Split Gas Supply Ignition Control for Hydrogen Heating Burners
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for starting heating devices, particularly those using hydrogen as fuel, face challenges such as hard ignition, deflagration, and flame flashback due to deviations in fuel gas quality, which are not adequately addressed by prior solutions that require significant structural modifications or additional components.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a two-part gas supply system with a main and auxiliary channel, where the auxiliary channel is closable to adjust the air-fuel ratio during startup, ensuring reliable ignition by increasing the air-fuel ratio temporarily, and a control system to monitor and adjust the auxiliary channel's opening and closing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a pneumatic mixture composition system is used with a fixed air-fuel ratio, then the structure is simple, but critical conditions such as hard ignition, deflagration, and flame flashback occur during startup due to fuel gas quality deviations
Solution Approach 1:
The gas supply system is segmented into a main gas channel and an additional gas channel. During startup, the additional channel is closed to restrict fuel gas flow and ensure a higher air-fuel ratio, preventing critical conditions. During normal operation, both channels are open to restore the predetermined air-fuel ratio. This segmentation allows dynamic control of the air-fuel ratio without complex overall system redesign.
Solution Approach 2:
The air-fuel ratio is made dynamic through the controllable additional channel with a closing element. The channel transitions from closed during startup to open during normal operation, allowing the system to adapt to different operational phases. This dynamic adjustment prevents fuel gas quality deviations from causing critical conditions while maintaining simple predetermined ratio operation during steady state.
2Reliability
If a pilot flame with separate fuel supply is used to ignite the main burner, then ignition reliability is improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing effort increase considerably
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of adding a separate pilot flame system with its own fuel supply and monitoring sensors, the invention extracts the ignition control function into the existing gas supply system by closing the additional channel. This eliminates the need for separate pilot infrastructure while maintaining reliable ignition through controlled fuel flow restriction during the ignition phase.
Solution Approach 2:
The additional channel with the closing element serves multiple functions: it acts as a fuel flow restrictor during startup, provides ignition support by ensuring proper air-fuel ratio, and can be opened during normal operation to restore full fuel flow. This multi-functional element replaces what would otherwise require separate pilot flame, fuel supply, and monitoring systems.
3Reliability
If the additional channel is closed during ignition to increase the air-fuel ratio, then critical conditions are prevented, but the system requires additional control mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The control system leverages the existing predetermined air-fuel ratio design to automatically restore proper mixing ratios during normal operation. The closing element's simple open/close action during startup, combined with the inherent Venturi mixing capability, provides self-regulating fuel flow control without requiring complex active control algorithms or additional sensors.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the fuel flow parameter dynamically by closing the additional channel during startup, which restricts fuel gas flow and increases the air-fuel ratio. During normal operation, the channel is opened to restore the predetermined air-fuel ratio. This parameter change approach provides safety during critical phases while maintaining simple operation during steady state.
4Use of energy by moving object
If hydrogen is used as fuel gas, then energy efficiency is improved, but the flame speed increases significantly making critical conditions more likely during startup
Solution Approach 1:
The additional channel is closed before ignition of hydrogen fuel to prevent excessive fuel flow that would create high flame speed conditions. By restricting fuel flow during the critical ignition phase, the system preemptively counteracts the inherently high flame propagation risk of hydrogen, allowing safe ignition before the channel is opened for normal high-efficiency operation.
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
Enables reliable ignition of hydrogen-powered heating devices with minimal structural changes by adjusting the air-fuel ratio during startup, reducing the risk of critical conditions and allowing for automated operation.
Implementation Method 1
a fuel gas mass flow rate is added according to a negative pressure generated by the volume flow of the intake combustion air in a throttling point, usually a Venturi nozzle
Implementation Method 2
a catalyst material can provide the necessary activation energy to initiate combustion without additional thermal energy, such as a spark or pilot flame
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~4
AI summary
A heating device (1) with a pneumatic gas-air system is proposed, comprising a split gas supply with at least one main channel (14) and an auxiliary channel (17), as well as a method for its operation, wherein the auxiliary channel (17) is closed during an ignition process of the heating device (1). This allows for an increase in the air-fuel ratio of the combustion mixture and thus increased safety during an ignition process.Additionally, within the framework of the proposed procedure, the closing and/or opening of the auxiliary channel (17) can be detected/verified by recording and evaluating at least one parameter from the following group during an opening and/or closing process of the auxiliary channel (17): a rotational speed n or a control signal of a conveying device of the heating appliance; a signal that allows a conclusion to be drawn about a flow rate of combustion air; a flame signal at a burner (3) of the heating appliance (1); a flow temperature and a return temperature of a heating circuit (18) connected to the heating appliance (1).