A method for controlling a combustion apparatus having a combustion state in which a parameter related to the combustion state reflects a chaotic behavior is provided. The method includes the steps of measuring the parameter and determining a time series of the parameter, shifting the time series by a variable time delay for determining a time-shifted signal, and forming a difference between the time-shifted signal and the time series for determining a time dependent first signal, so that a norm of the difference is lowest. A time dependent second signal is determined, wherein determining the time dependent second signal includes at least one of using a frequency of a desired oscillating combustion state, and shifting the time series by a set time delay. The first signal and the second signal are combined to determine a control signal. The control signal is used to influence the combustion apparatus.

A fluid heating system including a burner unit is operated based on feedback control loops. The fluid heating system comprises a burner unit configured to heat a fluid, a sensor configured to sense a characteristic of the appliance, and a controller coupled to the burner unit and the sensor. The controller includes an electronic processor and a memory. The controller is configured to receive a first signal corresponding to the characteristic from the sensor, determine, based on the first signal, a first feedback loop control, control combustion of the burner unit based on the first feedback loop control, determine, based on the first feedback loop control, a second feedback loop control, and control combustion of the burner unit based on the second feedback loop control.

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.

Methods and systems for testing a flame detector include receiving, at a trigger sensor of the flame detector, a coded trigger signal from a test lamp and performing a self-test operation of the flame detector in response to detection of the coded trigger signal. The flame detectors may include a trigger sensor configured to detect a trigger signal received from an external source. The trigger sensor has a field-of-view and sensitivity that is the same a flame detection sensor of the flame detector. The flame detector will perform a self-test operation when the trigger signal is received at the trigger sensor. Test lamps include a light source configured to emit light and a controller configured to control the light source to generate and output a trigger signal, wherein the trigger signal is configured to cause the flame detector to perform the self-test operation.

A burner with a control unit, a combustion chamber, a pressure sensor and fuel stages which are arranged to supply fuel with a respective mass flow to the combustion chamber, wherein the mass flows are controlled by the control unit, wherein the pressure sensor is adapted to measure a pressure sequence in the combustion chamber or in the burner and to transfer the pressure sequence to the control unit which is adapted to perform a Fourier transformation on at least one determined timespan of the pressure sequence to result in a pressure spectrum having a maximum within a frequency band and wherein the control unit is adapted to perform a comparison of the maximum with a predefined threshold and to control the mass flows by using the comparison to reduce and/or to control pressure fluctuations in the combustion chamber.

The combustion apparatus includes a burner configured to generate flame, an ignition section configured to generate spark for igniting the burner, a flame detection section configured to detect the presence or absence of the flame of the burner, and a flame determination section configured to determine, based on a detection result of the flame detection section in a preset determination period, whether or not the flame is generated at the burner. When a predetermined condition is satisfied based on the detection result of the flame detection section in the determination period, the flame determination section determines that the flame is generated. The ignition section generates the spark across a particular period, in which the predetermined condition is not satisfied, of the determination period, and does not generate the spark in the remaining period of the determination period.

Systems and methods for improved gas turbine engine performance are disclosed. The method can include receiving an error function for a wide range of fuels. The error function can provide lower heating value (LHV) corrections over the wide range of fuels. The method can include receiving gas turbine engine operation data for a first period of run time on the gas turbine from one or more sensors of the gas turbine engine. The engine operation data can include a performance data points. The method can include determining an optimum LHV based on the engine operation data for the first period of run time and the error function. The method can then include adjusting fuel consumption of the gas turbine engine based on the optimum LHV.

The efficiency of a solid fuel burning device can be increased and the emissions can be reduced with proper monitoring and guidance. At least one memory and processor can receive information related to operating conditions of a solid fuel burning device from at least one sensor and filter that information and determine a property related to usage of the solid fuel burning device based on fitting the filtered information to a set of reference conditions. The property can be compared to a lookup table comprising triggering events and when the property satisfies one of the triggering events appropriate guidance for operation of the solid fuel burning device can be retrieved and outputted so that alterations can be made to the operating conditions of the solid fuel burning device.

A burner with a control unit, a combustion chamber, a pressure sensor and fuel stages which are arranged to supply fuel with a respective mass flow to the combustion chamber, wherein the mass flows are controlled by the control unit, wherein the pressure sensor is adapted to measure a pressure sequence in the combustion chamber or in the burner and to transfer the pressure sequence to the control unit which is adapted to perform a Fourier transformation on at least one determined timespan of the pressure sequence to result in a pressure spectrum having a maximum within a frequency band and wherein the control unit is adapted to perform a comparison of the maximum with a predefined threshold and to control the mass flows by using the comparison to reduce and/or to control pressure fluctuations in the combustion chamber.

A bubbling fluidized bed combustion device (1) comprising a fluidization vessel (2), a fluidized sand bed (3) arranged in the fluidization vessel and an arrangement for monitoring the fluidized sand bed. The arrangement comprises at least one radar level gauge (4) arranged to repeatedly measure a distance (D) in the fluidization vessel from a reference point (5) to at least one portion (6) of the top surface of (7) the fluidized sand bed, and to provide a measurement signal (S) representative of the distance. The invention also relates to a method for monitoring a fluidized bed in a bubbling fluidized bed combustion device.