Systems and methods for determining operating discrepancy a process heater. The discrepancy may be identified by solving a fired-systems model of the heater. The fired-systems model is then compared to current operating data. If the sensed current operating data is outside of the expected value(s), as defined by the fired-systems model, the systems and methods may take a remediation action to resolve the discrepancy. The discrepancy may include convection fouling identification and identification of tramp-air leaks within the process heater that are otherwise not easily detected by a human operator.

A digital gas cooking appliance is disclosed. The digital gas cooking appliance has the ability of self-initiating an automatic calibration process to determine an optimum valve position to be used for an electromechanical valve when igniting a gas cooking element by performing a plurality of ignition sequences for the gas cooking element at a plurality of respective valve positions of the electromechanical valve. During each of the plurality of ignition sequences, a respective ignition duration between a start of the respective ignition sequence when an igniter is active and the electromechanical valve is open, and a flame is detected by a flame detector, may be determined.

A method operates a furnace unit with a feed chute and a camera for capturing an image of the surface of the chute. The chute includes a slide on which material flows to a grate, and the coverage of the chute and in particular of the slide with material, the burning bed thickness and the burnout zone are determined by an image evaluation.

Food cooking unit composed of gas burners (1), regulation electrovalves (3) of the supplied gas; an infrared sensor (5) focused towards the cooking zone; a thermocouple (6) in thermal contact with the flames and in connection with a safety electrovalve (4) through a relay (10) and an electronic control device (7) connected to said infrared sensor (5), to said at least one regulating electrovalve (3) and the relay (10) and that stores different regulation programs and that regulates the regulating electrovalve (3) and/or interrupts the thermocouple connection with the safety electrovalve in response to the signals obtained from the infrared sensor (5) and/or the thermocouple (6), and issues warnings in response to signals from the thermocouple (6).

The gas swirling state determination system (10) determines the quality of the swirling state of gas that swirls around the central axis. The gas swirling state determination system (10) includes an imaging device (39), an information processing device (11), and a display device (42). The imaging device (39) captures swirling gas from a direction along the central axis to acquire a still image. The information processing device (11) includes a calculation unit (40), a smoothing unit (41), and a determination unit (43). The display device (42) displays a determination result.

Systems and methods for monitoring and controlling burning operations are provided. A method of one embodiment includes igniting oil or gas with a burner (282) during a burning operation and monitoring the burning operation with a camera (290). This monitoring of the burning operation can include acquiring image data for a flame (290) of the burner via the camera and analyzing the acquired image data to detect image features indicative of combustion of the oil or gas via the burner. Additional systems, methods, and devices are also disclosed.

A gas cooktop includes a cooktop body having a burner head which when activated generates a fire for heating cookware placed on the burner head, and a control system which includes a fire detection apparatus installed over the burner head and is aligned with the burner head. The control system further includes a control apparatus receiving a signal of the fire detection apparatus to control the fire of the burner head. The control apparatus determines, depending on whether the fire detection apparatus detects the fire of the burner head, whether cookware is placed on the burner head. By using such a gas cooktop including the control system, the gas cooktop automatically adjusts the fire to a minimum after a user removes a cookware, thus reducing fume in a kitchen and reducing gas consumption.

A multi-function sight port door includes a sensor mount attached at an aperture within the sight port door. A sensor is mounted to the sensor mount and configured to monitor the interior of a heater that the multi-function sight port door is mounted to. The multi-function sight port door is also configured to open to allow visual inspection of the interior of the heater while the sensor is mounted thereto. The multi-function sight port may be configured to allow for one or more of X-axis, Y-axis, Z-axis, tilt, roll, and yaw positioning of the sensor as mounted to the sight port door. The sensor may be a temperature sensor, pressure sensor, flame scanner, gas analyzer, optical-based sensor, thermal imager, thermal camera, or laser-based analyzer.

A sensor system for use in a gas turbine engine. The sensor system includes a reflective surface configured to reflect optical features corresponding to combustion in a combustion chamber that exit the combustion chamber via at least one opening therein. The sensor system further includes an optical sensor configured to receive the reflected optical features from the reflective surface.

A method for operating a combustion chamber is provided. The method includes obtaining a carbon monoxide reading at an exit of the combustion chamber via a carbon monoxide sensor, and deriving an oxygen set point trim based at least in part on the carbon monoxide reading and a carbon monoxide set point via a controller. The method further includes determining a stability status of the combustion chamber via a combustion stability sensor, and adjusting an oxygen set point of the combustion chamber with the oxygen set point trim based at least in part on the stability status via the controller. The oxygen set point defines a desired oxygen level at the exit of the combustion chamber.