Systems and methods for using at least one sensor for monitoring a condition in a furnace are disclosed. The at least one sensor can be an optical fiber acoustic sensor. The at least one sensor can be coupled to at least one processor that can be configured to receive at least one measurement from the sensor, convert the at least one measurement into a digital format, and determine a condition associated with at least one burner based at least in part on the digital format. The digital format can be, for example, a sound waveform or a frequency spectrum.

A cooking appliance gas burner system includes a gas burner adapted to receive gas flow from a gas feed line via a venturi. A flow sensor includes a gas flow input in fluid connection with the venturi and configured to measure pressure at the venturi. The flow sensor further includes a differential pressure sensor configured to measure a pressure differential at the venturi between a maximum burner air/gas mixture flow rate and a user input burner air/gas mixture flow rate that is input by a user as a requested percentage of the maximum burner air/gas mixture flow rate. A proportional valve is configured to modulate the air/gas mixture flow rate into the gas burner. A controller is configured to read burner air/gas mixture flow rates from the flow sensor and regulate the burner air/gas mixture flow rate via the proportional valve based upon a user-defined input.

Burner (10), in particular for a vehicle heater (12), having an orifice plate (14) separating an inner combustion region (16) from an outer region (18), wherein a photosensitive sensor (20) is arranged in the outer region (18), wherein at least two separate air inlet openings (22, 24, 26, 28) are being provided in the orifice plate (14), wherein one of the at least two air inlet openings (22, 24, 26, 28) is additionally formed as a light opening (28) which also allows light to pass from the inner combustion region (16) to the photosensitive sensor (20) that is arranged in the outer region (18), wherein the at least two air inlet openings (22, 24, 26, 28) are being shaped such that the same combustion air quantities flow into the internal combustion region (16) per unit time, respectively, and wherein the orifice plate (14) is transparent and/or the light opening (28) has a shape different from the air inlet openings (22, 24, 26) that are not formed as light opening such that an illumination area defined by the light opening (28) is larger than a reference illumination area defined by one of the at least two air inlet openings (22, 24, 26) that are not formed as light opening (28).

A gas burner system includes a gas burner through which an air-gas mixture is conducted; a variable-speed forced-air device that forces air through the gas burner; a control valve that controls a supply of gas for mixture with the air to thereby form the air-gas mixture; an electrode configured to ignite the air-gas mixture and produce a flame, wherein the electrode is further configured to measure an actual flame strength of the flame; a controller; and an input device for inputting a calibration command to the controller. Upon receipt of the calibration command, the controller is configured to automatically calibrate and save the target flame strength set point and thereafter automatically regulate a speed of the variable-speed forced-air device to cause the actual flame strength to achieve the target flame strength set point. Corresponding methods are provided.

Apparatus and method of indicating a control setting of a gas cooking appliance. The gas cooking appliance includes a burner, a flame detector for detecting a flame of the burner, a gas valve that controls gas flow to the burner, a control knob coupled to the gas valve and rotatable to control the gas flow to the burner and a lighting system for emitting different light signals depending on the position of the control knob. The control knob is movable between a closed position where no gas is allowed to pass to the burner and an open position where gas is allowed to pass to the burner, the open position comprising a plurality of operable positions, wherein each operable position is related to a quantity of gas passing to the burner. The lighting system includes a power control assembly cooperating with the control knob and electrically coupled to a lighting device. The power control assembly is also connected to the flame detector so that the lighting device only switches on, according to the gas quantity passing to the burner, only if the flame detector detects a flame.

A hot water supply device includes: a combustion part including a first burner part for which a flame sensor is disposed and a second burner part having a different number of burners from the first burner part such that one or both of the burner parts perform combustion, the flame sensor being configured to detect combustion state information of a flame generated by burners; a combustion control part configured to monitor a combustion mode of the combustion part set in accordance with a hot water supply request and change a second combustion mode in which the first burner part does not perform combustion, to a first combustion mode in which at least the first burner part performs combustion, when the second combustion mode is continuing; and a combustion adjustment control part configured to execute a combustion adjustment process of the combustion part.

A furnace system of a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system includes a burner assembly having a burner enclosure configured to receive a fuel for ignition to generate heated combustion byproducts. The furnace system also includes a controller configured to detect a value associated with a wave signal transmitted through the burner enclosure and operate the furnace system based on a comparison between the value and a threshold value.

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.

A locally powered intermittent pilot combustion controller may include an igniter, a thermal electric and/or photoelectric device that produces an electrical signal having power when exposed to a flame, and a local power source for providing power when the thermal electric and/or photoelectric device is not exposed to a flame. In some cases, the intermittent pilot combustion controller may include a memory for storing information about an ignition sequence for igniting a pilot flame, and a controller coupled to the memory. The controller may be configured to initiate the ignition sequence of the pilot flame using information stored in the memory, determine whether the ignition was successful by monitoring the electrical signal produced by the thermal electric and/or photoelectric device, and adjust the information stored in the memory based on whether the ignition sequence completed successfully.

A control system of a water heater apparatus with a combustible gas burner is presented where the apparatus includes a pilot burner with an intermittent-type pilot flame, a main burner, a pilot valve and a main valve, a control unit, a flame detection electrode, introduced into the flame of the pilot burner, and which is configured to conduct an ionization current. The control unit is configured to measure/detect a variation involving increase/decrease of the intensity of ionization current detected, the variation in intensity of ionization current being generated during the change between a first condition, in which the ionization current identifies the ignition state of only the pilot burner, and a second condition, in which the ionization current identifies the simultaneous ignition state of the pilot burner and the main burner so that, by detection of the measurement/variation of ionization current, the effective ignition of the main burner is recognized.