Combustion Control Using Predictive Fuel-Air Ratio Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Combustion sensors in combustion apparatuses exhibit delayed responses, leading to slow control and regulation, which can result in unfavorable combustion conditions, such as flame blow-off and unburned fuel, due to rapid changes in the combustion process that the sensors cannot react to quickly enough.
Innovation Solution
A control and regulation facility that includes a memory for storing limit values and correction factors, processes sensor input signals, and adjusts actuator outputs to rapidly respond to changes in fuel-air ratio, air ratio, and oxygen content, minimizing delay times and ensuring stable operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a combustion sensor is positioned in the exhaust gas channel to measure fuel air ratio and oxygen content, then the combustion process can be monitored, but the sensor signal reacts with a dead time or delay time of several tens of seconds to more than one minute, making the control and regulation too slow to respond to rapid changes in the combustion process
Solution Approach 1:
The control facility predicts future combustion states by analyzing the temporal development pattern of sensor signals. Instead of waiting for the delayed sensor signal to indicate a problem, the system performs preliminary actions by detecting trends in the signal development and predicting when critical combustion conditions will occur, allowing intervention before the actual problem manifests in the sensor reading.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediate evaluation step that processes the raw sensor signal through temporal analysis. The control facility acts as an intermediary between the delayed sensor and the actuators, transforming the slow sensor response into fast predictive control decisions by analyzing how the signal develops over time rather than relying on absolute signal values alone.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the control and regulation system waits for the combustion sensor signal to indicate unfavorable combustion conditions, then the system operates stably, but by the time the signal is returned, the combustion process may have changed so much that critical combustion conditions can no longer be changed, leading to flame blow-off or unburned fuel
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements enhanced feedback by continuously analyzing the temporal development of sensor signals. The control facility monitors how the signal changes over time and uses this information to predict future combustion states, creating a feedback loop that acts on predicted trends rather than waiting for confirmed problems, thus maintaining both stability and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The control facility applies preliminary anti-action by detecting trends that indicate developing unfavorable combustion conditions and taking corrective action before the full problem manifests. By analyzing the temporal development pattern, the system predicts when critical conditions will occur and intervenes in advance to prevent flame blow-off or unburned fuel, rather than reacting after the problem has already occurred.
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
The solution enables rapid adjustment of combustion parameters to maintain stable operation, reducing critical emissions like carbon monoxide and preventing flame blow-off, while ensuring the system remains stable and responsive to changes.
Implementation Method 1
the fuel air ratio and/or the air ratio A can be established with the aid of an ionization current through the ionization electrode. In this case an AC voltage is first applied to the combustion sensor, in particular to the ionization electrode. With the aid of the rectifier effect of a flame an ionization current flows as direct current in only one direction.
Data Source
AI summary
A facility for control of a combustion apparatus comprising: a memory storing a limit value and a correction factor; a communication connection to a sensor and an actuator; and a processor. The processor: receives an input signal from the sensor; uses the signal to form a measured value specifying a fuel air ratio, an air ratio, and/or an oxygen content; and loads the limit value and compares the measured value with the limit value. If the measured value is less than or greater than the limit value, the processor either loads the correction factor and determines a correction value as a function of the limit value, the correction factor, and the measured value, or loads the stored correction value from the memory, and then creates an output signal as a function of the correction value and sends the output signal to the actuator.