Diesel Fuel Burner System

Application

Diesel fuel burner system for a world leader, designer and manufacturer of engines for various machinery such as electric power generation systems, on-highway vehicles, locomotives, marine, petroleum, construction, industrial and agricultural.

Problem

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) created deadlines for decreased emissions from diesel engines. The manufacturer developed a new fuel burner system for the exhaust gas coming from the diesel engines. Their new burner system required a sensor solution for high temperatures and the sensor needed to be flame resistant and therefore go beyond standard resistance temperature detector (RTD) sensor capabilities. The sensor also needed to withstand the ruggedness of the engine applications and meet the EPA emissions deadline.

The company was looking for someone to deliver a sensor with specific, custom attributes that were better than what they were currently using or could find on the market. The manufacturer was also looking for a partner to develop a roadmap for continuous development of high temperature sensors to meet ongoing EPA regulations.

Solution

Watlow provided the EXACTSENSE^® thermocouple customized to fit the manufacturer's demanding needs. The EXACTSENSE sensor featured integrated electronics within a molded connector housing. The electronics converted the thermocouple signal into a signal that was compatible with the manufacturer's engine control module (ECM).

The EXACTSENSE provided the accuracy, time response and durability required to help the manufacturer improve the control of their diesel engine after treatment system. The EXACTSENSE thermocouple included WATCOUPLE™ sensing technology. This technology used materials selected for their stability and longevity at high temperatures; making this thermocouple an ideal choice for the manufacturer's burner application. The EXACTSENSE is point sensitive unlike an RTD which only averages the temperature over the length of the element.