Pulse combustion control system

Abstract

There is disclosed a safety control for a pulse combustion system. In a pulse combustion process, a combustible fuel and air are introduced into a combustion chamber through check valves in pulses and ignite to generate an alternating sinusoidal pressure wave. The control system of the invention comprises rectifying the sinusoidal pressure wave to obtain therefrom a differential pressure signal and applying the pressure signal to a control circuit to position a valve in the combustible fuel supply. Any interruption in combustion within the chamber causes a cessation of the differential pressure signal and closes the control valve. The apparatus of the invention includes, as the rectification facility, a dynamic check valve having a funnel member which is longitudinally disposed in a conduit communicating between the pulse combustion chamber and a pressure responsive transducer, the latter being operatively connected to maintain the fuel supply valve open during combustion and to close the fuel supply valve upon failure of combustion within the chamber.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.