Patent Grant
12098846
The present disclosure relates generally to reducing emissions and improving the efficiency of solid fuel burning devices, more specifically, to systems and methods for monitoring and/or controlling operating conditions to reduce emissions and/or improve efficiency of solid fuel burning devices.
Solid fuel burning devices, such as wood or coal burning stoves, constitute an inexpensive source of heat and have been used for centuries to heat homes and other buildings. All around the world, solid fuel burning devices are still relied on as a heat source (with approximately 12 million wood stoves in the United States alone). However, conventional solid fuel burning devices suffer from a number of inadequacies that limit their performance and cause unexpected and excessive emissions with each use, such as the lack of readily acquirable information related to operating conditions and insufficient knowledge of how best to respond to operating conditions. Excessive emissions from solid fuel burning devices are a contributor to global air pollution levels, which can cause or exacerbate cardiorespiratory illnesses, as well as contribute to global warming.
In real-world use, most solid fuel burning devices are significantly more polluting than test lab data suggests. User-specific contribution to wood stove emission alone has been reported as high as 600% over certified stove baseline emissions. This increase can be based on contributing factors including load size, log size, reload timing, premature or late catalyst engagement, fuel type, and air settings. A vast majority of excess emissions are preventable with user knowledge and training.
Provided herein are systems and methods for monitoring and/or controlling operating conditions to reduce emissions from and/or improve the efficiency of solid fuel burning devices. In addition, the systems and methods can teach users how to properly operate their solid fuel burning devices in response to the monitored operating conditions in order to prevent excess emissions caused by user error.
In one aspect, a system for monitoring environmental conditions of a solid fuel burning device and alerting a user to improper usage of the solid fuel burning device is described. The system includes at least one memory storing instructions and at least one processor configured to access instructions. Upon execution of the instructions, the system can sample at least one sensor at a frequency to receive information related to at least one operating condition of a solid fuel burning device; filter the information based on a property associated with the solid fuel burning device and specified by a user; determine a property related to usage of the solid fuel burning device based on fitting the filtered information to a set of reference conditions; compare the property related to the usage of the solid fuel burning device to a lookup table that includes a plurality of triggering events, and retrieve guidance for operation of the solid fuel burning device based on the property satisfying one of the plurality of triggering events; and output the guidance.
In another aspect, a method for monitoring environmental conditions of a solid fuel burning device and alerting a user to improper usage of the solid fuel burning device is described. Steps of the method are executed by a system that includes at least one processor. The steps of the method include at least: sampling at least one sensor at a frequency to receive information related to at least one operating condition of a solid fuel burning device; filtering the information based on a property associated with the solid fuel burning device and specified by a user; determining a property related to usage of the solid fuel burning device by fitting the filtered information to a set of reference conditions; comparing the property related to the usage of the solid fuel burning device to a lookup table that includes a plurality of triggering events, and retrieving guidance for operation of the solid fuel burning device based on the property satisfying one of the plurality of triggering events; and outputting the guidance to the user.
The foregoing and other features of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure relates upon reading the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Unless otherwise defined, all technical terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains.
As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” can also include the plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
As used herein, the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” can specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups.
As used herein, the term “and/or” can include any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
As used herein, the terms “first,” “second,” etc. should not limit the elements being described by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. Thus, a “first” element discussed below could also be termed a “second” element without departing from the teachings of the present disclosure. The sequence of operations (or acts/steps) is not limited to the order presented in the claims or figures unless specifically indicated otherwise.
As used herein, the terms “user” or “operator” can be used interchangeably to refer to an individual who prepares for, assists, and/or operates an application, a controller, and/or mobile device associated with a solid fuel burning device. In some instances, the user can prepare, assist, and/or operate the solid fuel burning device. In other instances, the user can access a database associated with the solid fuel burning device.
