Posted by Rick on January 29, 2008, 7:42 pm, in reply to "Re: Dietz 39 burning characteristics (part 2) + adlake burners"
In my quest for the perfect flame, I have stumbled across something really cool. It is patentable. I hold five patents already, so the novelty for getting patents is no longer there. On top of that, the profitability of such a patent was 80 years ago... I am a bit to lateI think.
Soooo... I am going to release this into the public domain. Maybe Adlake and Woody K. can make use of this. If not, it is easy enough for anyone to do to any "drop-in" style railroad or deck lantern burner (Adlake 300, etc).
I will post some pictures in a few days, but here is what I realized.
The burner cone that was added to the drop-in burner was designed to keep the heat of the flame away from the wick tube after the switchover from "lard-ish oil" to kerosene.
The burner cone (Dietz "Convex burner", etc) sort of worked for it's intended use, so it was left as it was.
The original Dietz and Adlake kero burners were designed to accept a 7/8 inch wick. Thus, the burner cone was wide enough to accomodate that wide a wick. The lanterns were no doubt adjusted to burn close to maximum, and at that setting they no doubt worked reasonably well.
At some time the burners were modified to accept 5/8 wicks. I am guessing this was to reduce fuel consumption and extend operating time. They were probably still operated at full blast and, with proper fitting wicks the operation was probably "satisfactory".
Thinking about where they would have been used... on a construction site, a bright flame was probably a good thing and if is flickered a bit that may have been a plus for such use.
On "Dark Lanterns", the lamp was not turned down, but rather hidden with the dark shade.
It did not have to run at "idle" under either use.
If such a burner is run at reduced setting, and especially if such a burner has been "upgraded" to accept a 5/8" wick, there is an Oxygen buildup under the burner cone and the flame can drop below the cone to utilize this oxygen. The Oxygen is quickly consumed and the flame pops back up on top of the bruner cone where it is supposed to be.
This can happen a number of times a second, resulting in "flicker". With reduced flames, the excess oxygen is relatively larger, and the flicker is more exagerated.
The fuel to air mixture under these conditions is less than optimum, resulting in increased fuel consumption and increased globe sooting.
I found that by filling the space between the wick tube and the burner cone on either a Adlake 300 or a similar Dietz burner with "furnace cement" such that there is no draft or place for accumulation of oxygen under the burner cone, that the tendency to flicker is eliminated. The flame can be run from very small to maximum with no evidence of flicker at all. Other fillers (Silicon rubber for instance) would accomplish the same objective.
Fuel consumption is also reduced, and globe sooting is reduced as well.
The furnace cement, being a thermal insulator, accomplishes the same thing as the air space between the burner cone and the wick tube as far as keeping the heat away from the fuel. However, it reduced any source of oxygen that would allow the flame to travel under the burner cone and "flicker"
I will post a few pictures of modified burners in a few days. In the mean time, I claim this invention as mine and release it into the public domain for others to enjoy.
Happy lanterning
Richard A. Kominsky
Westfield, Massachusetts
Hampden County
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