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.

The present embodiments provide an incinerator which includes a system for reducing NOx and CO emissions. A computational fluid dynamics module is configured to generate a plurality of models related to a plurality of incinerator parameters. A programmable logic controller dynamically maintains a plurality of set points. Further, the programmable logic controller receives a plurality of output signals from a plurality of sensors and compares the plurality of output signals with the plurality of set points. The programmable logic controller is further to affect an amount of above-fire combustion air, an amount of under-fire combustion air, and an amount of above-fire and under-fire flue gas recirculation to reduce NOx emissions produced by the incinerator.

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.

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 horticultural smudging system and method for improving the growth and/or production of plants. Combustible material is burnt within a thermal container, and the resulting flue gas containing negative ions and carbon dioxide is propelled onto one or more plants. The smudging system and method may use one or more sensors to detect oxygen, air pressure, and flue gas levels within the thermal container to adjust air intake and the release of flue gas.

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.

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 combustion system includes a distal flame holder, a pilot fuel distributor, a main fuel distributor, an oxidant source, an array of sensors, and a controller. The oxidant source outputs an oxidant. The pilot fuel distributor supports a pilot flame configured to preheat the distal flame holder by outputting a pilot fuel at least when the combustion system is in a preheating state. The main fuel source outputs a main fuel in the standard operating state. The distal flame holder is configured to support a combustion reaction of the main fuel and the oxidant in the standard operating state. The sensors are configured to sense parameters of the pilot flame and the distal flame holder and to output sensor signals to the controller. The controller executes software instructions that include adjusting the flow of the main fuel, the pilot fuel, and the oxidant responsive to the sensor signals.

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.