ROLE OF INSTRUMENTATION

ENGINER IN POWER PLANT

AUTOMATION

By Vishal Sinha
Design Engineer
By R.S.Shankar
(C&I)
Chief Engineer C&I
Fichtner Consulting Engineers (India) Pvt. Ltd.

18.12.09
POWER PLANT AUTOMATION
WHAT IS AUTOMATION?
• Automation in the simplest of
terms means ‘to auto’ thus
avoiding manual interface with
the machine or in simpler words
‘control without direct
interference’.
• Automation is the self-controlling
operation of machinery that
reduces or dispenses with human
communication or control when
used in normal conditions.
WHY AUTOMATION ?
ORIGIN OF AUTOMATION
During first industrial
revolution, the
automation implies
replacement of Human
muscles by machine.
ROLE OF PROCESS CONTROL IN AUTOMATION
• The Process control made
this conversion more
simpler by making these
machine smarter and
gave room to Second
industrial revolution.

• As in simple example, we
can see the tank level can
be easily controlled by the
controller and hence no
more human inteface is
required.
OPTIMIZING THE PROCESS
• Thus changes the
perception from maximizing
quantity of production to
quality coupled with level of
comfort and safety.
• Automation thus reduces
the human sensory and
mental requirement,
human brain is hence used
in creativity and opitimizing
the process for a better
tomorrow.
 ENGINEERING DEFINTION FOR
AUTOMATION
Automation implies
successful control,
which in turns requires
correct combination of
Sensor,
sensor, controller and
final control element.
Controller

Final Control
Element
 It can be as simple as
maintaining
temperature of room
at 22 degree Celsius
or as complex as
guiding spacecraft to
moon.
AUTOMATION FOR THE CONTROLLER
From the Controller
Viewpoint automation
is in effect a set of
computing and timing
element which combine
in group to ultimately
carryout mathematical
operation.
INDUSTRIAL DEFINITION OF
AUTOMATION
Automation is the use
of control system in
concert with
information
Technology to control
industrial machinery
and process, thus
reducing human
intervention.
WHERE AUTOMATION EXIST?
Cars
Traditional: appliances control
(windows, seats, radio,..)
motor control (exhaust
regulations)
Critical new applications: ABS
(anti-skip) and EPS (stability),
brake-by-wire, steer-by-wire (“X-
by-wire”) increased safety

Robots
Extension limited to 2-3 m
(portal robots 10-20m)
frequent reprogramming for
new tasks, tooling
simple embedded computer,
hierarchical control
 LOCOMOTIVE
radio link vehicle control unit
display unit

VCU VCU
DU DU
TCU TCU

brakes diagnostics traction control unit energy signaling

Benefits: Reduce operation costs, faster diagnostics, better

energy, management automatic train control.
There are more than 30 computers in locomotives.
AVIONICS
AVIONICS:
flight control (safe
flight envelope,
autopilot,
“engineer”)
flight management
flight recording
(black boxes,
turbine supervision)
diagnostics
“fly-by-wire”
 LAUNCH VEHICLES

GPC 1 GPC 2 GPC 3 GPC 4 GPC 5 Panels

CPU 1 CPU 2 CPU 3 CPU 4 CPU 5
IOP 1 IOP 2 IOP 3 IOP 4 IOP 5
serial data
Intercomputer (5) ( 23 shared,
Mass memory (2)
Display system (4)
5 dedicated
Payload operation (2) buses
Launch function (2)
Flight instrument (5;1 dedicated per GPC)
Flight - critical sensor and control (8)
SUBSTATION
Protection (Lines,
transformers, generators) very
high speed response control
(remote or local) to guarantee
power flow, safe operation
(interlocking)
measurement (local and
remote), electricity bill, power
flow in grid

Pharmaceutical Industry
Inventory
Recipe management
Packaging
Sampling
MANUFACTURING
WAREHOUSE
Extreme dependency on the
availability of the control
system

Connection to
• Supply chain management,
• Order fulfilment
• Customer relationship and
• Commercial accounting (SAP)
 Oil & Gas, petrochemicals

“Upstream": from the earth to the refinery

down-sea control

special requirement: high pressure,

saltwater, inaccessibility
explosive environment with gas.

Distributation
special requirement: environmental
protection

“Downstream": from the oil to

derived products
special requirement: extreme explosive
Environment
 CHEMICAL INDUSTRY
Logistics,
local control of reactors
Characterized by batches of products, reuse
of production reactors for different
product types (after cleaning).

