A flame sensor apparatus includes a sensor assembly. The sensor assembly includes a photodiode for sensing characteristics of a flame. The photodiode outputs an electrical photocurrent. The sensor assembly includes an electrical assembly that is electrically remote from the sensor assembly. The sensor assembly includes an electric cable assembly extending from the sensor assembly to the electrical assembly. The electric cable assembly includes an electrical cable to electrically convey the photocurrent to the electrical assembly. At least the sensor assembly is configured and constructed to experience and continue to operate at a temperature at or greater than 200 C.

Apparatus and methods for a gas furnace are disclosed. The gas furnace includes a variable combustion control which monitors the temperature of the burner and modifies one of the amount of combustion air supplied and the amount of gas fuel supplied to the mixing chamber. The described systems can dynamically accommodate differences in air quality and gas fuel supply to provide an optimum BTU output irrespective of differences in geographic location of usage. The gas furnace can include a dynamic response unit which predicts an optimum rate of heating to maintain a target room temperature, thereby preventing unnecessary shut down and costly re-ignition sequences, and maintaining the gas furnace at an optimum BTU output level.

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.

System and method for measuring flame temperature profile are disclosed. The temperature measurement system disclosed measures temperature profile of coal burner flames in a multi-burner furnace environment by capturing temperature images using optical devices. Any point or area of temperature captured in the image is determined by the ratio of the magnitude of the near infrared (NIR) light and the visible red light of that particular point or area, from which the temperature distribution of burner flame is developed. The two light ratio method can minimize the impact on the flame temperature measurement caused by the flame soot in a furnace and thus can greatly improve the temperature measurement accuracy.

The invention relates to a burner (10), particularly for vehicle heaters, comprising a flexible panel (12) that separates an inner combustion region (14) from an outer region (16), a light-sensitive sensor for flame recognition being arranged in the outer region (16), and the flexible panel (12) comprising at least one light opening (20) that allows the passage of light from the inner combustion region (14) into the outer region (16). According to the invention, the light opening (20) is also provided so as to allow the passage of combustion air from the outer region (16) into the inner combustion region (14). The invention also relates to a vehicle heater.

An exhaust detecting safety switch assembly for turning off an oil burner when a disruptive quantity of exhaust is detected includes an oil burner. The oil burner ignites oil to define a flame when the oil burner is turned on. An ignition is positioned in and is in electrical communication with the oil burner. The ignition is actuated to ignite the oil. A shutoff is electrically coupled to the ignition and is actuated to turn the oil burner off when the shutoff no longer detects the flame. A safeguard unit is mounted on and is in fluid communication with the oil burner. The safeguard unit is electrically coupled to the ignition. The safeguard unit detects when the oil burner emits a disruptive quantity of opaque exhaust and when detected turns the oil burner off. The safeguard unit is positioned to inhibit access to the safeguard unit.

The disclosed technology includes systems and methods for detecting an at least partially obstructed air filter in a furnace. The disclosed technology can include a system and method that can receive temperature data from a flame sensor configured to detect a temperature of a flame in a burner, determine that an air filter associated with the burner is at least partially obstructed by determining that the temperature data indicates the flame temperature is greater than or equal to a threshold temperature, and output an alarm signal indicating that the air filter is at least partially obstructed.

A sensitivity parameter storing portion stores, as known sensitivity parameters owned by a flame sensor, reference received light quantity, reference pulse width, probability of regular discharge, and probabilities of non-regular discharge in advance. The discharge probability is calculated based on the number of drive pulses applied to the flame sensor and the number of discharges determined to have occurred in the flame sensor having received the drive pulses. The calculated discharge probability and the known sensitivity parameters are used to calculate the received light quantity per unit time received by the flame sensor.

A combustion system includes an electrically actuated flame location control mechanism.

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.