U.S. patent application number 16/484904 was filed with the patent office on 2019-12-19 for control system for burner.
The applicant listed for this patent is BECKETT GAS, INC.. Invention is credited to DENNIS MAIELLO.
Application Number | 20190383486 16/484904 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 63169636 |
Filed Date | 2019-12-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20190383486 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
MAIELLO; DENNIS |
December 19, 2019 |
CONTROL SYSTEM FOR BURNER
Abstract
A method of controlling operation of a furnace having a
pre-mixed burner, a heat exchanger, and an inducer blower
downstream of the heat exchanger includes monitoring a pressure
drop across the heat exchanger. The speed of the inducer blower is
controlled in response to the monitored pressure drop to thereby
control mass flow through the furnace.
Inventors: |
MAIELLO; DENNIS;
(Bloomington, MN) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
BECKETT GAS, INC. |
North Ridgeville |
OH |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
63169636 |
Appl. No.: |
16/484904 |
Filed: |
February 16, 2018 |
PCT Filed: |
February 16, 2018 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/US2018/018478 |
371 Date: |
August 9, 2019 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
62460166 |
Feb 17, 2017 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F23N 2235/12 20200101;
F24H 9/2035 20130101; F24H 3/087 20130101; F23N 2237/16 20200101;
F23N 1/022 20130101; F23N 2225/08 20200101 |
International
Class: |
F23N 1/02 20060101
F23N001/02; F24H 3/08 20060101 F24H003/08 |
Claims
1. A method of controlling operation of a furnace having a
pre-mixed burner, a heat exchanger, and an inducer blower
downstream of the heat exchanger, comprising: monitoring a pressure
drop across the heat exchanger; controlling the speed of the
inducer blower in response to the monitored pressure drop to
thereby control mass flow through the furnace.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the burner is an ultra low
NO.sub.x burner.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the pressure drop is monitored
with a pressure sensor extending into a control volume within the
heat exchanger.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of controlling the speed
of the inducer blower comprises controlling the speed of an
electronically commutated motor connected to the inducer
blower.
5. The method of claim 4 further comprising wave chopping a control
signal to the motor.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the wave chopping comprises
zero-cross wave chopping.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of controlling the speed
of the inducer blower comprises controlling the speed of the
inducer blower prior to ignition of the pre-mixed burner.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of controlling the speed
of the inducer blower comprises controlling the speed of the
inducer blower while the pre-mixed burner produces a flame.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of controlling the speed
of the inducer blower comprises controlling the speed of the
inducer blower during a purge cycle of the pre-mixed burner.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the inducer blower speed is
controlled such that the mass flow through the heat exchanger has a
different frequency than the resonant frequency of the heat
exchanger.
11. A control system for a furnace having a pre-mixed burner, a
heat exchanger, and an inducer blower downstream of the heat
exchanger, comprising: a sensor for measuring one of pressure and
mass flow through the heat exchanger; and a controller connected to
the sensor and the inducer blower and controlling the speed of the
inducer blower in response to receiving a signal from the sensor
indicative of the pressure or mass flow to control mass flow
through the furnace.
12. The control system of claim 11, wherein the burner is an ultra
low NO.sub.x burner.
13. The control system of claim 11, wherein the sensor extends into
a control volume within the heat exchanger.
14. The control system of claim 10, wherein the controller controls
the speed of an electronically commutated motor connected to the
inducer blower.
15. The control system of claim 14, wherein the controller sends
wave chopped control signals to the motor.
16. The control system of claim 15, wherein the wave chopping
comprises zero-cross wave chopping.
17. The control system of claim 11, wherein the controller controls
the speed of the inducer blower prior to ignition of the pre-mixed
burner.
18. The control system of claim 11, wherein the controller controls
the speed of the inducer blower while the pre-mixed burner produces
a flame.
19. The control system of claim 11, wherein the controller controls
the speed of the inducer blower during a purge cycle of the
pre-mixed burner.
20. The control system of claim 11, wherein the inducer blower
speed is controlled such that the mass flow through the heat
exchanger has a different frequency than the resonant frequency of
the heat exchanger.
21. A method of reducing noise in a furnace, comprising:
determining a resonant frequency of heat exchanger tubes in the
furnace; and controlling the mass flow of combustion products into
the heat exchanger such that the combustion products have a
different resonant frequency than the heat exchanger tubes.
22. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of controlling the
mass flow of combustion products comprises controlling the speed of
an inducer blower upstream of the heat exchanger tubes with a
wave-chopped control signal.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application clams priority from U.S. Provisional
Application Ser. No. 62/460,166, filed 17 Feb. 2017, which is
incorporated herein in its entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present invention relates to a furnace controller and,
more specifically, relates to a system for controlling mass flow
and noise in a furnace having an inducer blower.
BACKGROUND
[0003] All combustion systems have a means of controlling the ratio
of the fuel and combustion air flows in such a way as to achieve
the desired combustion results. In residential furnaces, the
simplest method is the use of a servo-controlled gas valve
regulating the manifold pressure upstream of a fixed orifice,
coupled with an orifice controlling the air delivered from a
fixed-speed combustion air blower. This method is very
cost-efficient and provides sufficient control for the typical use
of in-shot burners, with which variations in the mass flows of the
fuel and combustion air is tolerated in varying field settings.
