Dual voltage regulating system for electrical resistance hot surface igniters and methods related thereto

Abstract

Systems and methods for energizing a low voltage electrical resistance igniter are disclosed. The systems and methods determine the line voltage into the system and control the voltage being applied to the electrical resistance igniters so a first regulated voltage is applied initially and for a time period and thereafter a second regulated voltage is applied, the second voltage being the operating voltage for the igniter. The systems and methods decrease the amount of time required to heat-up the low voltage electrical resistance igniter to a temperature sufficient to ignite a fuel-air mixture while regulating the output voltage being delivered to the igniters to prevent over voltage damage to the igniters.

1 . A control system to control energizing one or more low voltage electrical resistance igniters from an electrical power source, the control system comprising:
 a switch operably connected between the electrical power source and the one or more low voltage electrical resistance igniters;   a control device operably coupled to the switch;   wherein the control device is configured and arranged to selectively control the switch and thereby the application of voltage(s) to the one or more electrical resistance igniters;   wherein the control device is configured and arranged so that a first voltage is applied initially to the igniter and is applied for a predetermined on time period and so thereafter a second voltage is applied to the igniter; and   wherein the first voltage is regulated so it is less than output voltage of the electrical power source and higher than the second voltage   
   
   
       2 . The control system of  claim 1 , wherein the first voltage is regulated for a predetermined time period to be at or about a predetermined voltage and wherein the second voltage is regulated so as to correspond to a voltage level of about a nominal operating voltage of the one or more electrical resistance igniters. 
   
   
       3 . The control system of  claim 1 , wherein the first voltage is regulated so that the voltage being applied satisfies the following relationship:
     V   1st   =V   nom +( V   nom   ×c ),   where V 1st  is the first voltage, V nom  is the nominal operating voltage of the low voltage igniter and c is a number that satisfies the following relationship 0.1≦c≦0.4.   
   
   
       4 . The control system of  claim 1 , further comprising a voltage measuring device, the voltage measuring device being operably coupled to the electrical power source so as to measure an output voltage of the power source and being operably coupled to the control device so as to provide an output of the measured output voltage to the control device; and
 wherein the control device is configured and arranged to control the process for applying the first and second voltages based on the measured output voltage.   
   
   
       5 . The control system of  claim 1 , wherein the control device is configured and arranged so as to provide a fairly constant voltage as one of the first regulated voltage and the second regulated voltage. 
   
   
       6 . The control system of  claim 4 , wherein the control device is configured and arranged to regulate the second voltage so as to provide a fairly constant voltage based on the measured output voltage. 
   
   
       7 . The control system of  claim 4 , further comprising a storage device in which is stored a time period for applying the first regulated voltage; and wherein the control device is configured and arranged to select the time period for controlling the extent of time the first regulated voltage is being applied. 
   
   
       8 . The control system of  claim 6 , wherein the control device is configured and arranged to selectively operate a switch so as to regulate each of the first regulated voltage and the second regulated voltage. 
   
   
       9 . The control system of  claim 1 , wherein the switch is triac. 
   
   
       10 . The control system of  claim 9 , wherein the control device is configured and arranged to selectively operate the triac so as to regulate the first regulated voltage and the second regulated voltage by duty cycling the power source output voltage in half-wave cycle increments. 
   
   
       11 . The control system of  claim 1 , wherein the control device includes a microprocessor and an applications program for execution on the microprocessor, the applications program including instructions and criteria for controlling the functionality of the control device and the switch. 
   
   
       12 . The control system of  claim 1 , wherein the control device is further configured and arranged so the output voltage of the electrical power source is controlled to vary the voltage as a function of time over a predetermined period until the voltage reaches the first voltage. 
   
   
       13 . The control system of  claim 1 , wherein the control device is further configured and arranged so the output voltage of the electrical power source is controlled so as to control inrush current over a predetermined period until the voltage reaches the first voltage. 
   
   
       14 . The control system of  claim 1 , wherein the output voltage is a DC voltage. 
   
   
       15 . A control system to control energizing one or more low voltage electrical resistance igniters from an electrical power source, the control system comprising:
 a switch operably connected between the electrical power source and the one or more low voltage electrical resistance igniters;   a microprocessor operably coupled to the switch;   a voltage measuring device, the voltage measuring device being operably coupled to the electrical power source so as to measure an output voltage of the power source and being operably coupled to the microprocessor so as to provide an output of the measured output voltage to the microprocessor;   a program for execution in the microprocessor, the program including instructions and criteria for controlling the operations and functions of the microprocessor and the functionality of the switch; and   wherein the program includes instructions and criteria for:
 controlling the switch and thereby application of a voltage to the one or more electric resistance igniters, 
 controlling the switch so a first regulated voltage is applied initially and so the first regulated voltage is applied for a predetermined time period, 
 controlling the switch so a second regulated voltage is applied after expiration of the time period, and 
 regulating the first regulated voltage so it is less than an output voltage of the electrical power source and higher than the second voltage 
   
   
   
       16 . The control system of  claim 15 , wherein the first voltage is regulated for a predetermined time period so as to be at or about a predetermined voltage and wherein the second voltage s regulated so as to correspond to a voltage level of about a nominal operating voltage of the one or more electrical resistance igniters. 
   