As used herein, the term “solid fuel burning device” can include any device that combusts solid fuel (e.g., wood, charcoal, peat, coal, hexamine fuel tablets, wood pellets, grains, etc.). Solid fuel burning devices can include, but are not limited to, wood stoves, other solid fuel burning stoves, fireplaces, fireplaces inserts, combination fuel furnaces or boilers used for space heating which can burn solid fuel, or solid fuel burning cooking stoves.
As used herein, the term “PM2.5” refers to fine inhalable particles, solid or liquid, having diameters that are generally 2.5 micrometers and smaller. PM2.5 particles are considered dangerous because their small size allows particles to travel deep into the respiratory tract and into the lungs. Long term or acute exposure to PM2.5 particles can cause lung and heart problems.
As used herein, the term “operating conditions” refers to one or more properties associated with the running of a solid fuel burning device. Each of the one or more properties can be monitored by one or more sensors. Operating conditions can vary depending on the type of solid fuel burning device and intended use of solid fuel burning device.
As used herein, the term “sensor” refers to a device that detects or measures a physical property as data and sends the data to a device containing a processor. A sensor can be, for example, a temperature sensor, such as a thermocouple, a mechanical sensor, such as a pressure sensor or proximity sensor, or any other type of sensor. A sensor can detect, for example, temperature, pressure, proximity to two components, chemical compounds or particulates such as oxygen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and PM2.5 particles, or the like. Sensors can be placed inside a solid fuel burning device (e.g., in the primary fire box, on the catalyst, inside the chimney/exhaust pipe, on the inside of the door, etc.), on the outside of a solid fuel burning device (e.g., on the outside of the door, on the outside of the firebox, on the outside of the chimney/exhaust pipe, etc.), and/or generally in the room surrounding the solid fuel burning device (e.g., by a thermostat, built into a controller, etc.).
As used herein, the phrase “inside of the solid fuel burning device,” and variations thereof, refers to locations on the inner side or surface of the solid fuel burning device, such as the interior of the firebox or the chimney, and locations in the interior space bounded by the outer shell of the solid fuel burning device, including locations on or in components that make up the solid fuel burning device (e.g., the catalyst, the door, the baffle, etc.).
As used herein, the phrase “outside of the solid fuel burning device,” and variations thereof, refers to locations on the exterior surface of a solid fuel burning device (e.g., the external side of the door, the external side of the firebox, the external side of the chimney, etc.) or locations beyond the exterior portions of the solid fuel burning device (e.g., locations in the room or building containing the solid fuel burning device).
As used herein, the term “reference condition” refers to specific, predetermined values or ranges for operating conditions that lead to optimal efficiency and emissions output of a solid fuel burning device. Reference conditions are determined for a solid fuel burning device based on one or more of: manufacturer specifications, laboratory test results, and information relating to environmental factors and burn intentions. The reference conditions can be, for example, retrieved from a remote directory, input by a user, or the like.
An example of a reference condition is an ideal fire usage curve, as used herein, the term “fire usage curve” refers to a graphical representation of one or more conditions from a set of reference conditions. An ideal fire usage curve can be based on information input by the user and on reference conditions for a solid fuel burning device that may be based on laboratory testing and/or manufacturer specifications. A real-time fire usage curve can be based on the samples of information relating to operating conditions taken by the at least one sensor.
Solid fuel burning devices, such as wood or coal burning stoves, provide an inexpensive source of heat and are still relied on as primary or secondary heat sources all around the world. While solid fuel burning devices are widely used, the devices suffer from certain deficiencies that can limit their performance. These deficiencies include the lack of readily acquirable information related to operating conditions of the solid fuel burning devices and insufficient knowledge of how best to respond to operating conditions. These inadequacies result in inefficient and improper use of solid fuel burning devices and cause unexpected and excessive emissions.
