Abstract

A biomass furnace (12) includes an auto-ignition system (28) for automatically resuming combustion of a biomass fuel (16) in response to sensed conditions. The auto- ignition system (28) raises the temperature of biomass fuel (16) in the combustion chamber (14), in the absence of flame or spark, by pumping superheated air into the combustion chamber (14) causing the fuel (16) to spontaneously combust. An auxiliary heat source (34) is located in a plenum (30) leading to the combustion chamber (14). A fan (32) forcibly moves air through the plenum (30), around the auxiliary heat source (34) and then into the combustion chamber (14) to initiate combustion in the absence of flame.

IPC Classes  ?

• F23Q 7/04 - Incandescent ignitionIgnition using electrically-produced heat, e.g. lighters for cigarettesElectrically-heated glowing plugs for igniting solid fuel with fans for transfer of heat to fuel
• F23Q 7/02 - Incandescent ignitionIgnition using electrically-produced heat, e.g. lighters for cigarettesElectrically-heated glowing plugs for igniting solid fuel
• F23B 40/00 - Combustion apparatus with driven means for feeding fuel into the combustion chamber
• F23B 50/00 - Combustion apparatus in which the fuel is fed into or through the combustion zone by gravity, e.g. from a fuel storage situated above the combustion zone
• F24B 13/00 - Details solely applicable to stoves or ranges burning solid fuels