Preemptive tripping of a fossil fuel fired burner using the quality function

Abstract

A method, computer program product and a system for preemptively tripping a fossil fuel fired burner of a steam generator before the burner is tripped when amplitude of any of two or more signals that represent a property of temporal combustion of the flame such as intensity or flicker frequency reaches an associated preselected signal strength. The signals that represent a property of temporal combustion are combined in a predetermined manner to give a quality signal that is used to preemptively trip the burner when the quality signal reaches a preselected signal strength.

1 . A method for preemptively tripping a fossil fuel fired burner of a steam generator before said burner is tripped when the amplitude of any one of a plurality of signals representative of a property of temporal combustion reaches an associated preselected signal strength comprising: 
 preemptively tripping said burner when a signal related to a predetermined combination of each of said plurality of signals representative of a property of temporal combustion of a flame in said burner reaches a preselected signal strength.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 normalizing each of said plurality of signals representative of a property of temporal combustion using an associated predetermined normalization factor; and    combining each of said normalized plurality of signals representative of a property of temporal combustion in said predetermined combination.    
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising: 
 selecting said associated predetermined signal strength of each of said plurality of signals representative of a property of temporal combustion.    
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3  further comprising determining, after selecting said associated preselected signal strength of each of said plurality of signals representative of a property of temporal combustion, said associated predetermined normalization factor.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4  further comprising tuning said signal related to a predetermined combination of each of said plurality of signals representative of a property of temporal combustion of a flame in said burner to ensure that said burner is tripped before the amplitude of any one of a plurality of signals representative of a property of temporal combustion reaches an associated preselected signal strength.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 3  further comprising turning off said preemptive tripping of said fossil fuel fired burner before selecting said associated signal strength of each of said plurality of signals representative of a property of temporal combustion.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 5  further comprising turning on said preemptive tripping of said fossil fuel fired burner after said tuning is completed.  
   
   
       8 . A computer program product for preemptively tripping a fossil fuel fired burner of a steam generator before said burner is tripped when the amplitude of any one of a plurality of signals representative of a property of temporal combustion reaches an associated preselected signal strength, said computer program product comprising: 
 computer usable program code configured to preemptively trip said burner when a signal related to a predetermined combination of each of said plurality of signals representative of a property of temporal combustion of a flame in said burner reaches a preselected signal strength.    
   
   
       9 . The computer program product of  claim 8  further comprising: 
 computer usable program code configured to normalize each of said plurality of signals representative of a property of temporal combustion using an associated predetermined normalization factor; and    computer usable program code configured to combine each of said normalized plurality of signals representative of a property of temporal combustion in said predetermined combination.    
   
   
       10 . The computer program product of  claim 9  further comprising: 
 computer usable program code configured to select said associated predetermined signal strength of each of said plurality of signals representative of a property of temporal combustion.    
   
   
       11 . The computer program product of  claim 10  further comprising computer usable program code configured to determine, after selecting said associated preselected signal strength of each of said plurality of signals representative of a property of temporal combustion, said associated predetermined normalization factor.  
   
   
       12 . The computer program product code of  claim 11  further comprising computer usable program code configured to tune said signal related to a predetermined combination of each of said plurality of signals representative of a property of temporal combustion of a flame in said burner to ensure that said burner is tripped before the amplitude of any one of a plurality of signals representative of a property of temporal combustion reaches an associated preselected signal strength.  
   
   
       13 . The computer program product of  claim 10  further comprising computer usable program code configured to turn off said preemptive tripping of said fossil fuel fired burner before selecting said associated signal strength of each of said plurality of signals representative of a property of temporal combustion.  
   
   
       14 . The computer program product of  claim 12  further comprising computer usable program code configured to turn on said preemptive tripping of said fossil fuel fired burner after said tuning is completed.  
   
   
       15 . A system for preemptively tripping a fossil fuel fired burner of a steam generator before said burner is tripped when the amplitude of any one of a plurality of signals representative of a property of temporal combustion reaches an associated preselected signal strength, said system comprising: 
 a computing device having therein program code usable by said computing device, said program code comprising:    code configured to preemptively trip said burner when a signal related to a predetermined combination of each of said plurality of signals representative of a property of temporal combustion of a flame in said burner reaches a preselected signal strength.    
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 15  wherein said program code usable by said computing device further comprises code configured to: 
 normalize each of said plurality of signals representative of a property of temporal combustion using an associated predetermined normalization factor; and    combine each of said normalized plurality of signals representative of a property of temporal combustion in said predetermined combination.    
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 16  wherein said program code usable by said computing device further comprises code configured to select said associated predetermined signal strength of each of said plurality of signals representative of a property of temporal combustion.  
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 17  wherein said program code usable by said computing device further comprises code configured to determine, after selecting said associated preselected signal strength of each of said plurality of signals representative of a property of temporal combustion, said associated predetermined normalization factor.  
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 18  wherein said program code usable by said computing device further comprises code configured to tune said signal related to a predetermined combination of each of said plurality of signals representative of a property of temporal combustion of a flame in said burner to ensure that said burner is tripped before the amplitude of any one of a plurality of signals representative of a property of temporal combustion reaches an associated preselected signal strength.  
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 17  wherein said program code usable by said computing device further comprises code configured to turn off said preemptive tripping of said fossil fuel fired burner before selecting said associated signal strength of each of said plurality of signals representative of a property of temporal combustion.  
   
   
       21 . The system of  claim 19  wherein said program code usable by said computing device further comprises code configured to turn on said preemptive tripping of said fossil fuel fired burner after said tuning is completed.