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Standards
Certification
2006
Education & Training
Publishing
Conferences & Exhibits
 Boiler Control Systems
Engineering

Jerry Gilman
Standards
Certification
Education & Training
Publishing
Conferences & Exhibits
Control System Functions

• A boiler is a process
• Regardless of what control technology is used all boilers
require certain control functions.
– Furnace Draft
– Drum Level Feedwater
– Fuel Air
– Steam Temperature
Control System Considerations

• Draft
• Drum level feedwater
– Single element
– Two element
– Three element
• Fuel air ratio
• Final elements Valves etc
– Valve Sizing
Basic Diagram of a Boiler

STEAM
WATER
STEAM/WATER SYSTEM BLOWDOWN

FUEL MIXING OF FURNACE HEAT FLUE GAS

FUEL & AIR TRANSFER
SURFACE
AIR ASH
Steam & Mud Drum / Circulation

STEAM
STEAM

FU R N AC E FLU E G AS

FU EL C IR C U L A T IO N
FLAM E
A IR

M U D
D R U M

W ATER
G AS BAFFLES C IR C U L A T E S
C L O C K W IS E
SAMA Symbols

Scientific Apparatus Makers Association

ENCLOSURE SYMBOLS
Table 1
Function Symbol
Measuring or
Readout

Manual Signal
Processing

Automatic Signal
Processing

Final Controlling

Within a circle use a letter symbol from Table II

Within other enclosures us a symbol from Table III
SAMA Symbols (cont’d)

MEASURING/READOUT LETTERS
Table II
Process Variable Function
A = Analysis** R = Recording
C = Conductivity I = Indicating
FR
D = Density T = Transmitter
F = Flow RT = Recording
L = Level Transmitter
M = Moisture IT = Indicating
FRT
P = Pressure Transmitter
S = Speed
T = Temperature
V = Viscosity
W = Weight
Z = Position

**Self-defining symbols such as O 2, pH, etc., can be used in place of A.

SAMA Symbols (Table III)
SIGNAL SIGNAL
FUNCTION PROCESSING FUNCTION PROCESSING
SYMBOL SYMBOL
SUMMING INTEGRATE OR TOTALIZE Q
 or +
AVERAGING HIGH SELECTING
/n
DIFFERENCE LOW SELECTING
 or -
PROPORTIONAL K or P HIGH LIMITING

INTEGRAL LOW LIMITING

 or I
DERIVATIVE d/dt or D REVERSE PROPORTIONAL -K or -P
MULTIPLYING X VELOCITY LIMITING V
DIVIDING BIAS
 
ROOT EXTRACTION TIME FUNCTION f(t)

EXPONENTIAL n VARIABLE SIGNAL
X A
GENERATION
NON-LINEAR FUNCTION f(x) TRANSFER T
TRI-STATE SIGNAL  SIGNAL MONITOR H/, H/L, /L
(RAISE, HOLD, LOWER)
 SAMA Legend

1. CONTROLLER Measuring or Readout

Automatic Signal Processing

A Manual Signal Processing

SET POINT
GENERATOR RESET Final Controlling

PROPORTIONAL
K ∫ | Signal Repeater
MANUAL SIGNAL
GENERATOR
∑ Summing ∑/h Summing
T A
AUTO./MAN.
TRANSFER SWITCH
d/d1 Derivative ∆ Difference ∫ Integral
K, -K Proportional, Reverse Proportional
X Multiplying ÷ Dividing √ Root Extracting
2. AUTO MANUAL + BIAS STATION f(x) Non Linear or Unspecified Function
f(t) Time Function

A > High Selecting < Low Selecting

± MANUAL SIGNAL |>
>
|
BIAS
ADJUSTMENT GENERATOR High Limiting Low Limiting
T A Velocity or Rate Limiter
AUTO./MAN.
TRANSFER SWITCH +, -, ± Bias
Simple Feedback Control

PRIMARY VARIABLE

XT

K PROCESS
SET POINT

A T A

f(x)

MANIPULATED VARIABLE
Feedforward Plus Feedback Control

PRIMARY VARIABLE

XT

SECONDARY
VARIABLE

YT

PROCESS

SET POINT
A T A

f(x)

MANIPULATED VARIABLE
Cascade Control

PRIMARY VARIABLE

XT

SECONDARY
VARIABLE

ZT

PROCESS

SET POINT
A T A

f(x)

