Intelligent and adaptive control system and method for wood burning stove

Abstract

A control system and method for a wood stove adjustably operates in accordance with operational characteristics of the wood stove. The system operates air vents to the combustion chamber of the stove to control operating temperatures of the stove. The air vents are adjusted proportionally to changes in temperature of the stove. The temperature of the stove may be controlled to achieve desired operational and burn characteristics. The system further includes a heat exchange fan. The system controls the speed of the heat exchange fan based upon the operational characteristics of the stove.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]1. Field of the Invention[0002]The present invention relates to controllers for wood burning stoves or furnaces. More particularly, it relates to an intelligent and adaptive wood combustion controller for adjusting combustion airflow and heat transfer airflow for improved performance.[0003]2. Discussion of Related Art[0004]Control of a wood stove can be complex and difficult. Typically, a wood stove includes a number of manual controls for controlling the combustion and heat transfer processes. The controls can be difficult to set and must be adjusted periodically to keep the fire in the stove burning well and to provide heat from the stove to the surrounding area. Typically, a wood stove includes two types of controls. A first type of control provides air to the combustion process. The amount of air available for combustion determines the strength of the fire. Incomplete combustion results from too little air. However, too much air will lead to over...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010]According to another aspect of the invention, a method for operation of a wood stove is based upon operational characteristics of the wood stove and performance of the stove. According the method, air vents are proportionally adjusted based upon changes in temperature of the stove. According to another aspect of the invention, the method the air vents are adjusted based upon rates of temperature change. According to another aspect of the invention, the method includes control of a heat exchange fan based upon operational characteristics of the stove. According to another aspect of the invention, the method controls the stove to achieve a desired operation for the wood stove. Desired operations include maximum burn time with a quiet fan (Mode 1), maximum heating efficiency with moderate fan speed (Mode 2), maximum heating efficiency with high fan speed (Mode 3), maximum heat output with a maximized fan speed and shorter burn time (Mode 4), and ambient room temperature control (Mode 5).

Problems solved by technology

Control of a wood stove can be complex and difficult.

The controls can be difficult to set and must be adjusted periodically to keep the fire in the stove burning well and to provide heat from the stove to the surrounding area.

Incomplete combustion results from too little air.

However, too much air will lead to overheating the stove, leading to excessive draft, making it nearly impossible to limit the combustion.

Furthermore, the amount of air which is too much or too little depends upon the amount of fuel in the stove, the current temperature of the fire, and length of time the fire has been burning.

Furthermore, the speed of the fan also has an effect on the combustion process.

If too much heat is removed through the heat transfer process, the fire may overcool and burn poorly.

However, such systems do not account for differences in the operation of a fire with respect to time or offer variations in operating modes.

Images