Real-time combustion control and diagnostics sensor-pressure oscillation monitor

Patent · Tue Jul 14 04:00:00 EDT 2009

OSTI ID:1015145

Chorpening, Benjamin T ^[1]; Thornton, Jimmy ^[1]; Huckaby, E David ^[1]; Richards, George A ^[1]

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1. Morgantown, WV

An apparatus and method for monitoring and controlling the combustion process in a combustion system to determine the amplitude and/or frequencies of dynamic pressure oscillations during combustion. An electrode in communication with the combustion system senses hydrocarbon ions and/or electrons produced by the combustion process and calibration apparatus calibrates the relationship between the standard deviation of the current in the electrode and the amplitudes of the dynamic pressure oscillations by applying a substantially constant voltage between the electrode and ground resulting in a current in the electrode and by varying one or more of (1) the flow rate of the fuel, (2) the flow rate of the oxidant, (3) the equivalence ratio, (4) the acoustic tuning of the combustion system, and (5) the fuel distribution in the combustion chamber such that the amplitudes of the dynamic pressure oscillations in the combustion chamber are calculated as a function of the standard deviation of the electrode current. Thereafter, the supply of fuel and/or oxidant is varied to modify the dynamic pressure oscillations.

• Research Organization: National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA, and Morgantown, WV (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): 7,559,234
• Application Number: 10/997,090
• OSTI ID: 1015145
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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