System and method to predict and control blowout in combustion systems

Abstract

The invention discloses systems and methods for predicting and controlling lean blowout in combustion systems such as turbines, engines and combustors. The system 100 is configured to detect and predict time of occurrence of blowout using a computer 105 and to take control action by a controller 110 through actuators 103, to prevent the blowout. The method 200 involves acquiring time series data (202) of combustion in the combustion system, including acoustic pressure amplitude, chemiluminescence intensity, or global heat release rate, fitting a log periodic power law equation to the time series data (208), computing a time of impending blowout using the fit equation (210), and controlling the combustion unit (212) to move away from impending blowout and prevent the blowout. The invention provides for predicting exact blowout times significantly earlier, and to control the combustion unit to prevent blowout, thus enabling reduction in emissions.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.