Combustion controlling device and method

Abstract

A pseudo flame detecting portion detects a presence of a pseudo flame due to disturbance light when a sensor output of a flame sensor is equal to or greater than a pseudo flame threshold value and detects an absence of pseudo flame when the sensor output is equal to or less than another pseudo flame threshold value. The combustion controlling portion monitors the pseudo flame detection result from the pseudo flame detecting portion before an ignition attempt in the combustion equipment and, when the pseudo flame detection result continuously indicates presence of pseudo flame for a first monitoring time, cancels the ignition attempt in the combustion equipment.

1 . A combustion controlling device that controls a combustion in combustion equipment based on a presence or an absence of a combustion flame in the combustion equipment detected from a sensor output of a flame sensor, the combustion controlling device comprising:
 a combustion flame detecting portion that detects the presence or the absence of the combustion flame in the combustion equipment based on the sensor output obtained from the flame sensor during the combustion in the combustion equipment and a preset combustion flame threshold value;   a pseudo flame detecting portion that detects a presence or an absence of a pseudo flame based on the sensor output and a preset pseudo flame threshold value less than the combustion flame threshold value; and   a combustion controlling portion that controls the combustion in the combustion equipment based on a combustion flame detection result obtained by the combustion flame detecting portion,   wherein the combustion controlling portion monitors a pseudo flame detection result by the pseudo flame detecting portion before an ignition attempt in the combustion equipment and, when the pseudo flame detection result continuously indicates the presence of the pseudo flame for a first monitoring time, cancels the ignition attempt in the combustion equipment.   
     
     
         2 . The combustion controlling device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the combustion flame threshold value includes a first combustion flame threshold value and a second combustion flame threshold value less than the first combustion flame threshold value, and   the combustion flame detecting portion detects the presence of the combustion flame in the combustion equipment when the sensor output of the flame sensor is equal to or greater than the first combustion flame threshold value and detects the absence of the combustion flame when the sensor output is equal to or less than the second combustion flame threshold value.   
     
     
         3 . The combustion controlling device according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the pseudo flame threshold value includes a first pseudo flame threshold value and a second pseudo flame threshold value less than the first pseudo flame threshold value, and   the pseudo flame detecting portion detects the presence of the pseudo flame due to disturbance light when the sensor output of the flame sensor is equal to or greater than the first pseudo flame threshold value and detects the absence of the pseudo flame when the sensor output is equal to or less than the second pseudo flame threshold value.   
     
     
         4 . The combustion controlling device according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein the combustion controlling portion starts the ignition attempt in the combustion equipment when the pseudo flame detection result continuously indicates the absence of the pseudo flame for a second monitoring time before the ignition attempt.   
     
     
         5 . The combustion controlling device according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the combustion controlling portion starts the ignition attempt in the combustion equipment when the pseudo flame detection result continuously indicates the absence of the pseudo flame for a second monitoring time before the ignition attempt.   
     
     
         6 . The combustion controlling device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the pseudo flame threshold value includes a first pseudo flame threshold value and a second pseudo flame threshold value less than the first pseudo flame threshold value, and   the pseudo flame detecting portion detects the presence of the pseudo flame due to disturbance light when the sensor output of the flame sensor is equal to or greater than the first pseudo flame threshold value and detects the absence of the pseudo flame when the sensor output is equal to or less than the second pseudo flame threshold value.   
     
     
         7 . The combustion controlling device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the combustion controlling portion starts the ignition attempt in the combustion equipment when the pseudo flame detection result continuously indicates the absence of the pseudo flame for a second monitoring time before the ignition attempt.   
     
     
         8 . A combustion control method that controls a combustion in combustion equipment based on a presence or an absence of a combustion flame in the combustion equipment detected from a sensor output of a flame sensor, the method comprising:
 detecting, by a combustion flame detecting portion, the presence or the absence of the combustion flame in the combustion equipment based on the sensor output obtained from the flame sensor during the combustion in the combustion equipment and a preset combustion flame threshold value;   detecting, by a pseudo flame detecting portion, a presence or an absence of a pseudo flame based on the sensor output and a preset pseudo flame threshold value less than the combustion flame threshold value; and   controlling, by a combustion controlling portion, the combustion in the combustion equipment based on a combustion flame detection result obtained in the combustion flame detecting,   wherein the combustion controlling comprises monitoring a pseudo flame detection result in the pseudo flame detecting before an ignition attempt in the combustion equipment and, when the pseudo flame detection result continuously indicates the presence of the pseudo flame for a first monitoring time, canceling the ignition attempt in the combustion equipment.