MANIPULATED VARIABLE
Ratio Control

UNCONTROLLED VARIABLE

YT

CONTROLLED
VARIABLE

XT

X PROCESS

RATIO SET

A T A

f(x)

MANIPULATED VARIABLE
Block Diagram of Boiler Control

INPUT + OUTPUT
BOILER

FEEDWATER CONTROL

FUEL DEMAND FIRING

RATE
AIR DEMAND DEMAND

STEAM TEMPERATURE
CONTROL
Furnace Pressure Control
Block Diagram of Boiler Control

INPUT + OUTPUT
BOILER

FEEDWATER CONTROL

FUEL DEMAND FIRING

RATE
AIR DEMAND DEMAND

STEAM TEMPERATURE
CONTROL
Boiler Steam Drum Swell / Shrink

SATURATED

STEAM

STEAM

FEEDWATER

WATER

WATER

WATER-MIXED STEAM BUBBLES

Single Element Feedwater Control

DRUM LEVEL LT PT DRUM PRESSURE

f(x) PRESSURE
COMPENSATION
X

A 
K 
SET POINT

A T M/A CONTROL STATION

f(x) FINAL CONTROL DEVICE

Typical single-drive control system. For simplicity, redun-

dant transmitters have not been shown on this typical
control drawing. See Figure 2A for ANSI/ISA-S5.1-1984
format.
Single Element Control Action

SWELL
NWL
DRUM LEVEL SHRINK

100

% STEAM FLOW 75 *
STEAM
FLOW FEEDWATER FLOW

50

25

0
0 TIME

* INTERACTION WITH FIRING RATE CONTROL DUE TO IMBALANCE

BETWEEN STEAM FLOW AND FEEDWATER FLOW.
Two Element Feedwater Control

STEAM
DRUM PRESSURE FLOW TEMPERATURE

PRESSURE PT LT LEVEL PT FT TE

f(x) f(x) f(x)

X X
PRESSURE TEMPERATURE
COMPENSATION AND PRESSURE
COMPENSATION
K
SET POINT A 
K 

A T M/A CONTROL STATION

f(x) FINAL CONTROL DEVICE

Typical single-drive control system. For simplicity, redundant

transmitters have not been shown on this typical control drawing.
See Figure 3A for ANSI/ISA-S5.1-1984 format.
Performance Two Element (Ideal Conditions)

FEEDWATER PRESSURE

SWELL DRUM LEVEL

NWL
SHRINK

100

% STEAM FLOW
75
STEAM
FLOW FEEDWATER FLOW
50

25

0
0 TIME
Performance Two Element (Effect of Feedwater Variation)

FEEDWATER PRESSURE

SWELL
NWL

SHRINK DRUM LEVEL

100

% STEAM FLOW
75
STEAM FEEDWATER FLOW
FLOW
50

25

0
0 TIME
 Three Element Feedwater Control

STEAM DRUM FEEDWATER

PRESSURE FLOW TEMPERATURE LEVEL PRESSURE FLOW TEMPERATURE

PT FT TE LT PT FT TE

f(x) f(x) f(x) f(x)

X X PRESSURE X
COMPENSATION TEMPERATURE
PRESSURE AND CONDENSATION
TEMPERATURE
COMPENSATION  A SET POINT
K


K

(K) (a) +K (b) + K (c) etc. + bias = output T A

M/A CONTROL
STATION
Typical single-drive
Typical single-drive control control
system.system. For simplicity,
For simplicity, redundant
redundant transmitters
transmitters have not been shown on this typical control drawing. FINAL
have notSee
been shown on this typical control drawing. See Figure 4A for f(x)
Figure 4A for ANSI/ISA-S5.1-1984 format. CONTROL
ANSI/ISA-5.1-1984 format. DEVICE
Performance Three Element
Block Diagram of Boiler Control

