Combustion – Process of combustion or burner operation – Controlling or proportioning feed
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-28
2002-10-22
Yeung, James C. (Department: 3743)
Combustion
Process of combustion or burner operation
Controlling or proportioning feed
C431S075000, C431S076000, C431S079000, C706S023000, C706S016000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06468069
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF INVENTION
This invention relates to systems and methods for automatically controlling and optimizing a combustion process to maintain high combustion efficiency while also minimizing pollutants and other harmful by-products. More specifically, this invention uses an expert system fuzzy logic controller and a neural network to analyze various forms of data gathered from image and other sensors, and to optimize the combustion process by automatically varying combustion control parameters.
BACKGROUND
Combustion plants, furnaces and engines of various forms are well known. They are used to heat homes, cook food, power factories, and to propel many different types of vehicles. Combustion systems evolved through the centuries from simple open fires to modern centralized boilers and hot air furnaces. Combustion machines used to power vehicles include steam engines, piston engines, turbines, jet engines and rockets. Large-scale combustion plants generate electrical power to provide power for communities and cities.
The combustion process, itself, is also well known. In general, most combustion systems operate by burning a wide variety of hydrocarbon fuels, including natural gas, oil, coal and refuse. As such, the combustion process is an exothermic, or heat producing, chemical reaction between a fuel and oxygen. A high temperature is used to ignite the reaction, which causes burning of the air and fuel reactants. The burning process converts the hydrocarbon fuel and oxygen to carbon dioxide, water and other combustion byproducts. The combustion process breaks the molecular bond structure of the reactants, and yields combustion products that are at a lower thermodynamic potential energy than the original reactants. The change in potential energy level generates kinetic energy in the form of heat, which is used as a source of power. For additional background information regarding the combustion process, see the following publications, each of which is incorporated herein by reference: Strahle, Warren C.,
An Introduction to Combustion
, Gordon and Breach Science Publishers, S.A., Longhorne, Pa. (1993), ISBN 2-88124-586-2; Strehlow, Roger A.,
Combustion Fundamentals
, McGraw-Hill, New York (1984), ISBN 0-07-062221-3; Barnard, J. A.,
Flame and Combustion
, Chapman and Hall, New York (1985), ISBN 0-412-23030-5.
There has been much innovation in the development of modern combustion plants and engines. However, the proliferation and size of all kinds of combustion plants is a source of increasing environmental concern. For example, environmental problems traced to combustion power plants are now better understood, including specifically relating to effects such as smog, acid rain, global warming and depleting combustible natural resources. As a result, attention has been directed at improving the combustion process with the goals of increasing efficiency and minimizing negative side effects and byproducts. Examples of such attempts are found in the following U.S. Patents: (a) U.S. Pat. No. 5,479,358; (b) U.S. Pat. No. 5,473,162; (c) U.S. Pat. No. 5,471,937; (d) U.S. Pat. No. 5,430,642; (e) U.S. Pat. No. 5,361,628; (f) U.S. Pat. No. 5,311,421; (g) U.S. Pat. No. 5,305,230; (h) U.S. Pat. No. 5,303,684; (i) U.S. Pat. No. 5,285,959; (j) U.S. Pat. No. 5,257,496; (k) U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,954; (l) U.S. Pat. No. 5,247,445; (m) U.S. Pat. No. 5,227,975; (n) U.S. Pat. No. 5,213,077; (o) U.S. Pat. No. 5,205,486; (p) U.S. Pat. No. 5,178,002; (q) U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,024; (r) U.S. Pat. No. 5,146,898; (s) U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,379; (t) U.S. Pat. No. 5,065,728; (u) U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,083; (v) U.S. Pat. No. 4,966,118; (w) U.S. Pat. No. 4,926,826; (x) U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,099; and (y) U.S. Pat. No. 4,881,505. See also the following publications: (a)
Progress in Emission Control Technologies
, Society of Automotive Engineers (1994), ISBN 1-56091-565-X; (b)
Advanced Emission Control Technologies
, Society of Automotive Engineers (1993), ISBN 1-56091-436-X; (c) Hanby, V.I.,
Combustion and Pollution Control in Heating Systems
, Springer Verlag, N.Y. (1993), ISBN 3-540-19849-0; (d) Eckbreth, Alan C.,
Laser Diagnostics for Combustion Temperature and Species
, Abacus Press, Cambridge Mass. (1988), ISBN 0-85626-344-3; and (e) Crosley, David R.,
Laser Probes for Combustion Chemistry
, American Chemical Society Symposium Series, American Chemical Society, Washington, D.C. (1980), ISBN 0-8412-0570-1. Each of the above-listed patents and publications is incorporated herein by reference.
While the above-listed patents and publications disclose various attempts to characterize and control the combustion process, none of them take full advantage of modern imaging and control technology. For example, none of the systems combine modern computer imaging techniques with expert systems using fuzzy logic and neural networks to optimize the combustion process through automatic feedback control of the combustion parameters. The need exists for improved Systems and methods that automatically optimize the combustion process to increase efficiency and minimize unwanted or harmful by-products. In view of the wide spread use of combustion systems that burn hydrocarbon fuels, even small improvements in the efficiency of the combustion process can result in significant social and environmental benefits.
OBJECTS OF INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide automatic combustion optimization systems and methods that improve combustion efficiency and lower pollutant emissions.
It is another object of the invention to provide improved combustion control systems and methods that combine image analysis and sensing of other combustion parameters to automatically optimize the combustion process using expert systems implemented with fuzzy logic and neural networks.
It is another object of the invention to automatically generate combustion control signals by analyzing video signals resulting from scanning the combustion process.
It is another object of the invention to provide automatic combustion control systems and methods that generate signals for analysis by using laser scanners to scan a combustion chamber and combustion exhaust gases.
It is another object of the invention to provide automatic combustion control systems and methods that analyze video scanning signals to evaluate the concentration of reactants and the quality of the combustion flame, and that generate feedback control signals based on such as an evaluation.
It is a another object of the invention is to automatically analyze combustion temperature and video and laser scanning signals to control and optimize the combustion process.
It is another object of this invention is to provide automatic combustion optimization systems and methods using neural networks to analyze image signals and classify characteristics of the combustion process, such as flame grade.
It is another object of the invention to provide automatic combustion optimization systems and methods using a fuzzy logic controller to analyze a variety of sensor outputs, including flame grade classification determined from image analysis.
It is another object of the invention to provide a fuzzy logic rule base useful for analyzing a variety of parameters to optimize the combustion process.
It is another object of the invention to provide a fuzzy logic rule base and associated expert system that analyze and respond to changes in a variety of combustion parameters to control and optimize the combustion process.
It is another object of the invention to provide automatic combustion optimization systems and methods that compensate for inaccuracies and uncertainties in image signals and other sensor outputs that are used to measure volatile combustion processes.
It is another object of the invention to provide systems and methods that automatically monitor and control the combustion process for optimal operation in a “lean” burn region.
It is another object of the invention to provide systems and methods that automatically monitor and control both the fuel and air flow rates into a combustion chamber.
It
Hiett John H.
Lemelson Jerome H.
Pedersen Robert D.
Rudy Douglas W.
Yeung James C.
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