Ultraviolet flame sensor with programmable sensitivity offset
AssigneeHoneywell International Inc.
InventorsBrian Zabel, Chad Carty, Aaron Daniels
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A programmable controller for controlling an ultraviolet (UV) sensor may adjust an excitation voltage provided to the UV sensor based at least in part on a programmable sensitivity offset in order to produce an excitation voltage that results in a desired UV sensitivity for the UV sensor. The programmable sensitivity offset may be set for the UV sensor at the factory, set during commissioning of the UV sensor in the field, and/or automatically altered over time to help compensate for a degradation in sensitivity of the UV sensor.
Claims15
A programmable controller for controlling an ultraviolet (UV) sensor for use in a combustion appliance that is excited by an excitation voltage, wherein a UV sensitivity of the UV sensor is dependent on the excitation voltage, the programmable controller comprising:
- an excitation voltage generator configured to produce an adjustable excitation voltage for use by the UV sensor;
- a temperature sensor for sensing an environmental temperature in which the UV sensor is operating over time;
- a programmable sensitivity offset circuit for use in controlling the UV sensitivity of the UV sensor, the programmable sensitivity offset circuit operatively coupled to the temperature sensor and providing a programmable sensitivity offset for the UV sensor based at least in part on the environmental temperature sensed by the temperature sensor over time;
- a control circuit operatively coupled to the excitation voltage generator and the programmable sensitivity offset circuit, the control circuit configured to control the excitation voltage generator based at least in part on the programmable sensitivity offset provided by the programmable sensitivity offset circuit to produce an excitation voltage that results in a desired UV sensitivity for the UV sensor.
A programmable controller for controlling an ultraviolet (UV) sensor for use in a combustion appliance that is excited by an excitation voltage, wherein a UV sensitivity of a UV sensor is dependent on the excitation voltage, the programmable controller comprising:
- an excitation voltage generator configured to produce an adjustable excitation voltage for use by the UV sensor;
- a temperature sensor for sensing an environmental temperature in which the UV sensor is operating over time;
- a programmable sensitivity offset circuit operatively coupled to the temperature sensor for providing a programmable sensitivity offset for the UV sensor based at least in part on the environmental temperature sensed by the temperature sensor over time;
- a control circuit operatively coupled to the programmable sensitivity offset circuit and configured to control the excitation voltage generator based at least in part on the programmable sensitivity offset to produce an excitation voltage that produces a desired UV sensitivity for the UV sensor;
- and
- wherein the programmable controller is configured to automatically change the programmable sensitivity offset over the lifetime of the UV sensor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.