Methods and Systems for Analyzing Combustion System Operation

• US 20120122040A1
• Filed: 11/16/2010
• Published: 05/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Moyeda, David, Xu, Guang, Widmer, Neil, Zhou, Wei
• Granted Patent: US 9,310,347 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 431/2
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 5/003 using detectors sensitive to combustion gas properties F23N5/02, F23N5/18 - F23N5/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 5/006 the detector being sensitive to oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/004 for CO, CO2
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0075 for multiple spatially distributed sensors, e.g. for environmental monitoring transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/20 Air quality improvement or preservation, e.g. vehicle emission control or emission reduction by using catalytic converters

Abstract

Systems and methods for analyzing combustion system operation are provided. According to one embodiment, a method can include receiving multiple CO measurements from respective CO sensors distributed within a combustion system; receiving multiple O₂ measurements from respective O₂ sensors distributed within the combustion system; and determining at least one operating condition of the combustion system based at least in part on CO indicated by the CO measurements relative to O₂ indicated by the O₂ measurements.

Claims

1. A method for analyzing combustion system operation, comprising:

receiving a plurality of carbon monoxide (CO) measurements from a respective plurality of CO sensors distributed within a combustion system;

receiving a plurality of oxygen (O₂) measurements from a respective plurality of O₂ sensors distributed within the combustion system; and

determining at least one operating condition of the combustion system based at least in part on CO indicated by the plurality of CO measurements relative to O₂ indicated by the plurality of O₂ measurements.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a CO average of the plurality of CO measurements; and

determining an O₂ average of the plurality of O₂ measurements;

wherein determining the at least one operating condition is based at least in part on the CO average and the O₂ average.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

plotting the CO average relative to the O₂ average in a quadrant graph of CO concentration versus O₂ concentration;

wherein determining the at least one operating condition is based at least in part on the quadrant in which the plot of the CO average relative to the O₂ average is located.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein a vertical axis of the quadrant graph represents increasing CO concentration and a horizontal axis represents increasing O₂ concentration, wherein the quadrant graph comprises a lower left quadrant, an upper left quadrant, a lower right quadrant, and an upper right quadrant, each representing different operating conditions of the combustion system.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining the at least one operating condition further comprises:

if the plot of the CO average relative to the O₂ average is within a quadrant representing an acceptable operating condition, determining the combustion system is operating at an acceptable operating condition; and

if the plot of the CO average relative to the O₂ average is within a quadrant representing an undesirable operating condition, determining the combustion system is operating at an undesirable operating condition, and further comprising generating a control action to adjust at least one of the CO concentration or the O₂ concentration within the combustion system.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

calculating a spatial standard deviation of CO based on the plurality of CO measurements; and

calculating a spatial standard deviation of O₂ based on the plurality of O₂ measurements.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein determining the at least one operating condition is based on at least one of:

(a) the quadrant in which the plot of the CO average relative to the O₂ average is located;

(b) the spatial standard deviation of CO;

or (c) the spatial standard deviation of O₂.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein determining the at least one operating condition further comprises:

if the plot of the CO average relative to the O₂ average is located in the lower left quadrant, determining the combustion system is operating in an acceptable operating condition;

if the plot of the CO average relative to the O₂ average is located in the upper left quadrant and if the spatial standard deviation of CO meets or exceeds a predetermined threshold, determining the combustion system is operating in an unbalanced CO condition, and further comprising generating a control action to adjust the CO balancing in the combustion system;

if the plot of the CO average relative to the O₂ average is located in the upper left quadrant and if the spatial standard deviation of CO is below a predetermined threshold, determining the combustion system is operating in a low O₂ condition, and further comprising generating a control action to increase O₂ in the combustion system;

if the plot of the CO average relative to the O₂ average is located in the lower right quadrant and if the spatial standard deviation of O₂ meets or exceeds a predetermined threshold, determining the combustion system is operating in an unbalanced O₂ condition, and further comprising generating a control action to adjust the O₂ balancing in the combustion system;

if the plot of the CO average relative to the O₂ average is located in the lower right quadrant and if the spatial standard deviation of O₂ is below a predetermined threshold, determining the combustion system is operating in an increased O₂ condition, and further comprising generating a control action to decrease O₂ in the combustion system;

