Method for monitoring a combustion process, and corresponding device

1. A method for monitoring a combustion process in which there is a quantity of energy supplied so that a substance arranged in a bed of an oven is converted under the supply of heat by way of firing by a flame to produce a quantity of produced material, the method comprising:

recording data through the use of at least one sensor, with the recorded data including at least:

thermal radiation data for the flame, and

thermal radiation data for the substance in the bed;

normalizing data, through the use of one or more quantities selected from the group consisting of the quantity of energy supplied and the quantity of produced material, to produce normalized data,

wherein the data being normalized includes at least:

the thermal radiation data for the flame and,

the thermal radiation data for the substance in the bed, and

whereby the normalized data includes at least:

normalized thermal radiation data for the flame, and

normalized thermal radiation data for the substance in the bed;

determining a quantity of heat input into the bed from a difference between the normalized thermal radiation data for the flame and the normalized thermal radiation data for the substance in the bed;

determining a quality using the quantity of heat input into the bed; and

controlling the combustion process, wherein the controlling of the combustion process includes optimizing the quantity of heat input into the bed at a defined temperature.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the controlling of the combustion process further includes keeping at least the normalized thermal radiation data for the flame and the normalized thermal radiation data for the substance in the bed in a substantially constant relationship with respect to one another.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the recording of the data through the use of at least one sensor comprises recording the data through the use of a camera arrangement.

4. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein during the combustion process the flame is formed above the bed.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the recording of the data through the use of at least one sensor comprises recording the data through the use of a camera arrangement.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein during the combustion process the flame is formed above the bed.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein during the combustion process the flame is formed above the bed.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the determining of the quality comprises determining a quality of the produced material.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 ,

wherein the recorded data further includes:

thermal radiation data for a wall of the oven, and

thermal radiation data for the produced material after the flame;

wherein the data being normalized further includes:

the thermal radiation data for the wall of the oven, and

the thermal radiation data for the produced material after the flame;

whereby the normalized data further includes:

normalized thermal radiation data for the wall of the oven, and

normalized thermal radiation data for the produced material after the flame; and

wherein the controlling of the combustion process further includes keeping at least the normalized thermal radiation data for the flame, the normalized thermal radiation data for the substance in the bed, the normalized thermal radiation data for the wall of the oven, and the normalized thermal radiation data for the produced material after the flame in a substantially constant relationship with respect to one another.

10. A device for monitoring a combustion process in which there is a quantity of energy supplied so that a substance arranged in a bed of an oven is converted under the supply of heat by way of firing by a flame to produce a quantity of produced material, the apparatus comprising:

at least one sensor for obtaining at least thermal radiation data for the flame and thermal radiation data for the substance in the bed; and a computer operative for:

receiving at least the thermal radiation data for the flame and the thermal radiation data for the substance in the bed;

normalizing data, through the use of one or more quantities selected from the group consisting of the quantity of energy supplied and the quantity of produced material, to produce normalized data,

wherein the data being normalized includes at least:

the thermal radiation data for the flame and,

the thermal radiation data for the substance in the bed, and

whereby the normalized data includes at least:

normalized thermal radiation data for the flame, and

normalized thermal radiation data for the substance in the bed;

determining a quantity of heat input into the bed from a difference between the normalized thermal radiation data for the flame and the normalized thermal radiation data for the substance in the bed; and

determining a quality using the quantity of heat input into the bed.

11. The device as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the computer is further operative for controlling the combustion process in the oven.

12. The device as claimed in claim 11 , wherein a neural network is implemented in the computer for control purposes.

13. The device as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the computer is operative so that the controlling of the combustion process includes optimizing the quantity of heat input into the bed at a defined temperature.

14. The device as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the computer is operative so that the controlling of the combustion process further includes keeping at least the normalized thermal radiation data for the flame and the normalized thermal radiation data for the substance in the bed in a substantially constant relationship with respect to one another.

15. The device as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the computer is operative so that the determining of the quality comprises determining a quality of the produced material.

16. The device as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the sensor comprises a camera arrangement.