the plurality of sections are held in place with pure compression. 15. The non-planar perforated flame holder of claim 12, wherein the plurality of sections are tiles that include at least one of a ceramic material and a cementatious material. 16. The non-planar perforated flame holder of claim 12, wherein the plurality of sections are cubical, rectangular, triangular, hexagonal, otherwise polygonal, or asymmetric so that the sections naturally fit closely together. 17. The non-planar perforated flame holder of claim 1, wherein the non-planar flame holder body is formed from a ceramic material. 18. The non-planar perforated flame holder of claim 1, wherein the non-planar flame holder body is formed from a cementatious material. 19. The non-planar perforated flame holder of claim 1, wherein the input face is concavely arched to increase view factors between the plurality of perforations to enable thermal radiation exchange between the plurality of perforations. 20. The non-planar perforated flame holder of claim 19, wherein enabling thermal radiation exchange between the plurality of perforations in the input face facilitates maintenance of an operating temperature of the non-planar perforated flame holder. 21. The non-planar perforated flame holder of claim 1, wherein the output face is concavely arched to enable thermal radiation exchange between the plurality of perforations. 22. The non-planar perforated flame holder of claim 21, wherein enabling thermal radiation exchange between the plurality of perforations in the output face facilitates maintenance of an operating temperature of the non-planar perforated flame holder. 23. The non-planar perforated flame holder of claim 1, wherein the output face is convexly arched to facilitate thermal radiation of one or more fluid systems that are positioned proximate to a periphery of the non-planar flame holder body. 24. The non-planar perforated flame holder of claim 1, wherein the input face is configured to receive the fuel-air mixture from a position external to all chords defined by the input face. 25. The non-planar perforated flame holder of claim 24, wherein at least one of the perforations is configured to receive the fuel-air mixture with a trajectory substantially parallel to at least one sidewall of the at least one of the perforations. 26. A combustion system, comprising: a fuel and oxidant source configured to output a fuel and oxidant mixture; anda non-planar perforated flame holder positioned downstream from the fuel and oxidant source to receive the fuel and oxidant mixture and configured to hold a combustion reaction supported by the fuel and oxidant mixture, the non-planar perforated flame holder, including: a non-planar input face configured to receive the fuel and oxidant mixture;an output face configured to output products of a combustion reaction of the fuel and oxidant mixture; anda perforated flame holder body defining a plurality of perforations extending from the input face to the output face, the perforations being collectively configured to hold the combustion reaction;wherein when the non-planar perforated flame holder is operably positioned a distance from the fuel and oxidant source, a central area of the perforated flame holder body is configured to be further displaced from the fuel and oxidant source than a perimeter area of the perforated flame holder body to reduce variation of a flow rate of the fuel and oxidant mixture across the input face. 27. The combustion system of claim 26, wherein the combustion system is a portion of a boiler system. 28. The combustion system of claim 26, wherein the non-planar input face is configured to equalize flow of the fuel and oxidant mixture into the plurality of perforations. 29. The combustion system of claim 26, wherein the perforated flame holder body is arcuate. 30. The combustion system of claim 29, wherein the perforated flame holder body is a catenary arch. 31. The combustion system of claim 29, wherein the perforated flame holder body is parabolic. 32. The combustion system of claim 29, wherein the perforated flame holder body is rotationally symmetric. 33. The combustion system of claim 29, wherein the perforated flame holder body is a stepped arch. 34. The combustion system of claim 26, wherein the perforated flame holder body is non-planar to equalize tensile load. 35. The combustion system of claim 26, wherein the perforated flame holder body is arcuate and includes a departure angle that is at least 15 degrees, wherein the departure angle defines an angular displacement of an end of the perforated flame holder body from a center of the perforated flame holder body, wherein the departure angle is measured from a plane that is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the center of the perforated flame holder body. 36. The combustion system of claim 35, wherein the perforated flame holder body is arcuate and includes a departure angle that is at least 30 degrees. 37. The combustion system of claim 35, wherein the perforated flame holder body is arcuate and includes a departure angle that is at least 45 degrees. 38. The combustion system of claim 26, wherein the perforated flame holder body includes a plurality of sections that are coupled together to operate as a singular unit. 39. The combustion system of claim 38, wherein the plurality of sections are coupled together with adhesive. 40. The combustion system of claim 38, wherein the plurality of sections are held in place with pure compression. 41. The combustion system of claim 38, wherein the plurality of sections are tiles that include at least one of a ceramic material and a cementatious material. 