if the plot of the CO average relative to the O₂ average is located in the upper right quadrant and if the spatial standard deviation of CO or O₂ meets or exceeds a predetermined threshold, determining the combustion system is operating in an unbalanced CO or an unbalanced O₂ condition, and further comprising generating at least one control action to adjust at least one of CO balancing or O₂ balancing in the combustion system; and

if the plot of the CO average relative to the O₂ average is located in the upper right quadrant and if the spatial standard deviation of CO and O₂ is below a predetermined threshold, determining the combustion system is operating in an undesirable condition, and further comprising generating at least one warning.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of CO measurements comprises a first plurality of CO measurements from at least one of the plurality of CO sensors taken over time, and the plurality of O₂ measurements comprises a first plurality of O₂ measurements from at least one of the plurality of O₂ sensors taken over time, and further comprising:

determining a temporal CO standard deviation based on the plurality of CO measurements;

determining a temporal O₂ standard deviation based on the plurality of O₂ measurements;

if at least one of the temporal CO standard deviation or the temporal O₂ standard deviation meets or exceeds a predefined threshold, determining the combustion system is operating in an unsteady state;

if at least one of the temporal CO standard deviation or the temporal O₂ standard deviation is below a predefined threshold, determining the combustion system is operating in a steady state; and

generating at least one control action to adjust combustion system operation based on at least one of CO concentration or O₂ concentration when the combustion system is operating in the steady state.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating at least one control action to cause a change in the combustion system operation based at least in part on the at least one operating condition determined;

subsequent to generating the at least one control action, receiving a second plurality of CO measurements from the same respective plurality of CO sensors and receiving a second plurality of O₂ measurements from the same respective plurality of O₂ sensors; and

making a second determination of at least one operating condition based at least in part on levels of CO indicated by the second plurality of CO measurements relative to levels of O₂ indicated by the second plurality of O₂ measurements.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of CO measurements represents an average of a plurality of CO measurements taken over time from a respective one of the plurality of CO sensors, and wherein each of the plurality of O₂ measurements represents an average of a plurality of O₂ measurements taken over time from a respective one of the plurality of O₂ sensors.

12. A system for analyzing combustion system operation, comprising:

at least one controller in communication with a plurality of carbon monoxide (CO) sensors associated with a combustion system and a plurality of oxygen O₂ sensors associated with the combustion system, wherein the at least one controller is operable to;

receive a plurality of CO measurements from the respective plurality of CO sensors;

receive a plurality of O₂ measurements from the respective plurality of O₂ sensors distributed; and

determine at least one operating condition of the combustion system based at least in part on CO indicated by the plurality of CO measurements relative to O₂ indicated by the plurality of O₂ measurements.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one controller is further operable to:

determine a CO average of the plurality of CO measurements;

determine an O₂ average of the plurality of O₂ measurements; and

determine the at least one operating condition based at least in part on the CO average and the O₂ average.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one controller is further operable to:

plot the CO average relative to the O₂ average in a quadrant graph of CO concentration versus O₂ concentration, wherein the vertical axis of the quadrant graph represents increasing CO concentration and the horizontal axis represents increasing O₂ concentration, wherein the quadrant graph comprises a lower left quadrant, an upper left quadrant, a lower right quadrant, and an upper right quadrant, each representing different operating conditions of the combustion system; and

determine the at least one operating condition based at least in part on the quadrant in which the plot of the CO average relative to the O₂ average is located.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one controller is further operable to determine the at least one operating condition by:

if the plot of the CO average relative to the O₂ average is within a quadrant representing an acceptable operating condition, determining the combustion system is operating at an acceptable operating condition; and

if the plot of the CO average relative to the O₂ average is within a quadrant representing an undesirable operating condition, determining the combustion system is operating at an undesirable operating condition; and

wherein, if the combustion system is operating at an undesirable operating condition, the at least one controller is further operable to generate a control action to adjust at least one of the CO concentration or the O₂ concentration within the combustion system.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one controller is further operable to:

calculate a spatial standard deviation of CO based on the plurality of CO measurements; and