In real-world use, most solid fuel burning devices are significantly more polluting than test lab data suggests. User-specific contribution to wood stove emission alone has been reported as high as 600% over certified stove baseline emissions. This increase can be based on contributing factors such as load size, log size, reload timing, premature or late catalyst engagement, fuel type, and air settings. A vast majority of excess emissions are preventable with user knowledge and training. The reduction of polluting emissions is an ongoing challenge for individuals, companies, and governments in the fight against global warming. Large-scale reduction in solid fuel burning device emissions, as much as 80% reduction, is possible with proper monitoring of solid fuel burning devices and proper user training. Proper monitoring and user training lead to better burn practices, such as, but not limited to, not burning wet wood, not overloading the fuel in the solid fuel burning device, not opening the door of the solid fuel burning device too soon, not keeping the door of the solid fuel burning device open too long, and not letting the fire in the solid fuel burning device get too low. Better burn practices reduce the emissions and the amount of solid fuel needed to create the same quantity of heat. Additionally, significant increases in real world monitoring of solid fuel burning devices and collection of the monitored information in a central database would provide unparalleled access to real world burn data for scientific research, policy setting, and program funding justifications.
One aspect of the present disclosure can include a system 10 (shown in
As shown in
The at least one non-transitory memory 12 of system 10 can store the machine-executable instruction and electronic data. Examples of the at least one non-transitory memory 12 can include volatile memory (e.g., RAM), nonvolatile memory (e.g., a hard disk, a flash memory, a solid state drive, or the like), or a combination of both. The at least one processor 14 can include one or more processing cores, for example, which can access the non-transitory memory 21 and can optionally implement functionality of a cloud-based system (not shown). The system 10 can also include a wireless transmitter (not shown), which can allow communication between at least two of: the at least one non-transitory memory 12, the at least one processor 14, the at least one sensor 26, and the at least one display 30. The wireless transmitter can communicate according to one or more protocols, including Bluetooth, cellular, WiFi, or the like. In some instances, the system 10 can also include a wired connection.
The at least one sensor 26 associated with the solid fuel burning device 28 can be located outside of the solid fuel burning device 28 or inside of the solid fuel burning device 28. When the at least one sensor 26 includes more than one sensor, the sensors can be located entirely outside of the solid fuel burning device 28, entirely inside of the solid fuel burning device 28, or some sensors inside and some sensors outside of the solid fuel burning device 28. The at least one sensor 26 can preferably include a temperature sensor or a mechanical sensor. The temperature sensor can be, for example, a thermocouple. The mechanical sensor can be, for example, a proximity sensor, a pressure sensor, a gyroscope, or an accelerometer. Other types of sensors, such as chemical sensors for determining gas and smoke compositions (e.g., PM2.5, PM10, Carbon monoxide, Carbon dioxide, etc.) for example, can also be used inside of or outside of the solid fuel burning device 28.
The at least one display 30, can be housed separately from the at least one non-transitory memory 12 and the at least one processor 14 or the at least one display 30 can be fully integrated in the same housing as one or both of the at least one non-transitory memory 12 and the at least one processor 14. The at least one display 30 can further include one or more of: a visual display 32, one or more speakers 34, and a haptic motor 36. When the system 10 outputs the guidance, the guidance can be output with an alert to the user, wherein the alert is a visual alert, a tactile alert, and/or an auditory alert. The display 30 can indicate the alert by the visual display 32 showing the visual alert, the haptic motor 36 generating the tactile alert, and the one or more speakers sounding an auditory alert. Additionally, the display 30 can output the guidance as auditory and/or visual instructions by using the visual display to show the instructions in words, pictures, or animation and/or by using the one or more speakers to verbalize the instructions.
As shown in further detail in
The door 80 can also include a locking mechanism (not shown) to prevent the door 80 from swinging open and letting air drafts into the firebox 76. The vent (not shown) can be in the firebox 76 itself or in the door 80. The vent can be opened or closed to varying degrees, depending on the amount of air needed to feed the combustion of the solid fuel. The exhaust pipe 78 (also known as a chimney, stack, smokestack, flue, etc.) is a pipe or channel, usually vertical, that conducts smoke and combustion gases away from the firebox 76 of the solid fuel burning device 72 and out of a building to be released into the atmosphere.
