METHOD FOR OPERATING A COMBUSTION SYSTEM INCLUDING A PERFORATED FLAME HOLDER

1 . A method, comprising:

outputting fuel and oxidant from a fuel and oxidant source;

receiving the fuel and the oxidant at a flame holder;

supporting a combustion reaction of the fuel and the oxidant adjacent to or within the flame holder; and

forming a plasma adjacent to the flame holder.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising stabilizing the combustion reaction with the plasma.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the plasma is a cold plasma including radicals.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising preheating the flame holder.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the plasma is a hot plasma including charged particles.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein preheating the flame holder includes preheating the flame holder with the hot plasma.

7 . The method of claim 4 , wherein preheating the flame holder includes passing an electrical current through a resistor positioned on or in proximity to the flame holder.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising outputting heat from the resistor to the flame holder.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plasma is a hot plasma including charged particles.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the flame holder includes a solid bluff body; and

wherein supporting the majority of the combustion reaction of the fuel and the oxidant adjacent to or within the flame holder consists essentially of supporting the majority of the combustion reaction of the fuel and the oxidant adjacent to the flame holder.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the flame holder includes a vortex flame holder.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the flame holder includes a perforated flame holder.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein a majority of combustion energy release occurs within the perforated flame holder.

14 . The method of claim 1 , comprising supporting 80% or more of the combustion reaction of the fuel and the oxidant adjacent to or within the flame holder.

15 . The method of claim 1 , comprising sensing the combustion reaction with a sensor.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein sensing the combustion reaction includes sensing whether the combustion reaction is stable.

17 . The method of claim 16 , comprising executing an error procedure if the combustion reaction is not stable.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein executing the error procedure includes applying heat to the flame holder with an electrical resistor.

19 . The method of claim 16 , wherein executing the error procedure includes outputting the plasma.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the plasma is a cold plasma.

21 . The method of claim 15 , wherein sensing the combustion reaction includes sensing whether the combustion reaction is present.

22 . The method of claim 16 , comprising executing an error procedure if the combustion reaction is not present.

23 . The method of claim 16 , wherein executing the error procedure includes outputting the plasma.

24 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the plasma is a hot plasma.

25 . The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the plasma includes applying an electrical voltage signal to a first electrical conductor positioned adjacent to the flame holder, the electrical voltage signal being selected to cause the first electrical conductor to cooperate with a second electrical conductor positioned adjacent to the flame holder to form a time-varying electric field at least partially through a combustion reaction volume defined by the flame holder.

26 . A method, comprising:

supporting a first electrical conductor and a second electrical conductor adjacent to a flame holder;

supporting a combustion reaction adjacent to the flame holder; and

applying an electrical voltage signal to the first electrical conductor, the electrical voltage signal being selected to cause the first electrical conductor to cooperate with the second electrical conductor to form a time-varying electric field at least partially through a combustion reaction volume defined by the flame holder.

27 . The method of claim 26 , wherein applying the electrical voltage signal to the first electrical conductor includes applying the electrical voltage signal selected to cause the first electrical conductor to cooperate with the second electrical conductor to form a time-varying electric field having a pulse portion between 100 picoseconds and 700 nanoseconds.

28 . The method of claim 27 , wherein applying the electrical voltage signal to the first electrical conductor includes applying the electrical voltage signal selected to cause the first electrical conductor to cooperate with the second electrical conductor to form a time-varying electric field having a pulse portion between 100 picoseconds and 300 nanoseconds.

29 . The method of claim 28 , wherein applying the electrical voltage signal to the first electrical conductor includes applying the electrical voltage signal selected to cause the first electrical conductor to cooperate with the second electrical conductor to form a time-varying electric field having a pulse portion between 100 picoseconds and 100 nanoseconds.

30 . The method of claim 26 , wherein applying the electrical voltage signal to the first electrical conductor includes applying the electrical voltage signal selected to cause the first electrical conductor to cooperate with the second electrical conductor to form a plasma.

31 . The method of claim 30 , wherein applying the electrical voltage signal to the first electrical conductor includes applying the electrical voltage signal selected to cause the first electrical conductor to cooperate with the second electrical conductor to form a cold plasma.

32 . The method of claim 30 , wherein applying the electrical voltage signal to the first electrical conductor includes applying the electrical voltage signal selected to cause the first electrical conductor to cooperate with the second electrical conductor to form a hot plasma.

33 . The method of claim 31 , wherein applying the electrical voltage signal to the first electrical conductor includes applying the electrical voltage signal selected to cause the first electrical conductor to cooperate with the second electrical conductor to form radicals.

34 . The method of claim 32 , wherein applying the electrical voltage signal to the first electrical conductor includes applying the electrical voltage signal selected to cause the first electrical conductor to cooperate with the second electrical conductor to form charged particles and electrons.

35 . The method of claim 26 , further comprising:

stabilizing the combustion reaction with the time-varying electric field.

36 . The method of claim 26 , wherein the first electrical conductor and the second electrical conductor are supported in an interdigitated arrangement in a combustion fluid flow.

37 . The method of claim 26 , wherein the first electrical conductor and the second electrical conductor are supported in an interdigitated arrangement disposed transverse to a combustion fluid flow.

38 . The method of claim 26 , wherein the first electrical conductor and the second electrical conductor are supported to have a gap of less than about four inches between interdigitated first conductor and second conductor pairs.

39 . The method of claim 38 , wherein the first electrical conductor and the second electrical conductor are supported to have a gap of less than about an inch between interdigitated first conductor and second conductor pairs.

40 . The method of claim 39 , wherein the first electrical conductor and the second electrical conductor are supported to have a gap of about a half inch or less between interdigitated first conductor and second conductor pairs.

41 . The method of claim 26 , wherein at least one of the first and the second electrical conductors is formed as a corona electrode.

42 . The method of claim 26 , wherein at least one of the first and the second electrical conductors is formed as a dielectric barrier discharge electrode.

43 . The method of claim 26 , wherein applying the electrical voltage signal includes applying a pressure of at least 10 kilovolts.

44 . The method of claim 26 , wherein applying the electrical voltage signal includes applying a pressure of at least 30 kilovolts.

45 . The method of claim 26 , wherein the flame holder includes a perforated flame holder; and

wherein the combustion reaction volume includes a volume within perforations of the perforated flame holder.