Adaptive Electronic Composite System

Abstract

An example includes a combustion device comprising: a burner; a feed duct; an actuator adjusting a feed of fluid through the feed duct; and a control apparatus programmed to adjust the actuator. The actuator, upon receipt a request signal, checks for a stored rate of change in an associated memory and, if the stored rate of change is present, sends a response signal to the control apparatus. The control apparatus determines a rate of change from the response signal, and generates a first automation signal as a function of the stored rate of change. The first automation signal causes the actuator to change a mechanical variable of the actuator so the mechanical variable changes no faster than the stored rate of change.

1 . A combustion device comprising:
 a burner;   a feed duct in fluid communication with the burner;   an actuator to act on a feed of a fluid through the feed duct to the burner;   a non-volatile memory; and   a control apparatus communicatively connected to the actuator, the control apparatus programmed to generate a request signal and send the request signal to the actuator;   wherein the actuator, upon receipt of the request signal, checks for a stored rate of change in an associated memory and, if the stored rate of change is present, loads the stored rate of change, generates a response signal based at least in part on the stored rate of change, and sends the response signal to the control apparatus;   wherein the control apparatus, upon receipt of the response signal, determines the stored rate of change from the response signal, and generates a first automation signal as a function of the stored rate of change;   wherein the first automation signal causes the actuator to change a mechanical variable of the actuator so the mechanical variable changes no faster than the stored rate of change.   
     
     
         2 . The combustion device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the control apparatus sends the first automation signal to the actuator. 
     
     
         3 . The combustion device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein:
 if there is no rate of change in the memory of the act, the actuator generates the response signal from an error and/or exception signal, sends the response signal to the control apparatus;   the control apparatus, upon receipt of the response signal, determines the error and/or exception signal based on the response signal.   
     
     
         4 . The combustion device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein:
 if there is no rate of change in the memory of the actuator, the actuator establishes an invalid value for the rate of change, generates the response signal from the invalid value, and sends the response signal to the control apparatus;   in response to receipt of the response signal, the control apparatus determines the invalid value from the response signal and infers an error and/or an exception from the invalid value.   
     
     
         5 . The combustion device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein:
 the control apparatus waits for the response signal for a predetermined period of time after sending the request signal; and   if there is no response signal after the specified period of time has elapsed, infers an error and/or an exception.   
     
     
         6 . The combustion device as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein:
 the actuator generates and sends a first status signal indicating a first mechanical status of the actuator to the control apparatus;   if there is no rate of change in the memory of the actuator or if there is no response signal after a predetermined period of time has elapsed, the control apparatus receives the first status signal from the actuator, generates a change signal after receipt of the first status signal, and sends the change signal to the actuator.   
     
     
         7 . The combustion device as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein:
 the actuator generates a first measurement signal indicating a first mechanical status of the actuator, generates a first time stamp when the first measurement signal is generated, generates and sends a first status signal on the basis of the first measurement signal and of the first time stamp to the control apparatus; and   the control apparatus, if there is no rate of change in the memory of the actuator or if there is no response signal after a or the predetermined period of time has elapsed, in response to the first status signal from the actuator, generates a change signal after receipt of the first status signal and sends the change signal to the actuator.   
     
     
         8 . The combustion device as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the actuator, in response to receipt of the change signal, changes the mechanical variable of the actuator based on the change signal and generates and sends a second status signal indicating a second mechanical status of the actuator at a time after the start of the change in the mechanical variable of the actuator to the control apparatus. 
     
     
         9 . The combustion device as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the actuator, in response to receipt of the change signal from the control apparatus, changes the mechanical variable of the actuator based on the change signal, generates a second measurement signal indicating a second mechanical status of the actuator at a time after the start of the change in the mechanical variable of the actuator, generates a second time stamp at when the second measurement signal is generated; generate and sends a second status signal on the basis of the second measurement signal and of the second time stamp to the control apparatus. 
     
     
         10 . The combustion device as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the control apparatus, in response to receipt of the first status signal, determines the first mechanical status as a function of the first status signal, generates a first time stamp upon receipt of the first status signal, receives the second status signal from the actuator, determines a second mechanical status as a function of the second status signal, and generates a second time stamp upon receipt of the second status signal. 
     
     
         11 . The combustion device as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the control apparatus, upon receiving the first status signal, determines the first mechanical status as a function of the first status signal, determines the first time stamp as a function of the first status signal, receives the second status signal from the actuator, determines the second mechanical status as a function of the second status signal, and determines the second time stamp as a function of the second status signal. 
     
     
         12 . The combustion device as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the control apparatus determines an empirically established rate of change as a function of the first and second mechanical status and the first and second time stamp. 
     
     
         13 . The combustion device as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the control apparatus determines an empirically established rate of change as a function of a difference between the second mechanical status and the first mechanical status and a difference between the second time stamp and the first time stamp. 
     
     
         14 . The combustion device as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein:
 the control apparatus generates a second automation signal as a function of the empirically established rate of change,   upon receipt by of the second automation signal, the actuator changes a mechanical variable of the actuator so the mechanical variable changes at most with the empirically established rate of change.   
     
     
         15 . The combustion device as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the control apparatus sends the second automation signal to the actuator.