Chapter 6

Feed-water control and

instrumentation

6.1 The principles of feed-water control

The objective of a feed-water control system may seem simple: it is to

supply enough water to the boiler to match the evaporation rate. But as is
so often the case with boilers, this turns out to be a surprisingly complex
mission to accomplish. There are difficulties even in making the basic
drum-level measurement on which the control system depends. The design
of the control system is then further complicated by the many interactions
that occur within the boiler system and by the fact that the effects of some
of these interactions are greater or smaller at various points in the boiler's
load range.
The control-system designer's task is to develop a scheme that provides
adequate control under the widest practicable range of operational condi-
tions, and to do so in a manner that is both safe and cost-effective. To do
this it is necessary to understand the detailed mechanisms of the feed-water
and steam systems and to be fully aware of the operational requirements.
In all but the smallest and simplest boilers, each of the interrelated
factors has to be taken into account, and it is insufficient to rely on simple
responses to the three parameters which seem to be relevant to the supply
of feed water: steam flow, feed-water flow and the level of water in the
drum.

6.2 One, two and three-element control

The level of water in the drum provides an immediate indication of the

water contained by the boiler. If the mass flow of water into the system is