Fuel burner apparatus and a method of control

Abstract: A method of controlling a fuel burner (1) is provided by means of a programmed control unit (12) arranged separately to modulate supplies (3,16) of fuel and air to the burner (1). The method includes the steps of: a) establishing an input Pn to the control unit (12) representative of a required firing rate b) establishing an input Po to the control unit (12) representative of the existing firing rate c) establishing in the control unit (12) an error Ep where Ep = Pn - Po d) determining in the control unit (12) whether Ep is positive indicating a required increase, or negative indicating a required decrease in firing rate e) if Ep is positive modulating the fuel and air supplies (3,16) to the burner (1) in air led manner to set the firing rate to Pn f) if Ep is negative modulating the fuel and air supplies (3,16) to the burner (1) in fuel led manner to set the firing rate to Pn, and g) after establishing Ep,comparing the modulus of Ep with a predetermined break point Xp and if /Ep/≧ Xp modulating the fuel and air supplies (3,16) to the burner (1) simultaneously. A fuel burner installation adapted to operate by the above method is also disclosed.

Description: This invention relates to air-fuel ratio control for a fuel burner installation and is particularly concerned with such systems for domestic use e.g. for water heating or space heating purposes. Conventional heating systems for domestic use have been controlled on an on-off basis as a means of adjusting to the system load. It has been proposed to provide a fuel gas heating system comprising a forced draught fully premixed fuel gas burner and to modulate the fuel and air supply to the burner in response to load requirements and to control the air/fuel ratio to maintain satisfactory operation. In industrial applications it has been common practice to maintain air/fuel ratios constant by means of a so-called zero governor system but this has been found to be impractical for domestic systems. It is also known in industrial practice to control air/fuel ratios in response to combustion product sensors using a closed loop control. EP-A-0 062 855 discloses a control system for a fuel gas heated water or air heater in which the amount of air required for complete combustion is automatically determined and supplied for use with the supplied fuel gas. A fuel gas control valve supplies a burner with the required amount of fuel gas according to the demand for heat. A sensor responds to the amount of oxygen or carbon dioxide in the flue gases by providing a corresponding output signal which is compared with a set point within an electrical controller. When deviation occurs from what is required, the output signal of the controller controls an adjustable source of air from a fan in such a way that the required amount of air for reaching optimum combustion is supplied. US-A-4369026 discloses a method for maintaining a desired oxygen/fuel ratio in a combustion process when the heat required from the combustion process is substantially constant. Excess oxygen is supplied to the combustion process in response to an increasing fuel flow resulting from an increase in the heat required of the combustion process by initiating an increase in the oxygen flow before the fuel flow rate is increased in response to an increasing heat requirement. When the heat required from the combustion process decreases, the reduction in the fuel flow rate is initiated prior to initiating a reduction in the oxygen flow rate. DE-A-2 356 367 discloses a regulating arrangement for protecting a steam generator against air deficiency. In the event of an increase in the load requirement, a combustion air flow is initially increased and the fuel flow is then adjusted. In the event of a decrease in the load, the combustion air flow is not throttled until after the fuel flow has been decreased. WO-A-8 001 603 discloses a method for controlling combustion in a furnace. Flue gas is monitored by a sensor arrangement to determine the oxygen and/or carbon dioxide content to provide a control signal which is compared with a controlled signal from a fuel flow sensor to provide a variable speed control for a blower which supplies combustion air to the furnace being controlled. The speed of the blower is varied in accordance with the flue gas content and the fuel flow rate to provide a continuously variable blower speed with the object of ensuring optimum efficiency. It is an object to provide an improved control for a fuel burner system which is suitable for domestic use. According to the invention a method of controlling a fuel burner by means of a programmed control unit arranged to modulate supplies of fuel and air to the burner comprises:- (a) establishing an input value Pn to the control unit which is representative of a required firing rate; (b) establishing an input value Po to the control unit which is representative of the existing firing rate; (c) establishing in the control unit an error Ep, where Ep = Pn - Po ; (d) determining in the control unit whether Ep is positive or negative, thereby indicating whether an increase or decrease in