Patent ID: 6887069

Claim:
An apparatus for the real-time monitoring and control of the combustion process in the combustion zone of a burner assembly of a combustion system, the apparatus comprising: flow-through combustion means having upstream and downstream end portions in fluid communication; said upstream end portion having at least one fuel mixing chamber including fuel supplying means for supplying a hydrocarbon fuel at a first rate and oxidizer supplying means for supplying an oxidizer at a second rate in flow-through communication with said downstream end portion; combustion means disposed in said downstream end portions including an outer shell having a fuel nozzle, having upstream and downstream portions, disposed therein downstream from and in flow-through communication with said fuel mixing chamber; a means for initiating the combustion process with the hydrocarbon fuel and oxidizer to maintain a combustion flame plume during operation of the combustion burner assembly, wherein the products of combustion include hydrocarbon ions; a sensor positioned within the combustion means, said sensor including a first electrode and a second electrode in axially spaced-apart relation to provide for flame plume, wherein a portion of the flame plume is disposed between the first and second electrodes; means for applying a predetermined voltage between the first and second electrodes; and means for determining the magnitude of the current between first and second electrodes to selectively measure the concentration of hydrocarbon ions in said flame plume.