Back to results
US 11,619,385 B2Granted
Ignition system
AssigneeHearth Products Controls Co.
InventorsThomas J. Witman, Patrick W. Schatz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system including a burner configured to be coupled to a fuel line to deliver fuel to the burner and an igniter positioned adjacent to the burner and configured to ignite fuel emitted by the burner. The system further includes a valve configured to control a flow of fuel through the fuel line and a control module operably coupled to the igniter and to the valve. The control module is configured to send a signal to the igniter and to close the valve if a quality of a return electrical signal from the igniter is below a predetermined value.
Claims21
A system comprising:
- a burner configured to be coupled to a fuel line to deliver fuel to the burner;
- a plasma arc igniter positioned adjacent to the burner and configured to ignite fuel emitted by the burner;
- a valve configured to control a flow of fuel through the fuel line;
- and
- a control module operably coupled to the plasma arc igniter and to the valve,
- wherein the control module is configured to apply an input electrical signal to generate an arc across the plasma arc igniter, measure an electrical current signal indicating ignition signal strength of the input electrical signal, and adjust the input electrical signal if a quality of the electrical current signal is determined to be greater than or less than a predetermined signal strength value.
3 more elements
A system comprising:
- a burner configured to be coupled to a fuel line to deliver fuel to the burner;
- a plasma arc igniter positioned adjacent to the burner and configured to ignite fuel emitted by the burner;
- a valve configured to control a flow of fuel through the fuel line;
- and
- a control module operably coupled to the plasma arc igniter and to the valve,
- wherein the control module is configured to apply an input electrical signal to generate an arc across the plasma arc igniter to cause the igniter to ignite the emitted fuel, measure an electrical current signal indicating ignition signal strength of the input electrical signal, and adjust the input electrical signal if a quality of the electrical current signal is determined to be greater than or less than a predetermined signal strength value, wherein the system lacks a pilot burner and lacks a flame detector.
3 more elements
A system comprising:
- a burner configured to be coupled to a fuel line to deliver fuel to the burner;
- a plasma arc igniter positioned adjacent to the burner and configured to ignite fuel emitted by the burner;
- a valve configured to control a flow of fuel through the fuel line;
- and
- a control module operably coupled to the plasma arc igniter and to the valve,
- wherein the control module is configured to periodically apply an input electrical signal to the plasma arc igniter to cause the plasma arc igniter to generate an arc, regardless of whether the burner is burning fuel, measure an electrical current signal indicating ignition signal strength of the input electrical signal, and adjust the input electrical signal if a quality of the electrical current signal is determined to be greater than or less than a predetermined signal strength value.
3 more elements
A method comprising:
- accessing a system including a burner coupled to a fuel line to deliver fuel to the burner, a plasma arc igniter positioned adjacent to the burner and configured to ignite fuel emitted by the burner, and a valve configured to control a flow of fuel through the fuel line;
- and
- applying an input electrical signal to the plasma arc igniter to cause the plasma arc igniter to create an arc to ignite the fuel emitted by the burner;
- measuring an electrical current signal indicating ignition signal strength of the input electrical signal;
- sensing a quality of the electrical current signal;
- and
- if it is determined that the quality of the electrical current signal is determined to be greater than or less than a predetermined signal strength value, adjusting the input electrical signal.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.