Burner Control With Flame-Radiation Feedback for Faster Response
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing burner control systems for industrial fuel burners face delays in adjusting combustion efficiency due to the inherent lag in exhaust gas analysis, leading to inefficiencies and increased emissions, particularly when firing rates change.
Innovation Solution
A burner control system that combines signals from both an exhaust gas analyzer and a photodetector, such as an ultraviolet photodetector, to quickly adjust fuel and air supply based on real-time flame radiation levels, while using exhaust gas analysis for stability and safety checks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If exhaust gas analysis is used to control fuel burner operation, then combustion stability and safety are improved, but response time deteriorates due to delays in measuring exhaust gas levels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an ultraviolet photodetector as an intermediary measurement device that detects flame radiation levels directly at the burner, bypassing the need to wait for exhaust gases to travel through the boiler and be analyzed. This intermediary measurement provides immediate feedback on combustion conditions, enabling rapid adjustment of fuel and air supplies while maintaining combustion stability through the complementary exhaust gas analysis system.
2Measurement precision
If exhaust gas analysis is used to control fuel burner operation, then accurate measurement of exhaust gas levels is achieved, but control speed deteriorates due to the inherent delay in the measurement process
Solution Approach 1:
The ultraviolet photodetector performs preliminary measurement of combustion conditions by detecting flame radiation levels in real-time, providing advance warning of combustion deviations before they manifest in exhaust gas composition. This preliminary action enables proactive adjustment of combustion parameters, maintaining measurement precision for exhaust gas analysis while significantly improving control speed through the rapid photodetector feedback loop.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach minimizes combustion inefficiencies by enabling rapid adjustments to maintain optimal combustion conditions, reducing fuel costs and emissions through instantaneous feedback from the photodetector and robust long-term stability from exhaust gas analysis.
Implementation Method 1
receive from a photodetector a signal indicative of a level of electromagnetic radiation output by the flame of the fuel burner
Data Source
AI summary
A burner control system for controlling the operation of a fuel burner arranged to burn a combination of a supply of fuel and a supply of air is provided. The burner control system is arranged to receive from an exhaust gas analyzer one or more signals, each signal being indicative of the level of an exhaust gas emitted by the fuel burner; receive from a photodetector a signal indicative of a level of electromagnetic radiation output by the flame of the fuel burner; and control at least one of the supply of fuel and the supply of air to the burner based on the one or more signals received from the exhaust gas analyzer and the signal received from the photodetector.