IN-FURNACE RETRO-REFLECTORS WITH STEERABLE TUNABLE DIODE LASER ABSORPTION SPECTROMETER

• Main Authors: GILTNER, DAVID, MASTERSON, BERNARD PATRICK, ESTES, MICHAEL JOHN, SAPPEY, ANDREW D, JOBSON, ATILIO, HOWELL, JIM, HARRIS, ROD
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 25.02.2015
• Subjects: BLASTING; CASINGS, LININGS, WALLS OR DOORS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FORCOMBUSTION CHAMBERS, e.g. FIREBRIDGES; COLORIMETRY; COMBUSTION APPARATUS; COMBUSTION PROCESSES; DETAILS OF COMBUSTION CHAMBERS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; DEVICES FOR DEFLECTING AIR, FLAMES OR COMBUSTION PRODUCTS INCOMBUSTION CHAMBERS; FLUID HEATERS, e.g. WATER OR AIR HEATERS, HAVING HEATGENERATING MEANS, IN GENERAL; HEATING; INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIRCHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; LIGHTING; MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT,POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRA-RED,VISIBLE OR ULTRA-VIOLET LIGHT; MEASURING; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS, OR APPARATUS; OPTICS; PHYSICS; RADIATION PYROMETRY; RANGES; REGULATING OR CONTROLLING COMBUSTION; SAFETY ARRANGEMENTS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR COMBUSTIONAPPARATUS; TESTING; VENTILATING; WEAPONS

A method of monitoring combustion properties in an interior of a furnace is described. A beam of light is projected through a pitch optic including a pitch collimating lens residing outside the boiler interior. The pitch collimating lens projects the beam through a penetration into the boiler interior. The beam of light projected by the pitch collimating lens is reflected from at least one in-furnace retro-reflector, and received with a catch optic substantially identical to the pitch optic residing outside the boiler interior. The pitch optic and the catch optic may be embodied in the same pitch/catch optic. The pitch collimating lens may also be steered toward another of the at least one in-furnace retro-reflectors. Combustion properties may be calculated for each retro-reflector based on retro-reflector zones within the furnace.