BOILER CONTROL SYSTEM

Joko Winarno, ST., M.Eng

 Introduction

 Boilers merupakan sumber utama

penghasil uap air dan air panas di industri
di mana permintaan uap air atau air
panas seringkali mengalami fluktuasi
sesuai dengan kebutuhan. Oleh karena
itu boiler harus dirancang mampu
merespon variasi beban uap atau air
panas dengan tetap mempertahankan
efisiensi dan keselamatan.
 Introduction
• Dalam operasinya boiler dapat dianggap
sebagai proses, sehingga perlu dikontrol agar
proses berlangsung sesuai design.
• Pengaturan (sistem kontrol) pada boiler
mencakup kontrol terhadap :
– Drum Level
– Fuel Air ratio
– Steam Temperature
– dll.
 Introduction

 Saat ini berbagai teknik pengendalian

boiler telah dikembangkan dan tersedia
banyak di pasaran.
 Beberapa di antaranya dikenal dengan
istilah local boiler controls dan sistem
kontrol boiler yang lebih canggih dikenal
dengan istilah direct digital controls i.e.
DDC.
 Introduction

 Local boiler controls umumnya

digunakan untuk sistem boiler yang
dioperasikan secara individual (stand
alone).
 Sistem kontrol ini sangat diperlukan untuk
menentukan ketinggian air dengan tepat
untuk menghindari resiko yang
ditimbulkan selama pengoperasian boiler.
Introduction
 Introduction
 The direct digital controls (DDC) adalah
sistem kontrol otomatis untuk mengendalikan
kondisi atau proses dengan peralatan digital
(komputer).
 Direct Digital control (DDC) memerlukan
centralized network-oriented approach.
Semua instrumentasi dikumpulkan
dikumpulkan dengan berbagai konverter analog
dan digital yang menggunakan jaringan
(network) untuk mengirimkan sinyal ke central
controller.
 Introduction
 Dalam pengoperasian boiler, direct
digital controls (DDC) terutama
digunakan dalam situasi di mana
beberapa boiler digunakan secara
bersama dalam suatu operasi.
 Sistem kontrol DDC ini merupakan sstem
invidual yang mampu menangani
pengendalian multi boiler sesuai dengan
perubahan permintaan uap untuk masing-
masing boiler.
 Introduction

Simple Direct Digital Controls (DDC)

 Why need boiler controls ?
• Meningkatkan uptime dan
availbilitas
• Menurunkan emisi gas buang
pembakaran
• Menjaga keselamatan boiler
• Mengendalikan biaya operasi
 Why need boiler controls ?
Meningkatkan uptime dan availabilitas
• Tujuan utama dari pengoperasian boiler adalah
menjaga uptime dan availbilitas. Oleh karena
itu, sangat penting untuk menjaga dan meng-
upgrade sistem kontrol boiler untuk menjamin
ketersediaan steam.
• Saat ini sistem kontrol modern untuk boiler telah
didesain lebih reliabel dan mudah disesuaikan
dengan fluktuasi beban akibat adanya veriasi
proses.
 Why need boiler controls ?
Menurunkan emisi gas buang pembakaran
• Kegagalan memenuhi regulasi emisi gas buang
yang saat ini berlaku dapat menyebabkan rugi-
rugi yang sangat mahal.
• Saat ini, regulasi lingkungan tidak bisa
dipandang sebagai formalitas belaka, akan
tetapi menjadi suatu aturan ang harus
dilaksanakan disertai dengan ancaman bagi
yang tidak melaksanakan.
• Cara yang efektif adalah dengan meningkatkan
efisiensi pembakaran.
 Why need boiler controls ?
Menjaga keselamatan boiler
• Modernisasi sistem kontrol pada boiler akan
menjadi bagian integral yang sangat erat
dengan keselamatan api (flame) atau sistem
manajemen burner untuk meningkatkan
keselamatan.
• Akses data, fungsi diagnostik dan alarm dapat
dicapai dengan menggunakan kontrol elektronik
yang modern yang dilengkapi dengan password
untuk menjamin keamaan operasi sistem
kontrol.
 Why need boiler controls ?
Mengendalikan biaya operasi
• Menurunkan konsumsi bahan bakar
• Mengurangi biaya rekayasa, instalasi dan
startup.
• Mengurangi biaya maintenance terhadap
equipment yang sudah tua umurnya
• Mengurangi manpower dengan respon otomatis
• Menyediakan strategi kontrol yang fleksibel
untuk mengurangi proses yang kacau.
• Data tersedia dengan mudah untuk monitoring
jarak jaruh.
Basic Diagram of Boiler
 Boiler Controls Type
• Boiler control systems dapat berupa pneumatik,
analog, digital, atau kombinasi antara ketiganya.
Design lama umumnya menggunakan
pneumatic control untuk local control loops.
• Analog control systems merupakan standar
industri untuk jangka waktu pendek sebelum
digantikan dengan digital control systems.
• Standar industri saat ini adalah distributed
control system (DCS), programmable logic
controller (PLC), atau direct digital controller
(DDC)
Block Diagram of Boiler Control
 Boiler Control Problem
Steam Flow &
Other Disturbances

