Apparatus and method of detecting igniter type

• US 20050182521A1
• Filed: 01/14/2005
• Published: 08/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AOS Holding Company (A O Smith Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AOS Holding Company (A O Smith Corporation)
• Inventors: Basheer, Sohail, Caves, Andy, Randals, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 7,335,856 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/274
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 1/00 Regulating fuel supply
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 2241/04 Heating water
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 5/00 Systems for controlling combustion regulating fuel supply F23N1/00, regulating air supply or draught F23N3/00

Abstract

The invention includes an apparatus and method of determining the type of igniter for a burner at each stage of a boiler. The apparatus includes a controller operable to detect whether a first type of igniter or a second type of igniter is installed in the burner based on whether the first type of igniter or the second type of igniter transmits a response to the controller after receiving an activation signal from the controller.

Claims

1. A method of determining a type of igniter for igniting gas issued by a burner of a gas-fired appliance, the gas-fired appliance adapted to comprise at least one of a first-type of igniter and a second-type of igniter different than the first-type of igniter, the method comprising:

applying a control parameter to the at least one of the first-type of igniter and the second-type of igniter;

monitoring the at least one of the first-type of igniter and the second-type of igniter for a response to the control parameter; and

determining whether the first-type of igniter or the second-type of igniter provided the response.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the applying a control parameter comprises applying a voltage to the at least one of the first-type of igniter and the second-type of igniter.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing the type of igniter that provided the response in a memory.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first-type of igniter comprises a first material and the second-type of igniter comprises a second material different than the first-type of material.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first-type of igniter comprises silicon carbide and the second-type of igniter comprises silicon nitride.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first-type of igniter comprises silicon nitride and the second-type of igniter comprises silicon carbide.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting a fault condition if neither the first-type of igniter or the second-type of igniter is connected to the burner.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein, after the determining act, only activating one type of igniter.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the activating one type of igniter is based on the determining act.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising canceling the act of applying a control parameter to the second-type of igniter if the first-type of igniter provided a response.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising canceling the act of applying a control parameter to the first-type of igniter if the second-type of igniter provided a response.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the gas-fired appliance includes a plurality of burners, wherein each burner can include one of the first-type of igniter and the second-type of igniter, and wherein the method is repeated for each of the plurality of burners.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the applying a control parameter comprises applying an activation signal to the first-type of igniter and the second-type of igniter.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the monitoring the at least one of the first-type of igniter and the second-type of igniter for a response to the control parameter comprises monitoring the first-type of igniter and the second-type of igniter for a feedback signal.

15. A gas-fired appliance comprising:

at least one of a first-type of igniter and a second-type of igniter different than the first-type of igniter; and

a controller connected to the at least one of the first-type of igniter and the second-type of igniter, the controller being operable to detect whether the first-type of igniter and the second-type of igniter is connected to the controller based on whether at least one of the first-type of igniter and the second-type of igniter transmits a response to the controller after receiving an activation signal from the controller.

16. The gas-fired appliance of claim 15 further comprising a current sensing circuit connected to the first-type of igniter and the controller, the current sensing circuit operable to transmit a signal to the controller indicative that the first-type of igniter is present when current through the first-type of igniter exceeds a threshold value.

17. The gas-fired appliance of claim 15 further comprising an igniter module connected to the controller and the second-type of igniter, the igniter module operable to transmit an activation signal to the second-type of igniter, and if activation occurs, transmit a signal to the controller indicative that the second-type of igniter is present.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising a current sensing circuit connected to the first-type of igniter and the controller and an igniter module connected to the second-type of igniter and the controller, the current sensing circuit operable to transmit a signal to the controller indicative that the first-type of igniter is present when current through the first-type of igniter exceeds a threshold value, the igniter module operable to transmit an activation signal to the second-type of igniter, and if activation occurs, transmit a signal to the controller indicative that the second-type of igniter is present.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the first-type of igniter comprises a first material and the second-type of igniter comprises a second material different than the first-type of material.

20. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the first-type of igniter comprises silicon carbide and the second-type of igniter comprises silicon nitride.

21. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the first-type of igniter comprises silicon nitride and the second-type of igniter comprises silicon carbide.

