US 5,632,614 A · Gas fired appliance igntion and combustion monitoring system

Abstract

A gas fired appliance measures infrared emissions from a metal object heated in a combustion chamber to evaluate combustion. Associated circuitry uses the evaluation to control operational parameters of the appliance, including fuel and air fed to the appliance. A second metal object, prior to fuel ignition, is electrically heated to emit infrared radiation. Infrared emissions from the second metal object, indicative of the temperature thereof, are monitored to assure an ignition temperature to ignite a combustible air and fuel mixture. A fan directs a stream of ambient air upon the second metal object to cool the same and reduce the infrared emanating therefrom. The reduction in infrared from the second metal object is monitored to verify proper fan operation.

Claims39

Dependent claims

An appliance fired by a combustible gas mixture producing combustion flames upon ignition, and comprising:

means for supplying said combustible gas mixture;
hot surface ignition means, composed of solid materials, providing a hot surface to ignite the combustible gas mixture;
means providing a stream of ambient air directed towards and substantially surrounding said hot surface ignition means;
emission means, composed of solid materials heated by the combustion flames of said supply of said gas mixture, for emitting a quantity of radiation proportional to the heating thereof;
means for detecting radiation, said detecting means detecting radiation from the emission means and producing therefrom an emission signal proportional thereto, said detecting means detecting radiation from the hot surface ignition means and producing therefrom a sail switch signal proportional thereto;
derivation means for deriving quantities, said derivation means receiving said emission signal from said detecting means and deriving therefrom an emission quantity, said derivation means receiving said sail switch signal from said detecting means and deriving therefrom an ignition quantity;
and
means for stopping the supply of said combustible gas mixture when the emission quantity is less than an predetermined combustion quantity, and when the ignition quantity is less than a predetermined ignition quantity.

5 more elements

A method for monitoring the ongoing combustion of a combustible gaseous mixture in a gas fired appliance comprising the steps of:

heating an ignitor solid material surface to produce therefrom a quantity of radiation proportional to the heating thereof;
detecting the quantity of radiation from said ignitor solid material surface;
producing a signal proportional to the quantity of radiation detected from said ignitor solid material surface;
deriving from said signal proportional to the quantity of radiation detected from said ignitor solid material surface a first quantity;
comparing the first quantity to a predetermined range of ignition quantities;
supplying a precombustion stream of said combustible gaseous mixture to the ignitor solid material surface when the first quantity is within the predetermined range of ignition quantities;
heating an emitter solid material surface with combustion flames from a supply of a stream of said combustible gaseous mixture;
detecting a quantity of radiation emitted from the emitter solid material surface heated by the combustion flames;
producing a signal proportional to the quantity of radiation emitted from the emitter solid material surface;
deriving from said signal a second quantity;
and
directing a stream of ambient air to the combustion flames to shift the position thereof away from the ignitor solid material surface so as to lower the radiation emitted therefrom proportional to the absence of heating thereof by the combustion flames, said directed stream of ambient air shifting the combustion flames toward the emitter solid material surface to thereby increase the radiation emitted therefrom proportional to the heating thereof by the combustion flames.

9 more elements

A method for igniting a combustible gaseous mixture and for monitoring the ongoing combustion thereof comprising the steps of:

heating a first solid material surface within a combustion chamber;
supplying a stream of said combustible gaseous mixture to the heated first surface in the combustion chamber to ignite the combustible gaseous mixture into combustion flames within the combustion chamber;
halting the heating of the first surface;
directing a stream of ambient air to the combustion flames to shift the position thereof away from the heated first surface towards a solid second surface in the combustion chamber to be heated thereby and emit therefrom a quantity of radiation proportional to the heating thereof by the combustion flames;
detecting the quantity of radiation from the combustion chamber;
producing a signal proportional to the quantity of radiation detected from the combustion chamber;
and deriving from said signal a first quantity.

4 more elements

A system for operating a gas fired appliance for combusting into combustion flames a combustible gas mixture and for producing monitoring data corresponding to the combustion of the gas mixture comprising:

(a) a combustion chamber;
(b) a supply of a stream of said combustible gas mixture to the combustion chamber;
(c) a burner element, composed of solid materials, dwelling within the flames of combustion of said combustible gas mixture in said combustion chamber;
(d) a discrete electrical element for detecting radiation from both said burner element and said combustion chamber and for producing a signal proportional to the detected radiation;
(e) a controller electrically connected to said discrete electrical element comprising:
(1) means for amplifying said signal output by said discrete electrical element;
(2) means for converting said amplified signal from an analog to a digital signal form;
(3) digital processor means for processing said digital signal form;
data memory means for storing digital data;
and
(4) program memory means for storing machine-readable instructions utilized by said digital processor means;
wherein said digital processor means responds to said machine-readable instructions to electronically derive a quantity proportional to the sensed radiation in the combustion chamber;
(f) a motor driven fan in communication with and controlled by the digital processor means, the motor driven fan operating to entrain a stream of ambient air into the combustion chamber, wherein the digital processor means responds to said machine-readable instructions to electronically determine if the quantity proportional to the sensed radiation in the combustion chamber is outside of a predetermined range of quantities, and controls the operation of the motor driven fan in relation to such comparison to said predetermined range.

10 more elements

An appliance fired by a combustible gas mixture producing combustion flames upon ignition, and comprising:

(a) means for supplying a stream of said combustible gas mixture;
a combustion monitor comprising:
(1) an electrically conductive ignition element electrically heated by an electrical current, said ignition element providing a hot surface ignition for said combustible gas mixture, said ignition element emitting a quantity of radiation proportional to the heating thereof;
(2) a discrete electrical element for detecting radiation emitted from said ignition element and producing an ignition signal proportional thereto;
and
(3) derivation means for deriving an ignition quantity from said ignition signal;
(b) means providing a stream of ambient air directed towards said ignition element for cooling the ignition element and thereby reducing the quantity of radiation emitted therefrom;
and
(c) means for controlling the means for supplying a stream of said combustible gas mixture based upon a comparison of the ignition quantity to a predetermined range of ignition quantities.

6 more elements

An appliance fired by a combustible gas mixture producing combustion times upon ignition, and comprising:

means for supplying said combustible gas mixture;
means having a hot surface for igniting the combustible gas mixture to produce said combustion times, said hot surface consisting essentially of a metal material;
means for shifting said combustion flames away from said hot surface subsequent to ignition of the combustible mixture into said combustion flames;
means for detecting radiation, said detecting means detecting radiation from the hot surface and producing therefrom an ignition signal proportional thereto;
derivation means for deriving quantities, said derivation means receiving said ignition signal from said detecting means and deriving therefrom an ignition quantity;
and
means for stopping the supply of said combustible gas mixture when the ignition quantity is less than a selected ignition quantity.

4 more elements

An appliance fired by a combustible gas mixture producing combustion flames upon ignition, and comprising:

means for supplying said combustible gas mixture;
means having a hot surface for igniting the combustible gas mixture to produce said combustion flames, said hot surface consisting essentially of a metal material;
and
means for shifting said combustion flames away from said hot surface subsequent to ignition of the combustible mixture.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Gas fired appliance igntion and combustion monitoring system

Life of this patent

Gas fired appliance igntion and combustion monitoring system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims39