A semiconductor device for flame detection, including: a semiconductor body having a first conductivity type conductivity, delimited by a front surface and forming a cathode region; an anode region having a second conductivity type conductivity, which extends within the semiconductor body, starting from the front surface, and forms, together with the cathode region, the junction of a photodiode that detect ultraviolet radiation emitted by the flames; a supporting dielectric region; and a sensitive region, which is arranged on the supporting dielectric region and varies its own resistance as a function of the infrared radiation emitted by the flames.

A fuel nozzle for a gas turbine engine includes a feed arm including a fuel passage for issuing a spray of fuel. A nozzle assembly is fixed at an upstream end of the feed arm having a fuel inlet in fluid communication with the fuel passage. A fiber optic cable is configured to collect burner radiation for a pyrometer input and has a first end centered within an optical connector of the nozzle assembly and a second end exposed from the spray outlet. The fiber optic cable fitted within the feed arm and nozzle assembly has a permanent bend radius preformed in the fiber optic cable. The bend radius can be equal to or greater than the minimum bend radii for the fiber optic cable to serve as a wave guide in wavelengths for monitoring combustion.

A burner with a flame detector is provided. An atomizing chamber has an aperture. A flame tube is in front of the atomizing chamber, adapted to direct combusting fuel introduced by the atomizing chamber along an interior of the flame tube. A photodiode circuit is located behind the atomizing chamber. A filter is adapted to filter out signals from the photodiode outside of a predetermined bandwidth. Light from combusting fuel in the flame tube reaches the photodiode through the aperture. The output of the filter indicates the presence or absence of the flame in the flame tube based on at least whether enough light received and converted by the photodiode has a flicker rate within the predetermined bandwidth.

A combustion assembly for a gas turbine engine includes a combustor, a monochromator, and a photodetector assembly. The combustor forms a combustion chamber. The monochromator is disposed outside the combustion chamber. The monochromator is configured to receive an optical input from the combustion chamber and direct an optical output. The optical input has a range of light wavelengths. The optical output has a subset of the range of light wavelengths. The photodetector assembly is disposed outside the combustion chamber. The photodetector assembly is configured to receive the optical output from the monochromator and generate an output signal representative of one or more optical characteristics of the optical output.

A combustion system includes a perforated flame holder, a camera, and a control circuit. The perforated flame holder sustains a combustion reaction within the perforated flame holder. The image capture device takes a plurality of images of the combustion reaction. The control circuit produces from the images an averaged image and adjusts the combustion reaction based on the adjusted image.

A combustion system includes a perforated flame holder, a camera, and a control circuit. The perforated flame holder sustains a combustion reaction within the perforated flame holder. The image capture device takes a plurality of images of the combustion reaction. The control circuit produces from the images an averaged image and adjusts the combustion reaction based on the adjusted image.

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.

A flame sensor detects the presence of a flame in a combustion system in which the flame emits light. The flame sensor includes a body connectable with the combustion system. A photodetector is supported in the body. The photodetector responds to light emitted by the flame and generates an electrical signal proportional to an intensity of the light. A window is supported in the body and located between the combustion system and photodetector. The window is susceptible to contamination from the combustion system and the contamination may decrease sensitivity of the photodetector. A light source is supported in the body. The light source emits light so that a predetermined amount of the light emitted by the light source reflects into the photodetector when contamination is present on the window and the photodetector generates a signal indicative of contamination on the window.

A method for operating a combustion chamber is provided. The method includes introducing a fuel into the combustion chamber via a plurality of nozzles, each nozzle having an associated stoichiometry for an output end of the nozzle. The method further includes measuring the stoichiometry of each nozzle via one or more sensors to obtain stoichiometric data, and determining that at least one of a frequency and an amplitude of spectral line fluctuations derived from the stoichiometric data has exceeded a threshold. The method further includes adjusting the stoichiometry of at least one of the nozzles based at least in part on the stoichiometric data so as to maintain a flame stability of the combustion chamber.

Present embodiments are directed to a system and method for generating a flame effect. An embodiment includes a nozzle assembly with an outer nozzle and an inner nozzle. At least a portion of the inner nozzle is nested within at least a portion of the outer nozzle. The system also includes a fuel source with two or more separate types of fuel.