Combustion Analyzer

Description

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application 63/669,309, filed Jul. 10, 2024.

FIELD OF THE INVENTIONS

The inventions described below relate to the field of combustion analyzers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONS

Most furnaces in the US uses fuel combustion as the heat source to warm occupied spaces such as houses, apartments, offices, warehouses, etc. Most fuels burned for heat produce carbon monoxide (CO) as a byproduct of combustion.

CO is a poisonous, colorless, odorless and tasteless gas. To ensure safety and efficient heating, combustion analyses are done on the furnaces by HVAC technicians as a preventative maintenance or as part of diagnostic call. Not only there is a likelihood that the technician can walk into an enclosed environment with high level of CO unknowingly, but the environment can also get dangerous over time for the technicians if there is a spillage of CO from the furnace. Hence, it's recommended for technicians to wear a personal ambient CO monitor when diagnosing or working on furnaces.

Conventional CO monitors in the market are generally separate devices from combustion analysis tools (CAT) used by technicians when testing or maintaining furnaces. It is also uncommon for a technician to wear a CO monitor in the field for a variety of reasons such as forgetting to wear the monitor, not changing the batteries, losing the monitor, leaving the monitor in the technician's vehicle, etc.

SUMMARY

The devices and methods described below provide for a combustion analyzer unit which includes an array of primary sensors in the analyzer unit operably connected to a primary probe. The distal end of the primary probe is configured for insertion into a combustion system flue to conduct gas to the primary sensors for diagnosing and maintaining the furnace. An optional integrated CO sensor in the combustion monitor housing provides for sensing CO in the space adjacent to the furnace and flue and a removable CO monitor is detachably integrated into the combustion analyzer unit housing to be worn or carried by the technician during furnace testing and maintenance.

The integrated CO sensor on the device as well as an independently operatable detachable CO monitor will enhance safety by not only monitoring the CO in the area surrounding the furnace and device, but also encouraging technicians to use and wear or carry a CO sensor monitoring the ambient CO level when performing combustion analysis.

A combustion analyzer system includes a combustion analyzer unit having a gas inlet, a moisture elimination system, a controller and a primary sensor assembly, the controller is operably connected to the primary sensor assembly, the moisture elimination system and a dock for a removable carbon monoxide sensor unit, a primary probe operably connected to the combustion analyzer via a cable with an internal hose for conducting flue gas from the distal end of the primary probe to a primary sensor assembly in the combustion analyzer unit, a removable carbon monoxide sensor unit operably connected to the dock of the combustion analyzer unit with a carbon monoxide sensor operable to measure carbon monoxide concentrations in the vicinity of the removable carbon monoxide sensor.

Optionally, the combustion analyzer system described above may also include a second carbon monoxide sensor in the combustion analyzer unit operable to measure carbon monoxide concentrations in the vicinity of the combustion analyzer unit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an illustration of a combustion analyzer system.

FIG. 2 is an illustration of some of the internal components of the combustion analyzer of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates the use of the combustion analyzer of FIG. 1 in an installed heating system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIONS

FIG. 1 is an illustration of combustion analyzer system 1. The combustion analyzer system 1 includes a combustion analyzer unit 2 which is operatively connected to primary probe 3 via cable 4. One or more optional remote probes, such as probes 5 and 6, may communicate with analyzer unit 2 using any suitable technique. Removable CO sensor unit 7 is operably attached to analyzer unit 2 and may be detached to gather data on CO concentrations away from the analyzer unit and wireless transmit data 7D to analyzer unit 2 for collection and reporting. Analyzer unit 2 may also include optional furnace CO sensor 8 for measuring CO concentrations in the immediate vicinity of combustion system 30.

The combustion analyzer unit 2 also includes any suitable moisture elimination system 10. Flue gas 11 is drawn into the analyzer unit 2 via an optional secondary filter such as dust filter 8 by a pump 12. The flue gas is pumped into moisture elimination system 10 where the condensable gasses in flue gas 11 are condensed to liquid and separated from dry flue gas 11X.

Removable CO sensor unit 7 includes connector 7C for engaging dock connector 13 for providing power and data path 7X to controller 24. CO sensor unit 7 also includes internal controller 7H, any suitable power source 7P, any suitable carbon monoxide sensor 7S and a transmitter 7T. Data from CO sensor 7S as well as other suitable data, such as the status of power source 7P, the location of removable CO sensor unit 7 relative to analyzer unit 2 or anything else is transmitted to combustion analyzer unit 2 during use. Removable CO sensor unit 7 may adopt any suitable form factor such as a pen, stylus, tool or other suitable form and it may include one or more optional visible or audible warnings or alerts such as wireless signal strength, location, distance from combustion analyzer 2, battery status, carbon monoxide concentration or other suitable notice.

CO sensor unit 7 automatically turns on and functions when detached from analyzer unit 2. A reminder/alert may be provided to users to detach and wear the monitor when analyzer unit 2 is powered on. Power source 7P in sensor unit 7 provides sufficient power to operate independently for a minimum of 5 hours. CO sensor unit 7 charges from analyzer unit 2 once reattached to the analyzer unit 2.

