BOILER PLANT OPERATION

Presented By Mr. Sivanand Ray

Fleet Management Training
Institute

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 INSTRUMENTATION USED ON A SHELL
BOILER

 Fire-tube type boiler reviewed for simplicity

 Instrumentation:
» Items that provide operator with indication of
condition within the boiler
» Ensure indications are within SAFETY limits and
design OPERATIONAL PARAMETERS
 Operating pressures, temperatures, flows, water
level

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 INSTRUMENTATION
 PRESSURE GAUGE
» Normally Bourdon type of gauge
» Large with large numbers
» Graduated approximately double the pressure
of safety valve setting, not < than 1,5
» Located on top of shell/drum on an
independent nozzle
» Supplied with a siphon (“pigtail”) to develop a
water seal
» Must be calibrated at least once a year
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 INSTRUMENTATION
 PRESSURE TRANSMITTER
» Where a remote pressure indicator required,
an electrical signal used
» Separate transducer
» Mounted on same branch as pressure
indicator

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 INSTRUMENTATION
 LEVEL COLUMNS
» Provides VISIBLE water level indication
» Minimum 25NB pipe line connecting column to boiler
» TWO water gauge glasses for boiler pressure >28
bar
» Normally simple gauge glass type
 Installed such that with lowest reading on gauge glass, 75
mm water over highest point of tubes
 Visible range of water level approx. 125mm from NWL

» Daily routine blow down to remove debris, scale,

sludge

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 Typical Water Level
Gauge for Low Pressure Boiler
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Electronic and digital water level indicators
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 INSTRUMENTATION
 LEVEL SWITCHES
» Float type (Mobrey)
» Single-element control (on-off or modulating)
» Normally located in an external chamber
» TWO chambers mandatory
 Low level alarm
 Low-low-level shut down
» Weekly routine test to check correct
operation of switches

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 INSTRUMENTATION

 TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT
» Flue gas exit temperature
» An increase indicates fouling problems
» Thermocouples, insulated from gas sampling
tube

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 TYPICAL PROCESS AND
INSTRUMENTATION DIAGRAM (P&ID)

 COAL FIRED LP BOILER

» Instrumentation
» Control loops
 OIL OR GAS FIRED LP BOILER
» Instrumentation
» Control loops

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 CONTROL AND SYSTEM
OPERATING PHILOSOPHY

 CONTROLS :
» Regulate the various quantities indicated by
the instruments
» Shut down (with interlocks) the plant if
parameters exceeded
» Manual operation to sophisticated automatic
computer operation (DCS)

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 CONTROL AND SYSTEM
OPERATING PHILOSOPHY

 To control a boiler, following quantities

require to be regulated :
» Fuel/air ratio to maintain optimum
combustion conditions
» Water flow to match steam flow from boiler
» Steam flow and pressure to regulate heat
input
» Combustion chamber pressure (balanced
draught boilers)
» Combustion safety M4-12

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 COMBUSTION CONTROL
 Manual control cannot continuously control
combustion in a reliable and efficient manner
 Automatic control systems used :
» maintains fuel-air ratio to furnace at an optimum
» maintains a relatively constant steam pressure
 Combustion control mechanisms vary slightly
depending on fuel fired
 No matter what fuel, four aspects that are
regulated:
 Air supply; Fuel supply; Ratio of fuel to air; Flame safety

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 COMBUSTION CONTROL

 Two basic types of combustion control

systems:
» Positioning
» Metering
 Pneumatic or Electrical control drives

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 COMBUSTION CONTROL
 Positioning Type Control:
» Designed to control based on a change in
steam pressure
» Components :
 Master steam pressure controller
 Fuel control valve with cam for oil / gas or feed
control drive for coal
 Combustion air fan inlet vanes / outlet damper
operator
» Simplistic
 cannot maintain fuel – air ratio at optimum over
full load range
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 COMBUSTION CONTROL
 Metering Type controller :
» Components as per Positioning type with :
 Fuel flow measuring device
 Air flow signal