CEMENT INDUSTRY

METAL INDUSTRY
PULP AND PAPER INDUSTRY
POWER TRANSMISSION
 POWER PLANT
Hydro
- river
- dams
- storage dams

Thermo
- coal
- gas
- atom
- solar
- waste

Alternative
- wind
- photo-voltaic
POWER PLANT SCENERIO IN INDIA
At present 83*
Thermal Power
Plant.
 Installed Capacity in Mega Watt (MW) from 1950 to 2009
(As on 31/05/2009)

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2006 2008 2009

MW 1700 4600 13000 28000 66000 112000 145588 149111

*Source: Ministry of Pow er Website
 Actual Power Demand Vs Supply Position in India

120000

100000

80000
MW

60000

40000

20000
2002- 2003- 2004- 2005- 2006- 2007- 2008-

Demand 81492 84574 87906 93255 100715 108866 109809

Supply 71547 75066 77652 81792 86818 90793 96685
*Source: CEA Website
Actual Energy Requirement Vs Energy Supply Position in India

700000

600000

500000
MU

400000

300000

200000

100000
2002- 2003- 2004- 2005- 2006- 2007- 2008-
03 04 05 06 07 08 09

Demand 545983 559264 591373 631757 690587 739345 774324

Supply 497890 519398 548115 578819 624495 666007 689021
*Source: CEA Website
 POWER CAPACITY DISTRIBUTION
IN INDIA
25%
3%
1%
8%
10%

53%

Coal 53% Gas 10% Diesel1% Nuclear 3% Hydro 25% Rest 8%

POWER SHAREHOLDING IN INDIA
CONCEPT OF MERCHANT POWER
•  The Union Power Ministry is
encouraging merchant power plants
across the country as a means to
create additional generating capacity
at a faster rate through private sector
participation.
• Merchant power is the term used by
power companies to describe
electricity sold in the open market.
• Power plants usually sign long-term
PPAs with state governments under
which they agree to sell power to
state-owned distribution utilities at a
fixed rate for a specified period.
OPENESS IN POLICY
• To facilitate sale of power to
power traders and third parties,
the government has established
an open access policy in power
transmission.
• Introduced in the Electricity Act,
2003, open access basically refers
to the right to transmit power
over a system belonging to a
third party.
• With such concerted efforts in all
areas, Merchant power is
considered a favourable option
for private sector.
 AGENCIES INVOLVED IN
DEVELOPMENT OF POWER PLANT
• Independent Power Producer (IPP)
• Engineering, Procurement & Construction
(EPC) Company
• Consulting Engineering Company
• OEMs, Equipment manufacturers,
• Control and Instrumentation Companies
• Government departments and ministries
• Regulatory Authority etc.
 Power Scenario in India
Installed Capacity in MW as on 31-05-09
Total Installed Capacity is 1,49,111.2 MW
S.No Sector Hydro Thermal Nuclear Wind/Re
st Total

1 Private 1,230.00 11,800.50 0.0 10,994.70 24,025.20

2 State 27,055.70 46,672.30 0.0 2,247.70 75,975.70

3 Central 8,592.00 36,399.00 4,120.00 0.0 49,110.30

4 Total 36,877.70 93,725.30 4,120.00 13,242.40 149,111.20

TARGET OF POWER GENERATION
 As per Central Electricity Authority’s (CEA)
projection for the 11th Plan (2007-2012),
 Capacity addition required - 78,578 MW
 58,571 MW of Thermal (approx. 10,
786MW per annum)
 16,627 MW of Hydro
 3,380 MW of Nuclear
 
 As per CEA / Planning Commission
projection for 12th Plan (2012-2017),
 Capacity addition planned - 82,200 MW
comprising of:
 40,200 MW Thermal
 30,000MW Hydro,
 12,000 MW of Nuclear power plants.
 
 
WHY COAL BASED POWER PLANT
IN INDIA?
COAL PRODUCTION AND
CONSUMPTION
• India ranked third in the
world with 7 percent coal
reserves of the total
world reserves
• Seventy percent of the
total coal produced is
consumed for power
generation. Steel &
cement are other major
consumers.
 Summary Table of Electric Power
Generation
Source India Japan U.S.
Coal 59.2% 21.2% 51.8%
Oil 13.9% 16.6% 03.1%
Gas 06.3% 22.1% 15.7%
Nuclear 02.5% 30.0% 19.9%
Hydro 17.8% 08.2% 07.4%
Others 00.3% 01.9% 02.2%
HOW POWER PLANT WORKS?
POWER PLANT OPERATION
• Power Plant, as the
name suggest means
to generate power or
electricity.
• In a conventional
power plant, steam
turbine rotates the
generator.
POWER PLANT OPERATION
• This requires continuous flow
of high pressure steam. The
burning of coal produces heat
and this heat boils the water
in the boiler to produce high
pressure steam.
• This steam rotates the
turbine which thereby rotates
the generator to produce
electricity based on Faraday
Law’s, the electricity is thus
sent to grid for transmission.
POWER PLANT LAYOUT
 Fuel Handling Furnace/Boiler Transmission
Coal Storage
Stack
Ash Removal Air Quality
Conveyors System
And Scale (Scrubber, Precipitator)l
To
Distribution
Substation 1
Coal Crusher

