Combustion system with flame location actuation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10240788-B2
Application number	US-201816104587-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 17, 2018
Priority date	Nov 8, 2013
Publication date	Mar 26, 2019
Grant date	Mar 26, 2019

Abstract

A combustion system includes an electrically actuated flame location control mechanism.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
an igniter flame nozzle configured to support an igniter flame in a combustion ignition position; and
an igniter flame actuator configured to deflect the igniter flame between a first igniter flame position and a second igniter flame position;
wherein the igniter flame actuator comprises:
an igniter flame charge mechanism configured to apply an electrical charge to the igniter flame; and
an igniter flame charge reaction mechanism configured to support a deflector charge selected to interact with the charge applied to the igniter flame.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the igniter flame charge reaction mechanism comprises a field electrode positioned adjacent to the first igniter flame nozzle configured, when electrically charged, to deflect the igniter flame by interacting with a charge applied to the igniter flame.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the igniter flame charge reaction mechanism comprises a fuel stream charge mechanism configured to deflect the igniter flame by applying an electrical charge to a fuel stream emitted from a fuel nozzle.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a fuel nozzle configured to output a fuel stream.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the first igniter flame position is selected to ignite a combustion reaction of the fuel stream at the first igniter flame position.

6. A system, comprising:
an igniter flame nozzle configured to support an igniter flame in a combustion ignition position;
an igniter flame actuator configured to deflect the igniter flame between a first igniter flame position and a second igniter flame position; and
a distal flame holder,
wherein the first igniter flame position is selected to ignite a preheat flame supported by the fuel stream between the fuel nozzle and the distal flame holder.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the second igniter flame position is selected to prevent the igniter flame from igniting the preheat flame between the fuel nozzle and the distal flame holder.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the distal flame holder is configured to hold a combustion reaction supported by the fuel when the igniter flame is in the second igniter flame position.

9. A method of operating a combustion system, comprising:
emitting, from a fuel nozzle, a main fuel stream toward a distal flame holder;
preheating the distal flame holder by supporting an igniter flame in a first position to fully ignite the main fuel stream and to hold a resulting preheat flame between the fuel nozzle and the distal flame holder; and
igniting a distal combustion reaction at the distal flame holder once the distal flame holder has reached an operating temperature.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein igniting the distal combustion reaction includes removing the preheat flame by moving the igniter flame to a second position.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein moving the igniter flame to the second position enables the main fuel stream to travel to the distal flame holder without being ignited by the igniter flame.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
keeping the igniter flame burning at least until the distal combustion reaction is ignited.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein igniting the distal combustion reaction comprises causing a portion of the main fuel stream to pass the preheat flame without igniting.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein causing a portion of the main fuel stream to pass the preheat flame without igniting includes reducing a size of the igniter flame until it is not capable of fully igniting the main fuel stream, and wherein keeping the igniter flame burning includes igniting the distal combustion reaction at a portion of the distal flame holder while keeping the igniter flame burning by supporting the igniter flame at a reduced size.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein igniting the distal combustion reaction comprises:
while supporting the igniter flame at a first position, actuating a second igniter at a second position between the second igniter and the distal flame holder to cause the second igniter to support a second igniter flame capable of igniting unburned fuel at the second position;
while supporting the second igniter flame with the second igniter, actuating a first igniter to not ignite the preheat flame at the first position; and
igniting the preheat flame at the second position with the second igniter flame.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein igniting the distal combustion reaction further comprises:
while supporting the second igniter flame at the second position, actuating a third igniter at a third position between the second position and the distal flame holder and adjacent to the distal flame holder to cause the third igniter to support a third igniter flame capable of igniting unburned fuel at the third position;
while supporting the third igniter flame with the third igniter, actuating the second igniter to not ignite the preheat flame at the second position;
igniting the preheat flame at the third position;
detecting ignition of a portion of the main fuel stream at the distal flame holder; and
once the portion of the main fuel stream is ignited at the distal flame holder, actuating the third igniter to not ignite the preheat flame at the third position to extinguish the preheat flame.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein igniting the distal combustion reaction further comprises:
while supporting the second igniter flame at the second position, actuating a third igniter at a third position between the second position and the distal flame holder and adjacent to the distal flame holder to cause the third igniter to support a third igniter flame capable of igniting unburned fuel at the third position;
while supporting the third igniter flame with the third igniter, actuating the second igniter to not ignite the preheat flame at the second position;
igniting the preheat flame at the third position;
detecting heating of the distal flame holder by a combustion reaction supported by a portion of the main fuel stream; and
once the portion of the main fuel stream is ignited at the distal flame holder, actuating the third igniter to not ignite the preheat flame at the third position to extinguish the preheat flame.

18. The method of claim 9 , wherein the supporting an igniter flame in a position to fully ignite the fuel stream comprises:
emitting, from an igniter flame nozzle, an igniter flame fuel stream; and
supporting a pilot flame in a position to ignite the igniter flame.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the igniting a distal combustion reaction at the distal flame holder includes allowing the main fuel stream to reach the distal flame holder by extinguishing the preheat flame;
wherein extinguishing the preheat flame includes extinguishing the igniter flame by stopping the igniter flame fuel stream; and
further comprising keeping the pilot flame burning at least until the distal combustion reaction is ignited.

20. The method of claim 9 , comprising holding the distal combustion reaction substantially within a plurality of apertures extending between an input face and an output face of the distal flame holder.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the holding the distal combustion reaction substantially within a plurality of apertures includes combusting a majority of the main fuel stream between the input face and the output face of the distal flame holder.

22. The method of claim 9 , wherein

Assignees

• Clearsign Comb Corp

Inventors

• Karkow Douglas W
• Colannino Joseph
• Krichtafovitch Igor A
• Breidenthal Robert E
• Wiklof Christopher A

Classifications

• F23D2207/00

  Ignition devices associated with burner · CPC title

• F23Q9/08

  with interlock with main fuel supply · CPC title

• F23D2209/20

  Flame lift-off / stability · CPC title

• F23N2237/00

  Controlling · CPC title

• F23C99/001

  Applying electric means or magnetism to combustion (for combustion engines F02B51/04, F02M27/04) · CPC title