Burner flame detection and monitoring system

Abstract

A burner flame detection and monitoring system for a pilot burner for combustion of wastes gases and waste materials. The system includes a pilot burner assembly. A gas premix burner assembly includes a fuel gas delivery conduit, a fuel metering orifice, a fuel and air mixing device, a pilot tube and a pilot burner tip assembly. A primary sensor is in communication with the pilot burner assembly downstream of the fuel metering orifice. A secondary sensor is in communication with pilot burner assembly at or upstream of the fuel metering orifice. A processor receives input from both the primary sensor and the secondary sensor. A mechanism integrates the input from the primary sensor and the input from the secondary sensor in order to deduce the presence, absence or quality of a pilot flame.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A burner flame detection and monitoring system for a pilot burner for combustion of gases, which system comprises:
 a pilot burner assembly;   a gas premix burner assembly having a fuel gas delivery conduit, a fuel metering orifice, and a fuel and air mix chamber in communication with said pilot burner assembly;   a primary sensor in communication with said fuel and air mix chamber;   a secondary sensor in communication with said fuel metering orifice;   a processor receiving input from both said primary sensor and said secondary sensor; and   a mechanism to integrate said input from said primary sensor and from said secondary sensor to deduce the presence, absence, or quality of a pilot flame.   
     
     
         2 . A burner flame detection and monitoring system as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said primary sensor is an acoustic microphone. 
     
     
         3 . A burner flame detection and monitoring system as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said primary sensor is a pressure transducer. 
     
     
         4 . A burner flame detection and monitoring system as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said secondary sensor is an acoustic microphone. 
     
     
         5 . A burner flame detection and monitoring system as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said secondary sensor is a pressure transducer. 
     
     
         6 . A burner flame detection and monitoring system as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said mechanism to integrate said input from said primary sensor and said secondary sensor subtracts said input from said secondary sensor from said input from said primary sensor. 
     
     
         7 . A burner flame detection and monitoring system as set forth in  claim 1  including additional sensors. 
     
     
         8 . A multi-sensor, multi-parameter flame monitoring system, which comprises:
 a first flame monitor measuring a first parameter chosen from a group consisting of an acoustic monitor, a thermocouple monitor, an optical monitor, a video monitor, a pressure monitor, and a gas detection monitor;   a second flame monitor measuring a second parameter different from said first parameter wherein said second flame monitor is chosen from the group consisting of an acoustic monitor, a thermocouple monitor, an optical monitor, a video monitor, a pressure monitor, and a gas detection monitor; and   a mechanism to combine and integrate data from said first flame monitor and data from said second flame monitor in order to deduce the presence, absence or quality of a flame.   
     
     
         9 . A multi-sensor, multi-parameter flame monitoring system as set forth in  claim 8  wherein said mechanism to combine and integrate data subtracts input from one of said monitors from another said monitor to deduce the presence, absence or quality of a pilot flame. 
     
     
         10 . A multi-sensor, multi-parameter flame monitoring system as set forth in  claim 8  wherein said first pilot flame monitor is in communication with a pilot burner assembly downstream of a fuel metering orifice. 
     
     
         11 . A multi-sensor, multi-parameter flame monitoring system as set forth in  claim 8  wherein said second flame monitor is in communication with a pilot burner assembly at or upstream of a fuel metering orifice. 
     
     
         12 . A multi-sensor, multi-parameter flame monitoring system as set forth in  claim 8  including additional monitors.