Boiler control

Loop diagram
 Boiler water level control

• A modern high pressure, high temperature

water tube boiler holds a small quantity of
water and produces large quantities of steam.
• Very careful control of the drum water level is
therefore necessary. The reactions of steam
and water in the drum are complicated and
require a control system based on a number
of measured elements
 Boiler water level control

• When a boiler is operating, the water level in

the gauge glass reads higher than when the
boiler is shut down. This is because of the
presence of steam bubbles in the water.
• If however there occurs a sudden increase
in steam demand from the boiler, the
pressure in the drum will fall.
 Boiler water level control

• Some of the water present in the drum at the

higher pressure will now 'flash off and
become steam. These bubbles of steam will
cause the drum level to rise.
• The reduced mass of water in the drum will
also result in more steam being produced,
which will further raise the water level. This
effect is known as 'swell'.
 Boiler water level control

• A level control system which used only

level as the measured value would
close the feed water control valve, when
it should be opening it.
• .
 Boiler water level control

• When the boiler load returns to normal the

drum pressure will rise and steam bubble
formation will reduce, causing a fall in water
level.
• Incoming cold feed water will further reduce
steam bubble formation and what is known as
'shrinkage' of the drum level will occur
 Boiler water level control

• The problems associated with swell and

shrinkage are removed by the use of a
second measuring element, 'steam flow'.
• A third element, 'feed water flow', is added to
avoid problems that would occur if the feed
water pressure were to vary.
 Boiler water level control

• The measuring variables or elements are

'steam flow', 'drum level' and 'feed water flow'.
• Since in a balanced situation steam flow
must equal feed flow, these two signals are
compared in a differential relay.
Refer to PID control
 Boiler water level control

• The relay output is fed to a two-term

controller and comparator into which the
measured drum level signal also fed.
 Boiler water level control

• Any deviation between the desired and actual

drum level and any deviation between feed
and steam flow will result in controller action
to adjust the feed water control valve.
• The drum level will then be returned to its
correct position.
 Boiler water level control

• A sudden increase in steam demand would

result in a deviation signal from the
differential relay and an output signal to open
the feed water control valve.
• The swell effect would therefore not influence
the correct operation of the control system.
 Boiler water level control

• For a reduction in steam demand, an output

signal to close the feed water control valve
would result, thus avoiding shrinkage effects.
• Any change in feed water pressure would
result in feed water control valve movement
to correct the change and maintain the
correct drum level.
Combustion control
 Combustion control

• The essential requirement for a combustion

control system is to proportion the quantities
of air and fuel being burnt. This will enable
complete combustion.
• The control system must therefore measure
the flow rates of fuel oil and air in order to
regulate correctly their proportions.
 Combustion control

• A combustion control system capable of

accepting rapid load changes .
• Two control elements are used, steam flow
and steam pressure.
• The steam pressure signal is fed to a two-
term controller and is compared with the
desired value.
 Combustion control

• Any deviation results in a signal to the

summing relay.
• The steam flow signal is also fed into the
summing relay.
• The summing relay, which may add or
subtract the input signals, provides an output
which represents the fuel input requirements
of the boiler.
 Combustion control

• This output becomes a variable desired value

signal to the two-term controller in the fuel
control and combustion air control loops.
• A high or low signal selector is to ensure
that when a load change occurs the
combustion air flow is always in excess of the
fuel requirements. This prevents poor
combustion and black smoky exhaust gases.
 Combustion control

• During a load increase, the master signal will

pass through the high signal selector to
establish an increased air flow in the furnace.
• Only when the increased air flow signal is
input to the low signal selector can the master
signal pass and increase the fuel supply to
the boiler.
 Combustion control

• The required air-to-fuel ratio can be

manually adjusted in the ratio relay in
the air flow signal line.
 Steam temperature

• Steam temperature control of high pressure

superheated steam is necessary to avoid damage to
the metals used in a steam turbine.
• One method of control is to direct the steam from
the primary super heater to a boiler drum
attemperator where its temperature is reduced
 Steam temperature
• This steam will then be further heated in the secondary
super heater. The steam temperature leaving the secondary
super heater is measured and transmitted to a three-term
controller, which also acts as a comparator. Any deviation
from the desired value will result in a signal to a summing
relay. The other signal to the relay is from a steam flow
measuring element.
 Steam temperature