[0004] These control systems became more sophisticated with the
advent of modulating input appliances, where the input rate through
the appliance is varied to meet the heating demand of the
structure. In these systems, the air and fuel must be modulated
simultaneously to maintain the desired combustion characteristics
throughout the modulated range. To meet these requirements, the
development of controls and algorithms have emerged to include
modulating gas valves, variable speed combustion blower motors,
pressure and mass flow sensors. In North America, these systems
have been developed to support the furnace industry with primary
focus on induced draft, in-shot burner configurations applied to
indirect, forced air heating applications.
[0005] With the passing of codes requiring NO.sub.x emissions in
the 10-12 ppm range, the traditional in-shot burners, which have
served the industry so well for so many years, are no longer
capable of meeting the newly regulated combustion requirements. To
achieve these "ultra-low NO.sub.x" (ULN) emission standards, the
industry has moved to pre-mixed burners that are capable of meeting
the standards. Pre-mixed burners are nothing new, as they have been
used for many years in applications including residential hot water
boilers.
[0006] However, the application of pre-mixed burners in North
America for residential warm air furnaces must be designed
differently than those used in boilers and other applications. The
North American furnace market demands that the flue side of the
heat exchanger be maintained at a negative pressure with respect to
the air side of the system. This is a legacy design requirement to
insure that if there is a heat exchanger failure, the possibility
is reduced of combustion products, including deadly carbon
monoxide, entering the living space via the circulating air in the
distribution ductwork. Therefore, premixed burners in residential
furnaces are configured to be induced draft to meet this legacy
requirement. This presents an engineering challenge due to the
characteristics of the burner and combustion air blower, the
available means to control these devices, and the cost-sensitive
nature of the market.
[0007] As compared to an in-shot burner, which is very forgiving to
variations in the air/gas mixture in which it operates, the
pre-mixed burner operates properly under much tighter air/fuel
ratios. If the pre-mixed burner is running too rich, it cannot
achieve the combustion performance required. If it runs too lean,
the flame can become unstable and lift from the burner.
[0008] This not normally a problem when the burner is applied in a
power burner application because the combustion air is entering the
blower upstream of the burner and therefore at predictable and
somewhat stable conditions with respect to temperature, density and
composition. But in an induced draft system, the combustion blower
is downstream of the burner and combustion chamber, thereby seeing
significant changes in flue gas temperatures and composition, which
results in density and mass flow changes.
[0009] Moreover, in induced-draft systems for pre-mixed burners,
the heat exchangers normally used in residential furnaces are of a
tubular design that provide the conduit for the products of
combustion and provide the heat exchanger surface for heat
transfer. As a result, each pipe is capable of generating specific
audible tones at specific frequencies and at specific mass flow
rates. Some of these resonant frequencies occur during operational
conditions and produce undesirable noise levels.
[0010] Typically, "soft start" strategies are used wherein the
burner is ignited at a reduced rate and then, once the system has
warmed up and stabilized, the rate is increased to a desired level.
This approach, however, requires the burner system to be capable of
modulating the operating rate--normally both combustion air and
fuel--in such a way that maintains a relatively constant air/fuel
ratio. This undesirably adds to the level of complexity and cost in
that such systems need a modulating gas valve, a modulating
combustion air blower motor, and a complex control to control these
elements accordingly.
SUMMARY
[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, a method of
controlling operation of a furnace having a pre-mixed burner, a
heat exchanger, and an inducer blower downstream of the heat
exchanger includes monitoring a pressure drop across the heat
exchanger. The speed of the inducer blower is controlled in
response to the monitored pressure drop to thereby control mass
flow through the furnace.
[0012] Another embodiment of the present invention includes a
control system for a furnace having a pre-mixed burner, a heat
exchanger, and an inducer blower downstream of the heat exchanger.
The control system includes a sensor for measuring one of pressure
and mass flow through the heat exchanger. A controller is connected
to the sensor and the inducer blower and controls the speed of the
inducer blower in response to receiving a signal from the sensor
indicative of the pressure or mass flow.
[0013] In yet another embodiment a method of reducing noise in a
furnace includes determining a resonant frequency of heat exchanger
tubes in the furnace and controlling the mass flow of combustion
products into the heat exchanger such that the combustion products
have a different resonant frequency than the heat exchanger
tubes.
[0014] Other objects and advantages and a fuller understanding of
the invention will be had from the following detailed description
and the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a furnace including a
control system of the present invention.
[0016] FIG. 2 is another schematic illustration of the control
system of FIG. 1.
