A method for monitoring a flame of a burner of a lime kiln, including imaging a video stream showing the burner end of the lime kiln; extracting at least one image from the imaged video stream; determining, using a pretrained algorithm, from the at least one image at least one area of interest, wherein the at least one area of interest includes a part of the at least one image showing an area having at least one characteristic portion of the flame and/or burner end; calculating the area of the at least one characteristic portion based on the pixels of the at least one area of interest; and determining at least one quantity of interest based on the calculated area of the at least one characteristic portion.

A flame analytics system that may incorporate a burner, one or more sensors at the burner, a historical database connected to the one or more sensors, a model training module connected to the historical database, and a runtime algorithm module connected to the one or more sensors and the model training module. The runtime algorithm may compare realtime data from the one or more sensors and historical data from the model training module in accordance with a machine learning algorithm. The system may further incorporate a fault detection module connected to the runtime algorithm module, a fault diagnostics module connected to the fault detection module, and an enunciator connected to the fault detection module. The one or more sensors may also include having video or acoustic sensitivity of combustion in the burner.

A flame analytics system that may incorporate a burner, one or more sensors at the burner, a historical database connected to the one or more sensors, a model training module connected to the historical database, and a runtime algorithm module connected to the one or more sensors and the model training module. The runtime algorithm may compare realtime data from the one or more sensors and historical data from the model training module in accordance with a machine learning algorithm. The system may further incorporate a fault detection module connected to the runtime algorithm module, a fault diagnostics module connected to the fault detection module, and an enunciator connected to the fault detection module. The one or more sensors may also include having video or acoustic sensitivity of combustion in the burner.

A method and device for monitoring combustible matter in a hot gaseous stream and generating a control signal, a controlled jet of an oxidant is injected into the gaseous stream with a lance extending between a window of a monitoring device and the flow path of the gaseous stream, the lance defining a line of sight between the window and the gaseous stream in the flow path, the combustible matter burns with the oxidant in a flame in the gaseous stream in front of the lance, one or more properties of the flame which are correlated with the concentration of combustible matter in the gaseous stream are detected by the monitoring device through the line of sight and the window and the monitoring device processes the one or more detected flame properties and generates a control signal on the basis of the one or more detected flame properties.

There is provided a control system for a furnace. The control system comprises a thermal imaging camera and a control unit. The thermal imaging camera is configured to receive thermal radiation from a plurality of positions in a furnace and to generate an image which includes temperature information for the plurality of positions in the furnace. The control unit is configured to receive the image from the thermal imaging camera and to generate control signals for the furnace using the image.

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.

Technologies are described for applying electrical energy according to a physical extent of a combustion reaction, which may include: supporting a combustion reaction at a fuel source; sensing a physical extent of the combustion reaction with respect to a plurality of different locations of a plurality of electrodes; and applying electrical energy to the combustion reaction via at least one of the plurality of electrodes responsive to the physical extent of the combustion reaction. Sensing the physical extent of the combustion reaction may include receiving a sensor signal corresponding to the physical extent of the combustion reaction.

A gas burner safety system comprises dual sensor arrays, the first array positioned proximal to the gas burner and the second array positioned proximal to a control used to turn on and off and regulate the flame of the gas burner. The first array senses the flame components such that a flame signature is obtained when no object is placed on or above the flame and a flame image is obtained when an object is proximal to the flame. By comparing the flame signature and the flame image, a central control unit operatively connected to the sensor arrays can determine the presence or absence of an object proximal to the flame. The second sensor array is positioned to detect a human hand proximal to the control. In operation, if the flame image matches the flame signature and a human hand is not detected proximal to the control, the central control unit turns off the gas burner by causing the closure of a valve in the gas supply line to the gas burner.

A camera module (10) for use with a burner (1) for a shaft melting furnace, in particular a copper shaft melting furnace, is arranged on the burner (1) or on an observation device (9) of the burner (1). The camera module (10) includes a housing (101) having a first opening (104) and a second opening (105), which is arranged axially opposite the first opening (104) and is closed off by an inspection glass (106) a beam splitter (108) arranged in an optical viewing axis (109) extending axially through the housing (101) between the two openings (104, 105); and a camera (112), the lens (113) of which is arranged perpendicularly to the viewing axis (109) and is aligned with the beam splitter (108), and a burner (1).

Automated systems and methods are provided for continuous monitoring of the flaring of waste gas at an industrial facility, which employ an RGB camera operably coupled to a gateway device by a data communication interface. The RGB camera is configured to capture time-series color image frames of a flare and communicate the time-series color image frames to the gateway device. The gateway device includes an image processing module and a flare optimization module executing on the gateway device. The image processing module is configured to process the time-series color image frames to determine at least one flare parameter that provides a qualitative measurement of the combustion efficiency of the flare over time. The flare optimization module is configured to adjust relative amount of waste gas to at least one assist gas for the flare based on the at least one flare parameter to continuously optimize the combustion efficiency of the flare.