Flame monitor system and method using multiple radiation sensors

Claim 2

A flame monitoring system comprising: first means, aligned to sense the radiation from a region of the flame exhibiting high frequency random flickering radiation components and other radiation components, for producing a first electrical signal indicative thereof; second means, aligned to sense radiation from another part of said region of the flame exhibiting high frequency random flickering radiation components and other radiation components, for producing a second electrical signal indicative thereof; and, electrical circuit means for combining said first and said second electrical signals to cancel the other radiation components of said signals and retain the random high frequency flickering radiation components of the signals proportional to the sensed radiation.

Claim 3

A flame monitoring system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said electrical circuit includes; filtering, amplifying, and rectifying means for modifying the output signal of said electrical circuit means to a form capable of controlling said flame.

Claim 4

A flame monitoring system as set forth in claim 2 wherein said first and second radiation sensing means are photovoltaic cells and are connected in series opposition in said electrical circuit.

Claim 5

A flame monitoring system as set forth in claim 2 where said first and second radiation sensing means are photoresistive cells and are connected in parallel on individual arms of a ''''Wheatstone'''' bridge in said electrical circuit means.

Claim 6

A flame monitoring system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said electrical circuit means includes means for balancing the outputs of said first and second radiation sensing means whereby the output signal from said electrical circuit is nulled upon application of identical non-flickering radiation to said first and second radiation sensing means.

Claim 7

A flame monitoring system as set forth in claim 5, including: means for enclosing said first and second radiation sensing means, said enclosing means including a lens and deflecting means for focusing radiation to said first and second radiation sensing means in a manner such that said first radiation sensing means only receives radiation from a part of said region of the flame not received by said second radiation sensing means and said second radiation sensing means only receives radiation from a part of said region of the flame not received by said first radiation sensing means.

Claim 8

A flame monitoring system as set forth in claim 6 wherein said means for enclosing includes an individual enclosure for each of said first and second radiation sensing means, each individual enclosure having a lens for focusing radiation to the respective radiation sensing means therewithin.

Claim 9

A flame monitoring system as set forth in claim 7 including: a sighting tube leading from the region of the flame exhibiting flickering radiation to said lens of said enclosing means.

Claim 10

A flame monitoring system comprising: first means, aligned to sense the radiation from a region of a flame exhibiting high frequency flickering radiation, for producing a first electrical signal indicative thereof; second means, aligned to sense radiation from another part of said region of said flame exhibiting high frequency flickering radiation, for producing a second electrical signal indicative thereof; electrical circuit means for producing an output signal which is a function of the difference between the signals from said first and second radiation sensing means; said electrical circuit further comprising filtering, amplifying, and rectifying means for modifying the output signal of said electrical circuit means to a form capable of controlling said flame; and, further including a plurality of pairs of radiation sensing means and each said pair sighting a different region of said flame exhibiting flickering radiation, each said pair connected to said electrical circuit so that the output of each said pair of radiation sensing means is a function of the difference of the individual radiation sensing means of said pair with the output signal of said electrical circuit being a function of the sum of the outputs of said plurality of pairs of radiation sensing means.

Claim 11

A flame monitoring system comprising: first means, aligned to sense the radiation from a region of a flame exhibiting high frequency flickering radiation, for producing a first electrical signal indicative thereof; second means, aligned to sense radiation from another part of said region of said flame exhibiting high frequency flickering radiation, for producing a second electrical signal indicative thereof; electrical circuit means for producing an output signal which is a function of the difference between the signals from said first and second radiation sensing means; said electrical circuit further comprising filtering, amplifying, and rectifying means for modifying the output signal of said electrical circuit means to a form capable of controlling said flame; and, further including a plurality of pairs of radiation sensing means and each said pair sighting a different region of said flame exhibiting flickering radiation, each said pair connected to said electrical circuit so that the output of each said pair of radiation sensing means is a function of the difference of the individual radiation sensing means of said pair with the output signal of said electrical circuit being a function of the sum of the outputs of said plurality of pairs of radiation sensing means.

Claim 12

A flame monitoring system comprising: first means, aligned to sense the radiation from a region of a flame exhibiting high frequency flickering radiation, for producing a first electrical signal indicative thereof; second means, aligned to sense radiation from another part of said region of said flame exhibiting high frequency flickering radiation, for producing a second electrical signal indicative thereof; electrical circuit means for producing an output signal which is a function of the difference between the signals from said first and second radiation sensing means; said electrical circuit further comprising filtering, amplifying, and rectifying means for modifying the output signal of said electrical circuit means to a form capable of controlling said flame; and, further including a plurality of pairs of radiation sensing means and each of said pairs sighting a region of a different flame exhibiting high frequency flickering radiation, each said pair connected to said electrical circuit means so that the output signal of each said pair of radiation sensing means is a function of the difference of the individual radiation sensing means with the output signal of said electrical circuit means being a function of the sum of the outputs of said plurality of pairs of radiation sensing means.

Claim 13

A flame monitoring system comprising: first means, aligned to sense the radiation from a region of a flame exhibiting high frequency flickering radiation, for producing a first electrical signal indicative thereof; second means, aligned to sense radiation from another part of said region of said flame exhibiting high frequency flickering radiation, for producing a second electrical signal indicative thereof; electrical circuit means for producing an output signal which is a function of the difference between the signals from said first and second radiation sensing means; said electrical circuit further comprising filtering, amplifying, and rectifying means for modifying the output signal of said electrical circuit means to a form capable of controlling said flame; and, further including a plurality of pairs of radiation sensing means and each of said pairs sighting a region of a different flame exhibiting high frequency flickering radiation, each said pair connected to said electrical circuit means so that the output signal of each said pair of radiation sensing means is a function of the difference of the individual radiation sensing means with the output signal of said electrical circuit means being a function of the sum of the outputs of said plurality of pairs of radiation sensing means.