firing rate is required in order to set the firing rate at Pn; characterised by further comprising the following steps of (e) comparing Ep with a predetermined break points value Xp; (f) if Ep is positive and Ep ≧ Xp, modulating the fuel and air supplies to the burner simultaneously in an air-led manner to set the firing rate to Pn; (g) if Ep is negative and /Ep/ ≧ Xp, modulating the fuel and air supplies to the burner simultaneously in a fuel-led manner to set the firing rate to Pn; (h) if Ep is positive and Ep < Xp, modulating the fuel and air supplies separately to the burner in either a fuel-led manner or in an air-led manner to set the firing rate to Pn; (i) if Ep is negative and /Ep/ < Xp, modulating the fuel and air supplies separately to the burner in a fuel-led manner to set the firing rate to Pn; and in response to the error /Ep/ < Xp performing the following steps of (j) to (l) - (j) establishing an input value Ga representative of the existing flue gas oxygen concentration; (k) establishing an error EG by subtracting Ga from a value Gr of stored data representative of desired oxygen concentrations at desired firing rates Pn; and (l) modulating the existing air rate at the burner (1) to correct the flue gas oxygen concentration to the desired value Gr. The invention includes a fuel burner installation comprising air supply means, fuel supply means, modulating means for the air supply, modulating means for the fuel supply, a programmed control unit arranged to modulate the fuel and air supplied to the burner by control of the modulating means, means for establishing an input value Pn to the control unit representative of a required firing rate of the burner, means for establishing an input value Po to the control unit representative of the existing firing rate of the burner, oxygen concentration sensor means positioned in a flue gas path of the burner and arranged to input to the control unit an input Ga representative of the flue gas oxygen concentration, the control unit being programmed to: establish an error Ep = Pn -Po , and depending on whether Ep is positive or negative, to increase or decrease the fuel and air supplied to the burner, by the modulating means, to set the firing rate to Pn; compare Ep with a predetermined break point value Xp and if Ep is positive and Ep ≧ Xp, to modulate the fuel and air supplies to the burner simultaneously in an air-led manner to set the firing rate to Pn, whereas if Ep is negative and /Ep/ ≧ Xp, to modulate the fuel and air supplies to the burner simultaneously in a fuel-led manner to set the firing rate to Pn, whereas if Ep is positive and Ep < Xp, to modulate the fuel and air supplies separately to the burner in either a fuel-led manner or in an air-led manner to set the firing rate to Pn, whereas if Ep is negative and /Ep/ < Xp, to modulate the fuel and air supplies separately to the burner in a fuel-led manner to set the firing rate to Pn; and to establish an error EG by subtracting Ga from a value Gr of stored data representative of desired oxygen concentrations at desired firing rates Pn and to modulate the existing air rate at the burner to correct the flue gas oxygen concentration. The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying partly diagrammatic drawings, in which:- Figure 1 is a block diagram of heating system showing the control system in schematic form, Figures 2 to 5 are successive parts of a control programme flow chart for the controller of the system of Figure 1; Figure 6 is an alternative to part of the flow chart of figures 3 and 4, and Figure 7 is a block diagram illustrating the control strategy of the control programme of Figures 2 - 6. The heating system of Figure 1 comprises a domestic water heater having a fully premixed fuel gas burner 1 supplied with fuel gas through a modulating valve 2 and combustion air through a variable speed fan 3, suitably a laminar flow fan, having a fan-speed control unit 4. The burner 1 is suitably a ribbon burner and is arranged to fire into a water cooled combustion chamber having a heat exchanger 5 through which water flows from an inlet side 6 to an outlet side 7 for supply to domestic hot water services, or for space heating radiators. The outlet side 7 suitably has a water temperature sensor or thermostat 8. A flue 9 is provided for the discharge of combustion products and an oxygen sensor 10 is arranged in the flow path of the combustion products. Suitably the oxygen sensor is a zirconia sensor arranged to operate in the amperometric mode such that the limiting electrical current passing through the sensor is substantially proportional to the oxygen partial pressure in the flue gases. Alternatively, other means of aeration sensing may be used. The oxygen sensor is arranged to supply an analogue signal indicative of excess oxygen in the combustion products through an analogue to digital converter 11 to a microprocessor based control unit 12. The control unit 12 is controlled by a control programme 13, to be described below, and is arranged in controlled manner to operate a spark generator 15 via a relay 14 for burner ignition, a fuel on/off valve 16, situated in the fuel