INPUT + OUTPUT
BOILER

FEEDWATER CONTROL

FUEL DEMAND FIRING

RATE
AIR DEMAND DEMAND

STEAM TEMPERATURE
CONTROL
Firing Single Fuel/Cross Limiting

STEAM
Fuel FLOW HEADER PRESSURE AIR FLOW

FT PT FT

A f(x)
P I
A T

SP SP

P I LO SELECT HI SELECT P I
Fuel CONTROL AIR CONTROL
A T A T

f(x)
Fuel Feed
AIR DAMPER
Cross Limit Control With O2 Trim

STEAM
G AS FLO W HEAD ER PR ESSUR E A IR F L O W O 2

FT PT FT AT

A f(x ) A

P I P I STEAM
FLO W
A T

SP SP

LO SELEC T H I SELEC T
P I P I
G AS C O NTRO L A IR C O N T R O L
A T A T

f(x )

G A S VA LV E A IR D A M P E R
 Flow Characteristics

100

AIR
(B)

AIR

% FUEL AND (C) FUEL

50
AIR FLOW
(D)
FUEL
(A)

0
0 50 100
% CONTROL RANGE
A,B – BASIC FLOW CHARACTERISTICS OF CONTROLLED DEVICES
C,D – CHARACTERISTICS AFTER LINEARIZATION AND ALIGNMENT
 Non Linear Flow
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
1 4 9 16 25 36 49 64 81 100

Flow in %

120

100 100
90
80 80 81
70
64 Series1
60 60
Series2
50 49
40 40
36
30
25
20 20
16
10 9
4
0 0 1
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Non Linear Flow

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
0 1 4 9 16 25 36 49 64 81 100

Flow in %

120

100 100
90
80 80 81
70
64 Series1
60 60
Series2
50 49
40 40
36
30
25
20 20
16
10 9
4
0 0 1
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Characterization

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 OUT
0 7.5 15 22.5 30 37.5 45 52.5 60 IN

90

80 80

70 70

60 60 60

52.5
50 50
Serie
45
Serie
40 40
37.5
30 30 30
22.5
20 20
15
10 10
7.5
0 0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Control Valve Sizing Calculations

• Cv = Number of US gallons of water at 60oF that

flows through a valve in one minute when the
pressure differential across the valve is one pound
per square inch

– Valve sizing water no density consideration:

– The term Cv is generally used in industry for calculating the
relative flow capacity in valves
Q  gpm
SG  specific gravity
ΔP  pressure d rop across valve
Control Valve Sizing Calculations (cont’d)

• Valve sizing water no density consideration:

P = pressure drop across valve typical third of drop

Cv  GPM SG  ΔP

600,000 pph water = 600,000  8.34 lb/gal = 1200 gpm

P = pressure drop across valve, typical a third of drop
Pump pressure = 2000 psi,
Drum pressure = 1400 psi
2000  1400 = 600
600  1/3 = 200 valve drop
Control Valve Sizing Calculations (cont’d)

• The calculation 600,000 pph is:

Cv  GPM S G  P
Cv  1200 1.0  200  84.85

• The calculation for 250,000 pph is:

Cv  300 1.0  150  24.49

Control Valve Sizing Calculations (cont’d)

• Valve sizing water 450oF, SG = 0.827

• The calculation 600,000 pph is:
Cv  GPM S G  P
Cv  1200 0.827  200  77.16

Cv at 60o = 84.85
Cv at 450o = 77.16
Control Valve Sizing Calculations (cont’d)

• Valve sizing steam:

pph
Cv 
63  P  V
V  specific volume, Steam at 1000 lbs  0.44956
ΔP  1400  1000  400
One third of 400  133, 133  0.44956  17.2
100,000 100,000
Cv    92.3
63  17.2 1083
Control Valve Sizing Calculations (cont’d)

• Valve sizing steam:

pph
Cv 
63  P  V
V  specific volume, 800o F superheated steam at 1000 lbs
 0.6875
P  1400 - 1000
 400
One third of 400  133, 133  0.6875  13.9
100,000 100,000
Cv    114.1
63  13.9 876.6
Summary

• Regardless of the hardware and or software used certain

control functions are required.
• These controls are
– Furnace Draft
– Drum Level Feedwater
– Fuel Air
– Steam Temperature
• Measurement / transmitter specifications
– Calibration
– Calibration span
• Final elements Valves etc
– Valve Sizing
Questions and Discussion
Related Resources from ISA

• Boiler Control Systems Engineering Jerry Gilman

• The Control of Boilers Sam G. Dukelow
• ISA Courses
• ES15 Boiler Control System Engineering
– Three day course
– One day overview
– WEB introduction course
• ES16 Burner Management System Engineering
– Three day course
– One day overview

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