[0017] FIG. 3 is a front view of a burner in accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention;
[0018] FIG. 4 is a front view of a distributor for producing
multiple flame outputs for the burner of FIG. 1;
[0019] FIG. 5 an exploded view of a furnace constructed in
accordance with one embodiment of the invention;
[0020] FIG. 6 is a side view of the furnace of FIG. 5 with the side
panel removed;
[0021] FIG. 7 is an isometric view of cabinet portions of the
furnace shown in FIG. 5; and
[0022] FIG. 8 is an isometric view of an alternative burner in
accordance with an aspect of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0023] The present invention relates to a furnace controller and,
more specifically, relates to a system for controlling mass flow
and noise in a furnace having an inducer blower. The inducer blower
runs at a reduced speed during the ignition cycle to control the
air flow through the burner for a smooth, consistent light-off. The
speed control can be achieved by wave-chopping the input voltage to
the inducer blower motor while maintaining a target pressure
feedback signal from a sensor. Once flame is established, the
inducer speed is increased to deliver the proper amount of
combustion air for the duration of the heating cycle. The inducer
blower is therefore modulated to maintain a constant pressure
setpoint, which relates closely to mass flow, as determined by the
functional needs of the furnace.
[0024] FIGS. 1-2 illustrate a furnace 10 including an example
control system 12 in accordance with the present invention. The
control system 12 can be configured to operate with any furnaces
having a capacity of from about 40,000-140,000 Btu/H. The control
system 12 can be used with a natural gas furnace 10 or a liquid
propane furnace. One example furnace 10 for use with the control
system 12 is shown and described in U.S. Patent Publication No.
2015/0369495, filed Jul. 24, 2015, the entirety of which is
incorporated by reference herein. The furnace 10 can be a mid- or
high efficiency residential furnace.
[0025] The furnace 10 includes a pre-mix burner 20, e.g., an ULN,
pre-mix burner. The burner 20 is considered pre-mix because the
combustion air and fuel are pre-mixed upstream of the burner. To
this end, an air supply (shown schematically at 30) provides air
from outside the furnace to a mixer 34. A single stage gas valve 40
supplies fuel, e.g., gas, to the mixer 34 at a constant flow rate.
Alternatively, the gas valve 40 can be a modulating or multi-stage
gas valve (not shown). The choice in gas valves 40 can be dictated
by the type of furnace 10. For example, a single stage gas valve 40
can be used for the basic, most economical furnace. A two stage or
modulating gas valve 40 can be used for more costly, feature-rich
furnaces. Limit switches 42, 44 are provided in series with the gas
valve 40 and close the gas valve in response to the supply air
exceeding a prescribed temperature a predetermined number of
times.
[0026] The mixer 34 delivers the pre-mixed air/fuel mixture to the
burner 20, where it is ignited by an igniter 50. The igniter 50 can
be a hot surface igniter that changes temperature based on the
voltage, e.g., about 0 to 120VAC, applied thereto. A flame sensor
52 is used as a flame-proving device.
[0027] Once the pre-mixed mixture is ignited, heated combustion
products exit the burner 20 and flow into a heat exchanger 60. The
heat exchanger 60 can include a series of serpentine tubes with
indentations or dimples along their lengths (not shown). A blower
62 blows air across the heat exchanger 60 such that the high
temperature combustion/flue products heat the blown air. The blower
62 is driven by a motor 64. The motor 64 can be a multi-speed,
permanent split capacitor (PSC) motor. As shown, the motor 64 is a
four speed PSC motor that runs at different spends depending on
whether the blower 62 is providing heating or cooling.
[0028] An inducer blower 70 located downstream of the heat
exchanger 60 and in fluid communication with the interior of the
heat exchanger tubes draws in combustion products from the heat
exchanger and delivers them to a vent 72 to be exhausted from the
furnace 10. The inducer blower 70 can have a forward curved
construction and is configured for variable capacity operation. To
this end, the inducer blower 70 can driven by a motor 74, e.g.,
shaded pole PSC motor driven with a wave-chopped control
signal.
[0029] In another example, the motor 74 can be an electronically
commutated motor (ECM) driven through a serial communications bus
or pulse width modulation (PWM) control signal. In another example,
a mechanical damper (not shown) can be installed at the inlet or
outlet of the inducer blower 70 to vary the flow therethrough.
Alternatively, the motor 74 can be a variable speed motor (not
shown).
[0030] A sensor 80 extends into the heat exchanger 60 and monitors
the air pressure of a designated/predetermined control volume
therein. The sensor 80 can be a mass flow sensor, pressure sensor,
pressure transducer or other device capable of outputting a
usable/useful signal indicative of conditions within the heat
exchanger 60.
[0031] A controller 90 is connected to the blower motor 64, the gas
valve 40, the inducer blower motor 74, and the sensor 80 for
actively controlling one or more of the gas valve 40 and blowers
62, 70. The controller 90 has a circuit for receiving signals from
the sensor 80 that can include a high frequency noise filter and an
analog-to-digital converter (not shown). The controller 90 can be
integrated into the main controller of the furnace 10 or be a
stand-alone controller integrated into the furnace control via
serial communications interface, digital or analog control
signal.
[0032] In a normal operating cycle of the burner 20, the inducer
blower 70 initially moves ambient air at about 25.degree. C.
through the burner and heat exchanger 60 prior to the ignition
process. Immediately after ignition, the inducer blower 70
transitions to moving a mixture of flue products of steadily
increasing temperature through the burner 20 and heat exchanger 60.