• The relay output signal provides control of

the coupled attemperator inlet and bypass
valves. As a result the steam flow is
proportioned between the attemperator and
the straight-through line.
Steam temperature
 Steam temperature
• This two-element control system can adequately deal with
changing conditions.
• If, for example, the steam demand suddenly increased, a
fall in steam temperature might occur.
• The steam flow element will, however, detect the load
change and adjust the amount of steam attemperated to
maintain the correct steam temperature.
 Electronic control of burner
managment &Combustion control
• A combustion control or burner management
system such as this may be operated in
different ways.
• A series of printed circuit boards may be
used, which contain the relay logic and timing
circuitry.
• Individual modules are usually used to
provide timing circuits, various relays,
amplifiers, etc
 Electronic control of burner
managment &Combustion control
• . A display module may be incorporated to
indicate the logic sequence progression and
would be useful for fault finding.
• A programmable logic control system uses a
programmable controller and a rack-mounted
series of interface devices. The control circuit
is programmed into the controller using logic
elements.
• The system may also be microprocessor
 Bridge contol

• During emergency operation an especially

fast run-up may be obtained. This control
system is designed to interface with an
engine having extensive pneumatic
manoeuvring equipment. Many of the
necessary safety interlocks will therefore be
built in to the existing engine controls.
 Deviation or error

• The difference between measured value

and set value is called error.
 Control signal

• Controller output signal is called control

signal
 Motor element

• The control signal is transmitted to the

motor element or diaphragm of a control
valve
 Correcting element

• The motor element operates the

correcting element (in this case valve)
 feedback

• It is the transmission of a signal

representing The controlled condition
for comparison with a signal pre set by
the operator.feedback is similar to
measured value
 Open loop control

• There is no feedback of information on

the value of the controlled condition
 Open loop control

• The system shown is to prevent pollution by

discharge from a tanker
• When the oil content is below the limit value
the controller operates actuator A to open the
overboard dis.valve
• If the sampled oil content exceeds actuator A
closes and opens actuator B to slop tank
 Open loop control

• There is no arrangements for signals to

be sent back to the controller
confirming that the flow is overboard or
to the slop tank
close loop control
 Closed loop control

• Temp.of the lub.oil for main engine to be

controlled to prevent it rising,so that viscosity
becomes too low for lubrication
• An rtd sensor a measuring device feeding its
signal to an electronic controller .controller
sends output signal to motor which position
the three way valve,determining the
proportion of oil flow to pass through cooler
 Closed loop control

• Operator sets the command signal as the

desired value,known as set value.
• Temperature sensor provides a feedback
signal indicating the controlled condition to
the controller.
• The provision of feedback signal defines the
arrangement as close loop control system.
 On off control

• Controller switches the correcting unit

from one extreme to the other as the
controlled condition passes the set point
On off control
 Proportional control

• Controller output is proportional to the

deviation between the controlled
condition and the desired value
Proportional control
 Proportional band
• If the input signal to the controller ranges
from 0.2 to 1 bar and the output from the
controller ranges from 0.2 to 1 bar then the
proportional band is 100%
• If the input is from .2 to .6 bar ie 50% of its
range to make output 0.2 to 1 bar then P.B is
50%
 Gain of the controller
• From the above figures output signal
change is twice the input signal. input
signal is multiplied by a factor 2 .ie for
o.4 bar change a change of .8 bar
 offset
• When using a proportional controller the
value of the controlled condition differs
from the desired value as load changes
arise,this difference is known as offset
• Offset can be reduced by increasing the
gain of the controller
offset
offset
 Integral control
• Offset inherent in the proportional
controller can be overcome by using
integral action or reset action added to
proportional controller
 offset
• the transfer function for a controller
with_200deg proportional band is
shown for three different set points
• Curve 1 with set point.200deg intersects
process transfer curve at power level
500 watts corresponds to 250 deg.
 offset
• Offset under these condition is 50 deg.
High.
• Curve 2 with a set point 500 deg
intersects process curve at 1000 watts.
• There is no offset since temp.
corresponds to 50% power input
 offset
• Curve3 with a set point 800 deg
intersects process curve at 1500 watts
• This corresponds to a temp.of 750 deg
• Offset under this condition 50 deg low
 Integral action
• The deviation (error)signal is integrated with
respect to time and integral is summed with
the deviation signal to move the proportional
band
• Output power is automatically increased or
decreased to bring process temp. back to the
set point
 Derivative action
• The derivative function in a proportional
plus derivative controller provides the
controller with the ability to shift the
proportional band either up or down to
compensate for rapidly changing
temperature
Cascade control
 Cascade control
• When two variables are involved
controls can become more difficult .
• This involves two controllers in series
,output of signal one ,master being used
as the set point of second the slave
FRESH WATER SYSTEMS