A pre-startup control method for a boiler or water heater includes: providing a controller operatively coupled to a boiler or water heater unit; performing a unit shutdown operation; enabling a pre-start up mode; at about a same time or in any order, moving an air fuel valve by a controller to a non-off position with a gas supply to the water heater or boiler turned off, wherein the controller turns on a blower at an operational level, and causes an ignitor to spark; and displaying parameters which allow an affirmation of a safe and reliable ignition prior to a gas turn on of the boiler or water heater unit. A flow balancing method and a programmed auto run method are also described.

Systems and methods for multi-variable flare control include receiving, at a flare controller, a plurality of flare characteristics from a flare monitor. The flare monitor may be an optical flare monitor. The plurality of flare characteristics may include, but are not limited to, Combustion Efficiency (CE), Smoke Index (SI), Flame Stability (FS), Flame Footprint (FF), and Heat Release (HR). The flare controller analyzes a plurality of the flare characteristics and outputs a control signal to control an operating condition of the flare, such as an amount of assist media being fed to the flare. Iterations of the control signal may be bounded by a step value defining a maximum increase or decrease in the control value as compared to the previous control value.

A motor controller for a burner system includes an inverter that supplies current to a motor that rotates a draft inducer fan. A processor is coupled to the inverter and receives a signal from a system controller, and in response instructs the inverter to supply a first current, during a first period, to the motor to rotate the fan to produce a first mass flow through the burner system, the first mass flow having a first mass flow rate greater than a threshold to actuate a vacuum switch. The processor then instructs the inverter to supply a second current, during a second period starting at an expiration of the first period, to the motor to rotate the fan to produce a second mass flow through the burner system, the second mass flow having a target mass flow rate for normal operation of the burner.

A pre-startup control method for a boiler or water heater includes: providing a controller operatively coupled to a boiler or water heater unit; performing a unit shutdown operation; enabling a pre-start up mode; at about a same time or in any order, moving an air fuel valve by a controller to a non-off position with a gas supply to the water heater or boiler turned off, wherein the controller turns on a blower at an operational level, and causes an ignitor to spark; and displaying parameters which allow an affirmation of a safe and reliable ignition prior to a gas turn on of the boiler or water heater unit. A flow balancing method and a programmed auto run method are also described.

A water heater includes a storage tank, a sensor configured to measure a temperature of water in the storage tank, a burner configured to heat the water in the storage tank, and a controller communicatively coupled to the sensor and the burner. The controller is configured to initiate a call for heat when the measured temperature reaches a trigger temperature, wherein the trigger temperature is a differential amount less than a set-point temperature, calculate a reduced activation time when the call for heat results in a predetermined number of calls for heat occurring within a predetermined time period, and control the burner based on the reduced activation time.

Described herein are embodiments of systems and methods for oxidizing gases. In some embodiments, a reaction chamber is configured to receive a fuel gas and maintain the gas at a temperature within the reaction chamber that is above an autoignition temperature of the gas. The reaction chamber may also be configured to maintain a reaction temperature within the reaction chamber below a flameout temperature. In some embodiments, heat and product gases from the oxidation process can be used, for example, to drive a turbine, reciprocating engine, and injected back into the reaction chamber.

Systems and methods for monitoring emissions of a combusted gas are provided. The method includes determining a first net heating value of a flare gas. The method also includes determining a second net heating value of a combustion gas including the flare gas. The second net heating value can be determined based upon the first net heating value and a volumetric flow rate of the flare gas. Based upon the value of the second net heating value, an empirical model or a non-parametric machine learning model can be selected. A combustion efficiency of the combustion gas can be determined using the selected model, the second net heating value, and selected ones of the process conditions and the environmental conditions. Total emissions of the combustion mixture can be further determined from the combustion efficiency and a volumetric flow rate of the combustion gas.

A safety system for a gas apparatus (100) for heating water, the gas apparatus comprising a tank (1) for containing water and a first gas burner (2) for heating the water contained inside the tank (1). The safety system (200, 200′) comprises a first sensor (9) suitable for generating a first signal which represents a temperature of the water contained in the tank (1), a second sensor (10) suitable for generating a second signal which represents a temperature of the water contained in the tank (1), a supply circuit (11) for energizing a first actuator (4) of a first valve (3) which is arranged to allow to pass/intercept a flow of gas towards the first gas burner (2), the first actuator (4) being arranged to actuate so as to open and close the first valve (3) when it is energized and non-energized, respectively, a switch device (13) which is arranged in the supply circuit (11) in order to close/open the supply circuit (11) so as to energize/not to energize the first actuator (4), a digital processing unit (14) which is operatively connected to the first and/or second sensor (9, 10) and which is configured to compare a set-point value which represents a preselected temperature with the first or second signal and a control device (16) which is operatively connected to the switch device (13) and to the first and second sensors (9, 10). The control device (16) comprises an analogue comparator (17) which is operatively connected to the first and second sensors (9, 10) in order to compare the first signal with the second signal and the control device (16) is configured to generate a control signal (18) for controlling so as to open/close the switch device (13) on the basis of the comparison between the first and second signals carried out by the analogue comparator (17).

A control system is provided for a modulated heating system including a plurality of modulating water heaters, which may be modulating boilers. A deadband control scheme provides for reduced cycling of the modulating heater when total system heat demand falls between the maximum output of one heater and the sum of the maximum output of that one point and the minimum firing point of the next subsequent heater. Condensation of flue gas products is prevented by monitoring flue exhaust temperature for each heater and controlling the modulation of each heater to maintain a minimum heater output sufficiently high to prevent condensation of flue gas products from that heater. Rapid reaction to changes in system heat demand is provided by sensing changes in flow rate in a primary loop of the system and anticipating resulting changes in temperature thus allowing for change in heater output prior to the time the change in flow rate has fully impacted system temperature.

A motor controller for a burner system includes an inverter that supplies current to a motor that rotates a draft inducer fan. A processor is coupled to the inverter and receives a signal from a system controller, and in response instructs the inverter to supply a first current, during a first period, to the motor to rotate the fan to produce a first mass flow through the burner system, the first mass flow having a first mass flow rate greater than a threshold to actuate a vacuum switch. The processor then instructs the inverter to supply a second current, during a second period starting at an expiration of the first period, to the motor to rotate the fan to produce a second mass flow through the burner system, the second mass flow having a target mass flow rate for normal operation of the burner.