A gas appliance comprises a combustion device, an ignitor, a gas valve, a blower, a detecting device, and a control device. A control method thereof comprises: the control device is operated in a detection mode in which the control device controls the ignitor to ignite and controls the gas valve as well as the blower to provide a fixed gas flow and a fixed air flow to the combustion device. After igniting the flames, the control device determines burning states detected by the detecting device; if matching a first state, the control device controls the gas valve and the blower in correspondence to a first control data of the first natural gas; if matching the second state, the control device controls the gas valve and the blower in correspondence to a second control data of the second natural gas. In this way, the gas appliance is suitable for burning natural gas generating various heating values.

A method for commissioning a gas valve assembly for controlling fuel flow to a combustion appliance. An example method for commissioning the gas valve assembly may include initiating a commissioning mode in the controller of the gas valve assembly. Once in the commissioning mode, inputting a user defined initial air to fuel (A/F) ratio, activating the combustion appliance, setting a burner load of the combustion appliance to a set burner load, inputting a desired A/F ratio for the set burner load, running the combustion appliance at the burner load with the desired A/F ratio, and observing the operation of the combustion appliance. The method may further include saving the desired A/F ratio for the set burner load to the controller of the gas valve assembly and exiting the commissioning mode.

An appliance includes a first gas-burning heating element, a first gas path extending from an inlet to the first heating element, and a first solenoid valve positioned within the first gas path. The appliance further includes a second gas path extending from upstream of the first solenoid valve to the first heating element and supplying a base gas flow to the first heating element. A controller is electronically coupled with the first solenoid valve for controlling a supplemental flow of gas through the first gas path to the first heating element such that the supplemental gas flow combines with the base gas flow to achieve a total gas flow. The controller controls the supplemental flow to adjust the total gas flow by pulsing the first solenoid valve at a first rate corresponding to a desired rate of the total gas flow to the first heating element.

A cooking appliance includes a gas cooking element, an electromechanical valve fluidly coupled with the gas cooking element to regulate a flow of gas to the cooking element, a flame detector configured to detect an active state of a flame for the gas cooking element, a manually-actuated user control movable over a range of positions, and a controller coupled to the electromechanical valve, the flame detector, and the manually-actuated user control. The controller is configured to initiate a calibration process to determine an active range for the gas cooking element.

A power generation system includes: a combustor operative to combust a fuel; a power generator operative to utilize energy obtained from the combustor when generating electric power; a fuel supplier operative to supply the fuel to the combustor; an air supplier operative to supply combustion air to the combustor; a discharged gas passage through which a discharged gas from the combustor flows; a CO detector operative to detect CO in the discharged gas; a temperature detector operative to detect a temperature of the discharged gas; and control circuitry operative to, when the discharged gas is flowing through the discharged gas passage, perform at least one of an operation of detecting a structural abnormality of the discharged gas passage based on a difference between detected temperatures of the temperature detector relative to a difference between heated amounts of the discharged gas heated by a heater and an operation of detecting the structural abnormality of the discharged gas passage based on the difference between the detected temperatures of the temperature detector relative to a difference between outputs of at least one of the fuel supplier and the air supplier.

A method for controlling at least one operational parameter of a plant (1) having a combustion unit (3) can include estimating a status of at least one operational variable of the plant to identify an estimated value for the operational variable. For each operational variable, the estimated value for the operational variable can be compared with a measured value of the operational variable to determine an uncertainty value based on a difference in value between the measured value and the estimated value for the operational variable. A control signal can be generated based on a reference signal, the measured value, and the deviation value for sending to at least one element of the plant (1) for controlling a process of the plant (1).

The disclosure provides for a device for selectively agitating briquettes on a grill supporting plate. The device includes a variable frequency vibrational device, a power source, and a control circuit that controls the vibrational device at selected frequencies to create various Chladni patterns in the plate and, therefore, heating patterns over the surface of a briquette-supporting pan. The plate supports one or more pieces of charcoal and the device is integrated into the pan. When turned on, the vibrational device vibrates at a selected frequency. This vibration is translated to the briquette-supporting plate and causes different charcoal briquettes to selectively vibrate. The device is capable of selectively activating or pixilating briquettes to generate higher temperatures over different surface areas of the plate when the grill is cooking one or more pieces of food requiring different degrees of grilling or cooking.

A system and process for intermittently venting combustible gas (c-gas) from a continuous source to the atmosphere are presented. The system includes a primary c-gas storage tank, at least one primary admission valve located upstream of the primary c-gas storage tank for regulating the flow of c-gas from the continuous source to the storage tank, a primary valve for atmospheric venting located downstream of the primary c-gas storage tank, and a primary PIC that opens the primary valve for atmospheric venting when pressure in the primary c-gas storage tank reaches a pre-determined PIC vent point. The system may include an auxiliary system to receive and vent c-gas while the primary admission valve is closed. The primary and auxiliary systems may also include an inert gas storage tank and inert gas valve for diluting the c-gas before it is vented to the atmosphere.

Described herein are embodiments of systems and methods for oxidizing gases. In some embodiments, a reaction chamber is configured to receive a fuel gas and maintain the gas at a temperature within the reaction chamber that is above an autoignition temperature of the gas. The reaction chamber may also be configured to maintain a reaction temperature within the reaction chamber below a flameout temperature. In some embodiments, heat and product gases from the oxidation process can be used, for example, to drive a turbine, reciprocating engine, and injected back into the reaction chamber.

The present invention relates to methods and systems for controlling a combustion reaction and the products thereof. One embodiment includes a combustion control system having an oxygenation stream substantially comprising oxygen and CO.sub.2 and having an oxygen to CO.sub.2 ratio, then mixing the oxygenation stream with a combustion fuel stream and combusting in a combustor to generate a combustion products stream having a temperature and a composition detected by a temperature sensor and an oxygen analyzer, respectively, the data from which are used to control the flow and composition of the oxygenation and combustion fuel streams. The system may also include a gas turbine with an expander and having a load and a load controller in a feedback arrangement.