
11
3
Operation
Amendment 8
© Copyright Moffat Ltd, May 2015
Blue Seal Evolution Series Gas Chargrills
3.2 Explanation of Control System
Safety System
The purpose of the safety system is to shut off the flow of gas
if the pilot flame goes out. It is comprised of the flame itself,
the thermocouple, and the flame failure gas valve.
The pilot flame is lit by holding in the gas control knob, which
in turn temporarily pushes the plunger inside the safety valve
open and allows gas to flow through. Once the burner is lit, the
thermocouple will begin to generate millivolts (after about 10 to
30 seconds of being heated) and will energize the
electromagnet inside the gas valve.
Once energized the electromagnet holds the plunger inside the
gas valve in the open position. The plunger has to be pushed
all the way in for the electromagnet to hold it in place. If the
burner flame goes out for some reason, the thermocouple will
cool after about 10 to 30 seconds and stop generating
millivolts. The electromagnet will then de-energize, and the
plunger will snap shut, cutting off the flow of gas.
Detail of each component in the safety system is explained
below.
Thermocouple
The thermocouple is a device that generates electricity when
heat is applied to the tip.
The tip of the thermocouple is located in the pilot burner flame,
and the nut at the other end of the thermocouple screws into
the back of the gas valve. Inside the copper tubing is a wire
which is joined at the tip but insulated from the rest of the
tubing. These two parts (the copper tubing and wire) make up
the "wiring" for an electrical circuit. When these two dissimilar
metals, wire and tip, are heated an electrical voltage is
produced.
By pressing in the gas control knob, the plunger can be
temporarily held open while lighting. There are two reasons for
this; gas has to flow through the safety valve to make it
possible to light the pilot burner, and secondly the plunger has
to be pushed all the way in for the electromagnet to hold it in,
i.e. the electromagnet is strong enough to hold the plunger in
once there, but is not strong enough to pull it in by itself.
Sometimes a problem with the flame not staying lit after
releasing the button can be attributed to not pushing the
plunger all the way in.
This type of thermocouple generates between 7 and 30
millivolts when heated in the pilot flame.
Electromagnetic Flame Failure Gas Valve
The purpose of the safety valve is to shut off the flow of gas if
the pilot flame goes out.
Inside the body of the gas valve is an electromagnet connected
to a spring loaded plunger. When the electromagnet is
energized, it holds the plunger in, allowing gas to flow through
the valve. When the electromagnet is de-energized, the
plunger snaps to the closed position, stopping the flow of gas.
Millivolts are provided to the electromagnet by the
thermocouple (not shown) which generates millivolts when
heated. The thermocouple screws into a fitting at the back of
the gas valve to make an electric connection.
Figure 3.2a
Figure 3.2b
Thermocouple
Gas flow
Electromagnet
Plunger
Shaft
Knob
Gas flow Plunger
Insulator Nut Conductor Tip
Internal
Wire