US 12,455,077 B2
Gas-burning fire installation with an igniter control system
Aiden Wilson, Duvall, WA (US)
Assigned to Travis Industries, Inc., Mukilteo, WA (US)
Filed by Travis Industries, Inc., Mukilteo, WA (US)
Filed on Feb. 3, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/164,273.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/306,972, filed on Feb. 4, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0250956 A1, Aug. 10, 2023
Int. Cl. F23N 5/24 (2006.01)
CPC F23N 5/242 (2013.01) [F23N 2225/08 (2020.01); F23N 2227/02 (2020.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A gas-burning fire installation, comprising:
a burner;
a fuel line coupled to the burner and configured to carry a fuel gas to the burner for ignition;
a control valve coupled to the fuel line and positioned to control fuel gas flow toward the burner;
a sensor coupled to the burner;
an igniter adjacent to the burner; and
a control unit operatively coupled to the control valve, the sensor, and the igniter, wherein the control unit is configured to operate in an ignition mode and a run mode,
wherein while operating in the ignition mode, the control unit is configured to:
turn on power to the control valve, the sensor, and the igniter;
allow the igniter to heat up for an igniter heating period;
operate the control valve to direct a flow of fuel gas to a burner of the gas-burning fire installation;
allow the igniter to ignite the flow of fuel gas at or adjacent to the burner;
check for Proof of Flame (POF) gain based on data from the sensor;
upon determining that there is POF gain—
switch to operating in the run mode; and
upon determining that there is no POF gain after a POF waiting period—
operate the control valve to terminate the flow of fuel gas to the burner;
turn off the igniter;
wait for a first re-ignition period;
retry ignition of the burner for a predetermined number of attempts; and
turn off power to the control valve and the igniter upon failing to determine that there is POF gain after retrying ignition of the burner for the predetermined number of attempts; and
wherein while operating in the run mode, the control unit is configured to:
repeatedly check for POF loss based on data from the sensor by determining that either (1) a first average temperature measured by the sensor has dropped by at least a predetermined temperature difference be ow a highest recorded temperture or (2) a second average temperature open measured by the sensor is below a predetermined minimum flame temperature; and
upon determining that there is POF loss—
operate the control valve to terminate the flow of fuel gas to the burner;
wait for a second re-ignition period;
operate the control valve to direct the flow of fuel gas to the burner; and
allow the igniter to reignite the flow of fuel gas at or adjacent to the burner.