supply upstream of the modulating valve 2, via a relay 17, and to control the modulating valve 2 and the fan speed control 4 via respective digital to analogue converters 18,19. A monitoring terminal 20 may be associated with the control unit 12 for set up or programme change purposes. A flame sensor 21 is suitably arranged at the burner 1 to supply an indication to the control unit of ignition or flame-out. The control unit is suitably arranged to respond to an initial load requirement and to operate the spark generator 15 and fuel on/off valve 16 to effect ignition with the modulating valve 2 and fan speed control 4 at appropriate start up settings. The control programme 13 is adapted to cause the control unit to perform the steps set out in the flow charges of Figures 2-5. The monitoring terminal 20 is provided to enable the control programme to be monitored and modified if desired. However, in most installations a monitor will be unnecessary and the relevant programmes will be stored in a non volatile EPROM in the control unit. Referring to Figure 2 the stage A represents a starting condition after ignition and flame detection have been achieved and the burner flame is in stable condition. There is continuous monitoring of the flame by sensor 21 and the control programme is arranged to cause the controller to effect shut-down should flame failure be detected. At point A the desired burner firing rate Pn is determined at intervals clocked by a timer T, this will be according to the heating application for which the installation is being used and may, for example, be in response to the outlet water temperature sensed at thermostat 8 in relation to a desired temperature. At B the desired firing rate is compared with the existing firing rate Po to establish at C a firing rate error: Ep = Pn - Po At stage D it is determined whether the error Ep is positive indicating requirement for an increase in firing rate, and if so the flow chart moves to point M in Figure 5. If Ep is negative the flow chart proceeds to point E where the modulus of Ep is compared to a preprogrammed breakpoint value Xp set such that if Xp is exceeded such a large reduction in firing rate is required that the fuel and air rates must be reduced simultaneously in a fuel led manner to prevent combustion instability. If Xp is exceeded the flow chart moves to point F in Figure 3 whereby the control unit causes the modulating valve 2 and fan speed control simultaneously to reduce the fuel and air rates respectively in fuel-led manner by a fractional factor rp related to the magnitude of Ep, such that at stage G the firing rate is set at the desired level Pn. The fractional factor rp is determined from a stored table of empirical data of rp/Ep. The control unit then establishes a suitable aeration, λ, for the firing rate Pn from a stored table containing suitable oxygen concentrations at different firing rates and established empirically. For example with metal fully premixed burner, higher aerations will be required at low heat inputs to extend the burner operating range, and the stored table will contain data relevant to the particular burner used. At stage H the flue gas oxygen concentration Gr corresponding to the desired aeration λ is established and is compared with the oxygen concentration Ga measured by the sensor 10 and an error signal EG determined by subtraction EG = Gr - Ga as indicated at stage I in Figure 4. A fractional air rate differential ΔAR/AR is then picked, at stage J, from a stored table of fractional air rate differential against flue gas oxygen error established empirically. ΔAR is representative of a desired change in air rate to suit the desired firing rate Pn and is calculated at stage K by applying the fractional air rate differential to the present air rate setting i.e. the present digital control setting of the fan speed control 4. This method of calculating the proportional change in the air rate does not need to have information about the present air rate for or within the stored table. The table ensures an identical approach profile to the zero-error point irrespective of the actual air rate and the sign of the oxygen error, and provides a floating control. If the oxygen error is positive indicating that the required flue gas oxygen concentration is greater than the actual concentration, ΔAR is added to the present air rate signal to the fan speed control 4. If EG is negative, ΔAR is subtracted from the present air rate signal. At point S, the control action having been taken the timer T of Figure 2 is reset to zero and started. The timer is arranged as shown in Figure 2 in relating to stage A to ensure that once a control action has been taken there is a predetermined delay of X seconds before a further control action is taken to ensure stability within the system. Typically a delay X of between 1 and 5 seconds is suitable. Referring back to Figure 2, if at stage D the power error is positive, i.e. EP ≧ 0 the programme moves to point M in Figure 5 and the power error Ep is compared with Xp. If Ep ≧ Xp the air and fuel rates are increased simultaneously in an air-led manner by a fractional factor ip