42. The combustion system of claim 38, wherein the plurality of sections are cubical, rectangular, triangular, hexagonal, otherwise polygonal, or asymmetric so that the sections naturally fit closely together. 43. The combustion system of claim 26, wherein the perforated flame holder body is formed from a ceramic material or cementatious material. 44. The combustion system of claim 26, wherein the input face is concavely arched to increase view factors between the plurality of perforations to enable thermal radiation exchange between the plurality of perforations. 45. The combustion system of claim 44, wherein enabling thermal radiation exchange between the plurality of perforations in the input face facilitates maintenance of an operating temperature of the non-planar perforated flame holder. 46. The combustion system of claim 26, wherein the output face is concavely arched to enable thermal radiation exchange between the plurality of perforations. 47. The combustion system of claim 46, wherein enabling thermal radiation exchange between the plurality of perforations in the output face facilitates maintenance of an operating temperature of the non-planar perforated flame holder. 48. The combustion system of claim 26, wherein the output face is convexly arched to facilitate thermal radiation of one or more fluid systems that are positioned proximate to a periphery of the perforated flame holder body. 49. The combustion system of claim 26, wherein the fuel and oxidant source includes a fuel nozzle configured to output a fuel stream toward the perforated flame holder and to mix with the oxidant to form the fuel and oxidant mixture. 50. The combustion system of claim 49, wherein one or more of the perforations extend in a direction parallel to the fuel stream. 51. A method of operating a combustion system, comprising: outputting fuel from a nozzle to generate a fuel-air mixture;receiving the fuel-air mixture with a non-planar perforated flame holder, wherein the non-planar perforated flame holder includes a plurality of perforations that extend from an input face to an output face of the non-planar perforated flame holder; andsustaining a combustion reaction of the fuel-air mixture substantially within the plurality of perforations;wherein sustaining the combustion reaction further includes:maintaining an operating temperature of the non-planar perforated flame holder by recycling thermal radiation in between at least some of the plurality of perforations of the input face, wherein the non-planar perforated flame holder recycles the thermal radiation with a concavely shaped input face that provides non-zero view factors between the plurality of perforations at the input face. 52. A method of operating a combustion system, comprising: outputting fuel from a nozzle to generate a fuel-air mixture;receiving the fuel-air mixture with a non-planar perforated flame holder, wherein the non-planar perforated flame holder includes a plurality of perforations that extend from an input face to an output face of the non-planar perforated flame holder; andsustaining a combustion reaction of the fuel-air mixture substantially within the plurality of perforations;wherein sustaining the combustion reaction includes:maintaining an operating temperature of the non-planar perforated flame holder by recycling thermal radiation in between at least some of the plurality of perforations at the output face, wherein the non-planar perforated flame holder recycles the thermal radiation with a concavely shaped output face that provides non-zero view factors between the plurality of perforations at the output face. 53. A method of operating a combustion system, comprising: outputting fuel from a nozzle to generate a fuel-air mixture;receiving the fuel-air mixture with a non-planar perforated flame holder, wherein the non-planar perforated flame holder includes a plurality of perforations that extend from an input face to an output face of the non-planar perforated flame holder; andsustaining a combustion reaction of the fuel-air mixture substantially within the plurality of perforations;heating one or more fluid systems positioned proximate to the non-planar perforated flame holder by directing thermal radiation from least some of the plurality of perforations on the output face to the one or more fluid systems, wherein the non-planar perforated flame holder directs the thermal radiation with a convexly shaped output face that provides non-zero view factors between at least some of the plurality of perforations and the one or more fluid systems. 54. A method of operating a combustion system, comprising: outputting fuel from a nozzle to generate a fuel-air mixture;receiving the fuel-air mixture with a non-planar perforated flame holder, wherein the non-planar perforated flame holder includes a plurality of perforations that extend from an input face to an output face of the non-planar perforated flame holder; andsustaining a combustion reaction of the fuel-air mixture substantially within the plurality of perforations;equalizing a flow rate of the fuel-air mixture at the input face of the non-planar perforated flame holder by positioning a central portion of the non-planar perforated flame holder at a greater distance away from the nozzle than a peripheral portion of the non-planar perforated flame holder with the input face having an arcuate shape. 55. The method of claim 54, wherein the arcuate shape includes at least one of a parabolic arch, a spherical arch, a stepped arch, and a catenary arch. 56. The method of claim 55, further comprising receiving the fuel-air mixture into at least one of the perforations with a trajectory substantially parallel to a sidewall of the at least one of the perforations.