Finally, during a steady-state operating period of the burner 20,
the inducer blower 70 will move a steady flow of flue products in
excess of 120.degree. C. through the burner 20 and heat exchanger
60.
[0033] The inducer blower 70 is a constant volume device.
Consequently, the mass flow variations of the combustion air coming
into the burner 20 due to the changing temperature and composition
of the flue gases at the inducer blower 70 can be significant.
Potential issues that result from such mass flow variations range
from noisy ignitions, failed ignitions, unstable burner operation
resulting in continued noisy operation, and/or failure to meet the
required combustion performance levels (high NO.sub.x).
[0034] To combat these issues, the control system 12 utilizes the
controller 90 to adjust the inducer blower 70 speed in response to
changing system parameters/conditions. To this end, the sensor 80
sends a signal to the controller 90 indicative of the magnitude and
direction of the parameter changes. In particular, the sensor 80
continuously measures a pressure drop across the control volume of
the heat exchanger 60 and delivers a proportional signal to the
controller 90 based on the measured pressure drop. The pressure
drop is indicative of the mass flow of air and/or flue products
through the control volume in the heat exchanger 60. The sensor 80
continuously sends signals to the controller 90 which, in response
thereto, varies the speed of the inducer blower 70 to stabilize the
combustion process and thereby meet desired performance
results.
[0035] Instead of using a traditional variable speed motor to
control the inducer blower 70, the controller 90 of the present
invention instead relies on a single speed motor 74 and can use
wave chopping to vary the speed thereof. In one example, the motor
74 speed is controlled with a zero-cross wave chopping circuit on
the controller 90. Regardless of the wave-chopping method used, the
controller 90 cooperates with the sensor 80 to form a pressure
feedback control loop in order to maintain the motor 74 at a
desired speed. As a result, the desired mass flow rate through the
burner 20 and heat exchanger 60 can be maintained for a particular
operating condition. The feedback loop also makes the control
system 12 self-adapting to varying field conditions, such as the
vent 72 length/configuration or vent system blockage, to maintain
the target mass flow rate regardless of these or any other
variations.
[0036] The control system 12 is an integrated furnace control which
integrates the operation of all functions desirable to operate the
furnace 10. These functions include, but are not limited to,
sequencing; ignition control; safety functions; control of the gas
valve, inducer motor, and blower motor. With this in mind, in the
development/calibration process of the furnace 10, the pressure
drop through the heat exchanger 60 control volume detected by the
sensor 80 is mapped to the mass flow of the air and/or flue
products flowing through the system. This signal naturally
compensates for temperature variations and composition flowing
through the heat exchanger 60. Also, the optimum combustion air
flow for consistent, quiet light-off of the pre-mixed burner 20 is
identified empirically, recorded, and stored in flash memory of the
control system 12 for future use. This light-off setting may or may
not provide the same stoichiometric mixture used for steady-state
operation, as the burner 20 may prefer a richer or leaner mixture
for the most robust light-off.
[0037] In the same way, the optimum steady-state operating
condition is noted for stable operation and desired combustion
performance once the burner 20 has been ignited and sufficiently
warmed for continuous operation. All of these parameters, along
with related timings, are recorded and stored in the non-volatile
memory of a microprocessor in the control system 12.
[0038] In the case of a single-stage furnace, the gas valve 40 is
either energized or de-energized, and supplies a constant heat
input to the heat exchanger 60 when energized. During development,
the inducer blower 70 timing settings for pre-purge, post-purge,
and warm-up cycles of the furnace 10 are also defined based on
desired pressure settings within the heat exchanger 60 according to
the table below. The actual settings can be in accordance with ANSI
standard Z21.20, another ANSI standard or have non-ANSI standard
values.
TABLE-US-00001 Pressure Setting Time State (in.w.c.) (examples in
seconds) Pre-purge P1 T1 (1.0) Ignitor Warm-up P2 T2 Ignition P3 T3
Flame Stabilization Period P4 T4 (.45) Run P5 Until heating call is
satisfied (1.0) Post-purge P6 T6 (1.0) Inter-Purge P7 T7 (1.0)
[0039] In this example, when the furnace 10 receives a call for
heat, typically from a thermostat 76 in the living space, the
controller 90 energizes the inducer blower 70 for the pre-purge
cycle and selects the blower speed such that the sensor 80 returns
a signal correlating to the system pressure drop of P1. The inducer
blower 70 is maintained in this state for duration T1. The
pre-purge cycle is intended to allow for the dissipation of any
unburned gas or residual products of combustion at the beginning of
the furnace 10 operating cycle prior to initiating ignition.
[0040] After the pre-purge time T1, the controller 90 energizes the
igniter 50 for a warm-up period and adjusts the inducer blower 70
speed such that the sensor 80 returns a signal correlating to the
system pressure drop of P2. The igniter 50 is warmed up prior to
initiating gas flow, and includes both a period of time in which
the voltage to the igniter is ramped from 0 to 120 VAC and a period
of time in which the voltage is maintained at a constant 120
VAC.
