# US 10,865,985 B2 · System and method for operating a combustion chamber

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- Number: US 10,865,985 B2
- Document ID: US10865985B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/899,439
- Filed: 2018-02-20
- Published: 2019-08-22
- Granted: 2020-12-15
- Earliest claimed: 2018-02-20
- Assignees: General Electric Technology GmbH
- Applicants: General Electric Technology GmbH
- Inventors: Shizhong Yang; Robert Frederick Murphy; Jilin Tu; Xiaoleinmn Shi; Dayu Huang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10865985B2

## CPC

- F23N 1/022: {using electronic means}
- F02D 35/022: {using an optical sensor, e.g. in-cylinder light probe}
- F02D 35/023: {by determining the cylinder pressure}
- F02D 41/1453: {the characteristics being a CO content or concentration}
- F23L 7/007: {Supplying oxygen or oxygen-enriched air}
- F23N 5/006: {the detector being sensitive to oxygen}
- F23N 5/082: {using electronic means}
- F02D 41/1461: {of the exhaust gases emitted by the engine}
- F23L 2900/07006: Control of the oxygen supply
- F23L 2900/07007: using specific ranges of oxygen percentage
- F23N 2223/40: Simulation
- F23N 2225/04: pressure
- F23N 2229/04: sensitive to the colour of flames
- F23N 2229/14: using two or more different types of flame sensor
- F23N 2229/20: Camera viewing
- F23N 2239/02: Solid fuels
- F23N 2900/05001: Measuring CO content in flue gas
- F23N 2900/05003: Measuring NOx content in flue gas
- Y02E 20/34: Indirect CO2mitigation, i.e. by acting on non CO2directly related matters of the process, e.g. pre-heating or heat recovery
- F23N: REGULATING OR CONTROLLING COMBUSTION (control devices specially adapted for combustion apparatus in which combustion takes place in a fluidised bed of fuel or other particles F23C10/28; condition responsive controls for regulating combustion in domestic stoves with open fires for solid fuel F24B1/187)
- F02D: CONTROLLING COMBUSTION ENGINES (vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed B60K31/00; conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function, road vehicle drive control systems for purposes other than the control of a single sub-unit B60W)
- F23L: SUPPLYING AIR OR NON-COMBUSTIBLE LIQUIDS OR GASES TO COMBUSTION APPARATUS IN GENERAL ({air-supply arrangements for fluent fuels F23C;} firebridges with means for feeding air or steam F23M3/04; baffles or shields with air supply passages F23M9/04); VALVES OR DAMPERS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR CONTROLLING AIR SUPPLY OR DRAUGHT IN COMBUSTION APPARATUS {(dampers and throat restrictors for open fire-places F24; air inlet valves for open fire fronts F24)}; INDUCING DRAUGHT IN COMBUSTION APPARATUS; TOPS FOR CHIMNEYS OR VENTILATING SHAFTS; TERMINALS FOR FLUES
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

A method for operating a combustion chamber is provided. The method includes obtaining a carbon monoxide reading at an exit of the combustion chamber via a carbon monoxide sensor, and deriving an oxygen set point trim based at least in part on the carbon monoxide reading and a carbon monoxide set point via a controller. The method further includes determining a stability status of the combustion chamber via a combustion stability sensor, and adjusting an oxygen set point of the combustion chamber with the oxygen set point trim based at least in part on the stability status via the controller. The oxygen set point defines a desired oxygen level at the exit of the combustion chamber.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for operating a combustion chamber comprising:
obtaining a carbon monoxide reading at an exit of the combustion chamber via a carbon monoxide sensor;
deriving an oxygen set point trim based at least in part on the carbon monoxide reading and a carbon monoxide set point via a controller;
determining a stability status of the combustion chamber via a combustion stability sensor;
via the combustion stability sensor, determining that the stability status of the combustion chamber is above a threshold indicating a stable combustion condition, and in response, adjusting an oxygen set point of the combustion chamber with the oxygen set point trim via the controller; and
via the combustion stability sensor, determining that the stability status is below the threshold indicating a poor combustion condition, and in response, maintaining the oxygen set point at its prior value until the stability status is above the threshold;
wherein the oxygen set point defines a desired oxygen level at the exit of the combustion chamber.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the combustion stability sensor is a flame stability sensor and the stability status is a flame status.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the flame status indicates that a flame is present within the combustion chamber.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising:
obtaining a nitrogen oxide reading at the exit of the combustion chamber via a nitrogen oxide sensor;
deriving a stoichiometry set point trim based at least in part on the nitrogen oxide reading and a nitrogen oxide set point via the controller; and
determining that the carbon monoxide reading is below a carbon monoxide threshold, and in response, adjusting a stoichiometry set point with the stoichiometry set point trim based at least in part on the carbon monoxide reading via the controller; and
determining that the carbon monoxide reading is above the carbon monoxide threshold, and in response, holding the stoichiometry setpoint to its previous value until the carbon monoxide reading is below the carbon monoxide threshold;
wherein the stoichiometry set point defines a desired stoichiometry of the combustion chamber;
wherein the carbon dioxide reading is obtained continuously.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4 further comprising:
adjusting one or more stoichiometries each corresponding to one of the firing nozzles of the plurality based at least in part on the stoichiometry set point.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein deriving an oxygen set point trim based at least in part on the carbon monoxide reading and a carbon monoxide set point is based at least in part on a predictive model.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the predictive model is based at least in part on one of the carbon monoxide reading, a nitrogen oxide reading at the exit of the combustion chamber, and a temperature of steam generated by the combustion chamber.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the stability status is a fireball stability index based at least in part a pressure metric, a flame stability metric, and a fireball metric.

### Claim 9

A system for operating a combustion chamber comprising:
a carbon monoxide sensor operative to obtain a continuous, real-time carbon monoxide reading at an exit of the combustion chamber;
a combustion stability sensor operative to determine a continuous, real-time stability status of the combustion chamber; and
a controller operative to:
derive an oxygen set point trim based at least on part on the carbon monoxide reading and a carbon monoxide set point; and
if the stability status is above a threshold indicating a stable combustion condition, adjust an oxygen set point of the combustion chamber with the oxygen set point trim; and
if the stability status is below the threshold indicating a poor combustion condition, maintaining the oxygen set point at its prior value until the stability status is above the threshold;
wherein the oxygen set point defines a desired oxygen level at the exit of the combustion chamber.