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US 7,353,140 B2Granted
Methods for monitoring and controlling boiler flames
AssigneeElectric Power Research Institute, Inc.
InventorsCharles Stuart Daw, Timothy A. Fuller, Thomas J. Flynn, Charles E. A. Finney
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The current invention provides a method and apparatus, which uses symbol sequence techniques, temporal irreversibility, and/or cluster analysis to monitor the operating state of individual burner flames on a appropriate time scale. Both the method and apparatus of the present invention may be used optimize the performance of burner flames.
Claims27
A method of classifying the flame state of a burner flame, comprising:
- obtaining a series of data over a predetermined period of time for a burner flame;
- comparing said series of data for said burner flame to a library of clusters, wherein each of said clusters in said library is categorized as a particular burner flame state;
- identifying one of said clusters in said library that is a statistical best match to said series of data for said burner flame;
- classifying the flame state of said burner flame based upon said one of said clusters that is said statistical best match;
- and
- outputting the classification of the flame state.
3 more elements
A method of evaluating the flame state of a burner flame, comprising:
- obtaining a series of data over a predetermined period of time for a burner flame;
- comparing said series of data for said burner flame to a library of clusters, wherein each of said clusters in said library is categorized as a particular burner flame state;
- identifying one of said clusters in said library that is a statistical best match to said series of data for said burner flame;
- classifying the flame state of said burner flame based upon said one of said clusters that is said statistical best match;
- identifying a root cause of said flame state of said burner flame;
- and
- outputting the identification of the root cause.
4 more elements
A method of optimizing the flame state of a burner flame, comprising:
- obtaining a series of data over a predetermined period of time for a burner flame;
- comparing said series of data for said burner flame to a library of clusters, wherein each of said clusters in said library is categorized as a particular burner flame state;
- identifying one of said clusters in said library that is a statistical best match to said series of data for said burner flame;
- classifying the flame state of said burner flame based upon said one of said clusters that is said statistical best match;
- identifying a root cause of any non-optimal flame state of said burner flame and an effect of said root cause;
- and
- reducing said effect of said root cause on said burner flame.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.