[0041] Once the igniter 50 is sufficiently heated, the controller
90 adjusts the inducer blower 70 to reach a sensor 80 feedback of
P3. When this occurs, the controller 90 opens the gas valve 40 for
duration T3 to allow the pre-mixed mixture to flow from the mixer
34 to the burner 20. Since the igniter 50 is already sufficiently
heated, the flowing pre-mixed mixture is ignited by the igniter.
The flame sensor 52 sends a signal to the controller 90 to confirm
successful ignition. The period of time allowed for the ignition of
the main burners in the burner 20 [during which the igniter 50 is
energized and the gas valve 40 open] is known as the trial for
ignition, and is built into the time T2 and/or T3.
[0042] The inducer blower 70 is adjusted again to achieve a sensor
80 pressure of P4 and maintained for duration T4 to stabilize the
flame. The flame stabilization period T4 is the time permitted,
after successful ignition, for the main burner flame to stabilize
before entering the "Run" state.
[0043] It should be noted that during operation of the burner 20
from this point forward, the temperature will vary at the induced
draft blower 70, which would normally cause unacceptable
fluctuations in the mass flow through the burner 20. Due to the
control system 12, however, the sensor 80 detects these variances
as increased or decreased pressure drop across the control volume
and reports these variations to the controller 90. In response, the
controller 90 increases or decreases the inducer blower 70 speed to
maintain a constant pressure drop reading at the sensor 80. It is
this response that allows the system 12 to maintain the desired
mass flow through the burner 20.
[0044] At this point in the process, a stable flame is established
on the surface of the burner 20 and the system is set to the "Run"
pressure setting P5 for the duration of the heating cycle. Once the
thermostat 76 is satisfied and the call for heat is removed by the
controller 90, the gas valve 40 is de-energized, the inducer blower
70 is adjusted to achieve a sensor 80 pressure of P6, and the
post-purge cycle is continued for duration T6. The post-purge cycle
allows for the dissipation of any unburned or residual products of
combustion at the end of the furnace burner operating cycle.
Post-purge begins when the flame sensor 52 determines there is no
flame at the burner 20 surface.
[0045] It should be noted that the trial for ignition can fail
periodically. When this occurs, inter-purge step is performed for
duration T7 to allow for the dissipation of any unburned gas or
residual products of combustion between the failed trial for
ignition and the retry period. The inter-purge is performed while
the sensor 80 indicates a pressure P7.
[0046] In another example operation of the furnace 12, once a call
for heat from the thermostat 76 is indicated at the controller 90,
the inducer blower 70 is energized and controlled to a
pre-determined pressure output for a predetermined time to achieve
a pre-purge of the combustion chamber/heat exchanger 60. The
igniter 50 is then energized.
[0047] The inducer blower 70 is then set to a new pressure setting
for the ignition process. This inducer blower 70 setting purposely
operates at a setting calculated to operate the burner 20 at a
different air/fuel ratio than the normal target. Typically, the
burner 20 is lit off at a rich ratio (less combustion air) but at
full rate (single stage gas valve) to achieve an acceptably quiet
light-off.
[0048] Once the flame is established and proved by the flame sensor
52, a flame stabilization mode is initiated at which the inducer
blower 70 is operated at a designated pressure for a pre-determined
time to stabilize the flame and warm up the burner 20 and heat
exchanger 60. This operating point also runs a rich air/fuel ratio
and serves to get the flue gas temperatures closer to the normal
operating temperatures, which brings the flue gas density closer to
normal.
[0049] After the flame stabilization period, the inducer blower 70
is ramped up to the normal operating pressure and the system enters
the "Run" mode. The flame has been stabilized by this time by
warming up the burner 20 media, warming up the heat exchanger 60,
and raising the temperature of the flue products to a "normal"
temperature. This stabilizes the density such that the mass flow is
nearly constant for stable burner 20 operation and targeted
combustion efficiencies.
[0050] The control system 12 of the present invention is
advantageous in that a predetermined combustion air flow across the
igniter 50 is achieved during igniter warm-up, which ensures the
desired ignition temperature can be achieved. This might be
considerably less than other operating states. Furthermore,
corrections can be made to the air/fuel ratio flowing through the
burner 20 during light-off, which ensures a stable, quiet ignition.
To this end, pre-mixed burners operate better when lit in a
slightly rich environment.
[0051] Additionally, combustion air can selectively flow during the
flame stabilization period, again possibly slightly rich, to allow
the flame to stabilize prior to steady state operation. A
consistent air/fuel ratio can be achieved during the "Run" cycle of
the furnace to optimize the combustion process for compliance with
ULN regulations and codes. Since the control system of the present
invention does not simultaneously vary the fuel and combustion air
the control hardware and software algorithms can be simplified,
thereby making the control system less expensive and the sequence
of operation less complication.
