Flame ionization control apparatus and method
AssigneeGas Research Institute
InventorsWilliam W. Bassett, Karen Benedek, Philip Carbone, Stephan Schmidt, Peter Cheimets
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and process for controlling the operation of a gas burner, by monitoring and controlling the stoichiometry of the air and fuel gas during the burning process.
Claims28
A method for controlling operation of a gas burner apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) igniting a mixture of fuel gas and combustion air;
- b) monitoring a degree of ionization of gases resulting from combustion of the combustion air and the fuel gas;
- c) varying a rate of supply of the combustion air to the burner apparatus and attaining a maximum degree of ionization of the gases at a fixed rate of supply of the fuel gas to the burner apparatus and identifying a first equivalence ratio of the fuel gas and the combustion air at the maximum degree of ionization;
- and
- d) fixing the rate of supply of the combustion air and establishing a second equivalence ratio of the fuel gas and the combustion air wherein the second equivalence ratio is less than the first equivalence ratio, and operating the gas burner apparatus at the second equivalence ratio.
A method for controlling operation of a gas burner apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) igniting a mixture of fuel gas and combustion air;
- b) monitoring a degree of ionization of gases resulting from combustion of the combustion air and the fuel gas;
- c) varying a rate of supply of the fuel gas to the burner apparatus and attaining a maximum degree of ionization of the gases at a fixed rate of supply of the combustion air to the burner apparatus and identifying a first equivalence ratio of the fuel gas and the combustion air at the maximum degree of ionization;
- and
- d) fixing the rate of supply of the fuel gas and establishing a second equivalence ratio of the fuel gas and the combustion air wherein the second equivalence ratio is less than the first equivalence ratio, and operating the ias burner apparatus at the second equivalence ratio.
An apparatus for controlling the operation of a gas burner in which a fuel gas is supplied to a burner apparatus in a regulable manner, the control apparatus comprising:
- a sensor for sensing a degree of ionization of gases resulting from combustion of the fuel gas with a combustion air, the sensor operably disposed within the burner apparatus and generating a signal representative of the degree of ionization of the gases;
- first means for varying a rate of supply of the fuel gas into the burner apparatus;
- and
- a controller operably associated with the sensor and the first means for varying the rate of supply of the fuel gas, the controller emitting a first signal to the first means so that the first means varies the rate of supply of the fuel gas in response to a sensed degree of ionization of the gases, and the controller emitting a second signal to the first means so that the first means fixes the rate of supply of the fuel gas and the combustion air and operates the burner apparatus at an equivalence ratio which is different than a stoichiometric equivalence ratio occurring at a maximum degree of ionization of the gases.
An apparatus for controlling the operation of a gas burner in which a combustion air is supplied to a burner apparatus in a regulable manner, the control apparatus comprising:
- a sensor for sensing a degree of ionization of gases resulting from combustion of a fuel gas with the combustion air, operably disposed within the burner apparatus and generating a signal representative of the degree of ionization of the gases;
- first means for varying a rate of supply of the combustion air into the burner apparatus;
- and
- a controller operably associated with the sensor and the first means for varying the rate of supply of the combustion air, the controller emitting a first signal to the first means so that the first means varies the rate of supply of the combustion air in response to a sensed degree of ionization of the gases, and the controller emitting a second signal to the first means so that the first means fixes the rate of supply of the fuel gas and the combustion air and operates the burner apparatus at an equivalence ratio which is different than a stoichiometric equivalence ratio occurring at a maximum degree of ionization of the gases.
An apparatus for controlling the operation of a gas burner apparatus in which a fuel gas and a combustion air are mixed prior to introduction into the burner apparatus, wherein the gas burner apparatus includes means for supplying a known fuel gas to a mixing location at a known rate of supply, means for supplying the combustion air to the mixing location at a known rate of supply, means for mixing the fuel gas and the combustion air, means for delivering the mixed fuel gas and combustion air to the burner apparatus, and means for igniting the mixed fuel gas and combustion air, the control apparatus comprising:
- means for monitoring a degree of ionization of gases resulting from the combustion of the air and the fuel gas, in the burner apparatus;
- means for varying the rate of supply of the combustion air to the burner apparatus;
- means for controlling the rate of supply of the combustion air to attain a maximum degree of ionization of the gases, for a known fuel gas being supplied to the burner apparatus at a known rate, so as to enable identification of a first equivalence ratio of the fuel gas and the combustion air at the maximum degree of ionization;
- and
- means for fixing the rate of supply of the combustion air and establishing a second equivalence ratio of the fuel gas and the combustion air wherein the second equivalence ratio is less than the first equivalence ratio.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.