Automated temperature control system for a solid-fueled cooker

A system for controlling a solid-fueled cooker, comprising:

• a. a motor-actuated actuated-vent-valve configured so as to provide for operatively coupling to a vent port of the solid-fueled cooker, wherein said vent port of said solid-fueled cooker is in series with both a flow of air into a combustion region of said solid-fueled cooker and a flow of resulting combustion gases out of said solid-fueled cooker, and said flow of air into said combustion region of said solid-fueled cooker is responsive to a position of a vent-valve of said motor-actuated actuated-vent-valve when said motor-actuated actuated-vent-valve is operatively coupled to said solid-fueled cooker;
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• b a first controller, wherein said first controller is adapted to receive a first sensed-temperature signal from a first temperature sensor, said first sensed-temperature signal is responsive to a first temperature within a cooking region of said solid-fueled cooker, said first controller is adapted to receive a user-defined temperature level from a user of said solid-fueled cooker, and said first controller is operatively coupled to an actuator motor of said motor-actuated actuated-vent-valve so as to provide for automatically electronically controlling said position of said vent-valve so as to provide for substantially regulating said first temperature within said cooking region of said solid-fueled cooker to said user-defined temperature level responsive to said first sensed-temperature signal by controlling an exclusively-naturally-occurring flow of air into said combustion region of said solid-fueled cooker, said actuator motor of said motor-actuated actuated-vent-valve is external of said solid-fueled cooker, and said actuator motor provides for controlling said position of said vent-valve of said motor-actuated actuated-vent-valve to a continuum of positions within a range of said positions, wherein said first controller provides for receiving or generating said first sensed-temperature signal and determining said position to which said vent-valve is controlled responsive to a sum of at least one component selected from the group consisting of a difference between said first sensed-temperature signal and said user-defined temperature level, a time integral of said difference, and a time derivative of said difference, each said component multiplied by a corresponding associated factor.

A system for controlling a solid-fueled cooker, comprising:

• a. a motor-actuated actuated-vent-valve configured so as to provide for operatively coupling to a vent port of the solid-fueled cooker, wherein said vent port of said solid-fueled cooker is in series with both a flow of air into a combustion region of said solid-fueled cooker and a flow of resulting combustion gases out of said solid-fueled cooker, and said flow of air into said combustion region of said solid-fueled cooker is responsive to a position of a vent-valve of said motor-actuated actuated-vent-valve when said motor-actuated actuated-vent-valve is operatively coupled to said solid-fueled cooker, wherein said motor-actuated actuated-vent-valve comprises first and second valve plates, wherein said first and second valve plates are configured to relatively rotate about an axis of revolution with respect to one another with a relative rotational position responsive to a position of said actuator motor, and said first and second valve plates respectively comprise a plurality of first openings and a corresponding plurality of second openings, wherein:
• i. in a first rotational position corresponding to a closed state of said motor-actuated actuated-vent-valve, each first opening of said plurality of first openings in said first valve plate is blocked by said second valve plate, and each second opening of said plurality of second openings in said second valve plate is blocked by said first valve plate;
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• ii. in a second rotational position corresponding to a fully-open state of said motor-actuated actuated-vent-valve, each said first opening of said plurality of first openings in said first valve plate is aligned with a corresponding said second opening of said plurality of second openings in said second valve plate so as to provide for a maximum opening area through said first and second valve plates;
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• b. a first controller, wherein said first controller is adapted to receive a first sensed-temperature signal from a first temperature sensor, said first sensed-temperature signal is responsive to a first temperature within a cooking region of said solid-fueled cooker, said first controller is adapted to receive a user-defined temperature level from a user of said solid-fueled cooker, and said first controller is operatively coupled to an actuator motor of said motor-actuated actuated-vent-valve so as to provide for automatically electronically controlling said position of said vent-valve so as to provide for substantially regulating said first temperature within said cooking region of said solid-fueled cooker to said user-defined temperature level responsive to said first sensed-temperature signal by controlling an exclusively-naturally-occurring flow of air into said combustion region of said solid-fueled cooker, said actuator motor of said motor-actuated actuated-vent-valve is external of said solid-fueled cooker, and said actuator motor provides for controlling said position of said vent-valve of said motor-actuated actuated-vent-valve to a continuum of positions within a range of said positions.