[0052] This description mentions only variations in flue gas
temperature and composition as possible causes for mass flow
changes in the appliance. It will be appreciated, however, that
once installed in the field, there are a number of other factors
that can cause the mass flow of the system to shift, thereby
resulting in noisy operation or poor combustion performance, e.g.,
venting configurations--direct vs. non-direct vent applications,
venting length, excessive wind applied to the vent terminations,
altitude, and venting system blockages, such as ice or debris. The
control system 12 can include additional sensors and/or furnace 10
components that can be monitored/controlled by the controller 90 to
maintain the desired mass flow rate in view of these additional
factors. In any case, the mass flow rate is controlled for each
operating stage of the furnace to help maintain flame stability and
combustion quality.
[0053] The control system of the present invention is also
advantageous in its ability to reduce noise in the furnace. Instead
of the aforementioned "soft start" strategy, the control system of
the present invention specifically tailors the system pressure to
reduce undesirable furnace noise. More specifically, during the
development/calibration process, tests are conducted to identify
the harmonic resonance operating conditions for the specific
furnace being used. Once these operating points are identified, the
combustion air pressure settings used during the light-off, flame
stabilization, and run modes indicated above are selected to avoid
operating the pre-mixed burner and heat exchanger in these specific
resonance operating points. In this way, desirable furnace
operating conditions in combustion performance, quiet operation,
and stable burner control are achieved.
[0054] FIGS. 3-5 illustrate a burner 30 in accordance with an
aspect of the present invention. The burner 30 includes a body 32
that extends from a first end 34 to a second end 36. The body 32 is
formed from a durable material such as metal and has a first or
front side 38 and a second or rear side 40 opposite the front side.
The body 32 is formed by a sidewall 50 that has an elongated shape
such as, for example, rectangular or trapezoidal. The sidewall 50
defines an interior chamber 52 that receives a pre-mixed mixture of
fuel and air. In particular, an inlet conduit 60 in fluid
communication with the interior chamber 52 extends from the
sidewall 50 and includes an opening 62 connected to a fuel and air
mixer (not shown) in order to supply the pre-mix mixture to the
interior chamber.
[0055] A flange 54 extends from the sidewall 50 along the front
side 38 of the body 32. The flange 54 has a rectangular shape and
includes an opening 56 in fluid communication with the interior
chamber 52. The opening 56 in the flange 54 receives a distributor
80 (FIG. 4). The distributor 80 closes the opening 56 in the flange
54 and substantially seals the front side 38 of the body 32. The
distributor 80 has an elongated shape that mimics the shape of the
opening 56 in the flange 54, e.g., rectangular. The distributor 80
extends along a centerline 86 from a first end 82 to a second end
84. When the distributor 80 is secured to the flange 54 (see FIG.
3) the first end 82 of the distributor is positioned at the first
end 34 of the body 32 and the second end 84 is positioned at the
second end 36 of the body.
[0056] Referring to FIG. 4, the distributor 80 is formed from a
thin, durable, and heat-resistant material such as metal, metal
screen or expanded metal. The distributor 80 includes a first
portion 88 and at least one dimple or second portion 90 formed or
provided on the first portion. The number, size, and spacing of the
second portions 90 coincides with the number, size, and spacing of
downstream heat exchanger sections (not shown) in the furnace in
which the burner 30 is used. In particular, each second portion 90
is aligned with an open end of an associated heat exchanger section
such that the end of each section is in fluid communication with
each second portion.
[0057] In one example, the first portion 88 has a planar
configuration and each second portion 90 is curved or
dimple-shaped, e.g., rounded, hemispherical, circular, concave or
convex. Every second portion 90 may have the same configuration or
different configurations from one another. A concave second portion
90 will provide a narrow, long or elongated flame while a convex
second portion will provide a wider, more dispersed flame. Each
second portion 90 may exhibit any circular or polygonal shape such
as triangular, square or the like. The planar portion 88 extends
substantially along the centerline 86.
[0058] Perforations 92 formed in each concave portion 90 extend
entirely through the distributor 80. The perforations 92 may
exhibit any shape and may be randomly spaced about the concave
portion 90 or may have predetermined spacing. The perforations 92
cooperate with the concave portions 90 to produce an elongated
flame for each concave portion that extends into the corresponding
heat exchanger section (not shown) during use of the burner 30.
[0059] Carryover perforations 94 may also extend through the planar
portion 88 of the distributor 80. The carryover perforations 94 may
be similar, identical or different than the perforations 92 in the
concave portions 90. The carryover perforations 94 cooperate with
the perforations 92 to provide a flame path between adjacent
concave portions 90. The path allows a flame initiated at one
concave portion 90 to propagate to all the concave portions 90 in
the distributor 80.
[0060] a. An axis (not shown) extends perpendicular to the planar
portion 88 and through the center of a concave portion 90. The
perforations 94 extend substantially parallel to the axis and the
perforations 92 are angled towards the axis. Consequently, flow
through the perforations 92 of each concave portion 90 is directed
towards a common point along the axis that coincides with the
center of that curved portion. This helps to focus the flame
produced therefrom along the axis towards the center of the
respective heat exchanger section (not shown). Flow through the
perforations 94, however, is directed in a direction substantially
parallel to the axis.