related to the magnitude of Ep in a predetermined manner from stored data of ip against Ep established empirically. Similar to the negative power error situation, this action ensures combustion stability on the premixed burner. For large positive errors, subsequently to an increase in air and fuel rates by ip the control returns to Figures 3 and 4, sections G through to L as in the large negative error situation. If the power error is less than Xp, i.e. /Ep/ or Ep < Xp will be described below. The reason for comparison of (Ep) with the breakpoint Xp is to determine whether the power error Ep is sufficiently large for a large estimated reduction in power to be made, in order to obtain a fast control action, and then subsequently to be corrected, by means of reducing Ep to zero by a slow control action in response to the flue gas oxygen content Gr, or whether Ep is sufficiently small for the correction to be made immediately without the need for the intervening estimation step. This process ensures that under large control error situations a fast control action is made to be corrected subsequently at a slower pace. The following refers to all small error cases whether positive or negative. At stage G the small error Ep in firing rate is corrected, large errors already having been dealt with in an appropriate fashion. If as a consequence of the error Ep being small it is deemed that in certain systems all control actions, whether increasing or decreasing firing rate Po, will be safe if they are made in fuel-led manner, i.e. the fuel rate corresponding to Pn is set prior to the small corrections in air rate AR, thus leading to the correct flue gas oxygen concentration (as shown by sections H to L in Figures 3 and 4) and the break point Xp is set accordingly. This does not apply to large errors in Ep which must be dealt with as described above to ensure a fast, safe control. However, in certain other systems involving small errors in Ep it may be desirable to adopt an air-led system for increasing firing rate Po and a fuel-led system for decreasing Po. In such systems after stage O for a small positive error or after stage F for a small negative error, instead of proceeding to stage G in Figure 3 the control follows an alternative route as shown in the flow chart in Figure 6 which begins with a stage at which a decision is made as to whether firing rate Po is to be increased or decreased. If yes the firing rate is increased in air-led manner, a suitable aeration is established from the look-up table and the aeration (air/fuel ratio) is adjusted until Eg = O through similar steps to stages H to L of Figures 3 and 4 but adjusting fuel instead of air. If no, i.e. a decrease is required, the firing rate is decreased in fuel-led manner by adjusting the fuel gas valve to set the fuel rate to a value corresponding to Pn and then following sections H to L of Figures 3 and 4 as described above. The control strategy of the system is represented by the block diagram of Figure 7 where an externally derived heat demand signal is compared at point P to a system generated signal representing the heat output and which may, for example, be derived from a flow water temperature sensor, a water mass flow sensor and a temperature sensor, or a fuel flow sensor depending on the type of appliance with which the system is used, and its application. The comparison of these two signals gives rise to an error signal which in an air-led mode produces a proportional change in fan speed until the error is zero, at which time the fan speed is held constant. At Q the fuel valve is then controlled in response to empirical data of optimum excess oxygen against heat demand, compared with actual excess oxygen sensed in the flue gases by an oxygen sensor to produce an error signal for adjusting the fuel valve. As mentioned above, under certain circumstances, for example involving small power errors in rapid response situations, it may be desirable for safety reasons to operate as an air-led system when the heat demand increases and a fuel led system when demand falls. Thus in a fuel-led mode the air rate is altered in response to an error signal at Q. From a knowledge of the dynamic, time dependent characteristics of the system components it is possible to predict their cumulative effect with an alteration of the controlling input at point P and it is possible to embody delays and compensating factors at the points P and Q at which the system controller has an effect to ensure that an operating installation is stage and non-oscillatory, but accurate and fast acting. It will be appreciated that if the supply fuel gas composition varies, both the Wobbe Number and the combustion air requirement can alter. By a suitable choice of heat output sensor, the effect of a varying Wobbe Number on the heat output can, if necessary, be compensated. Also the effect of varying combustion air requirements on excess air can be negated with this system. Whilst the invention has been described in relation to the control of a fuel gas burner installation, it can be applied in a similar manner to installations incorporating burners of fuels other than fuel gas.