22. An apparatus for detecting a type of igniter in a boiler, the apparatus comprising:

a controller connectable to at least one of a first-type of igniter and a second-type of igniter different than the first type of igniter, the controller operable to detect whether at least one of a first-type of igniter and a second-type of igniter is connected to the controller based on whether at least one of the first-type of igniter and the second-type of igniter transmits a response to the controller after receiving an activation signal from the controller.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 further comprising a current sensing circuit connected to the first-type of igniter and the controller, the current sensing circuit operable to transmit a signal to the controller indicative that the first-type of igniter is present when current through the first-type of igniter exceeds a threshold value.

24. The apparatus of claim 22 further comprising an igniter module connected to the controller and the second type of igniter, the igniter module operable to transmit an activation signal to the second type of igniter, and if activation occurs, transmit a signal to the controller indicative that the second type of igniter is present.

25. The apparatus of claim 22 further comprising a current sensing circuit connected to the first-type of igniter and the controller and an igniter module connected to the second-type of igniter and the controller, the current sensing circuit operable to transmit a signal to the controller indicative that the first-type of igniter is present when current through the first-type of igniter exceeds a threshold value, the igniter module operable to transmit an activation signal to the second-type of igniter, and if activation occurs, transmit a signal to the controller indicative that the second-type of igniter is present.

26. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the first-type of igniter comprises a first material and the second-type of igniter comprises a second material different than the first-type of material.

27. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the first-type of igniter comprises silicon carbide and the second-type of igniter comprises silicon nitride.

28. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the first-type of igniter comprises silicon nitride and the second-type of igniter comprises silicon carbide.

29. A method of determining a type of igniter for igniting gas issued by a burner of a gas-fired appliance, the gas-fired appliance adapted to comprise at least one of a first-type of igniter and a second-type of igniter different than the first-type of igniter, the method comprising:

applying a first control parameter to the first-type of igniter and to a control module;

transmitting a second control parameter to the second-type of igniter a predetermined period of time after transmitting the first control parameter to the first-type of igniter and the control module;

monitoring current through the first-type of igniter and transmitting a feedback signal to the gas-fired appliance indicative that the first-type of igniter is present if the current exceeds a threshold value; and

monitoring the second-type of igniter for ignition and transmitting an ignition signal to the gas-fired appliance indicative that the second-type of igniter is present.

30. The method of claim 29 further comprising storing the type of igniter in memory that corresponds to whether the burner receives the feedback signal or the ignition signal.

31. The method of claim 29 wherein subsequent operations of the burner only activate the type of igniter that is stored in memory.

32. The method of claim 29 wherein the first-type of igniter comprises a first material and the second-type of igniter comprises a second material different than the first material.

33. The method of claim 29 wherein the first type of igniter comprises silicon carbide and the second type of igniter comprises silicon nitride.

34. The method of claim 29 wherein the first type of igniter comprises silicon nitride and the second type of igniter comprises silicon carbide.

35. The method of claim 29 further comprising transmitting a fault condition if neither the first type of igniter or the second type of igniter is connected to the burner.

36. The method of claim 29 further comprising canceling the act of transmitting a voltage signal to the control module if the first-type of igniter transmits the feedback signal.

37. The method of claim 29 wherein the gas-fired appliance includes a plurality of burners, and wherein each burner can include one of the first-type of igniter and the second-type of igniter.

38. The method of claim 29 wherein the applying a first control parameter comprises applying a voltage tot he first-type of igniter and the control module.

39. A method of determining a type of igniter for igniting gas issued by a burner of a gas-fired appliance, the gas-fired appliance adapted to comprise at least one of a first-type of igniter and a second-type of igniter different than the first-type of igniter, the method comprising:

transmitting an activation signal to the first-type of igniter and the second-type of igniter; and

determining whether the first-type of igniter or the second-type of igniter is present in the gas-fired appliance based on whether the first-type of igniter or the second-type of igniter first activates.

40. The method of claim 39 wherein transmitting the activation signal to the first-type of igniter and the second-type of igniter comprises sequentially transmitting the activation signal to one of the first-type of igniter and the second-type of igniter.

41. The method of claim 39 wherein transmitting the activation signal to the first-type of igniter and the second-type of igniter comprises transmitting the activation signal to the first-type of igniter and the second-type of igniter at the same time.