Abstract: In a regenerative bed incinerator 10 of type wherein the direction of gas flow through the bed 14 is periodically switched via a gas switching valve 30, a controller 80 is provided to periodically activate the gas switching valve 30 to reverse the direction of gas flow through the bed 14 in response to the temperature of the cooled incinerated process exhaust gases 5 as measured by gas sensing means 90.

Abstract: A detector (32) monitors infrared ray emissions from an air preheater (10) rotor (14) to detect a temperature rise that precedes a fire within air preheater (10) with each sensor output being processed independently by signal processing electronics. The instantaneous minus the average temperature of rotor (14) is calculated and compared to a variable trip level signal to determine whether a hot spot has been detected. The detector (32) scans across the face of rotor (14) until an initial hot spot is detected, whereupon the scanner motor (58) ceases operation thereby locating the scanner over the rotor radial position of the detected hot spot. If the same hot spot is detected on the next subsequent rotor pass, a hot spot alarm (60) is energized. If the hot spot is not detected on the next subsequent rotor pass, detector scanning is resumed by energizing scan motor (58).