The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 19, 2011
Filed:
Sep. 30, 2007
Benjamin T. Chorpening, Morgantown, WV (US);
Jimmy D. Thornton, Morgantown, WV (US);
E. David Huckaby, Morgantown, WV (US);
William Fincham, Fairmont, WV (US);
Benjamin T. Chorpening, Morgantown, WV (US);
Jimmy D. Thornton, Morgantown, WV (US);
E. David Huckaby, Morgantown, WV (US);
William Fincham, Fairmont, WV (US);
The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy, Washington, DC (US);
Abstract
A time-varying voltage is applied to an electrode, or a pair of electrodes, of a sensor installed in a fuel nozzle disposed adjacent the combustion zone of a continuous combustion system, such as of the gas turbine engine type. The time-varying voltage induces a time-varying current in the flame which is measured and used to determine flame capacitance using AC electrical circuit analysis. Flame capacitance is used to accurately determine the position of the flame from the sensor and the fuel/air ratio. The fuel and/or air flow rate (s) is/are then adjusted to provide reduced flame instability problems such as flashback, combustion dynamics and lean blowout, as well as reduced emissions. The time-varying voltage may be an alternating voltage and the time-varying current may be an alternating current.