Acoustic control of an electrodynamic combustion system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016186995-A1
Application number	US-201615063945-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 8, 2016
Priority date	Jul 31, 2012
Publication date	Jun 30, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system is configured to apply a voltage, charge, and/or an electric field to a combustion reaction responsive to acoustic feedback from the combustion reaction.

First claim

1 .- 19 . (canceled)

20 . A method for controlling application of electricity to a combustion reaction, comprising:
applying electricity to a combustion reaction; receiving acoustic feedback from the combustion reaction; and modifying electricity responsive to the acoustic feedback.

21 . The method for controlling application of electricity to the combustion reaction of claim 20 , wherein the combustion reaction includes a flame.

22 . The method for controlling application of electricity to the combustion reaction of claim 20 , further comprising applying an electric field proximate to the combustion reaction.

23 . The method for controlling application of electricity to the combustion reaction of claim 22 , wherein the electric field is selected to interact with the voltage or the charge applied to the combustion reaction.

24 . The method for controlling application of t electricity to the combustion reaction of claim 20 , further comprising extracting one or more acoustic characteristics from the acoustic feedback.

25 . The method for controlling application of electricity to the combustion reaction of claim 24 , wherein the one or more acoustic characteristics include one or more tones.

26 . The method for controlling application of electricity to the combustion reaction of claim 25 , wherein modifying the voltage or the charge responsive to the acoustic feedback includes changing a voltage modulation frequency or a charge modulation frequency to attenuate the one or more tones.

27 . The method for controlling application of electricity to the combustion reaction of claim 24 , wherein the one or more acoustic characteristics include acoustic energy magnitude.

28 . The method for controlling application of electricity to the combustion reaction of claim 20 , wherein modifying the voltage or the charge responsive to the acoustic feedback includes changing electricity concentration.

29 . The method for controlling application of electricity to the combustion reaction of claim 28 , wherein modifying the voltage or the charge responsive to the acoustic feedback includes compensating for a change in a combustion reaction volume, an air flow rate, or a fuel flow rate.

30 . The method for controlling application of electricity to the combustion reaction of claim 20 , wherein modifying the voltage or the charge responsive to the acoustic feedback includes changing a waveform shape corresponding to the voltage or the charge.

31 . The method for controlling application of electricity to the combustion reaction of claim 20 , further comprising selecting a characteristic of electricity applied to the combustion reaction responsive to the acoustic feedback.

32 . The method for controlling application of electricity to the combustion reaction of claim 31 , further comprising:
determining if the selected characteristic of the voltage or the charge applied to the combustion reaction is different from a present characteristic of the voltage or the charge applied to the combustion reaction; and modifying the voltage or the charge responsive to the acoustic feedback when the selected characteristic is different from the present characteristic.

33 . The method for controlling application of electricity to the combustion reaction of claim 20 , wherein the voltage or the charge includes a time-varying voltage or a time-varying charge.

34 . A method for controlling application of an electric field proximate to a combustion reaction, comprising:
applying an electric field proximate to a combustion reaction; receiving acoustic feedback from the combustion reaction; and modifying the electric field responsive to the acoustic feedback.

35 . The method for controlling application of the electric field proximate to the combustion reaction of claim 34 , wherein the combustion reaction includes a flame.

36 . The method for controlling application of the electric field proximate to the combustion reaction of claim 34 , further comprising applying a voltage or a charge to the combustion reaction.

37 . The method for controlling application of the electric field proximate to the combustion reaction of claim 36 , wherein the electric field is selected to interact with the voltage or the charge applied to the combustion reaction.

38 . The method for controlling application of the electric field proximate to the combustion reaction of claim 34 , further comprising extracting one or more acoustic characteristics from the acoustic feedback.

39 . The method for controlling application of the electric field proximate to the combustion reaction of claim 38 , wherein the one or more acoustic characteristics include one or more tones.

40 . The method for controlling application of the electric field proximate to the combustion reaction of claim 39 , wherein modifying the electric field responsive to the acoustic feedback includes changing a voltage modulation frequency to attenuate the one or more tones.

41 . The method for controlling application of the electric field proximate to the combustion reaction of claim 38 , wherein the one or more acoustic characteristics include an acoustic energy magnitude.

42 . The method for controlling application of the electric field proximate to the combustion reaction of claim 34 , wherein modifying the electric field responsive to the acoustic feedback includes changing a voltage magnitude.

43 . The method for controlling application of the electric field proximate to the combustion reaction of claim 34 , wherein modifying the electric field responsive to the acoustic feedback includes changing a waveform shape corresponding to the electric field.

44 . The method for controlling application of the electric field proximate to the combustion reaction of claim 34 , wherein modifying the electric field responsive to the acoustic feedback includes changing an electrode or a location of the electrode applying the electric field.

45 . The method for controlling application of the electric field proximate to the combustion reaction of claim 34 , wherein modifying the electric field responsive to the acoustic feedback includes compensating for a change in a combustion reaction volume, an air flow rate, or a fuel flow rate.

46 . The method for controlling application of the electric field proximate to the combustion reaction of claim 34 , further comprising determining a desired characteristic of an electric field applied proximate to the combustion reaction responsive to the acoustic feedback.

47 . The method for controlling application of the electric field proximate to the combustion reaction of claim 46 , further comprising:
determining if the desired characteristic of the electric field applied proximate to the combustion reaction is different from a present characteristic of the electric field applied proximate to the combustion reaction; and modifying the electric field responsive to the acoustic feedback when the desired characteristic is different from the present characteristic.

48 . The method for controlling application of the electric field proximate to the combustion reaction of claim 34 , wherein the electric field includes a time-varying electric field.

49 . A non-transitory computer readable medium carrying computer-readable instructions configure

Assignees

• Clearsign Comb Corp

Inventors

• Breidenthal Robert E
• Casasanta Iii Vincenzo
• Colannino Joseph
• Goodson David B
• Prevo Tracy A
• Rutkowski Richard F
• Wiklof Christopher A

Classifications

• F23C99/001

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

• F23B1/00

  Combustion apparatus using only lump fuel · CPC title

• F23N3/00

  Regulating air supply or draught (conjointly with fuel supply F23N1/00) · CPC title

• F23N5/16 Primary

  using noise-sensitive detectors · CPC title