   
       17 . The control system of  claim 15 , wherein said regulating includes regulating the second regulated voltage so that the voltage being applied to the igniter satisfies the following relationship:
     V   1st   =V   nom +( V   nom   ×c ),   where V 1st  is the first voltage, V nom , is the nominal operating voltage of the low voltage igniter and c is a number that satisfies the following relationship 0.1≦c≦0.4.   
   
   
       18 . The control system of  claim 15 , wherein the program includes instructions in criteria for regulating the second regulated voltage so a fairly constant voltage is applied to the one or more electrical resistance igniters. 
   
   
       19 . The control system of  claim 18 , wherein the program includes instructions in criteria for regulating the second voltage so a fairly constant voltage is applied to the one or more electrical resistance igniters based on the measured output voltage. 
   
   
       20 . The control system of  claim 18 , further comprising a storage device in which is stored output voltages and voltage application time periods; and wherein the program includes instructions in criteria for selecting one of the stored multiplicity of time period values as the on time period based on the measured output voltage. 
   
   
       21 . The control system of  claim 15 , wherein the program includes instructions in criteria for selectively operating the switch so as to regulate the first regulated voltage and the second regulated voltage. 
   
   
       22 . The control system of  claim 15 , wherein the switch is triac. 
   
   
       23 . The control system of  claim 22 , wherein the program includes instructions in criteria for selectively operating the triac so as to regulate the first regulated voltage and the second regulated voltage by duty cycling the power source output voltage in half-wave cycle increments. 
   
   
       24 . The control system of  claim 15 , wherein the control device is further configured and arranged so the output voltage of the electrical power source is controlled to vary the voltage as a function of time over a predetermined period until the voltage reaches the first voltage. 
   
   
       25 . The control system of  claim 15 , wherein the control device is further configured and arranged so the output voltage of the electrical power source is controlled so as to control inrush current over a predetermined period until the voltage reaches the first voltage. 
   
   
       26 . The control system of  claim 15 , wherein the output voltage is a DC voltage. 
   
   
       27 . A control system to control energizing one or more low voltage electrical resistance igniters from an electrical power source, the control system comprising:
 a triac operably connected between the electrical power source and the one or more low voltage electrical resistance igniters;   a microprocessor operably coupled to the triac;   a voltage measuring device, the voltage measuring device being operably coupled to the electrical power source so as to measure an output voltage of the power source and being operably coupled to the microprocessor so as to provide an output of the measured output voltage to the microprocessor;   a storage device operably coupled to the microprocessor and in which is stored a multiplicity of time period values for applying the first regulated voltage and criterion for operating the triac so as provide the desired second regulated voltage output;   a program for execution in the microprocessor, the program including instructions and criteria for controlling the operations and functions of the microprocessor and the functionality of the triac; and   wherein the program includes instructions and criteria for:
 controlling the triac and thereby application of first and second regulated voltages to the one or more electric resistance igniters, 
 controlling the triac so a first regulated voltage is applied initially and so the first voltage is applied for a predetermined time period, where the first regulated voltage is less than full line voltage from the power source and larger than the second regulated voltage, 
 controlling the triac so the voltage being applied thereafter is a second voltage, the second voltage being a nominal operating voltage of the one or more electrical resistance igniters, 
 determining the predetermined time period based in one of stored multiplicity of time period values based on the measured output voltage. 
   
   
   
       28 . A method for controlling energizing a low voltage electrical resistance igniter by a power source, the controlling method comprising the steps of:
 applying a first regulated voltage to the electric resistance igniter for a predetermined time period; and   applying a second regulated voltage to the low voltage electric resistance igniter thereafter.   
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising the steps of:
 measuring output voltage of the power source; and   determining a predetermined time period based on the measured output voltage.   
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein said measuring is performed when the first regulated voltage is initially applied to the electric resistance igniter. 
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising the steps of:
 measuring output voltage of the power source;   determining a predetermined time period based on the measured output voltage; and   wherein said determining includes selecting one of a multiplicity of time period values as the predetermined time period based on the measured output voltage.   
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein said measuring is performed when the first regulated voltage is initially applied to the electric resistance igniter. 
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein said regulating a second regulated voltage includes substantially constant voltage to the electric resistance igniter. 
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein said regulating includes regulating a substantially constant voltage based on the measured output voltage of the power source. 
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein said regulating the first regulated voltage and regulating the second regulated voltage includes duty cycling AC line voltage from the power source in half-wave cycle increments. 
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising the steps of:
 operably coupling a switch between the power source and the electrical resistance igniter so the switch selectively controls voltage being applied to the electrical resistance igniter; and   wherein said applying a second voltage includes selectively controlling the switch so a substantially above constant voltage is applied to the electric resistance igniter.   
   
   
       37 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein said applying a first regulated voltage to the electric resistance igniter for a predetermined time period further includes applying a first regulated voltage to the electric resistance igniter that is controlled to vary the voltage as a function of time over another predetermined period until the voltage reaches the first voltage. 
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein said applying a first regulated voltage to the electric resistance igniter for a predetermined time period further includes applying a first regulated voltage to the electric resistance igniter that is controlled so as to control inrush current over another predetermined period until the voltage reaches the first voltage. 
   
   
       39 . The control system of  claim 28 , wherein the first and second regulated voltages is a DC voltage.