A flame detection device that uses a breakthrough voltage across a pair of electrodes located in a flame zone to detect the presence of a flame. The flame detection device may be used with a burner that is part of a furnace in a central heating system for a home or building. Unlike conventional flame detection devices that measure ionization current in a flame, the flame detection device detects a flame by determining the voltage required for a spark event across a spark gap located in a flame zone (also referred to as the breakthrough voltage), and evaluating the breakthrough voltage and/or its various characteristics to detect the presence or absence of a flame. According to one example, the flame detection device includes a power supply, an ignition unit, output wires, insulators, and electrodes.

The invention relates to a water heating device, comprising a burner (20) and a flame current measuring device (100) for measuring a flame current, which measuring device comprises two electrodes and a voltage source (14), wherein each of the poles (18, 19) of the voltage source is connected to one of the electrodes. The water heating device further comprises a heat exchanger (40) which is electrically insulated relative to the burner. The burner and the heat exchanger here form the electrodes of the flame current measuring device. The heat exchanger functioning as electrode can be earthed (41). The measured flame current can be used to determine the excess air factor of the combustion. The water heating device can further comprise an air/fuel controller for controlling the air/fuel ratio, wherein the air/fuel controller uses the determined excess air factor to control the air/fuel ratio. The invention also relates to a method for measuring a flame current in a flame.

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.

A system for igniting a grill can include a solenoid valve, a flame rectification sensor, an igniter, and a control circuit connected to the solenoid valve and the flame rectification sensor. The solenoid valve controls flow of gas to the grill's burner and includes a switch that closes when a handle connected to the switch opens the solenoid valve. The control circuit sends current to the solenoid valve when the switch is closed to hold the solenoid valve open. After the switch closes, the igniter is ignited. After ignition, the control circuit monitors the presence of a flame with a flame rectification sensor. If no flame is detected after a certain amount of time, the control circuit stops sending current to the solenoid valve to close the solenoid valve.

A cooking appliance is disclosed that according to one embodiment includes a plurality of gas burners, an electrode associated with each burner for igniting the flame, a flame sensor associated with each burner for monitoring the flame and at least one electric switch associated with an actuator that is transitional between open and closed positions. The cooking appliance also includes a control unit electrically connected to the electrodes, the flame sensors, and the switch. When the switch assumes the closed position, the control unit is activated and then in turn powers the electrodes and the flame sensors. Thereafter, the control unit sequentially monitors the presence or absence of flame in the burners during repeated time cycles.

This invention relates to a method of monitoring a burner (2) and/or a burning behavior of a burner (2) by means of a measured ionization signal. The invention consists in that the ionization signal is measured between an ionization electrode (4, 4′) and a counter-electrode (3) spaced apart from a burner surface (2′) of the burner (2). Furthermore, the invention relates to a burner assembly.

A gas powered water heater includes a storage tank, a main burner, a display, a flame sensor assembly, a wireless communication interface, and a control system. The flame sensor assembly includes a probe to couple an electric current through a flame on the main burner, and a detector that provides signals representative of the electric current provided through the probe. The control system is programmed to determine a length of time taken for a transition between a signal representative of no electric current and a signal representative of a steady state electric current, to select a flame strength level from a plurality of more than three flame strength levels, to display an indication of the selected flame strength level, and to output, using the wireless communication interface, an alert based on the selected flame strength level for display on a remote computing device.

A method for regulating a gas burner, wherein the gas burner has a combustion air supply fan whose rotational speed can be set variably, has the following steps: —operating the fan and detecting a fan rotational speed (nVBL); —changing the fan rotational speed; —measuring an ionization voltage (UION) which correlates with an ionization flow in a flame region of the gas burner; —finding a minimum of a gradient of the measured ionization voltage at the current fan rotational speed; —determining an operating point by measuring the current ionization voltage and storing as an operating point; —while the burner is operating, continuously measuring the current ionization voltage; —determining a deviation between the currently measured ionization voltage and the operating point; —checking whether the deviation (Delta UION) is within a predefined limit (UY) and carrying out a case differentiation: +if the deviation is within the predefined limit (UY), continuing the continuous measurement of the current ionization voltage; +if the deviation is not within the predefined limit (UY), repeating the method from the above change in the fan rotational speed.

A method for controlling a fuel-oxidizer mixture in a premix gas burner includes: receiving a flame signal representing the presence of a flame deriving from the combustion of a fuel of a first predetermined type or a second predetermined type inside a combustion cell; accessing fuel data representing the fact that the gas fuel belongs to the first type or the second type; generating drive signals to control a gas flow regulating valve that supplies gas to the burner and to control a rotation speed of a fan configured to take in oxidative air; sending the drive signals to the gas flow regulating valve and to a motor connected to the fan. A memory unit contains first regulation data and second regulation data and is programmed to generate the drive signals based on the first regulation data or on the second regulation data, depending on the fuel data.

A system including a burner configured to be coupled to a fuel line to deliver fuel to the burner and an igniter positioned adjacent to the burner and configured to ignite fuel emitted by the burner. The system further includes a valve configured to control a flow of fuel through the fuel line and a control module operably coupled to the igniter and to the valve. The control module is configured to send a signal to the igniter and to close the valve if a quality of a return electrical signal from the igniter is below a predetermined value.