Ignition control systems for fuel-fired devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11092335-B2
Application number	US-201815878001-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 23, 2018
Priority date	Jan 23, 2018
Publication date	Aug 17, 2021
Grant date	Aug 17, 2021

Abstract

A fuel-fired device can include an air-moving device that mixes air and a fuel to generate a fuel-air mixture. The fuel-fired device can also include an air box that provides the air to the air-moving device, and a fuel valve that provides the fuel to the air-moving device, where the fuel valve includes a tracking port coupled to the air box, where the tracking port detects a pressure of the air box. The fuel-fired device can further provide a pressure-regulating device disposed between a pressurized component and the tracking port of the fuel valve. The flow regulating device can control, during an ignition phase of operation, an amount of the fuel provided by the fuel valve to the air-moving device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel-fired device comprising:
an air-moving device that mixes air and a fuel to generate a fuel-air mixture;
an air box that provides the air to the air-moving device;
a vent valve;
a fuel valve that provides the fuel to the air-moving device based on a pressure of the air box, wherein the fuel valve comprises a tracking port coupled to the air box, wherein a pressure of the air box or a pressure of the vent valve is communicated to the tracking port;
a sensor configured to measure a characteristic of a flame at a burner;
a pressure-regulating valve disposed between, and in fluid communication with, the air box, the vent valve, and the tracking port of the fuel valve,
wherein the pressure-regulating valve modifies, during an ignition phase of operation, the pressure communicated to the tracking port from the air box by creating a temporary artificial pressure; and

a controller communicably coupled to the fuel valve, the sensor, and the pressure-regulating valve and configured to output a control signal to the pressure-regulating valve to instruct the pressure-regulating valve to enter an idle state when the controller determines a steady flame is present at the burner based on data received from the sensor.

2. The fuel-fired device of claim 1 , wherein the pressure-regulating valve is in an idle state during normal operations.

3. The fuel-fired device of claim 1 , wherein the pressure-regulating valve comprises a solenoid valve configured to modify the pressure of the air box communicated to the tracking port by creating the temporary artificial pressure.

4. The fuel-fired device of claim 3 , wherein the solenoid valve creates the temporary artificial pressure by closing during the ignition phase of operation.

5. The fuel-fired device of claim 4 , wherein the solenoid valve energizes to close during the ignition phase of operation.

6. The fuel-fired device of claim 4 , wherein the solenoid valve de-energizes to close during the ignition phase of operation.

7. The fuel-fired device of claim 1 , wherein the fuel is a gas.

8. The fuel-fired device of claim 1 , wherein the pressure-regulating valve increases an amount of fuel provided by the fuel valve to the air-moving device.

9. The fuel-fired device of claim 1 , wherein the controller operates the pressure-regulating valve during the ignition phase of operation.

10. The fuel-fired device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a sensor module configured to measure the pressure of the air box at the tracking port and output pressure data to the controller.

11. A method for controlling ignition of a fuel-fired device, the method comprising:
receiving a first signal that an ignition phase of operation is beginning;
operating a pressure-regulating valve to modify a pressure of an air box communicated to a tracking port by creating a temporary artificial pressure during the ignition phase of operation, wherein the pressure-regulating valve is disposed between, and in fluid communication with, the air box, the tracking port, and a vent valve;
operating a fuel valve to provide a first flow of fuel to an air-moving device based on the temporary artificial pressure of the air box communicated to the tracking port;
determining that the ignition phase of operation is complete, based on data received from a sensor indicating a consistent flame at a burner;
operating the pressure-regulating valve to return to an idle state during normal operations after the ignition phase of operation is complete, so that the pressure-regulating valve stops to modify the pressure of the air box communicated to the tracking port; and
operating the fuel valve to provide a second flow of fuel to the air-moving device based on an actual pressure of the air box communicated to the tracking port, wherein the actual pressure of the air box is not modified by the temporary artificial pressure created by the pressure-regulating valve.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first signal is received from a controller.

13. The fuel-fired device of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is a flame detector configured to detect a temperature of the flame at the burner.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the sensor is a flame detector configured to detect a temperature of the flame at the burner.

15. The fuel-fired device of claim 1 , wherein the pressure-regulating valve is a three-way solenoid valve.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the pressure-regulating valve is a three-way solenoid valve.

Assignees

• Rheem Mfg Co

Inventors

• Thurlkill Stephen
• Akbarimonfared Amin
• Gamboa Jorge M
• Glass Robert S

Classifications

• F23N2227/02

  Starting or ignition cycles · CPC title

• F23N5/184

  using electronic means · CPC title

• F23N5/082

  using electronic means · CPC title

• F23N1/022 Primary

  using electronic means · CPC title

• F23N2241/04

  Heating water · CPC title