Boiler Bag Fly Ash

House Conveyor
Draft
Fans

Raw Generation
Coal
Silo Furnace
Pulverizer
Transformer
Feed To
Hot
Coal Feeder Water Distribution
Bottom Ash Heater Well
Conveyor Pump
Feed Water
Pumps Feed Water Tank

To
Influent Wastewater From Substation 2
Water Treatment
Treatment, Neighboring
To Effluent Utility

Water/Wastewater
ROLE OF ENGINEER IN POWER PLANT
• The operation and
maintenance of power
plant is done by
engineers of various
disciplines like
Mechanical, Electrical,
C&I, Civil etc.
• But the role of C&I
Engineer is even more
demanding, a C&I
Engineer have to be very
proficient.
ROLE OF C&I ENGINEER IN POWER
PLANT
• Responsible for all
measurements made in the
plant.
• The accuracy of the
measurement determines
the efficiency of the process,
the efficiency of each process
in turn determines the total
efficiency of the plant.
• The C&I engineer has an
intimate knowledge of the
process, without which it is
neither possible to
instrument the process nor
control it.
COMPLEXITY IN POWER PLANT
A Power Plant is a complex
thing and its construction is
frantic, long drawn out
involves many people,
difficult conditions like dirt,
noise, extreme temperature,
complex cabling, thousands
of instruments ,systems
makes the task of C&I
engineer challenging and
demanding.
LARGE AND VARIED
MEASUREMENT
• In Power Plant, C&I
engineer is responsible for
measurement as close to 4
degree Centigrade near
the condensor to 1200
degree centigrade inside
the boiler. Not only this
the pressure measurement
range varies from vaccum
to very high pressure.
SELECTIVITY OF MEASURING
INSTRUMENTS
• The proper selection of which instrument to
be used when, i.e. we cant measure the
flow simply by conventional flowmeter at a
Main steam line at 550 degree Celsius.
• The instrument mounted for this purpose of
measurement requires not only should be
accurate but also reliable and efficient.
• For instance, Thermocouple can not be used
in rugged places so RTD is used.
• The goal of C&I engineer is to make sure
that all the measurements, calibration,
maintenance, control are done satisfactorily
well for proper functioning of power plan
MEASUREMENT DONE IN POWER
PLANT
Process measurements :
Pressure, Temperature,
Flow and Level.

Analytical measurements
(SWAS) : pH, Conductivity,
Silica, Hydrazine and
Dissolved Oxygen.
• Condition monitoring
measurements for rotating
equipment : Vibration, speed,
bearing temperatures,
eccentricity, axial shift,
displacement.
• Emission monitoring (CEMS):
CO, SOx, NOx
• Environmental measurements
: Wind velocity, Ambient
temperature, Humidity,
Rainfall etc.
MEASUREMENT PARAMETER
• Indication of the parameter -
can be either LOCAL or REMOTE
• LOCAL means indication of the
parameter at the field by a dial
type gauge, liquid level gauge
or flow glass.
• REMOTE means that the
primary signal is converted to
an electrical analog signal and
transmitted to the control room
for indication / control.
WHY MEASUREMENT ARE
CONTROLLED?
• The C&I engineer is responsible for
control philosophy of each system of
the power plant.

• For instance, The Temperature

measurement at the outlet of MS line
is in the range of 550 degree Celsius,
during maintenance or trip, Bypass
and control valve plays an important
role, the goal of C&I engineer is to
make sure that excess steam is
properly sent to the Condensor or
deaerator for the right purpose.
WHAT IS CONTROL SYSTEM?
CONTROL SYSTEM
• A control system is a device or set
of devices to manage, command,
direct or regulate the behavior of
other devices or systems.

