Carrier Corporation

Daniel R Clark

Chester D Ripka

Ian M Shapiro

David A Lindstrand

A method for determining the relative humidity of the air entering the cooling heat exchanger of an air conditioning system as well as an apparatus for implementing the method. The cooling capacity of the system is varied and, if occurring, the transition between a condition where moisture is condensing in the heat exchanger and a condition where moisture is not condensing in the heat exchanger. At this transition, the temperatures of the exiting air and the entering air are measured. From the measured exiting air temperature, state point of the saturated exiting air can be determined. From the exiting air state point and the entering air state point, the entering air relative humidity can be determined. If no condensation occurs even at maximum cooling capacity, the maximum that the relative humidity of the entering air can be determined. If condensation continues even at minimum cooling capacity, the minimum that the relative humidity of the entering air can be determined.

Method and apparatus for determining relative humidity

In a heating appliance employing a radiant burner, a method and apparatus for setting the ratio of gaseous fuel to air supplied to the burner to a desired value. With the gaseous fuel flow rate held constant, the air flow rate is controlled to maintain the fuel-to-air ratio at the desired value. The invention uses a sensor that measures the intensity of radiation emitted by the burner. A control device compares the measured intensity to a reference intensity and regulates the air flow rate such that the measured intensity is equal to the reference intensity. The burner emits radiation equal to the reference radiation intensity when it is burning a combustible gas supply containing the desired fuel-to-air ratio, so that by regulating the air flow rate to cause the burner to emit the reference radiant intensity, the fuel-to-air ratio will be at the desired value.

Method and apparatus for controlling fuel-to-air ratio of the

A method and apparatus to optimize the proportion of gaseous fuel and air supplied to a radiant burner employed in a heating appliance. With the flow rate of the gaseous fuel supply held constant, the flow rate of the air supply is adjusted to change the relative proportion of air and fuel in the mixture to attain an optimum value for burner combustion, i.e. a value where the proportion of air is slightly greater than the stoichiometric ratio. The invention employs a sensor to measure the intensity of the radiation emitted by the burner while the air supply to the burner is varied. From the measurements obtained, control parameters are derived which are then applied to set the air supply flow rate to a level that results in the optimum proportion of air and fuel in the mixture.

Method and apparatus for optimizing fuel-to-air ratio in the combustible

A method and apparatus for modulating the surface area of a radiant infrared burner over which combustion occurs as a function of burner heat output rate. This modulation serves to maintain the heat flux density on the surface of the burner at or near an optimum value over a range of heat output rates. The modulation is effected by means of a piston disposed in the internal cavity of a burner which blocks the passage of combustible gas to areas of the burner downstream of the piston from the gas inlet to the burner. The piston is displaced further downstream with increased gas flow rate resulting in combustion occuring over an increased area of the burner surface as burner heat output rate is increased. In its simplest embodiment, the invention comprises a burner oriented vertically with the combustible gas entering the bottom of the burner and a free piston which floats on the incoming gas stream at a level within the burner which is proportional to the gas flow rate.

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Fayetteville, NY, United States of America

Daniel R Clark