calculate a spatial standard deviation of O₂ based on the plurality of O₂ measurements.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one controller is further operable to determine the at least one operating condition by:

if the plot of the CO average relative to the O₂ average is located in the lower left quadrant, determining the combustion system is operating in an acceptable operating condition;

if the plot of the CO average relative to the O₂ average is located in the upper left quadrant and if the spatial standard deviation of CO meets or exceeds a predetermined threshold, determining the combustion system is operating in an unbalanced CO condition, and wherein the at least one controller is further operable to generate a control action to adjust the CO balancing in the combustion system;

if the plot of the CO average relative to the O₂ average is located in the upper left quadrant and if the spatial standard deviation of CO is below a predetermined threshold, determining the combustion system is operating in a low O₂ condition, and wherein the at least one controller is further operable to generate a control action to increase O₂ in the combustion system;

if the plot of the CO average relative to the O₂ average is located in the lower right quadrant and if the spatial standard deviation of O₂ meets or exceeds a predetermined threshold, determining the combustion system is operating in an unbalanced O₂ condition, and wherein the at least one controller is further operable to generate a control action to adjust the O₂ balancing in the combustion system;

if the plot of the CO average relative to the O₂ average is located in the lower right quadrant and if the spatial standard deviation of O₂ is below a predetermined threshold, determining the combustion system is operating in an increased O₂ condition, and wherein the at least one controller is further operable to generate a control action to decrease O₂ in the combustion system;

if the plot of the CO average relative to the O₂ average is located in the upper right quadrant and if the spatial standard deviation of CO or O₂ meets or exceeds a predetermined threshold, determining the combustion system is operating in an unbalanced CO or an unbalanced O₂ condition, and wherein the at least one controller is further operable to generate at least one control action to adjust at least one of CO balancing or O₂ balancing in the combustion system; and

if the plot of the CO average relative to the O₂ average is located in the upper right quadrant and if the spatial standard deviation of CO and O₂ is below a predetermined threshold, determining the combustion system is operating in an undesirable condition, and wherein the at least one controller is further operable to generate at least one warning.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the plurality of CO measurements comprises a first plurality of CO measurements from at least one of the plurality of CO sensors taken over time, and the plurality of O₂ measurements comprises a first plurality of O₂ measurements from at least one of the plurality of O₂ sensors taken over time, and wherein the at least one controller is further operable to:

determine a temporal CO standard deviation based on the plurality of CO measurements;

determine a temporal O₂ standard deviation based on the plurality of O₂ measurements;

if at least one of the temporal CO standard deviation or the temporal O₂ standard deviation meets or exceeds a predefined threshold, determine the combustion system is operating in an unsteady state;

if at least one of the temporal CO standard deviation or the temporal O₂ standard deviation is below a predefined threshold, determine the combustion system is operating in a steady state; and

generate at least one control action to adjust combustion system operation based on at least one of CO concentration or O₂ concentration when the combustion system is operating in the steady state.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one controller is further operable to:

generate at least one control action to cause a change in the combustion system operation based at least in part on the at least one operating condition determined;

subsequent to generating the at least one control action, receive a second plurality of CO measurements from the same respective plurality of CO sensors and receive a second plurality of O₂ measurements from the same respective plurality of O₂ sensors; and

make a second determination of at least one operating condition based on levels of CO indicated by the second plurality of CO measurements relative to levels of O₂ indicated by the second plurality of O₂ measurements.

20. A method for analyzing combustion system operation, comprising:

receiving a first plurality of carbon monoxide (CO) measurements from a respective plurality of CO sensors distributed within a combustion system at a first point in time and a second plurality of CO measurements from the respective plurality of CO sensors at a second point in time;

receiving a first plurality of oxygen (O₂) measurements from a respective plurality of O₂ sensors distributed within the combustion system at the first point in time and a second plurality of O₂ measurements from the respective plurality of O₂ sensors at the second point in time;

determining the combustion system is in steady state operation based on a temporal standard deviation calculation based on at least one of (a) the first and second plurality of CO measurements or (b) the first and second plurality of O₂ measurements; and

adjusting combustion system operation based at least in part on levels of CO indicated by the second plurality of CO measurements relative to levels of O₂ indicated by the second plurality of O₂ measurements.