Optionally, the solid fuel burning device 72 can also include a catalyst 82 (also known as a catalytic combustor). A catalyst 82 has a ceramic honeycomb design that can be wheel, oval, or rectangular in shape and is often coated with palladium or another noble metal to withstand the harsh environments of heating applications. When solid fuels are burned, the solid fuels give off combustion gases that often escape the solid fuel burning device 72 through the exhaust pipe 78. Generally, in order for at least some of the combustion gases to burn off before escaping the solid fuel burning device 72, the heat generated by the combustion of the solid fuel must be approximately 1000° F. However, when a solid fuel burning device 72 has a catalyst 82, the gases that are not burned pass through the catalyst and interact with the palladium or other noble metal coating on the honeycomb causing the gases to burn at much lower temperatures, around 500° F. The catalyst 82 burning the gases in the smoke as fuel reduces emissions and the amount of fuel needed to generate the same amount of heat.
The solid fuel burning device 72 can also include a plurality of other components not shown in
The sensors 84, depending on their placement, can detect different types of information. For example, temperature sensors inside or outside of the solid fuel burning device determine internal, external, or ambient temperatures, a pressure sensor in the exhaust pipe can sense the pressure of smoke/gases passing into the atmosphere, a pressure sensor or proximity sensor on the door can determine if the door is open or shut, or somewhere in between. If the sensor is a chemical sensor located in the firebox or exhaust pipe or near the exit of the exhaust pipe it can sense the amount of oxygen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, other gases, and particulates (such as PM2.5 particles) inside and exiting the solid fuel burning device.
Referring again to
Once the information related to the at least one operating condition of the solid fuel device is received by the at least one processor 14, the information is filtered based on a property associated with a user. The property associated with the solid fuel burning device 28 and specified by the user can include, but is not limited to, at least one of: the type of solid fuel burning device 28 the system is being used with, the specifications of the solid fuel burning device 28, the location of the at least one sensor 26, the user's desired type of burn (e.g., long/slow burn, quick burn, primary heating, secondary heating, etc.), or the user's goal emissions level. The user can enter the property associated with the solid fuel burning device 28 and specified by the user into the system or the user can enter other information (e.g., if prompted by the system) that the system 10 can use to formulate the property associated with the solid fuel burning device and specified by the user. The information related to the at least one operating condition is filtered because not all received information may be needed to properly operate the solid fuel burning device 28.
A property related to usage of the solid fuel burning device is determined based on fitting the filtered information to a set of reference conditions. The set of reference conditions can be based at least partially on at least one property associated with the solid fuel burning device 28 and specified by the user, such as the specifications for the solid fuel burning device. The reference conditions can include, but are not limited to, the ideal internal/external temperatures for the solid fuel burning device 28, ideal air composition inside the solid fuel burning device 28, ideal exhaust pressure, and ideal exhaust composition. In one aspect, the set of reference conditions can include an ideal fire usage curve. The ideal fire usage curve can be generated based on, but is not limited to, properties associated with the solid fuel burning device 28 and specified by the user, technical specifications, environmental factors, laboratory tests, and/or public policy information. The filtered information can be fit to the set of reference conditions by, for example, curve fitting, parametric or non-parametric equation fitting, linear or non-linear regression models, or the like. Based at least in part on fitting the filtered information to the set of reference conditions, at least one property related to usage of the solid fuel burning device 28 is determined. Properties related to usage of the solid fuel burning device 28 can include, but are not limited to, cold start, steady-state, overfire, long/slow burns, burn out, ignition, warm reload, catalyst engagement, open door, closed door, amount of fuel in firebox, or quality/dryness or wood.
