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Abstract

In the present invention, we describe a simple ceramic gas burner for use in a cylindrical thermophotovoltaic generator in which the burner and IR emitter section consist of three concentric ceramic tubes, with the largest tube being the outer exhaust tube. Fuel and a small amount of primary air are injected from the bottom of the smallest tube and exit at the top of the infrared emitter section where they combine with secondary air coming down through a second ceramic tube with an intermediate diameter open at the bottom of the emitter section. Ignition is initiated at the bottom of this air injector tube. After ignition, combustion then moves up to the top of the fuel injector tube. The exhaust gases then pass down from the top of the emitter section inside the mid diameter tube to the bottom end of the emitter section and then back up between the mid diameter tube and the outer tube to the top of the emitter section. This double pass allows for both efficient heat transfer to the emitter and for a uniform heat transfer along the length of the emitter. This open ended tube design allows for a high conductance low pressure burner design using off-the-shelf ceramic tubing.

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