• There are two common classes of

control systems, with many
variations and combinations: logic
or sequential control and
feedback or linear controls. There
is also fuzzy logic, which attempts
to combine some of the design
simplicity of logic with the utility
of linear control.
WHY CONTROL SYSTEM?
CONTROL SYSTEM LEADS TO
INNOVATION
The control system
has made the human
relieved from the
tedious calculations
which sometime
leads to error, thus
allowing maximum
chances of creativity
and innovation.
Most control system
are complicated
enough to demand
that a controller
perform some sort of
mathematical
calculation before a
control action is
initiated thus concept
from calculus and
algebra is required.
DCS IN POWER PLANT
• The control system is
responsible for controlling
action of all the
measurement.
• In power plant this DCS
(Distributed Control System
) plays the role of this
control system.
• All interlocking, monitoring
and annunciation
operations are performed
in DCS.
Why DCS?
• High Reliability
• Improved Response Time
• Improved Interface to plant
• Improved accesbility of plant data
to engineering and management
personals.
• Historical Storage and Retrival
System
• Safe operation of Plant
• Lowest Cost of Generation
• Longest Equipment Life
• Minimum Environmental Effect
• Maximum Efficiency
• Energy Conversation
DCS IN POWER PLANT
 Discrete Discrete Discrete Discrete
(Custom) Continuous
(PLC) (PLC) (PLC)
(DCS)

Discrete
(PLC)

Discrete
(PLC)
DIFFERENT CONTROL SYSTEM IN POWER PLANT

DCS systems
PLC’s for
for process
sequential
control
control

Motion Drive
controllers systems for
for motion drives
control control
CONTROL ROOM IN POWER PLANT
DCS ARCHITECTURE
DISTRIBUTED CONTROL SYSTEM
DISTRIBUTED CONTROL SYSTEM
DISTRIBUTED CONTROL SYSTEM
DISTRIBUTED CONTROL SYSTEM
• DCS refers to a control
system usually of a ,
process or any kind of
dynamic system, in which
the controller elements
are not central in location
(like the brain) but are
distributed throughout
the system with each
component sub-system
controlled by one or more
controllers.
OPERATION OF DCS
• The most common example is a
setpoint control loop consisting
of a pressure sensor, controller,
and control valve.
• Flow measurements are
transmitted to the controller,
usually through the aid of a
signal conditioning Input/Output
(I/O) device.
• When the measured variable
reaches a certain point, the
controller instructs a valve or
actuation device to open or close
until the fluidic flow process
reaches the desired setpoint.
DCS HARDWARE

• Controller card
• Input Cards (4-20 m A)
 Thermocouple, RTD, SOE
 Output Cards(4-20 m A, Digital)
 Power Supply Module
 Communication Card Cables
• Controller with I/O card
OPERATOR WORK STATION
• Alarm Monitoring
• Mimic Or Graphic Display
• Trend Display
• Operator Guidance Display
• System and Diagnostic Display
• Control
• Bar Chart
• Sequence Display
• Fault Analysis Display
AUTO CONTROL LOOP

• Co-ordinated Control
• Total Air Control
• Super/Reheater
Temperature Control
• Mill out Temperature
Control
• Hotwell/Deaerator level
Control
• Drum Level Control
• Furnace Draft Control
INTERLOCK AND PROTECTION
• Interlock and protection are
used for safe
startup/operation/shutdow
n/trip/ of an equipment for
auxilliaries such as
• CW Pump, ID Fan, FD Fan,
PA Fan, BFP, CEP, Mill.
• Heater
• Valve and Drains
BOILER CONTROL
• Burner Management
Control
• Secondary air
Damper Control
• Auxilliary Pressure
desuperheating
system
• Soot blower Control
• HP By pass Control
TURBINE CONTROL SYSTEM
• Turbine Governing
System
• Turbine Protection
• Automatic Turbine Run
up System
• Turbine Stress Controller
• LP bypass control
• Sequential Control for
turbine Drive BFP
• Generator auxiliary
monitoring
PERFORMANCE CALCULATION
• Boiler Efficiency
• Turbine
• HP/LP/IP Turbine
• Feed Heaters
• Deaerator
• Condensor
• Air Preheater
• Unit Heat Rate
DCS FOR 500 MW PLANT
• Number of
inputs: 13750
• Number of
Outputs: 7250
• Operator Work
Station: 8
• Large Video
Screen: 5
DCS IN INDUSTRY
• Large oil refineries have
many thousands of I/O
points and employ very
large DCS. Processes are
not limited to fluidic flow
through pipes.

• It can also include things

like variable speed drives
and motor control
centers, cement kilns,
mining operations, ore
processing facilities, and
many others.
Last but not the
least, Automation
has made the power
plant a safe, reliable,
efficient,
comfortable,
innovative place to
work for the
generation of
electricity for the
mankind.