Combustion Environment Diagnostics
AssigneeWest Virginia University
InventorsAndrew D. Lowery, Michael J. Spencer, James E. Smith
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus comprises a coaxial cavity resonator; a radio frequency power source coupled to the coaxial cavity resonator; a direct current power source coupled to the coaxial cavity resonator; a combustion process feedback module configured to sense a condition in a combustion environment by measuring a characteristic of the coaxial cavity resonator; and a controller configured to modulate operation of the coaxial cavity resonator based at least in part on combustion process feedback information from the combustion process feedback module.
Claims20
1-22. (canceled)
An apparatus for igniting a combustible mixture, comprising:
- a coaxial cavity resonator configured to create a plasma discharge;
- a radio frequency power source coupled to the coaxial cavity resonator;
- a direct current power source coupled to the coaxial cavity resonator;
- a combustion process feedback module configured to sense a condition in a combustion environment by measuring a characteristic of the coaxial cavity resonator;
- and
- a controller configured to modulate operation of the coaxial cavity resonator based at least in part on combustion process feedback information from the combustion process feedback module.
An apparatus comprising:
- a coaxial cavity resonator;
- a radio frequency power source coupled to the coaxial cavity resonator;
- a direct current power source coupled to the coaxial cavity resonator;
- an operation feedback module configured to sense a condition of the coaxial cavity resonator by measuring a characteristic of the coaxial cavity resonator;
- and
- a controller configured to modulate ignition of a combustible mixture in a combustion environment based at least in part on operation feedback information from the operation feedback module.
An apparatus comprising:
- a coaxial cavity resonator;
- a radio frequency power source coupled to the coaxial cavity resonator;
- a direct current power source coupled to the coaxial cavity resonator;
- an operation feedback module configured to sense a condition of the coaxial cavity resonator by measuring a characteristic of the coaxial cavity resonator;
- and
- a controller configured to modulate ignition of a combustible mixture in a combustion environment based at least in part on operation feedback information from the operation feedback module.
A method, comprising:
- measuring at least one of a voltage value and a current value of a coaxial cavity resonator in a combustion environment;
- determining a condition of the coaxial cavity resonator by comparing the measured value to a known possible condition state;
- and
- modulating operation of the coaxial cavity resonator based at least in part on the determined condition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.