US 10,006,635 B2Granted

Apparatus and a method of controlling the supply of fuel to a combustion chamber

AssigneesROLLS-ROYCE plc, Rolls-Royce Controls and Data Services Limited

InventorsMichael Whiteman, Luca Romeo, Yong Qin, Paul Thornton

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

Combustion chamber includes a primary stage fuel burner to supply fuel into a primary combustion zone and secondary stage fuel burner supplies fuel into a secondary combustion zone. A sensor is positioned downstream from combustion chamber measuring concentration of one or more compounds. The sensor sends measurements of the concentration of compounds to a processor. The processor compares the measured concentration of the compound with a first threshold value and a second threshold value. The processor supplies more fuel to the primary stage fuel burner if the measured concentration is higher than the first threshold value, supplies more fuel to the secondary stage fuel burner if the measured concentration is higher than the second threshold value, maintaining fuel supply to the primary and secondary stage fuel burners if the measured concentration is lower than the first threshold value and lower than the second threshold value.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A combustion chamber and an apparatus for controlling the supply of fuel to the combustion chamber, the combustion chamber comprising at least one primary stage fuel burner to supply fuel into a primary combustion zone of the combustion chamber, at least one secondary stage fuel burner to supply fuel into a secondary combustion zone of the combustion chamber, the apparatus comprising:

a processor;
at least one sensor positioned downstream of the combustion chamber, the at least one sensor being arranged to measure the concentration, or the concentration gradient, of one or more of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, unburned hydrocarbons, oxygen, water, nitrogen oxides, smoke, soot or particulate matter, the at least one sensor being arranged to send the measurement of the concentration or concentration gradient to the processor,
the processor being arranged to compare the measured concentration or concentration gradient with a first threshold value and a second threshold value,
the processor being arranged to supply more fuel to the at least one primary stage fuel burner if the measured concentration or concentration gradient is higher than the first threshold value,
the processor being arranged to supply more fuel to the at least one secondary stage fuel burner if the measured concentration or concentration gradient is higher than the second threshold value, and
the processor being arranged to maintain the supply of fuel to the at least one primary stage fuel burner and to the at least one secondary stage fuel burner if the measured concentration or concentration gradient is lower than the first threshold value and is lower than the second threshold value.

3 more elements

A method controlling the supply of fuel to a combustion chamber, the combustion chamber comprising at least one primary stage fuel burner to supply fuel into a primary combustion zone of the combustion chamber, at least one secondary stage fuel burner to supply fuel into a secondary combustion zone of the combustion chamber, the method comprising:

measuring the concentration, or the concentration gradient, of one or more of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, unburned hydrocarbons, oxygen, water, nitrogen oxides, smoke, soot and particulate matter at a position downstream of the combustion chamber,
comparing the measured concentration or concentration gradient with a first threshold value and a second threshold value,
supplying more fuel to the at least one primary stage fuel burner if the measured concentration or concentration gradient is higher than the first threshold value,
supplying more fuel to the at least one secondary stage fuel burner if the measured concentration or concentration gradient is higher than the second threshold value;
and
maintaining the supply of fuel to the at least one primary stage fuel burner and to the at least one secondary stage fuel burner if the measured concentration or concentration gradient is lower than the first threshold value and is lower than the second threshold value.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/483,787Filed 11 Sep 2014
Priority: GB 1317175.627 Sep 2013
Published: US 2015/0345791 A13 Dec 2015
Granted: 26 Jun 2018
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification15 codes

F23R 3/28
Continuous combustion chambers using liquid or gaseous fuel: characterised by the fuel supply
F02C 9/34
Characterised by throttling of fuel: joint control of separate flows to main and auxiliary burners
F23N 5/003
Systems for controlling combustion: using detectors sensitive to combustion gas properties
F23N 5/006
Using detectors sensitive to combustion gas properties: the detector being sensitive to oxygen