Burner control system

Claim 1

In a system for treating metal scrap contaminated with combustible substances including a dryer for heating the scrap to effect removal of the contaminants and combustion thereof, and an afterburner for effecting complete combustion of said contaminants, a system for controlling the temperature of the afterburner to insure complete combustion comprising: a plurality of controllable heaters disposed in said afterburner and individually selectively operable to heat said afterburner to maintain a selected temperature therein; means for sensing the temperature in said afterburner and for producing a sensing signal representative thereof; and control circuit means responsive to said temperature sensing signal for individually selectively energizing and controlling the heat output of said heaters to maintain said selected temperature, said control circuit means including: fuel supply valve means responsive to said temperature sensing signal for varying the supply of fuel to a first one of said heaters to vary the heat output thereof between minimum and maximum levels to maintain said selected afterburner temperature and, heater control means for controlling additional ones of said heaters by individually selectively energizing and deenergizing said additional heaters in response to first and second preselected amounts of fuel being delivered to said first one of said heaters and by individually selectively varying the heat output of said additional heaters between minimum and maximum levels in response to said temperature sensing signal, and to individually selectively deenergize said additional heaters all to maintain said selected afterburner temperature, whereby the energy utilized by said heating system to maintain said selected afterburner temperature is minimized.