Energy efficient combustion heater control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10697651-B2
Application number	US-201514757727-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 23, 2015
Priority date	Dec 23, 2015
Publication date	Jun 30, 2020
Grant date	Jun 30, 2020

Abstract

A method and apparatus for controlling a combustion heater are provided. An example method includes measuring a room temperature, measuring a combustion heater temperature, and measuring a fuel weight. Adjustments are computed to an operational parameter to adjust a room temperature. An anticipatory alert is provided to inform a user of a predicted time at which the fuel weight will be too low to maintain the room temperature.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for controlling a combustion heater, comprising:
a sensor system, comprising:
a zone temperature sensor in a heated zone; and
a heater temperature sensor in the combustion heater;

a combustion air flow control; and
a controller, comprising:
a processor; and
a storage system, comprising code to direct the processor to:
monitor the temperature in the heated zone;
monitor the temperature in the combustion heater;
calculate parameter adjustments needed to reach a target temperature in the heated zone;
adjust combustion air, blower power, blower speed, new fuel addition, or fuel addition rate, or any combinations thereof to maintain the target temperature;
estimate a remaining fuel load;
calculate a period of time by the end of which fuel needs to be added to maintain room temperature, the period of time to be calculated using at least the estimated remaining fuel load and historical temperature readings from the heated zone; and
provide an anticipatory alert to a user comprising the period of time.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising a room air flow blower.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the zone temperature sensor comprises a plurality of temperature sensors distributed in the heated zone.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of temperature sensors are at known distances from the combustion heater.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sensor system comprises a fuel sensor.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the fuel sensor comprises a weight sensor on a fuel bin.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the fuel sensor comprises a feed rate for a solid fuel feed.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising a gas sensor configured to measure a concentration of carbon monoxide.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the gas sensor is located in a flue gas, and wherein the storage system comprises code to direct the processor:
to adjust conditions to lower the concentration of carbon monoxide in the flue gas; and
activate an alert on a wearable device.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising a particulate sensor.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the particulate sensor is located in a flue gas, and wherein the storage system comprises code to direct the processor to adjust conditions to lower particulates in the flue gas.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising a gateway interface to communicate with other heating systems.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising a wireless base station that receives information from a wireless sensor.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising an alert system to activate an alert on a wearable device, a mobile device, or both if a gas concentration in the heated zone passes a pre-determined threshold.

15. A method for controlling a combustion heater, comprising:
measuring a room temperature; measuring a combustion heater temperature;
measuring a fuel weight;

computing an adjustment to an operational parameter to adjust the room temperature;
estimating a remaining fuel load;
calculating a period of time by the end of which fuel needs to be added to maintain room temperature, the period of time to be calculated using at least the estimated remaining fuel load and historical temperature readings of the room temperature; and
providing an anticipatory alert to inform a user of the calculated period of time.

16. The method of claim 15 , comprising actuating a combustion air intake to change a rate at which a solid fuel is consumed.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the anticipatory alert is provided to a mobile device, a wearable device, or both.

18. The method of claim 15 , comprising adjusting a fuel feed rate.

19. The method of claim 15 , comprising monitoring a composition of a flue gas.

20. The method of claim 19 , comprising providing a gas composition alert to a wearable device.

21. The method of claim 19 , comprising adjusting the operational parameter to change a composition of the flue gas.

22. The method of claim 21 , comprising adjusting a flow rate of combustion air to the combustion heater.

23. The method of claim 21 , comprising switching off the combustion heater.

24. A non-transitory, machine readable medium comprising code to direct a processor to:
monitor a temperature in a heated zone;
monitor a temperature in a combustion heater;
estimate a remaining fuel load;
adjust an operational parameter for the combustion heater to change the temperature in the heated zone; and
provide an anticipatory alert to a user within a calculated period of time by the end of which fuel needs to be added to maintain room temperature, the period of time to be calculated using at least the estimated remaining fuel load and historical temperature readings from the heated zone.

25. The non-transitory, machine readable medium of claim 24 comprising code to direct the processor to:
monitor a flue gas composition;
adjust the operational parameter for the combustion heater to change the flue gas composition; and
activate an alert on a wearable device.

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Nolan Michael
• Nolan Keith
• Kelly Mark
• Kelly Damian
• Cahill Niall
• Brady John

Classifications

• F24B1/19

  Supplying combustion-air · CPC title

• F24B1/187

  Condition responsive controls for regulating combustion · CPC title

• F24D2220/042

  Temperature sensors · CPC title

• F24B13/04

  Arrangements for feeding solid fuel, e.g. hoppers · CPC title

• F24D2220/0214

  Inlets or outlets · CPC title