The at least one of the properties related to the usage of the solid fuel burning device 28 can be compared to a lookup table to retrieve guidance for operation of the solid fuel burning device 28. The lookup table can be stored locally and/or remotely (e.g., cloud storage accessible by a plurality of users of a plurality of devices) and can include a plurality of triggering events correlated to properties related to usage of solid fuel burning devices. Examples of triggering events include, but are not limited to: the door is improperly open, the solid fuel needs more oxygen to combust, the catalyst has been triggered, the fuel is too low, the smoke contains too many particulates, the temperature is too low or too high, etc. If at least one of the properties related to the usage of the solid fuel burning device are determined to satisfy one of the plurality of triggering events, then the system retrieves guidance for rectifying the triggering event. The guidance can include, but is not limited to instructions such as: open the door, close the door, open the vent, add fuel, add drier fuel, or engage the bypass/baffle/vent/catalyst. For example, instructions can include “close your bypass in five minutes”, “reload fuel in an hour”, or “your fuel seems to be wet, consider testing with a moisture meter and/or obtaining drier fuel.”
The guidance can be to a user and/or to an actuator. Optionally, the guidance can be output to the user through one or more displays.
In another aspect, if the user 45 interacts with the solid fuel burning device 48 based on the instructions of the outputted guidance, then the controller 42 and/or mobile computing device 44 can present the user 45 with a reward if the user 45 successfully performs the instructions. The reward can be visualized on a display associated with the controller 42 and/or the mobile computing device 44. For example, the reward can be a visual badge or an auditory sound congratulating the user 45 for following the guidance when the triggering event no longer exists. Optionally, the system can track how often the user 45 successfully uses the solid fuel burning device 48 (e.g., correctly responds to the triggering event). The system can reward the user 45 when the user 45 reaches a milestone, such as a certain number of times correctly responding to the guidance instructions or a certain number of grams of emission saved. The reward can be the visual badge or the auditory sound, each of which may also be accompanied by a monetary incentive (such as a discount on merchandise).
Additionally, the system can send at least a portion of the information related to operating conditions sampled by the at least one sensor to a central burn database. As shown in
The central burn database 92 can include different levels of access based on permissions associated with log-in credentials of different types of users in the plurality of users 94. The different users can include, for example, a user of a solid fuel burning device, a manufacturer of the solid fuel burning device, a laboratory researcher, and government officials/policy makers. Optionally, the user of the solid fuel burning device may only be able to access his or her own performance data and/or comparison charts of his or her own data with other users with the same type of solid fuel burning device, while the manufacturer, a laboratory researcher or government official may have access to a plurality of users' performance data and any underlying information collected from the at least one sensor associated with each solid fuel burning device.
Optionally, manufacturers, laboratory researches and government officials/policy makers can input new rules to the central burn database which can then be received by the at least one memory to alter the stored instructions. The alterations can include policy changes or updates to reference conditions and/or triggering events based on improved understanding of domestic use of solid fuel burning devices.
Another aspect of the present disclosure can include methods 100, 120, 130, 140, and 150 as shown in
The methods 100, 120, 130, 140, and 150 are illustrated as a process flow diagram with flow chart illustrations. For purposes of simplicity, the methods are shown and described as being executed serially; however, it is to be understood and appreciated that the present disclosure is not limited by the illustrated order, as some steps could occur in different orders and/or concurrently with other steps shown and described herein. Moreover, not all illustrated aspects may be required to implement the methods.
Referring now to
At 104, the information related to at least one operating condition of the solid fuel burning device can be filtered based on a property associated with the solid fuel burning device and specified by a user. The property associated with the solid fuel burning device and specified by the user can include, but is not limited to, at least one of: the type of solid fuel burning device the system is being used with, the specifications of the solid fuel burning device, the location of the at least one sensor, the user's desired type of burn (e.g., long/slow burn, quick burn, primary heating, secondary heating, etc.), or the user's goal emissions level. The property associated with the solid fuel burning device and specified by the user can be entered into the system directly or the system can determine the property associated with the solid fuel burning device and specified by the user by prompting the user to enter information (e.g., if prompted by the system) that the system can use to formulate the property associated with the user. Optionally, the property associated with the solid fuel burning device and specified by the user can be more than one property.
