A method of calibrating a furnace includes determining a first flame stabilization period for the furnace that avoids detachment of a flame from a burner within a burner box of the furnace, determining a second flame stabilization period that is longer than the first flame stabilization period and avoids emission of a combustion tone from the furnace, and configuring a controller of the same or another furnace to utilize a flame stabilization period that has a duration between the first and second flame stabilization periods. Each flame stabilization period commences upon ignition of a premixed mixture of air and fuel at the burner while an inducer fan operates within a first range of fan speeds, and terminates when the rotational speed of the inducer fan increases to a second range speeds that is greater than the entire first range.

A heating control system that includes a heating unit with a constant burner and a pulsed burner. The constant burner is configured to remain active during operation. The pulsed burner is configured to toggle between an active mode and an inactive mode. The heating control system further includes a memory operable to store a temperature map that maps temperatures to percentages of a period that the pulsed burner is active and a microprocessor operably coupled to the heating unit and the memory. The microprocessor is configured to transmit a first electrical signal to activate the constant burner, obtain a temperature set point, determine the percentage of the period that the pulsed burner is active using the temperature set point and the temperature map, and transmit a second electrical signal to toggle the pulsed burner based on the determination of the percentage of the period that the pulsed burner is active.

A heat sink assembly draws heat away from the cold junction of a thermopile element to increase the thermopile's power output. In one example, the heat sink assembly includes a first thermally conductive securing mechanism, a second thermally conductive securing mechanism, and a thermally conductive tube having a first end and a second end. The first end of the thermally conductive tube is secured between the first securing mechanism and the second securing mechanism. In some cases, the first end of the thermally conductive tube may include a flanged region adjacent the first end with at least part of the flange region secured between the first securing mechanism and the second securing mechanism. The flange may help with heat transfer to the thermally conductive tube.

In a gas hot water heater, changes of the signal output of an A/F sensor are calibrated in the atmosphere, in which the A/F sensor detects an oxygen concentration in a combustion tube. The gas supplied via a gas supply pipe is injected, together with in-taken air, into a combustion tube, which is incorporated in a hot water supply tank, via an injection unit. A proportional valve controls a combustion state in the combustion tube based on the detected oxygen concentration to thereby heat water supplied in the hot water supply tank. A purging process is performed to supply air into the combustion tube, at a timing between an extinguishment operation first performed after the ignition the gas mixture in the combustion tube and a re-ignition operation. Changes of signal output characteristics of the A/F sensor are subject to the calibration after the purging process.

An afterburner system and method for reducing the CO.sub.2 and other pollutants produced by the combustion of a fuel in a combustion chamber while maintaining or increasing the efficiency of said combustion includes feeding a catalyst, preferably lithium and/or boron to the afterburner, or a preconditioning afterburner, along with the exhaust from the combustion chamber. The presence of the catalyst in the after burner results in further reduction of pollutants generated by the combustion in the combustion chamber.

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 may include a c-gas storage tank, an admission valve located upstream of the c-gas storage tank for regulating the flow of c-gas from the continuous source to the storage tank; an inert gas storage tank and an inert gas valve for regulating flow of inert gas to the c-gas storage tank, the inert gas diluting the c-gas within the c-gas storage tank below a flammable level; a vent valve for atmospheric venting located downstream of the c-gas storage tank, and a PIC that opens the vent valve when pressure in the c-gas storage tank reaches a pre-determined PIC vent point. The system may also include an auxiliary system to receive and vent c-gas diluted below the flammable level while the primary admission valve is closed.

A system for controlling a boiler in a power plant to ensure combust under optimized conditions is provided. The system for controlling an operation of the boiler may include an optimizer configured to perform a combustion optimization operation for the boiler using a boiler combustion model to calculate an optimum control value for at least one control object of the boiler, and an output controller configured to receive the calculated optimum control value from the optimizer and control the control object according to the optimum control value.

A controller monitors temperature in a bio-fuel fired device and automatically controls dampers, blowers and the like to reduce generation of smoke or other pollutants, thereby promoting proper operation of a catalytic converter.

A microprocessor-based controller manages combustion within a biofuel furnace. A clinker agitator controller generates signals for controlling operation of a motorized clinker agitator of the biofuel furnace. The microprocessor-based controller may additionally control any of fuel feed rate, air supply rate and ash removal rate.