A gas powered water heater includes a storage tank, a main burner, a flame sensor assembly, and a controller communicatively coupled to the flame sensor assembly. The flame sensor assembly includes a probe positioned proximate the main burner to couple an electric current to the main burner through a flame on the main burner and not to couple an electric current to the main burner when the flame is not present on the main burner, and a detector that provides signals representative of the electric current provided through the probe. The controller is programmed to determine a length of time taken for a transition between a signal representative of no electric current and a signal representative of a steady state electric current, and determine, based at least in part on the determined length of time, a strength of the flame on the main burner.

Control unit for detecting a flame in operation using flame monitors suitable for burners operated using a fuel, wherein the flame monitor comprises at least one sensor as operating means for detecting the radiation emission from a flame as a visible reaction between fuel and oxidizing oxygen in a combustion region, and an evaluation circuit associated with the at least one sensor, the evaluation circuit determining whether the radiation received by the sensor corresponds to that of a burning flame and, if the result is negative, generating a fuel supply switch-off signal, wherein at least two flame detectors are connected in such a way that a basic electrical circuit is formed which processes the output signals of the at least two flame monitors via closing contacts in an OR operation or via closing contacts in an AND operation, depending on which of at least two operating states of flame detection is assigned to the output signals of the flame monitors, and a switching logic is provided for switching between the at least two operating states, which logic links an intelligent subsystem with a logic function plan.

Methods and apparatus to indicate presence of a flame are disclosed. An example gas grill includes a burner tube having apertures to emit a fuel for combustion, an ignition element to cause ignition of the fuel emitted from the apertures of the burner tube, a flame sensor to detect the presence of a flame associated with the combustion of the fuel emitted from the apertures of the burner tube, and flame sense circuitry including a flame signal accessor to access a flame sense signal from the flame sensor, and a terminal to output an indication of the presence of the flame, the indication of the presence of the flame output without respect to an open or closed state of a lid of the grill.

A flame sensor assembly includes a flame sense rod and a flame sensor body. The flame sense rod includes a flame sensor end and a coupling end opposite the flame sensor. The flame sensor body defines a receptacle for receiving the coupling end of the flame sense rod, and includes an adjustable positioning bracket. The assembly also includes a wiring adapter for connecting the flame sensor body with a flame sense signal connector, and a mounting bracket adapted to mount the flame sensor body to a heating device with the flame sensor end of the flame sense rod positioned adjacent a flame of the heating device. Methods of replacing a flame sensor assembly for a heating device are also disclosed.

A system for controlling flame instability. The system may include a nozzle coupled to a fuel supply line, an insulation housing coupled to the nozzle, a combustor coupled to the nozzle via the insulation housing, where the combustor is grounded, a pressure sensor coupled to the combustor and configured to detect pressure in the combustor, and an instability controlling assembly coupled to the pressure sensor and to an alternating current power supply. The instability controlling assembly can control flame instability of a flame in the system based on pressure detected by the pressure sensor by applying a voltage from the alternating current power supply to the system to create an electric field.

A method of monitoring a flame rod of a furnace including: detecting an average current of the flame rod during a burn cycle of the furnace; determining a burn time of the burn cycle of the furnace; and determining a remaining life of the flame rod based on at least the average current and the burn time.

A facility for control of a combustion apparatus comprising: a memory storing a limit value and a correction factor; a communication connection to a sensor and an actuator; and a processor. The processor: receives an input signal from the sensor; uses the signal to form a measured value specifying a fuel air ratio, an air ratio, and/or an oxygen content; and loads the limit value and compares the measured value with the limit value. If the measured value is less than or greater than the limit value, the processor either loads the correction factor and determines a correction value as a function of the limit value, the correction factor, and the measured value, or loads the stored correction value from the memory, and then creates an output signal as a function of the correction value and sends the output signal to the actuator.

A flame detection device that uses a breakthrough voltage across a pair of electrodes located in a flame zone to detect the presence of a flame. The flame detection device may be used with a burner that is part of a furnace in a central heating system for a home or building. Unlike conventional flame detection devices that measure ionization current in a flame, the flame detection device detects a flame by determining the voltage required for a spark event across a spark gap located in a flame zone (also referred to as the breakthrough voltage), and evaluating the breakthrough voltage and/or its various characteristics to detect the presence or absence of a flame. According to one example, the flame detection device includes a power supply, an ignition unit, output wires, insulators, and electrodes.

A water heater monitoring and notification method includes determining, by a controller of a water heater system, a deviation of a duration of a pre-purge operation from a pre-purge duration average value. The method further includes determining, by the controller of the water heater system, a deviation of a flame current from a flame current average value and determining, by the controller of the water heater system, a deviation of a pulse-width-modulation (PWM) parameter from a PWM parameter average value. The method also includes providing a notification related to a combustion system of the water heater system based on at least the deviation of the duration of the pre-purge operation from the pre-purge duration average value, the deviation of the flame current from the flame current average value, and the deviation of the PWM parameter from the PWM parameter average value.

A method of determining presence of a flame in a furnace of a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system. The method comprises determining, using a controller, whether a processor signal (G) is active, responsive to a determination that the processor signal (G) is active, determining, using the controller prior to assertion of a flame-test input control signal, an output state of a first comparator, responsive to a determination that the output state of the first comparator is high, determining, using the controller prior to assertion of the flame-test input control signal, an output state of a second comparator, and responsive to a determination that the output state of the second comparator is low, transmitting, using the controller, a notification that a flame is present.