A system for controlling a solid-fueled cooker, comprising:

• a. a motor-actuated actuated-vent-valve configured so as to provide for operatively coupling to a vent port of the solid-fueled cooker, wherein said vent port of said solid-fueled cooker is in series with both a flow of air into a combustion region of said solid-fueled cooker and a flow of resulting combustion gases out of said solid-fueled cooker, and said flow of air into said combustion region of said solid-fueled cooker is responsive to a position of a vent-valve of said motor-actuated actuated-vent-valve when said motor-actuated actuated-vent-valve is operatively coupled to said solid-fueled cooker;
• b. a first controller, wherein said first controller is adapted to receive a first sensed-temperature signal from a first temperature sensor, said first sensed-temperature signal is responsive to a first temperature within a cooking region of said solid-fueled cooker, said first controller is adapted to receive a user-defined temperature level from a user of said solid-fueled cooker, and said first controller is operatively coupled to an actuator motor of said motor-actuated actuated-vent-valve so as to provide for automatically electronically controlling said position of said vent-valve so as to provide for substantially regulating said first temperature within said cooking region of said solid-fueled cooker to said user-defined temperature level responsive to said first sensed-temperature signal by controlling an exclusively-naturally-occurring flow of air into said combustion region of said solid-fueled cooker, said actuator motor of said motor-actuated actuated-vent-valve is external of said solid-fueled cooker, and said actuator motor provides for controlling said position of said vent-valve of said motor-actuated actuated-vent-valve to a continuum of positions within a range of said positions;
• c. further comprising a second controller, wherein said second controller provides for said user to input said user-defined temperature level, and said second controller provides for wirelessly communicating said user-defined temperature level to said first controller operatively coupled to said motor-actuated actuated-vent-valve, wherein said first controller provides for sensing said first temperature within said cooking region, and said first controller provides for controlling said motor-actuated actuated-vent-valve responsive thereto, and said first controller provides for wirelessly communicating said first sensed-temperature signal to said second controller for display thereupon.

A system for controlling a solid-fueled cooker, comprising:

• a. a motor-actuated actuated-vent-valve configured so as to provide for operatively coupling to a vent port of the solid-fueled cooker, wherein said vent port of said solid-fueled cooker is in series with both a flow of air into a combustion region of said solid-fueled cooker and a flow of resulting combustion gases out of said solid-fueled cooker, and said flow of air into said combustion region of said solid-fueled cooker is responsive to a position of a vent-valve of said motor-actuated actuated-vent-valve when said motor-actuated actuated-vent-valve is operatively coupled to said solid-fueled cooker, wherein said motor-actuated actuated-vent-valve is in series with both a flow of air into a combustion region of said solid-fueled cooker and a flow of resulting combustion gases out of said solid-fueled cooker;
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• b. a first controller, wherein said first controller is adapted to receive a first sensed-temperature signal from a first temperature sensor, said first sensed-temperature signal is responsive to a first temperature within a cooking region of said solid-fueled cooker, said first controller is adapted to receive a user-defined temperature level from a user of said solid-fueled cooker, and said first controller is operatively coupled to an actuator motor of said motor-actuated actuated-vent-valve so as to provide for automatically electronically controlling said position of said vent-valve so as to provide for substantially regulating said first temperature within said cooking region of said solid-fueled cooker to said user-defined temperature level responsive to said first sensed-temperature signal by controlling an exclusively-naturally-occurring flow of air into said combustion region of said solid-fueled cooker, said actuator motor of said motor-actuated actuated-vent-valve is external of said solid-fueled cooker, and said actuator motor provides for controlling said position of said vent-valve of said motor-actuated actuated-vent-valve to a continuum of positions within a range of said positions.