Gas Burner Controller Using Pressure Sensor for Inlet Fluctuation Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gas burner appliances face challenges in maintaining consistent combustion quality due to fluctuating gas inlet pressures and ambient conditions, leading to inefficiencies and poor performance, as existing solutions like mechanical pressure regulators and combustion quality sensors are either costly or react slowly.
Innovation Solution
A method using an absolute pressure sensor to measure and adjust the gas flow modulator's operation based on pressure differences, ensuring accurate and fast compensation for fluctuating gas inlet pressures and ambient conditions, thereby maintaining a consistent gas-air mixture ratio.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If mechanical pressure regulators are used to compensate for fluctuating gas inlet pressure, then combustion quality stability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical pressure regulators with an electronic control system that uses a pressure sensor to detect gas inlet pressure fluctuations and an actuator to adjust the gas flow modulator accordingly. This substitution eliminates the need for complex mechanical pressure regulation hardware while achieving stable combustion quality through electronic control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a pressure sensor as an intermediary to detect gas inlet pressure changes and transmit this information to the control unit. The control unit then processes this information and actuates the gas flow modulator, creating an intermediary control loop that maintains combustion stability without requiring direct mechanical pressure regulation.
2Reliability
If combustion quality sensors are used to detect and compensate for pressure fluctuations, then combustion quality stability is improved, but response time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a pressure sensor to detect gas inlet pressure fluctuations before they affect combustion quality. By measuring pressure changes in advance and triggering the actuator to adjust the gas flow modulator proactively, the system prevents combustion quality degradation before it occurs, significantly reducing response time compared to reactive combustion quality sensors.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback control loop where the pressure sensor continuously monitors gas inlet pressure and feeds this information back to the control unit. The control unit compares the measured pressure with target values and adjusts the gas flow modulator accordingly, creating a rapid closed-loop system that maintains combustion stability with minimal delay.
3Reliability
If pneumatic gas flow regulators are used to maintain constant mixing ratio, then combustion quality stability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces pneumatic gas flow regulators with an electronic actuator controlled by a microcontroller. The actuator receives control signals from the microcontroller and adjusts the gas flow modulator position electronically, eliminating the need for pneumatic control mechanisms while maintaining precise control over the gas-air mixing ratio.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a single microcontroller to perform multiple functions: processing sensor data, controlling the actuator, regulating gas flow, and maintaining combustion stability. This multi-functional approach consolidates what would otherwise require separate pneumatic regulation components into a single integrated electronic control system.
4Device complexity
If electronic gas flow modulators are used to control mixing ratio, then device complexity is reduced compared to pneumatic regulators, but response speed and precision for pressure compensation are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enhances the response speed of electronic gas flow modulators by implementing a feedback control loop with a pressure sensor. The sensor continuously monitors gas inlet pressure and feeds this information back to the microcontroller, which rapidly adjusts the actuator position to compensate for pressure fluctuations, achieving both low complexity and fast response.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent improves response speed by using the pressure sensor to detect pressure changes before they impact combustion quality, allowing the system to take preliminary corrective action. The microcontroller processes pressure sensor data in advance and actuates the gas flow modulator proactively, significantly reducing the effective response time compared to passive electronic modulators.
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 allows for precise and rapid compensation of fluctuating gas inlet pressures and ambient conditions, enhancing the combustion quality and efficiency of gas burner appliances by maintaining a consistent gas-air mixture ratio, even under varying conditions.
Implementation Method 1
Measure a first absolute pressure by the absolute pressure sensor when at least the first gas safety valve of the gas safety valve unit is closed
Implementation Method 2
The pneumatic gas flow regulator uses a pressure difference between the gas pressure of the gas flow in the gas duct and a reference pressure, wherein either the air pressure of the air flow in the air duct or the ambient pressure is used as reference pressure
Implementation Method 3
The air flow flowing through the air duct is provided by fan in such a way that the nominal fan speed of the fan depends on a nominal burner-load of the gas burner appliance
Implementation Method 4
The gas/air mixture is provided by a mixing device mixing an air flow provided by an air duct with a gas flow provided by a gas duct
Implementation Method 5
a gas/air mixture having a defined mixing ratio of gas and air is provided to a combustion chamber for combusting the gas/air mixture
Data Source
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AI summary
Method for operating a gas burner appliance (10), the gas burner appliance (10) comprising: a combustion chamber (11), a mixing device (23), a fan (14), a gas safety valve unit (19) assigned to the gas duct (16) having a first gas safety valve (19a) and a second gas safety valve (19b) positioned downstream of the first gas safety valve (19a), a gas flow modulator (18) assigned to the gas duct (16), and an electrical or electronic absolute pressure sensor (21) assigned to the gas duct (16) positioned downstream of the first gas safety valve (19a). The gas burner appliance (10) is operated to compensate for a fluctuating gas inlet pressure of the gas burner appliance by executing the following steps: Measure a first absolute pressure by the absolute pressure sensor (21) when at least the first gas safety valve (19a) of the gas safety valve unit (19) is closed. Measure a second absolute pressure by the absolute pressure sensor (21) when the gas safety valve unit (19) is opened. Determine a pressure difference between the first absolute pressure or a pressure depending on the first absolute pressure and the second absolute pressure or a pressure depending on the second absolute pressure. Operate the gas flow modulator (18) dependent from said pressure difference.