Constant efficiency controller
AssigneeMaxitrol Company
InventorsJohn James Schlachter, Mark Geoffrey Masen, Frank P. Mimick, Nicholas Roth Hanawalt, Lynn E. Cooper
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and controller where the pressure of the air is continuously monitored or read at a designated exhaust point and adjustments made to the flow of the air and gas to keep the efficiency of the appliance at a maximum to control the appliance (or the burner for an appliance) within specifications as dictated by the customer or consumer rather than training the user.
Claims4
A circuit for a heating appliance connected to a fuel source, said circuit comprising:
- at least one fuel passageway coupled to the fuel source;
- a valve in communication with the at least one fuel passageway and configured to modulate the pressure of the fuel in said at least one fuel passageway;
- at least one air passageway;
- a fan in communication with the at least one air passageway, said fan including a variable speed motor configured to manipulate the fan to regulate the vacuum air pressure within the at least one air passageway;
- a fuel pressure sensor configured to measure a fuel pressure within the at least one fuel passageway;
- an air pressure sensor configured to measure a vacuum air pressure within the at least one air passageway;
- a controller in communication with said variable speed motor of the fan and said valve, said controller configured to adjust the speed of said variable speed motor and to adjust the position of said valve;
- a testing device configured to determine a target fuel pressure and a target air pressure to achieve a desired air to fuel ratio as defined in an optimum performance specification provided by the manufacturer of the heating appliance;
- a comparator configured to compare the fuel pressure measured by the fuel pressure sensor to the target fuel pressure and to compare the vacuum air pressure measured by the air pressure sensor to the target air pressure during operation of the heating appliance and determine any variance between the target fuel pressure or target air pressure as determined by the testing device;
- a signal generator in communication with said comparator and said controller, said signal generator configured to indicate a signal to the controller if the comparator determines there is any variance with the target fuel pressure and the fuel pressure and/or target air pressure and the vacuum air pressure as defined in the optimum performance specification;
- and
- wherein the controller is configured to adjust the fan speed and/or the valve in response to any variance of the target fuel pressure and target air pressure to the fuel pressure and vacuum air pressure to achieve the desired air to gas ratio as defined in the optimum performance specification.
A method of operating a burner, the burner having a controller in communication with variable speed motor coupled to a fan and a modulating valve, said method comprising the steps of:
- obtaining an optimum performance specification for the burner that defines an optimum operating efficiency for the burner, the optimum performance specification stored on the controller;
- deriving an internal vacuum air pressure target from the optimum performance specification;
- sensing a combustion vacuum air pressure using a first sensor;
- comparing the combustion vacuum air pressure to the derived internal vacuum air pressure target;
- manipulating the variable speed motor of the fan until the sensed combustion vacuum air pressure is within an acceptable deviation of the derived internal vacuum air pressure target;
- deriving a gas pressure target from the optimum performance specification;
- sensing a burner gas pressure using a second sensor;
- comparing the burner gas pressure to the derived gas pressure target;
- and
- manipulating the modulating valve until the sensed burner gas pressure is within an acceptable deviation of the derived gas pressure target.
A method of operating a burner used in a heating appliance having a controller, passageways for combustion air and burner gas, at least one fan having a motor to control the speed of the fan by the controller, and an air pressure sensors for measuring combustion air pressure and a fuel pressure sensor for measuring burner gas pressure, said method comprising the steps of:
- obtaining an optimum performance specification of the heating appliance that defines an optimum operating efficiency for the heating appliance;
- testing the heating appliance using a testing device to determine the combustion air pressure and burner gas pressure at an optimum operating efficiency as defined by the optimum performance specification of the heating appliance to determine a target control parameter;
- inputting the target control parameter into the controller;
- comparing the air vacuum pressure from the sensors to the target control parameter;
- sending a signal to the controller to generate a digital instruction to the controller to control the gas valve;
- sensing burner gas pressure;
- changing the speed of the fan motor if the signal indicates a variance from optimum operating efficiency to return to target control parameter relating to the fan motor speed;
- changing the position of the gas valve if the signal indicates a variance from optimum operating efficiency to return to target control parameter relating to the burner gas pressure;
- and
- further monitoring and changing as needed for further optimum operating efficiency of the heating appliance.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.