Claims: A method of controlling a fuel burner (1) by means of a programmed control unit (12) arranged to modulate supplies (3,16) of fuel and air to the burner (1), comprising :- (a) establishing an input value Pn to the control unit (12) which is representative of a required firing rate; (b) establishing an input value Po to the control unit (12) which is representative of the existing firing rate; (c) establishing in the control unit (12) an error Ep, where Ep = Pn - Po ; (d) determining in the control unit (12) whether Ep is positive or negative, thereby indicating whether an increase or decrease in firing rate is required in order to set the firing rate at Pn; characterised by further comprising the following steps of (e) comparing Ep with a predetermined break point value Xp; (f) if Ep is positive and Ep ≧ Xp, modulating the fuel and air supplies (13,16) to the burner (1) simultaneously in an air-led manner to set the firing rate to Pn; (g) if Ep is negative and /Ep/ ≧ Xp, modulating the fuel and air supplies (3,16) to the burner (1) simultaneously in a fuel-led manner to set the firing rate to Pn; (h) if Ep is positive and Ep < Xp, modulating the fuel and air supplies (3,16) separately to the burner (1) in either a fuel-led manner or in an air-led manner to set the firing rate to Pn; (i) if Ep is negative and /Ep/ < Xp, modulating the fuel and air supplies (3,16) separately to the burner (1) in a fuel-led manner to set the firing rate to Pn; and in response to the error /Ep/ < Xp performing the following steps of (j) to (l) - (j) establishing an input value Ga representative of the existing flue gas oxygen concentration; (k) establishing an error EG by subtracting Ga from a value Gr of stored data representative of desired oxygen concentrations at desired firing rates Pn; and (l) modulating the existing aeration at the burner (1) to correct the flue gas oxygen concentration. A method as claimed in claim 1, in which, if /Ep/ ≧ Xp, the fuel and air supplies (3,16) to the burner (1) are modulated by a reduction factor rp or an increase factor ip related to the magnitude of Ep. A method as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising comparing EG to stored data representative of a fractional air-rate differential ΔAR/AR against EG where ΔAR is representative of the desired change in air rate and AR is the air flow to the burner (1), and modulating the existing air rate in accordance with the relevant ΔAR to correct the flue gas oxygen concentration. A method as claimed in any of the preceding claims, in which the control unit (12) is timed to establish a minimum delay X between successive control actions and X is selected in relation to the characteristics of the burner (1), control devices and ancillaries to ensure stability of control. A method as claimed in any of the preceding claims applied to a fuel gas burner installation. A fuel burner installation comprising :- air supply means (3), fuel supply means (16), modulating means for the air supply (4), modulating means for the fuel supply (2), a programmed control unit (12) arranged to modulate the fuel and air supplied to the burner (1) by control of the modulating means (4,2), means for establishing an input value Pn to the control unit (12) representative of a required firing rate of the burner (1), means for establishing an input value Po to the control unit (12) representative of the existing firing rate of the burner (1), oxygen concentration sensor means (10) positioned in a flue gas path of the burner (1) and arranged to input to the control unit (12) an input Ga representative of the flue gas oxygen concentration, the control unit (12) being programmed to: establish an error Ep = Pn - Po , and depending on whether Ep is positive or negative, to increase or decrease the fuel and air supplied to the burner (1), by the modulating means (4,2), to set the firing rate to Pn; compare Ep with a predetermined break point value Xp and if Ep is positive and Ep ≧ Xp, to modulate the fuel and air supplies (3,16) to the burner (1) simultaneously in an air-led manner to set the firing rate to Pn, whereas if Ep is negative and /Ep/ ≧ Xp, to modulate the fuel and air supplies (3,16) to the burner (1) simultaneously in a fuel-led manner to set the firing rate to Pn, whereas if Ep is positive and Ep < Xp, to modulate the fuel and air supplies (3,16) separately to the burner (1) in either a fuel-led manner or in an air-led manner to set the firing rate to Pn, whereas if Ep is negative and /Ep/ < Xp, to modulate the fuel and air supplies (3,16) separately to the burner (1) in a fuel-led manner to set the firing rate to Pn; and to establish an error EG by subtracting Ga from a value Gr of stored data representative of desired oxygen concentrations at desired firing rates Pn and to modulate the existing air rate at the burner (1) to correct the flue gas oxygen concentration to the desired value Gr. An installation as claimed in claim 6, in which the control unit (12) is programmed to modulate the fuel and air supplies (3,16) to the burner (1) by a reduction factor rp or an increase factor ip, if /Ep/ ≧ Xp. An installation as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7, in which the control unit (12) is programmed to compare error EG with stored data representative of a fractional air-rate differential ΔAR/AR against EG, where ΔAR is representative of the desired change in air rate and AR is the air flow to the burner (1), and to modulate the existing air rate in accordance with the relevant ΔAR to correct the flue gas oxygen concentration. An installation as claimed in any of claims 6 to 8, in which the burner (1) is a fuel gas burner.

Inventors: KIMURA TSUYOSHI, MINAMINO KEIICHI, OVENDEN NEIL ANDREW, KIMURA, TSUYOSHI, MINAMINO, KEIICHI, OVENDEN, NEIL ANDREW
Applicants: BRITISH GAS PLC
Application year: 1988
Main classification: F23N1
IPC codes: F23N5, F23N1