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EP-4513087-B1 - METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE START OF A HEATING DEVICE WITH A BURNER

EP4513087B1EP 4513087 B1EP4513087 B1EP 4513087B1EP-4513087-B1

Inventors

  • Fischbusch, Richard
  • FISCHER, CHRISTIAN
  • Autermann, Andre
  • ERNST, THOMAS
  • Tomczak, Heinz-Jörg

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20240813

Claims (12)

  1. Method for controlling the start-up of a heating appliance (12) with a burner (13) and a combustion chamber (20) to which combustion air and fuel gas are supplied as a mixture via a supply channel, further comprising an ignition device (14) for a fuel gas-air mixture and a control and regulation unit (15), wherein the method comprises at least the following steps: a. Executing a start-up sequence comprising a plurality of predetermined ignition parameter settings (1,2,3,4,5) , which are activated sequentially, b. identifying the ignition parameter setting (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) from the plurality of predetermined ignition parameter settings (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) that causes successful ignition (8), and c. establishing the sequence of the predetermined ignition parameter settings (1,2,3,4,5) for a subsequent start sequence.
  2. Method according to the preceding claim, wherein at least one of the ignition parameter settings (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) comprises a varying fuel gas-air mixture composition.
  3. Method according to the preceding claim, wherein the variation ranges of subsequent ignition parameter settings partially overlap each other.
  4. Method according to one of the preceding claims 2 or 3, wherein for step c., the section of the variation range in which successful ignition (8) was determined is taken into account.
  5. Method according to one of the preceding claims 2 to 4, wherein - in step c., a previous ignition parameter setting is defined as the start ignition parameter setting if the successful ignition (8) was detected in an initial section of the variation range and the previous ignition parameter setting had a leaner fuel-air mixture composition, - in step c., the same ignition parameter setting is defined as the start ignition parameter setting if successful ignition (8) was determined in a central section of the variation range, and/or - in step c., a subsequent ignition parameter setting is set as the start ignition parameter setting if successful ignition (8) was determined in an end section of the variation range and the subsequent ignition parameter setting exhibited a richer fuel-air mixture composition.
  6. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein an initial start sequence (6), following an initial switch-on of the heating appliance (12) comprises a plurality of predetermined ignition parameter settings (1, 2, 3, 4, 5), wherein the ignition parameter settings activated in succession comprise a richer fuel-air mixture composition.
  7. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a sequence of the activated ignition parameter settings is adjusted taking into account environmental parameters.
  8. Method according to the preceding claim, wherein the environmental parameters are selected from the group consisting of outside temperature, humidity, time elapsed since the last start-up of the heating appliance, fuel composition, burner temperature.
  9. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the flame behaviour of the burner is evaluated during a stabilisation period (10) after a successful ignition attempt and errors in the flame behaviour are taken into account in step c.
  10. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein in step c. at least one of the ignition parameters is adjusted to the ignition parameter setting determined in step b.
  11. Heating appliance (12) with a burner (13) and a combustion chamber (20), to which combustion air and fuel gas are supplied as a mixture via a supply channel, further comprising an ignition device (14) for a fuel gas-air mixture and a control and regulation unit (15) designed to carry out the steps of the method according to claim 1.
  12. Computer program product comprising instructions that cause the heating appliance (12) of claim 11 to execute the method steps according to one of claims 1 to 10.

Description

The invention relates to a method for controlling the start-up of a heating appliance with a burner. Furthermore, a heating appliance with a control unit for controlling the method and a computer program for executing the control by the control unit of the heating appliance are provided. The start-up of a heating appliance with a burner is subject to various environmental fluctuations, including at least variations in intake air temperature, gas pressure, and/or changes in installation conditions. The combination of these factors can lead to (unexpected) noises and/or delays during the start-up phase. Disturbing noises are primarily caused by uncontrolled ignitions when starting with an incorrectly set fuel-air mixture composition, specifically one with an excessively high proportion of fuel gas. Ignition delays can occur if the fuel-air mixture contains too much air during start-up. Such events during the start-up of a heating appliance can reduce its robustness and/or lead to its failure. Especially when such problems occur, it is difficult to quickly and correctly initiate countermeasures that lead to stable ignition. If this is not achieved quickly enough, a user who, for example, wants heated domestic hot water cannot access it quickly enough and thus experiences a loss of comfort. Furthermore, the initial setup of a heating appliance with regard to suitable ignition conditions is time-consuming, e.g., setting new ignition conditions and/or saving them in the device. This can make the installation of such systems time-consuming and expensive, or even prone to malfunctions. Thus, the EP 3 301 365 A1 a complex procedure for controlling an ignition operation, in which an operating characteristic value recorded before the ignition operation is captured, which is suitable for determining a quality of the fuel used in the heating system. The DE 196 05 324 C1 This describes a method for operating an auxiliary vehicle heater, in which operating parameters are recorded and the control unit adapts a start procedure depending on these parameters. A disadvantage is that only limited conclusions can be drawn from operating parameters regarding suitable start procedure settings. Also, the DE 196 05 216 A1 This describes a method for operating a vehicle accessory. To increase operational reliability, it is proposed that the ignition device be operable in at least two different power levels. This method is also complex. It is therefore an object of the invention to at least alleviate the problems described with reference to the prior art. In particular, it is an object of the invention to ensure that a heating device can be started (quickly) without disturbing noises and/or undesirable delays, so that its robustness is increased and/or a failure can be prevented. This problem is solved according to the features of claim 1. Advantageous further developments are specified in the dependent claims. The description, particularly in connection with the figures, explains the invention and also discloses additional embodiments of the invention. A method for controlling the start of a heating appliance with a burner and a combustion chamber, to which combustion air and fuel gas are supplied as a mixture via a supply channel, contributes to solving this problem. The heating appliance also includes an ignition device for a fuel gas-air mixture and a control unit. The method comprises at least the following steps: a. Performing a start sequence comprising a plurality of predetermined ignition parameter settings that are activated sequentially, b. Identifying the ignition parameter setting from the majority of predetermined ignition parameter settings that caused a successful ignition, and c. Determining the order of the predetermined ignition parameter settings for a subsequent start sequence. The aforementioned steps a., b., c. can be carried out in the specified order, but this is not mandatory. In particular, it is possible that the steps overlap at least partially in time, are carried out at different locations with a time difference, and/or are repeated a different number of times. The control system for starting a heating appliance with a burner can influence the ignition parameters of the air supply, the fuel gas supply, and/or the ignition by an ignition device in a time-dependent manner. The ignition parameters are preset in an ignition parameter setting, where a specific time sequence of the ignition parameters is defined. The ignition device enables the ignition of a mixture of air and fuel gas supplied there, e.g., by means of a spark. The ignition device can be located in a combustion chamber of the burner of the heating appliance. The control unit influences the amount of supplied air and/or fuel gas as well as the timing of the ignition spark. The control unit is configured to activate the ignition device. The start sequence according to step a. is executed by the control unit sequentially activating predetermined