Sensor device and method for flame presence detection

An ignition system for igniting a flame, the ignition system comprising:

• a dispensing device coupleable to a fuel source and controllable to dispense a fuel received from the fuel source;
• a spark generator controllable to generate a spark and coupled to the dispensing device so as to produce the flame in response to the generated spark at the fuel dispensed by the dispensing device;
• and
• a sensor device operatively coupled to the dispensing device and to the spark generator so as to detect a presence or absence of the flame, the sensor device comprising:
• a carbon dioxide sensor configured to detect a concentration of carbon dioxide in air, generated by the flame;
• a fuel sensor configured to detect combustion of the fuel used to produce the flame;
• an electrostatic charge variation sensor including first and second electrodes spaced from each other and configured to detect respective electrostatic charge variations generated by the flame;
• and
• a control unit operatively coupled to the carbon dioxide sensor, the fuel sensor, and the electrostatic charge variation sensor, wherein the control unit is configured to:
• acquire, through the carbon dioxide sensor, a carbon dioxide signal indicative of the concentration of carbon dioxide generated by the flame;
• acquire, through the fuel sensor, a fuel signal indicative of a presence of combustion of the fuel used to produce the flame;
• acquire, through the electrostatic charge variation sensor, an electrostatic charge variation signal indicative of a difference between the electrostatic charge variations detected by the first and the second electrodes;
• determine a quantized signal by processing the electrostatic charge variation signal;
• determine an aggregate datum indicative of an aggregation of the carbon dioxide signal, the fuel signal and the electrostatic charge variation signal;
• and
• generate, as a function of the aggregate datum, a flame signal indicative of the presence or absence of the flame.

A detection method of a presence or absence of a flame through a sensor device,

• the sensor device comprising a carbon dioxide sensor configured to detect a concentration of carbon dioxide in air, generated by the flame, a fuel sensor configured to detect a combustion of a fuel used to produce the flame, an electrostatic charge variation sensor including first and second electrodes spaced from each other and configured to detect respective electrostatic charge variations generated by the flame, and a control unit operatively coupled to the carbon dioxide sensor, the fuel sensor and the electrostatic charge variation sensor, the detection method comprising steps of:
• acquiring, by the control unit and through the carbon dioxide sensor, a carbon dioxide signal indicative of the concentration of carbon dioxide generated by the flame;
• acquiring, by the control unit and through the fuel sensor, a fuel signal indicative of a presence of the combustion of the fuel used to produce the flame;
• acquiring, by the control unit and through the electrostatic charge variation sensor, an electrostatic charge variation signal indicative of a difference between the electrostatic charge variations detected by the first and the second electrodes;
• determining, by the control unit, a quantized signal by processing the electrostatic charge variation signal;
• determining, by the control unit, an aggregate datum indicative of an aggregation of the carbon dioxide signal, the fuel signal and the electrostatic charge variation signal;
• and
• generating, by the control unit and as a function of the aggregate datum, a flame signal indicative of the presence or absence of the flame.

A non-transitory computer program product for a control unit of a sensor device, the non-transitory computer program product storing computer instructions for detecting a presence or absence of a flame that, when executed by the control unit, cause the control unit to perform steps of:

• acquiring, through a carbon dioxide sensor, a carbon dioxide signal indicative of a concentration of carbon dioxide in air generated by the flame;
• acquiring, through a fuel sensor, a fuel signal indicative of a presence of a combustion of a fuel used to produce the flame;
• acquiring, through an electrostatic charge variation sensor including first and second electrodes spaced from each other, an electrostatic charge variation signal indicative of a difference between the electrostatic charge variations generated by the flame detected by the first and the second electrodes;
• determining a quantized signal by processing the electrostatic charge variation signal;
• determining an aggregate datum indicative of an aggregation of the carbon dioxide signal, the fuel signal and the electrostatic charge variation signal;
• and
• generating, as a function of the aggregate datum, a flame signal indicative of the presence or absence of the flame.