Feedwater Drum-Level
Attemperating Steam Temp.
Water
Fuel Boiler Steam Pressure

Air Excess Air

Flue Gas Furnace Pressure

System decomposition: (1) drum-level control;

(2) combustion control; (3) steam-temperature control.
 Boiler Controls Selection
The guideline in selecting the type of control
 Microprocessor digital type of controls (e.g.
PLC, DDC, or DCS) should be used for most
new designs and in particular where a large
number of control loops are involved.
Consideration should also be given to using
microprocessor digital type controls to replace
pneumatic control systems that have exceeded
their life expectancy.
 Boiler Controls Selection
• Choose the type of control that will do the job
most economically.
• This includes total cost over the lifetime of the
equipment. Also consider compatibility with
controls used in the existing plant, ease of
operation and maintenance, and plant personnel
familiarity and training.
• Consider unique situations such as a high EMF
(electric magnetic field) where either EMF
shielding, fiber optic data transmission, or
pneumatic controls are required.
 Boiler Controls Selection
 Pneumatic control devices should be used in
hazardous areas. They may also be used in the
expansion of existing designs or as actuators for
the final control elements in the design. In general,
the pneumatic actuation of larger valves and large
number of valves is more cost effective than using
electric actuation.
 Analog logic devices (e.g. pneumatic receiver-
controllers or electric potentiometer controllers)
should not be considered for new designs.
 Consider the environmental conditions (e.g.
temperature and humidity) in which the controls will
be installed
Combustion Control System

Steam Flow,
Feedwater Flow &
Other Disturbances

Fuel Steam Pressure

Air Boiler Excess Air

Flue Gas Furnace Pressure

MVs and CVs Pairings: Flue gas →Furnace pressure, Air

→ Excess Air (O2% in flue gas), Fuel → Steam pressure
 Combustion Control System
Skema pengendalian (kontrol) pembakaran di dalam
boiler diklasifikasikan menjadi :
 Seri Control
 Paralel Control
 Seri-Paralel Control
Perangat keras yang digunakan dalam pengendalian
(kontrol) pembakaran di dalam boiler :
 On/Off eri Control
 Positioning System
 Metering Control System
 Combustion Control System
Metode pengendalian (kontrol) pembakaran di dalam
boiler diklasifikasikan menjadi :
 Excess Regulation
 Oxygen Trim
 Burner Modulation
 Air/Fuel corss limiting
 Total heat control
 Excess Air Regulation
 In actual practice, gas, oil, coal burning and other
systems do not do a perfect job of mixing the fuel
and air even under the best achievable conditions.
 Additionally, complete mixing may be a lengthy
process. In order to ensure complete combustion
and reduce heat loss, excess air has to be kept
within a suitable range.
 To ensure complete combustion of the fuel used
combustion chambers are supplied with excess air.
Excess air increase the amount of oxygen to the
combustion and the combustion of fuel.
Excess Air Regulation
 Excess Air Regulation
The regulation of excess air provides:
 A better boiler heat transfer rate
 An ‘advance warning’ of flue gas problems
(excess air coming out of the zone of maximum
efficiency)
 Substantial savings on fuel
The combustion efficiency increases with
increased excess air - until the heat loss in the
excess air is larger than the heat provided by more
efficient combustion.
Excess Air Regulation
Excess Air Regulation
 Excess Air Regulation

