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A variable output heating control system includes a user interface, an operating parameter sensor, a controller, a combination control valve, a plurality of variable flow valves, and a plurality of burners. The user interface allows a user to enter operating parameters, such as a set temperature. Th

A variable output heating control system includes a user interface, an operating parameter sensor, a controller, a combination control valve, a plurality of variable flow valves, and a plurality of burners. The user interface allows a user to enter operating parameters, such as a set temperature. The operating parameters sensor provides measured parameters, such as a measured temperature. The controller receives the set temperature and the measured temperature and generates commands to control the flow of gas, based on the set temperature and the measured temperature. The combination control valve shuts off the flow of gas from an external gas source based on a command from the controller. The plurality of variable flow valves vary the flow of gas that is received from the combination control valve and supplied to the burners. The plurality of burners provide heat based on the combustion of gas that is received from the plurality of variable flow valves.

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1. A heating control system, the system comprising: a single electronic controller operable to receive a set temperature and a measured temperature and to generate a plurality of gas flow control commands, including to modulate a flow of gas in incremental steps of less than one percent;a combinatio

1. A heating control system, the system comprising: a single electronic controller operable to receive a set temperature and a measured temperature and to generate a plurality of gas flow control commands, including to modulate a flow of gas in incremental steps of less than one percent;a combination control valve operable to control flow of gas from an external gas source based on a gas flow control command from the controller;a plurality of variable flow valves operable to vary flow of gas received from the combination control valve based on a gas flow control command from the controller, wherein each variable flow valve is operably in communication with the controller and may be varied separately based on a gas flow control command from the controller, and each variable flow valve modulates the flow of gas in incremental steps of less than one percent; anda plurality of burners to provide heat corresponding to the combustion of gas received from the plurality of variable flow valves. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the heating control system may be used to control the temperature in a system selected from the group consisting of a gas furnace, a water heater, a boiler, a hot water tank, an oil furnace, a gas fireplace, a residential gas oven, a commercial gas oven, a gas grill, a gas clothes dryer, a gas agricultural grain dryer, a materials processor, a materials dryer, a process dryer, a thermal processor, a fluids processor, and a chemicals processor. 3. The system of claim 1, further including a user interface coupled with the controller for a user to enter operating parameters, including the set temperature. 4. The system of claim 1, further including at least one operating parameter sensor coupled with the controller operable to provide the measured temperature and other operating parameters. 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of variable flow valves includes a plurality of variable orifice modulating valves, such that each variable orifice modulating valve varies the flow of gas by the movement of a metering pin at an output orifice of the variable orifice modulating valve. 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller generates a command to increase the flow of gas if the measured temperature is less than the set temperature. 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller generates a command to decrease the flow of gas if the measured temperature is greater than the set temperature. 8. The system of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the burners receives gas from one variable flow valve. 9. A method for controlling the heat output of a combustible fuel heating system, the method comprising the steps of a controller: a) receiving a set temperature from a user;b) receiving a first measured temperature from at least one operating parameter sensor;c) comparing the first measured temperature and the set temperature;d) issuing a command to a combination control valve to shut off flow of gas through a plurality of variable flow valves to a plurality of burners for the first measured temperature above the set temperature;e) issuing a command to the combination control valve to open to allow a first rate of flow of gas through the plurality of variable flow valves to the plurality of burners for the first measured temperature below the set temperature;f) issuing a command to at least a portion of the plurality of variable flow valves to increase the flow of gas in increments of less than one percent from the first rate of flow to a second rate of flow selected from possible values of less than one percent to one hundred percent to at least a portion of the plurality of burners for the first measured. temperature less than the set temperature;g) issuing a command to a portion. of the plurality of variable flow valves to decrease the flow of gas in increments of less than one percent from the second rate of flow to a third rate of flow that is greater than the first rate of flow selected from possible values of one hundred percent to less than one percent to at least a portion of the plurality of burners for a second measured temperature greater than the first measured temperature and less than the set temperature;h) issuing a command to at least a portion of the plurality of variable flow valves to allow a fourth rate of flow of gas to the plurality of burners for a measured temperature that is equal to the set temperature. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein steps b) through h) are repeated multiple times. 11. The method of claim 9, wherein the number of variable flow valves is equal to the number of burners and the variable flow valves are coupled to the burners in a one- to-one fashion. 12. The method of claim 9, wherein the number of variable flow valves is less than the number of burners and each variable flow valve is coupled to at least one burner. 13. The method of claim 9, wherein the variable flow valve is a variable orifice modulating valve. 14. A heating control system, the system comprising: a controller operable to receive a set temperature and a measured temperature and to generate a plurality of gas flow control commands;a combination control valve operable to control flow of gas from an external gas source based on a gas flow control command from the controller;a plurality of variable flow valves operable to vary flow of gas received from the combination control valve based on a gas flow control command. from the controller, wherein each variable flow valve may be varied separately, and each variable flow valve includes: an orifice hood with a wail defining a recess and an outlet orifice, the recess including a tapered section that narrows from a wide portion to a narrow portion, the outlet orifice extending from the narrow portion of the recess through the wall to an outer surface of the orifice hood, anda metering pin including: a central portion extending along a length of the metering pin, anda plurality of fins, each fin extending radially outwardly from the central portion and extending, only along a portion of a length of the metering pin, the fins and central portion being tapered at an end of the metering pin such that the tapered portion of the metering pin conforms to the tapered section of the recess, the metering pin including a passage for allowing gas to pass through the metering pin to the outlet orifice, the fins being spaced apart along a circumference of the metering pin with an elongated four-sided opening between each pair of fins allowing, gas to flow from the recess to the passage, each opening extending approximately half the length of the fins; anda plurality of burners to provide heat corresponding to the combustion of gas received from the plurality of variable flow valves. 15. A heating control system, the system comprising: a single electronic controller operable to receive a set temperature and a measured temperature and to generate a plurality of gas flow control commands, including to modulate a flow of gas in incremental steps of less than one percent;a combination control valve operable to control flow of gas from an external gas source based on a gas flow control command from the controller;a plurality of variable flow valves operable to vary flow of gas received from the combination control valve based on a gas flow control command from the controller, wherein each variable flow valve is operably in communication with the controller and may be varied separately based on a gas flow control command from the controller, and each variable flow valve modulates the flow of gas in incremental steps of less than at most one percent over the range from less than one percent to one hundred percent; anda plurality of burners to provide heat corresponding to the combustion of gas received from the plurality of variable flow valves.