Apparatus and method for sensing flammable vapor
AssigneeGas Research Institute
InventorsJohn A. Bowman, Karen R. Benedek, Stephan E. Schmidt
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for operating a pilot burner apparatus and a main burner apparatus of a gas-fired appliance. The pilot burner apparatus draws combustion air from a first environment. The main combustion apparatus draws air from a second environment. In a shutdown condition, such as when a flammable vapor source is accidentally exposed to the second environment, the pilot burner apparatus draws air containing an undesired flammable vapor which eliminates the pilot flame, triggering a gas valve to close and shut down the fuel gas supply to the main burner apparatus and the pilot burner apparatus.
Claims9
In a heating apparatus comprising a shell, a main combustion chamber disposed within said shell, a main burner disposed within said shell and a pilot burner having an operating mode and a shutdown mode arranged to enable ignition of said main burner when in said operating mode, a method for controlling said pilot burner comprising the steps of:
- drawing a first portion of air from a first environment comprising air into said main combustion chamber through an open top of an air dam attached to said shell, said open top of said air dam being in fluid communication with said main combustion chamber;
- drawing a second portion of air from a second environment comprising air through a tube connected to said pilot burner, said tube having one end in fluid communication with said main combustion chamber and an opposite end in fluid communication with said second environment;
- and
- determining a relative concentration of an undesired flammable vapor in said first environment and said second environment, whereby one of continuing operation and shutdown of said pilot burner is carried out.
A method for operating and shutting down a pilot burner apparatus of an appliance having a shell and a main combustion chamber within the shell, the method comprising:
- drawing first air from a first atmosphere into the main combustion chamber through an open top of an air dam attached to the shell wherein the open top of the air dam in communication with the main combustion chamber and with the first atmosphere of a first environment;
- and
- drawing second air from a second atmosphere through a tube connected to a pilot burner wherein the tube has one end in communication with the main combustion chamber and an opposite end in communication with the second atmosphere of a second environment which in a shutdown condition is significantly different than the first environment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.