A method of controlling a gas furnace comprising a gas valve for supplying a fuel gas to a manifold; a burner through which the fuel gas discharged from the manifold passes; an igniter for igniting a mixture of fuel gas passed through the burner and air; and an inducer for generating a flow in which a combustion gas generated by the burning of the mixture is discharged to an exhaust pipe via a heat exchanger, wherein the gas furnace performs a heating operation according to a heating signal or a heating stop according to a stop signal, includes the steps of: (a) receiving any one of the heating signal or the stop signal; (b) transmitting a signal to operate the inducer when the heating signal is received; (c) operating the igniter; (d) transmitting a signal to open the gas valve; (e) detecting whether the gas valve is opened or closed; (f) detecting a flow rate of the fuel gas in the manifold; and (g) displaying a normal operation of the heating operation, based on information detected in the steps (e) and (f).

A flame rod analysis system, methods for determining a condition of a flame and a flame rod, and circuits for determining a condition of a flame and a flame rod. The flame rod analysis system comprises energy storage connectable to a flame rod, a pulsed source connected to the energy storage and providing a voltage pulse or a current pulse, and a buffer to allow a processor to measure a buffered voltage at various time points. Flame rod analysis systems can distinguish between various flame conditions (no flame, low flame, etc.) while simultaneously characterizing the condition of the flame rod (shorted to ground, contaminated, etc.). Some flame rod analysis systems can directly measure the resistance of the flame rod.

A burner includes an atomizing chamber, a flame tube in front of the atomizing chamber adapted to direct combusting fuel introduced by the atomizing chamber along an interior of the flame tube, and a controller. The controller is programmed to independently control rate of fuel flow to the atomizing chamber, rate of atomizing air flow to the atomizing chamber, and rate of combustion air to the flame tub. The controller is also programmed to perform operations including regulating, based on output of a gas sensor, at least the rate of combustion air to the flame tube to substantially maintain a first predetermined amount of excess air in the flame tube.

An electromagnetic valve has a magnetic coil and a movable element coupled to a valve element. The magnetic coil, when excited, conveys the movable element in one direction to move the valve element from its initial position into its active position. A control circuit for the electromagnetic valve has a current source for optionally supplying current to the magnetic coil and a measuring device for measuring a voltage level of the magnetic coil and/or a current level through the magnetic coil. A monitoring unit which is connected to the measuring device establishes a switching state of the electromagnetic valve corresponding to the position of its valve element based on the intended current supply state of the current source and the current and/or voltage characteristic measured by the measuring device and, if appropriate, determines a fault state of the current supply and/or the electromagnetic valve.

A system for checking high fluid pressure and low fluid pressure limit switches for valves and fluid supply to a fluid consumption appliance. The system may incorporate one or more pressure sensors at a fluid valve to detect an amount of fluid pressure. The one or more pressure sensors may be connected to a processor. The high fluid pressure and low fluid pressure sensor limit switches may also be connector to the processor. A display and user control may be connected to the processor.

A gas supply system for a flame module of a spectrometer and a method of controlling a flame module. The gas supply system comprises an oxidant gas supply line for providing a supply of oxidant gas, an oxidant gas flow valve for varying a gas flow rate of an oxidant gas in the oxidant gas supply line, an oxidant gas safety controller configured to control the oxidant gas flow valve, a fuel gas supply line for providing a supply of fuel gas, a fuel gas flow valve configured to control a gas flow rate of a fuel gas on the fuel gas supply line, and a fuel gas safety controller configured to control the fuel gas flow valve. During normal operation, the oxidant gas safety controller is configured to charge an energy storage circuit of the oxidant gas safety controller. In the event of a power failure, a first switch of the oxidant gas safety controller is configured to connect the energy storage circuit to the oxidant gas flow valve, wherein the energy storage circuit is configured to discharge energy to the oxidant gas flow valve to increase the oxidant gas flow rate in order to extinguish a flame of the flame module, and the fuel gas safety controller is configured to close the fuel gas flow valve.

A temperature control system includes a blower impeller assembly that has a blower impeller, a motor coupled to and configured to drive the blower impeller, and a sensor that is coupled to the motor and configured to measure current drawn by the motor to maintain the blower impeller at a set angular speed. Further, the temperature control system includes a controller that is communicatively coupled to the sensor. The controller electronically detects at least one of a blockage in a vent coupled to the temperature control system and a malfunction of the blower impeller based on an amount of the current drawn by the motor to maintain the blower impeller at the set angular speed.

A current discharge probability of a flame sensor is calculated based on the number of drive pulses applied to the flame sensor and the number of discharges determined to have occurred in the flame sensor after receiving the drive pulses. Degradation indices (degradation progress and remaining lifetime) indicating the current degradation state of the flame sensor are calculated based on the calculated current discharge probability of the flame sensor.

Magnet-thermocouple for the fail-safe safety supply of gas to burners or the like, in particular of fail-safe safety control for domestic cooking devices, comprises: at least one gas burner, which gas burner is connected to a gas supply source by flame-regulating means and by means of a safety valve driven by a flame presence sensor consisting of a thermocouple, said safety valve having an open condition, wherein said supply source supplied said burner, and a closed condition, wherein the gas passage is interrupted and wherein the thermocouple, in the presence of a flame, generates an electrical signal constituting the drive signal for the passage of said safety valve from an open condition to a closed condition, and vice-versa, of said safety valve, whereas a further drive signal generator and power supply of said safety valve is provided, for the temporary and alternative supply of the safety valve during the flame ignition step heating the thermocouple, to the temperature generating the drive signal. According to the invention, the signal generator and power supply comprise power limiters to limit the signal generated and an automatic deactivating unit whenever the power supply is overloaded for a predefined amount of time, the power necessary for the drive signal of the safety valve being greater than the one determined by the limiters.

A low powered system for providing sufficient current to a fuel control mechanism drive. The system may have a fuel control mechanism pick circuit that has an energy storage mechanism for providing a large amount of current for a short time to the fuel control mechanism drive. A safety switch may be enabled with a special signal to let current flow to the fuel control mechanism drive to operate a corresponding fuel control mechanism for controlling fuel to a pilot light or heating element. The pilot light or heating element may provide heat to a thermoelectric source that generates electrical power from the heat. The electrical power may go to a single DC-to-DC converter and voltage clamp for providing a voltage source to a microcontroller and other circuits of the system. The pick circuit may prevent a harmful reverse flow of current from the storage mechanism to the thermoelectric source.