[0061] A fiber mesh burner surface 100 overlies the distributor 80
and is formed from a material such as an iron-chromium alloy, e.g.,
FeCrAlM. The burner surface 100 is contoured to match the contour
of the distributor 80 and, thus, the burner surface includes the
same dimples or rounded portion(s) as the distributor. A cover
retainer 110 is secured to the flange 54 of the body 32 to secure
the fiber mesh burner surface 100 and distributor 80 between the
body and the cover retainer.
[0062] In operation, and referring to FIG. 3, a 100% pre-mix
mixture of air and fuel is supplied via a mixer, duct or the like
(not shown) upstream of the burner 30 to the opening 62 of the
inlet conduit 60 in the manner indicated generally by the arrow A.
The pre-mix mixture flows through the interior chamber 52 and
towards the opening 56 in the flange 54. The pre-mix mixture then
flows through the perforations 92, 94 in both the concave portions
90 and the planar portion 88 of the distributor. When activated, an
igniter (not shown) positioned adjacent to the leftmost concave
portion 90 (as viewed in FIG. 3) ignites the pre-mix mixture
flowing through the leftmost concave portion. The air and fuel
mixture is ignited to produce a flame, indicated generally by arrow
F.sub.1 in FIG. 1 that extends from the surface of the fiber mesh
burner surface 100 outward away from the burner 30 into the
associated heat exchanger section (not shown).
[0063] The flame F.sub.1 in the leftmost concave portion 90 carries
over or propagates across the planar portion 88 via the carryover
perforations 94 and ignites the pre-mix mixture flowing through
each successive concave portion until a flame F.sub.n is produced
in the rightmost concave portion of the distributor 80 (as viewed
in FIG. 3). This directs the flame F.sub.n into the corresponding
heat exchanger section in the furnace (not shown). A flame sensor
(not shown) may be positioned adjacent to the rightmost concave
portion 90 that produces the flame F.sub.n in order to provide
proof of ignition and propagation.
[0064] FIGS. 5-7 illustrate a furnace 820 that includes a furnace
cabinet housing and supporting a burner assembly 821 similar to the
burner 30, along with peripheral components, including heat
exchangers, blowers, etc. The furnace 820 includes a furnace
cabinet 822, a primary heat exchanger 824 that comprises a
plurality of serpentine tubes 824a, a secondary. condensing heat
exchanger 826, and a circulating air blower 828. Alternatively, the
primary heat exchanger 824 may have a clamshell design known in the
art. Components of the burner assembly 821 that are similar to the
components of the burner 30 are given the same reference numeral
with the added suffix "'".
[0065] The furnace cabinet includes a pair of vertical side panels
830 and a vertical rear panel 832. An intermediate plate assembly
834 is supported between the side panels 830 and the rear panel 832
and includes a blower deck plate 835 and an inverted L-shaped
support plate 836. A vertical section 836a of the L-shaped support
plate 836 forms a vest panel which, as will be explained, supports
the burner 821. A horizontal segment 835a of the blower deck plate
835 and portions of the side panel 830 and rear panel 832 define a
heat exchange chamber 838 (best shown in FIG. 5). The furnace 820
also includes a base 837 that cooperates with the horizontal
segment 835a and portions of the side panel 830 and rear panel 832
to define a blower chamber for receiving the blower 828.
[0066] The secondary heat exchanger 826 (FIG. 5) sits atop and is
supported by the deck plate segment 835a and overlies a rectangular
opening 840. The blower 828 is supported below the deck plate 835
and includes a rectangular exit (not shown) aligned with the deck
plate opening 840. Air discharged by the blower 828 enters the heat
exchange chamber 838 through the opening 840. A control panel 843
is attached to the blower 828 and/or the blower deck plate 835 and
mounts conventional controls for the blower 828 and burner assembly
821.
[0067] The burner assembly 821 is attached to the vest panel 836a
and is received in a rectangular opening 842 (FIG. 7) defined in
the vest panel 836a of the plate 836. In particular, the burner
body 32' is shaped and sized to conform to the rectangular opening
842 in the vest panel 836a. The burner body 32' includes tapered
end sections which operate to provide a more even flow of gas/air
mixture to the distributor 80'. The burner body 32' is suitably
attached to the exterior side of the vest panel 836a and includes a
fuel/air inlet 60'. The distributor 80' that defines the perforated
portions 90' is clamped between the body 32' and the exterior of
the vest panel 836a. A combustion chamber defining cover 844 is
attached to the interior side of the vest panel 836a in alignment
with the burner body 32'. The component 100' defining the burner
surface (which may be the previously disclosed fiber mesh burner
surface 100) is supported between the distributor 80' and the
interior of the combustion chamber cover 844. The component 100'
may be formed by, for example, sintering, weaving and/or knitting
techniques.
