Typical Configuration

FurnaceMANAGER is a multi-sensor system that gathers information from multiple locations on the furnace. This allows the furnace to be analyzed as a whole instead of as just one single control point that needs to be brought back to separate control system. Each of these sensors is protected by a patented external housing that uses a small amount of plant control air to keep the internal electronics cool. The temperature around the electronics is monitored by the local sensor control unit allowing it to continuously adjust the air flow to maintain a predefined set point. If for some reason the temperature cannot be controlled due to a broken lens or loss of air, the local sensor control unit will react by pulling the sensor away from the furnace, protecting the electronics.

Each sensor contains a grid of several hundred thousand photoelectric light sensors that detect changes in the intensity or strength of the light waves hitting it. The sensitivity of these sensors is in the UV area up to the lower IR area encompassing the full visible light spectrum. Because the light waves being emitted from the burner flames change based on the type of fuel being used, the system can be tuned to isolate only the spectrum range that emphasizes features of interest. This will allow the system to see things that are not visible to the human eye, like flames that contain a large amount of hydrogen.

A typical FurnaceMANAGER layout would be one where the sensor would have a clear, unobstructed view of several burners and one side of the tube wall. Normally this is slightly to the right or left of the manual viewing doors to see the burner row from an angle. This allows for a better viewing angle of the burner flames with the ability to see a larger section of tubes.

Any number of sensors can be placed on the furnace and connected to the control room over an Ethernet or fiber optic cable. From there the system will use information received from each of the sensors to determine possible un-burnt fuel conditions that might exist in a row or for the entire furnace. This can be a major comfort for the operators to know that the system is continuously monitoring for flame out conditions while they are performing the multiple steps and checks needed to start up a furnace.