» Fuel-air ratio is controlled by a relay

» Capable of adjusting fuel-air ratio and where
fuel pressure may vary

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 General Selection Chart for
Combustion Control Systems
Type of Fuel Type of Control Steam Generation
System Capacity Ranges
(kg/hr)
Coal Modulating positioning to 27 500
Full metering (Steam
/air flow) 18 000 – 36 000
Full metering with
Oxygen compensation above 36 000

Fuel Oil & Gas Modulating positioning to 11 500

Full metering (Steam
/ air flow) 11 500 – 45 000
Full metering with
Oxygen compensation above 45 000 M4-17

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 STEAM PRESSURE CONTROL
 Main purpose of a steam boiler is to
produce steam within a definite pressure
range
 Steam pressure dictated by :
» process plant steam demand
» heat input to the boiler furnace
 Pressure fluctuates between minimum
and maximum settings

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 STEAM PRESSURE CONTROL

 Modulating control linked to upper and

lower pressure limits
» On-off pressure switch – low or high fire
burner
» Definite limitation exists on burner minimum
firing rate
 turndown ration varies : 4:1 gas; 2:1 oil

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 FEED WATER SUPPLY CONTROL
 Purpose is to provide sufficient feed water flow
to ensure all heat transfer surfaces are cooled
with water
 Visible water level provided by :
» Two simple gauge glasses
» More sophisticated devices (electrodes, capacitance
or conductivity type)
 Water sensor controls :
» Normally two independent
» Float operated
» Thermostatic
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 FEED WATER SUPPLY CONTROL
 Typical arrangements of feed water plant
:
» Two or more pumps (standby) from hot well
tank (10-15 min. storage)
 Either on-off operation or a feed valve station
» Feed valve station :
 Check valve
 Stop valve
 Feed control valve c/w isolation and bypass valves

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 FEED WATER CONTROL SYSTEMS
 ON AND OFF FEED WATER PUMP
» Small boilers with relatively large water
storage, slow load changes
» Typical float operated water level controller,
mounted at water line
» Also serves either as low-water level alarm or
low water cut off

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 FEED WATER CONTROL SYSTEMS

 MODULATING LEVEL CONTROLLERS

» Boilers with relatively small water volume
relative to steam demand
» Thermostatic type regulator feeds water
continuously to the boiler, stabilising the
water level
» THREE types of modulating controllers :
 SingleElement Level Controller
 Two Element Level Controller
 Three Element Level Controller

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 Schematic of Three
Element Level Controller

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 SOME CONSIDERATIONS REGARDING
WATER LEVEL CONTROL

 Rapid changes in steam flow rate can cause

SURGING of the water level and carry-over
 VERY IMPORTANT that the :
» steam qualities
» characteristics of boiler (size, firing system)
MUST be properly matched to the OPERATING
characteristics of water level controlling system
 Highest water level, NWL, lowest level for safe
operation should be MARKED on boiler outer
shell
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 FURNACE PRESSURE CONTROL
 Only really required on coal fired boilers
with FD and ID fan
 Required to :
» prevent excessive negative pressure and
uncontrolled air entering furnace
» products of combustion to percolate back to
coal supply
 Controller transmitter range not too
narrow
» typically +250 to –1250 Pa
» ideal control point –100 Pa M4-26

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 AUTOMATIC CONTROLS
 Instrumentation employed same as that
for manual operation
 Rapid and continuous development of
electronic control systems means systems
for boilers are now DIVERSE
 Selection shall depend on owner /
purchaser present complexity of control
systems
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 AUTOMATIC CONTROLS
 ASPECTS that do not vary whether
auto/manual :
» Principles of operation
» Areas of control (control loops)
» Direct reading of instruments
» Safety devices and interlocks
» Selector for “manual” or “automatic”

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