Time varying voltage combustion control and diagnostics sensor

Patent · Tue Apr 19 00:00:00 EDT 2011

OSTI ID:1018215

Chorpening, Benjamin T. ^[1]; Thornton, Jimmy D. ^[1]; Huckaby, E. David ^[1]; Fincham, William ^[2]

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1. Morgantown, WV
2. Fairmont, WV

A time-varying voltage is applied to an electrode, or a pair of electrodes, of a sensor installed in a fuel nozzle disposed adjacent the combustion zone of a continuous combustion system, such as of the gas turbine engine type. The time-varying voltage induces a time-varying current in the flame which is measured and used to determine flame capacitance using AC electrical circuit analysis. Flame capacitance is used to accurately determine the position of the flame from the sensor and the fuel/air ratio. The fuel and/or air flow rate (s) is/are then adjusted to provide reduced flame instability problems such as flashback, combustion dynamics and lean blowout, as well as reduced emissions. The time-varying voltage may be an alternating voltage and the time-varying current may be an alternating current.

• Research Organization: US Department of Energy (USDOE), Washington, DC (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): 7,927,095
• Application Number: 11/864,998
• OSTI ID: 1018215
• Resource Relation: Patent File Date: 2007 Sep 30
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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