Abstract: A method of monitoring combustion properties in an interior of a furnace is described. A beam of light is projected through a pitch optic including a pitch collimating lens residing outside the boiler interior. The pitch collimating lens projects the beam through a penetration into the boiler interior. The beam of light projected by the pitch collimating lens is reflected from at least one in-furnace retro-reflector, and received with a catch optic substantially identical to the pitch optic residing outside the boiler interior. The pitch optic and the catch optic may be embodied in the same pitch/catch optic. The pitch collimating lens may also be steered toward another of the at least one in-furnace retro-reflectors. Combustion properties may be calculated for each retro-reflector based on retro-reflector zones within the furnace.

Abstract: A method of monitoring combustion properties in an interior of a furnace is described. A beam of light is projected through a pitch optic including a pitch collimating lens residing outside the boiler interior. The pitch collimating lens projects the beam through a penetration into the boiler interior. The beam of light projected by the pitch collimating lens is reflected from at least one in-furnace retro-reflector, and received with a catch optic substantially identical to the pitch optic residing outside the boiler interior. The pitch optic and the catch optic may be embodied in the same pitch/catch optic. The pitch collimating lens may also be steered toward another of the at least one in-furnace retro-reflectors. Combustion properties may be calculated for each retro-reflector based on retro-reflector zones within the furnace.

Abstract: An optical fiber amplifier has a pump module operating at a shorter wavelength at room temperature than conventional optical fiber amplifiers. At the maximum operating case temperature, the output from the pump module is still at a lower wavelength than the upper absorption band edge of the optical fiber. In a further embodiment, an Er—Yb co-doped optical fiber is further doped with aluminum to flatten a portion of the optical absorption profile. Co-doping with aluminum reduces the sensitivity of optical amplifier output to wavelength drift of the pump module when pumped near the secondary peak.