Apparatus and method for detecting leaks in a system for delivering gaseous fuel

Patent · Tue Feb 04 00:00:00 EST 1992

OSTI ID:5341488

Bonne, U; Tate, G J; Schwarz, E

This patent describes an improvement in a combustion system of the type having a combustion chamber; a source of pressurized gaseous fuel; an air duct for carrying combustion air to the combustion chamber; means for inducing air flow in the air duct to the combustion chamber; a fuel injection nozzle within the air flow; a valve for regulating flow of the fuel, the valve closing responsive to a closure signal; a first pipe conducting the fuel from this source to the valve; a second pipe conducting the fuel from the valve to the nozzle; and the control unit providing the closure signal to the valve; an improvement for sensing leaking of fuel by the valve, comprises in the valve, an outlet chamber and means for injecting a preselected flow rate of air into the outlet chamber, the improvement further comprising a sensing chamber in direct flow communication with at least on of the second pipe and the outlet chamber of the valve; a sensor within the sensing chamber, the sensor providing a sensor signal having a value representative of the fuel concentration in the air within the sensing chamber; and comparison means receiving the sensor and closure signals for providing a leakage signal responsive to both the closure signal and a predetermined deviation in the value of the sensor signal from a predetermined standard.

• Assignee: Honeywell Inc., Minneapolis, MN (United States)
• Patent Number(s): US 5085576; A
• Application Number: PPN: US 7-550784
• OSTI ID: 5341488
• Resource Relation: Patent File Date: 10 Jul 1990
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

03 NATURAL GAS
42 ENGINEERING
COMBUSTION CHAMBERS
LEAK DETECTORS
GAS FUELS
STORAGE
AIR FLOW
COMBUSTION
FLOW REGULATORS
FUEL INJECTION SYSTEMS
NOZZLES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CONTROL EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT
FLUID FLOW
FUEL SYSTEMS
FUELS
GAS FLOW
OXIDATION
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
032000* - Natural Gas- Transport
Handling
& Storage
034000 - Natural Gas- Combustion
420205 - Engineering- Transport & Storage Facilities- (1980-)