CO sensor unit 7 may provide a visual indicator of the carbon monoxide level in parts per million (PPM) which may not necessarily provide a ppm reading it could be an array of LEDS to indicate zones: 0-9 ppm, 9-25 ppm, 25-50 ppm, etc. CO sensor unit 7 may also provide an audible alarm/beeper to alert users of increased ambient CO level. CO sensor unit 7 may also provide live communication to analyzer unit 2 (wired or wireless) to indicate ambient CO level on a display screen on analyzer unit 2 as well as visual and audible alert when ambient CO level is rises. CO sensor unit 7 may connect to analyzer unit 2 (wire or wireless) to transmit data and options include the ambient CO data on combustion report to track ambient CO level as well as to encourage users to wear.

The filtered, dry flue gas 11X is moved from the moisture elimination system 10 into primary sensor assembly 20 by pump 12. Primary sensor assembly 20 includes two or more sensor slots, slots 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D, 20E and 20F, each slot suitably configured to engage a single suitable sensor, such as oxygen sensor 22A and carbon monoxide sensor 22B, sulphur dioxide sensor 22C, nitrogen oxide sensor 22D and any other suitable sensors, such as sensors 22E and 22F. In sensor assembly 20, each of the installed sensors are exposed to dry flue gas 11X and each sensor produces an electrical signal, such as signal A from sensor 22A, corresponding to the level of their respective compound that is present in the dry, filtered flue gas 11X. The sensors in sensor assembly 20 are operatively connected to controller 24 which analyzes the electrical signals from the sensors and produces an output signal corresponding to the measured characteristics of dry, filtered flue gas 11X. The controller 24 also includes one or more microprocessors and is operatively connected to moisture elimination system 10, pump 14, primary probe 3, removable CO sensor unit 7, optional furnace sensor 8 and any other components capturing data or providing feedback to a user.

Sensors 22A, 22B, 22C, 22D, 22E and 22F may be any suitable sensors such as electrochemical, infrared or other. Proper installation of each sensor in sensor assembly 20 may be a challenge for a user. A poka-yoke mechanical interface may be used to provide mistake-free installation of the sensors. Alternatively, each sensor slot, slots 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D, 20E and 20F, in sensor assembly 20 will automatically detect what type of sensor is connected and will adjust the output readings automatically. This modular sensor approach will enable incorporation of any suitable additional sensors in the future such as, low/high level CO sensor, SOx sensor, NOx sensor etc.

The user's experience will be improved because any sensor can be put in any slot in sensor assembly 20 and the readings will be automatically adjusted. Optionally, a user may put two of the same type of sensor in sensor assembly 20 to compare and confirm the measurements of each sensor.

Alternatively, primary sensor assembly may be a removable module that may plug into sensor assembly socket 20X in combustion analyzer unit 2. Sensor modules 21X and 21Y may plug into combustion analyzer unit 2 in place of sensor assembly 20 and have 2, 4 or more sensors, such as sensors 21A and 21B, or sensors 21C, 21D, 21E, and 21F, which are compatible with combustion analyzer unit 2 providing upgradability and adaptability for the technicians.

Flue gas conduit 9 conducts the flue gas 11 to the moisture elimination system 10 and to the sensor assembly 20. Gas pressure sensor 7 is located in the analyzer unit 2 and is operably connected to the distal end of the primary probe 3 via flue gas pressure conduit 9A, which enable the pressure sensor 7 to detect the draft pressure of the flue. A stable pressure sensor, such as pressure sensor 7, maintains accuracy specifications for about 30 minutes and this enables the analyzer unit to be used monitor the draft pressure and provide the pressure data 7D to the controller 24 for display to a user.

Optional remote probes 5 and 6 measure chemical, thermal and other characteristics of a combustion system, such as flue pressure, and these characteristics are transmitted as signals 25 to controller 24 and may be displayed on the analyzer unit 2 and/or any suitable mobile device.

FIG. 3 illustrates the use of the combustion analyzer 2 of FIG. 1 in use with combustion system 30. In use, combustion analyzer unit 2 is connected to primary probe 3 and distal end 3D is inserted into the primary system flue 31. Optional furnace carbon monoxide sensor 8 is operative to measure carbon monoxide concentrations in the area of combustion system 30. Remote probe 5 is inserted into secondary system flue 32 to provide reference data 33 to compare to primary data 34 from the primary probe. Reference data 33 may include flue pressure, temperature, humidity/relative humidity and air flow rate. Firebox measurements may be accomplished by using a remote probe, such as probes 5 or 6, inserted into firebox 35. Removable CO sensor unit 7 is detached from combustion analyzer 2 and worn or carried by the technician to alert the technician of dangerous carbon monoxide concentrations that the technician is exposed to.

While the preferred embodiments of the devices and methods have been described in reference to the environment in which they were developed, they are merely illustrative of the principles of the inventions. The elements of the various embodiments may be incorporated into each of the other species to obtain the benefits of those elements in combination with such other species, and the various beneficial features may be employed in embodiments alone or in combination with each other. Other embodiments and configurations may be devised without departing from the spirit of the inventions and the scope of the appended claims.