A system for flare combustion control includes a sound speed measurement device for measuring sound speed in a flare vent gas, and a flare combustion controller including a memory and a processor. The processor is configured to receive the measured sound speed and determine, based on the measured sound speed, a molecular weight of the flare vent gas. The processor is further configured to determine, based on the determined molecular weight, a net heating value of the flare vent gas, and adjust the net heating value of the flare vent gas by regulating an amount of a supplemental fuel gas in the flare vent gas.

A horizontally-fired burner system includes, in a combustion volume, a distal flame holder, the distal flame holder including a plurality of columns each formed from a respective plurality of refractory tiles, and a fuel and combustion air source configured to output a flammable fuel and air mixture toward the distal flame holder. The distal flame holder is configured to hold a combustion reaction adjacent to each of the plurality of columns.

Sensing of gas species characteristics within a process chamber includes selectively projecting a beam of a first select lasing frequency therethough. The beam is optically coupled to a detector to detect a process transmission spectrum having an absorption dip at a select lasing frequency caused by a gas species characteristic. The beam is selectively projected through a fiber Bragg grating which is formed in an optical fiber core to partially reflect at least a portion of the beam of the first select lasing frequency while passing a remainder of the beam. The remainder of the beam has an FBG transmission spectrum mimicking the absorption dip at or near the select lasing frequency caused by a gas species characteristic of interest. It is optically coupled the detector. Outputs of the detector are monitored to compare the FBG transmission spectrum to any process transmission spectrum produced in the process chamber.

Sensing of gas species characteristics within a process chamber includes selectively projecting a beam of a first select lasing frequency therethough. The beam is optically coupled to a detector to detect a process transmission spectrum having an absorption dip at a select lasing frequency caused by a gas species characteristic. The beam is selectively projected through a fiber Bragg grating which is formed in an optical fiber core to partially reflect at least a portion of the beam of the first select lasing frequency while passing a remainder of the beam. The remainder of the beam has an FBG transmission spectrum mimicking the absorption dip at or near the select lasing frequency caused by a gas species characteristic of interest. It is optically coupled the detector. Outputs of the detector are monitored to compare the FBG transmission spectrum to any process transmission spectrum produced in the process chamber.

A combustor a gas turbine engine includes an axial fuel injection system in communication with a combustion chamber, the axial fuel injection system operable to supply a first percentage of fuel and a radial fuel injection system that communicates with the combustion chamber downstream of the axial fuel injection system, the radial fuel injection system operable to supply a second percentage of fuel, the first percentage and the second percentage of fuel scheduled in response to an engine operating parameter.

A gas burner assembly and a method of operating the same are provided. The gas burner assembly includes fuel valve for providing a flow of fuel and an air pump for providing a flow of air into a boost fuel chamber prior to combustion. The method includes obtaining a predetermined cold start airflow schedule and modifying the cold start airflow schedule if the operating history of the gas burner assembly indicates that the temperature of the gas burner assembly is elevated, e.g., not cold. Specifically, the warmer the gas burner assembly, the more the airflow is increased relative to the cold start airflow schedule.

In a gas hot water heater, changes of the signal output of an A/F sensor are calibrated in the atmosphere, in which the A/F sensor detects an oxygen concentration in a combustion tube. The gas supplied via a gas supply pipe is injected, together with in-taken air, into a combustion tube, which is incorporated in a hot water supply tank, via an injection unit. A proportional valve controls a combustion state in the combustion tube based on the detected oxygen concentration to thereby heat water supplied in the hot water supply tank. A purging process is performed to supply air into the combustion tube, at a timing between an extinguishment operation first performed after the ignition the gas mixture in the combustion tube and a re-ignition operation. Changes of signal output characteristics of the A/F sensor are subject to the calibration after the purging process.

An afterburner system and method for reducing the CO.sub.2 and other pollutants produced by the combustion of a fuel in a combustion chamber while maintaining or increasing the efficiency of said combustion includes feeding a catalyst, preferably lithium and/or boron to the afterburner, or a preconditioning afterburner, along with the exhaust from the combustion chamber. The presence of the catalyst in the after burner results in further reduction of pollutants generated by the combustion in the combustion chamber.

A switched reluctance motor is disclosed. The switched reluctance motor includes a rotor, a stator, an air gap between the stator and the rotor, and a plurality of conductive elements. The plurality of conductive elements are disposed on the rotor.

A light detection system is provided for association with a light source. The light detection system includes a light detector and circuitry. The light detector includes semiconductor film and phototube devices and is disposed with at least one line-of-sight (LOS) to the light source. The circuitry is coupled to the light detector and the light detector and the circuitry are configured to cooperatively identify a presence and a characteristic of a light emission event at the light source.