Systems and methods for operating a furnace system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12359846-B2
Application number	US-202117512481-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 27, 2021
Priority date	Oct 29, 2020
Publication date	Jul 15, 2025
Grant date	Jul 15, 2025

Abstract

A furnace system includes a heat exchanger and a burner assembly including a burner enclosure fluidly coupled to the heat exchanger. The burner assembly is configured to receive a fluid, ignite the fluid to produce combustion byproducts, and direct the combustion byproducts to the heat exchanger. The furnace system also includes a pressure sensor configured to detect a pressure within the burner enclosure. The furnace system is configured to operate based on the pressure detected by the pressure sensor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A furnace system, comprising:
a heat exchanger;
a conduit configured to direct a fuel/oxidizer mixture therethrough;
a burner assembly comprising a burner enclosure fluidly coupled to the heat exchanger and the conduit and disposed between the heat exchanger and the conduit, wherein the burner enclosure is configured to receive the fuel/oxidizer mixture from the conduit, ignite the fuel/oxidizer mixture to produce combustion byproducts, and direct the combustion byproducts to the heat exchanger; and
a pressure sensor disposed within the burner enclosure and configured to detect a negative pressure within the burner enclosure, wherein the furnace system is configured to adjust operation based on a determination that the negative pressure detected by the pressure sensor exceeds a threshold negative pressure, wherein the determination is indicative of a blockage within the conduit.

2. The furnace system of claim 1 , comprising a controller communicatively coupled to the pressure sensor, wherein the controller is configured to:
receive data from the pressure sensor, wherein the data is indicative of the negative pressure within the burner enclosure; and
suspend operation of the furnace system in response to the determination that the negative pressure exceeds the threshold negative pressure.

3. The furnace system of claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to interrupt a flow of electrical power to suspend operation of the furnace system in response to the determination that the negative pressure exceeds the threshold negative pressure.

4. The furnace system of claim 2 , comprising a valve configured to adjust a flow rate of the fuel/oxidizer mixture directed into the burner enclosure, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the valve to adjust operation of the furnace system.

5. The furnace system of claim 1 , wherein the furnace system is configured to operate in an operating mode of a plurality of operating modes of the furnace system, wherein each operating mode of the plurality of operating modes is associated with a corresponding threshold pressure value.

6. A furnace system, comprising:
a premix burner assembly, comprising:
a conduit configured to direct a fuel/oxidizer mixture therethrough;
a burner enclosure configured to receive the fuel/oxidizer mixture from the conduit and ignite the fuel/oxidizer mixture to produce combustion byproducts; and
a pressure sensor comprising a first end positioned within an internal volume of the burner enclosure and a second end positioned external to the internal volume, wherein the pressure sensor is configured to detect a pressure within the burner enclosure, and the pressure sensor is configured to cause interruption of a flow of electrical power to the furnace system to suspend operation of the furnace system in response to the pressure comprising a vacuum that exceeds a threshold negative pressure indicative of a blockage within the conduit.

7. The furnace system of claim 6 , wherein the pressure sensor comprises a pressure switch, and the pressure switch is configured to interrupt the flow of electrical power to the furnace system in response to the vacuum exceeding the threshold negative pressure.

8. The furnace system of claim 7 , wherein the pressure switch is a normally closed pressure switch configured to transition from a closed configuration to an open configuration to interrupt the flow of electrical power to the furnace system in response to the vacuum exceeding the threshold negative pressure.

9. The furnace system of claim 6 , comprising a controller configured to:
receive data indicative of a vacuum pressure value within the burner enclosure from the pressure sensor;
compare the vacuum pressure value to the threshold negative pressure; and
interrupt the flow of electrical power to the furnace system in response to the vacuum pressure value exceeding the threshold negative pressure.

10. The furnace system of claim 6 , wherein the pressure sensor is configured to cause the interruption of the flow of electrical power to a motor of the furnace system, a valve of the furnace system, a controller of the furnace system, or any combination thereof.

11. The furnace system of claim 6 , wherein the conduit and the pressure sensor extend through a common panel of the burner enclosure.

12. A burner assembly of a furnace system, the burner assembly comprising:
a burner enclosure comprising an internal volume, wherein the burner enclosure is configured to receive a fuel/oxidizer mixture from a conduit coupled to the burner enclosure and ignite the fuel/oxidizer mixture to produce combustion byproducts; and
a pressure switch comprising a first end positioned within an internal volume of the burner enclosure and a second end positioned external to the internal volume, wherein the pressure switch is configured to transition between a closed configuration and an open configuration, wherein the closed configuration enables flow of electrical power to the furnace system, the open configuration interrupts the flow of electrical power to the furnace system, and the pressure switch is configured to adjust to the open configuration in response to a detection of a vacuum within the burner enclosure exceeding a threshold negative pressure, wherein the detection is indicative of a blockage within the conduit.

13. The burner assembly of claim 12 , wherein the pressure switch is normally in the closed configuration.

14. The burner assembly of claim 12 , wherein the burner enclosure is fluidly coupled to a heat exchanger of the furnace system and is configured to direct the combustion byproducts from the internal volume to the heat exchanger during operation of the furnace system.

15. The burner assembly of claim 12 , wherein the pressure switch, in the open configuration, is configured to interrupt the flow of electrical power to a controller of the furnace system.

Assignees

• Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP
• Johnson Controls Light Commercial Ip Gmbh

Inventors

• Jayarathne Madhuka Manuranga
• Davis Ii Daniel W
• Ashby Frank D

Classifications

• F23N2229/00

  Flame sensors · CPC title

• F23N5/16

  using noise-sensitive detectors · CPC title

• F23N2241/02

  Space-heating · CPC title

• F23N5/022

  using electronic means (F23N5/04 - F23N5/14 take precedence) · CPC title

• F24H15/112

  Preventing or detecting blocked flues · CPC title