At 106, a property related to usage of the solid fuel burning device can be determined by fitting the filtered information to a set of reference conditions. The set of reference conditions can be based at least partially on at least one property associated with the solid fuel burning device and specified by the user, such as the specifications for the solid fuel burning device. The reference conditions can include, but are not limited to, the ideal internal/external temperatures for the solid fuel burning device, ideal air composition inside the solid fuel burning device (e.g., amount of O2, etc.), ideal exhaust pressure, and ideal exhaust composition (e.g., amount of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, particulate matter, etc.). In one aspect, the set of reference conditions can include an ideal fire usage curve. At least one property related to usage of the solid fuel burning device is determined by fitting the filtered information to the set of reference conditions. Properties related to usage of the solid fuel burning device can include, but are not limited to, cold start, steady-state, overfire, long/slow burns, burn out, ignition, warm reload, catalyst engagement, open door, closed door, amount of fuel in firebox, or quality/dryness or wood.
At 108, the property related to the usage of the solid fuel burning device can be compared to a lookup table, wherein the lookup table includes a plurality of triggering events, and guidance for operation of the solid fuel burning device can be retrieved based on the property related to usage of the solid fuel burning device satisfying one of the plurality of triggering events. Examples of triggering events include, but are not limited to: the door is improperly open, the solid fuel needs more oxygen to combust, the catalyst has been triggered, the fuel is too low, the smoke contains too many particulates, the temperature is too low or too high, etc. Examples of guidance retrieved based on the property related to usage of the solid fuel burning device can include, but are not limited to instructions such as: open the door, close the door, open the vent, add fuel, add drier fuel, or engage the bypass/baffle/vent/catalyst. For example, instructions can include “close your bypass in five minutes”, “reload fuel in an hour”, or “your fuel seems to be wet, consider testing with a moisture meter and/or obtaining drier fuel.”
At 110, the guidance can be output. The guidance is designed to reduce emissions and/or increase efficiency of the solid fuel burning device. The guidance can be output to a user and/or to an actuator. For example, the guidance can be output by at least one display associated with the controller and/or mobile computing device of system 10. The at least one display can include a visual display, at least one speaker, and/or a haptic motor.
Referring now to
In one aspect, after the user interacts with the solid fuel burning device based on the outputted guidance the system can determine if the user has successfully removed the triggering event. At 126, the user can be sent a badge (e.g., an emotional reward such as a visual congratulations on at least one display) when the user correctly responded to the guidance. In another aspect, at 126, the user's responses to the guidance can be tracked and a reward can be sent to the user when the user reaches a milestone. Non-limiting examples of milestones include: one hundred times correctly responding to guidance, ten thousand grams of emissions saved, etc. Rewards can include, for example, emotional rewards (e.g., a visual badge, an auditory sound) and/or a monetary incentive (e.g., a discount on merchandise related to solid fuel burning).
Referring now to
Referring now to
Referring now to
At 154, updated reference conditions and/or triggering events can be received from the remote database when the performance data in the remote database is analyzed and updated by a user with appropriate log-in credentials, as described above. At 156, the reference conditions and/or triggering events can be updated) when the updates are received. The updated reference conditions and/or triggering events can further assist a user in more efficient use of the user's solid fuel burning device and in reducing emissions from the solid fuel burning device.
From the above description, those skilled in the art will perceive improvements, changes and modifications. Such improvements, changes and modifications are within the skill of one in the art and are intended to be covered by the appended claims. All patents, patent applications, and publications cited herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/900,115, entitled “APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MONITORING A SOLID FUEL BURNING DEVICE,” filed Sep. 13, 2019. The entirety of this application is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes.
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