[0068] The combustion chamber cover 844 includes a plurality of
openings 844a each aligned with one of the burner portions 90'
defined in the distributor 80'. The openings 844a each receive an
associated inlet side 846 of an associated heat exchange section
824a (FIG. 5). It should be apparent that the portions 90' are
therefore aligned with associated heat exchange sections 824a. The
inlet sides 846 of the heat exchange sections 824a may be attached
to the combustion chamber cover 844 by means of a known swaging
process. The flame F of each portion 90' extends through the
associated opening 844a of the cover 844 and into the inlet side
846 of the associated heat exchange section 824a. The flames F are
tailored such that the tip of each flame terminates at or adjacent
to the inlet side 846 of each section 824a, i.e., the flames may
barely extend into the interior of each tube.
[0069] As best seen in FIG. 5, discharge ends 847 of each heat
exchange section 824a are connected (as by swaging) to an
intermediate collector box 850 having associated ports 850a. The
intermediate collector box 850 receives the hot exhaust gasses from
the heat exchange sections 824a and causes the exhaust gas to pass
through the secondary heat exchanger 826. After passing through the
secondary heat exchanger 826, the exhaust gasses are received and
collected in a collector chamber 854 which communicates with an
induced draft blower or inducer blower 856. The exhaust gasses are
drawn out by the induced draft blower 856 and are discharged to an
outlet conduit 858 to be vented.
[0070] Referring to FIG. 6, the furnace cabinet 822 includes
conduit ports 843a, 843b. The conduit port 843a receives a
combustion air conduit (not shown) that provides a source of
combustion air which is delivered to the vestibule 871 and, thus,
is delivered to the mixer 870. The port 843b receives the exhaust
conduit 858 or vent (not shown) through which the products of
combustion are exhausted to the outside.
[0071] As best seen in FIGS. 6-7, the blower opening 840 in the
blower deck plate 835 is located near the inlet side 846 of the
heat exchange sections 824a and, thus, air to be heated is
discharged near the burner side of the heat exchange chamber 838,
i.e., near the vest panel 836a. In conventional furnaces, the
flames extend deep into the heat exchange tubes and therefore the
blower--and associated blower opening--is located further down the
length of the tubes from the burner side. Since the flames from the
burner assembly 821, 821', 821'' terminate at or adjacent to the
openings in the heat exchange sections 824a the blower opening 840
and blower 828 can be aligned with the inlets to the heat exchange
sections on a side of the vest panel 836 opposite to the burner
assembly, i.e., within the heat exchange chamber 838. Air from the
blower 828 therefore washes over the heat exchange sections 824a
where the flames are the hottest.
[0072] FIG. 8 illustrates portions of another burner 930 in which
the distributor and fiber mesh are omitted for brevity and clarity.
In FIG. 8, features that are similar to those in FIGS. 3-4 have a
reference numeral that is 900 greater than the reference numerals
in FIGS. 1-3. In FIG. 8, the burner 930 is configured such that the
igniter 911 and flame sensor 913 are positioned outside the heat
exchanger compartment 838 and within the vestibule 871. More
specifically, the burner 930 includes a body 932 having a
substantially trapezoidal sidewall 950 that defines an interior
chamber 952. The sidewall 950 includes an extension 953 that
extends along the front side 938 of the body 932. The vest panel
836' includes a series of bends 839 that form a notch which defines
a passage 841 extending along and above the extension 953 for
receiving the extension. The bends 839 position the extension 953
outside of the heat exchanger compartment 838 and the passage 841
is sized to allow the igniter 911 and flame sensor 913 to be
inserted through the extension 953 into the interior 952 of the
body 932.
[0073] A viewing window 915 formed in the extension 953 allows for
visual inspection of the interior chamber 952. A series of pressure
relief sections constituting openings 917 may be formed along the
extension 953 for mitigating pulsing and resonance within the
interior chamber 952. It is believed that these openings 917 may
allow secondary air to flow into the combustion chamber during
operation of the burner assembly 930.
[0074] The combustion chamber cover 944 is attached to the interior
or heat exchanger compartment 838 side of the vest panel 836a'. The
combustion chamber cover 944 includes an interior space 946 and a
plurality of openings 944a each aligned with one of the burner
portions (not shown) defined in the distributor (not shown). The
openings 944a each receive an associated inlet side 846 of an
associated heat exchange section 824a (FIG. 5) to align the burner
portions with associated heat exchange sections 824a. The inlet
sides 846 of the heat exchange sections 824a may be attached to the
combustion chamber cover 944 by means of a known swaging process.
The flame of each burner portion extends through the associated
opening 944a of the cover 944 and into the inlet side 846 of the
associated heat exchange section 824a. Both the igniter 911 and the
flame sensor 913 may extend through the combustion chamber cover
944 to the interior space 946 within the heat exchange chamber
838.
[0075] The burner has been described in connection with a
condensing type furnace. It should be noted that the burner of the
present invention can be used in a non-condensing type furnace.
[0076] What have been described above are examples of the present
invention. It is, of course, not possible to describe every
conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes
of describing the present invention, but one of ordinary skill in
the art will recognize that many further combinations and
permutations of the present invention are possible. Accordingly,
the present invention is intended to embrace all such alterations,
modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope
of the appended claims.
* * * * *