 Carbon dioxide - CO2 - is a combustion product

and the content of CO2 in a flue gas is an
important indication of the combustion efficiency.
 Optimal content of carbon dioxide - CO2 - after
combustion is approximately 10% for natural gas
and approximately 13% for lighter oils.
 Excess air to achieve highest possible efficiency
for some common fuels: 5 - 10% for natural gas,
5 - 20% for fuel oil, 15 - 60% for coal
 Excess Air Regulation
Table 2.5 Excess air levels for different fuels

Fuel Type of Furnace or Burners Excess Air

(% by wt)
Pulverised coal Completely water-cooled furnace for slag- 15-20
tap or dry-ash removal
Partially water-cooled furnace for dry-ash 15-40
removal
Coal Spreader stoker 30-60
Water-cooler vibrating-grate stokers 30-60
Chain-grate and traveling-gate stokers 15-50
Underfeed stoker 20-50
Fuel oil Oil burners, register type 5-10
Multi-fuel burners and flat-flame 10-30
Wood Dutch over (10-23% through grates) and 20-25
Hofft type
Bagasse All furnaces 25-35
Black liquor Recovery furnaces for draft and soda- 5-7
pulping processes
Excess Air Regulation
Excess Air Regulation
Excess Air Regulation
Excess Air Regulation
 Excess Air Calculation
O2 x 100
Excess air calculation based on O2 : EA 
21  O2
Excess air calculation based on CO2 :
7900[%(CO2 )t  %(CO2 ) a ]
EA 
%(CO2 ) a x [100  %(CO2 )t ]

mole _ of _ C
%(CO2 )t 
mole _ of _ N 2  mole _ of _ C

wt of N 2 in theoritical air wt of N 2 in fuel

Mole _ N 2  
mole wt N 2 mole wt N 2
 Oxygen Trim Control System

 Oxygen Trim Control : In this technique, the

quantity of oxygen present in the combustion
gases is determined and then the available
surplus air is cut down to achieve high burning
efficiency. This method of boiler control enables
sound control of emission as well as excess air.
It also results in simple override of carbon
monoxide or opacity
 Oxygen Trim Control System
When a measurement of oxygen in the flue gas is
available, the combustion control mechanism can be
vastly improved (since the percentage of oxygen in flue
is closely related to the amount of excess air) by adding
an oxygen trim control module, allowing:
 Lighter control of excess air to oxygen setpoint for
better efficiency
 Faster return to setpoint following disturbances
 Tighter control over flue emissions Compliance with
emissions standards
 Easy incorporation of carbon monoxide or opacity
override.
Oxygen Trim Control System
Oxygen Trim Control System
 Burner Modulation

 Modulating control is a basic improvement in

controlling combustion. A continuous control
signal is generated by a controller monitoring
the steam or hot water line.
 Reductions in steam pressure or hot water
temperature lead to an increase in firing rate.
The advantages of introducing burner
modulation in combustion control include :
 Burner Modulation
 Fuel and air requirements
are continuously matched
to the combustion
demand
 Steam pressure or hot
water temperature is
maintained within closer
tolerances
 Greater boiler efficiency
 Weighted average flue
gas temperature is lower
Burner Modulation
 Air/Fuel Cross-Limiting
 A cross-limiting combustion control strategy
ensures that there can never be a dangerous
ratio of air and fuel within a combustion
process. This is implemented by always raising
the air flow before allowing the fuel flow to
increase or by lowering the fuel flow before
allowing the air flow to drop.
 Combination firing of multiple fuels
simultaneously can also be easily
accommodated within the scheme.
Air/Fuel Cross-Limiting
 Air/Fuel Cross-Limiting
Cross-limiting combustion control is highly
effective and can easily provide the following:
 Optimization of fuel consumption
 Safer operating conditions by reducing risk of
explosion
 Fast adaptation to variations in fuel and air
supplies
 Satisfaction of the plant demand for steam
 Air/Fuel Cross-Limiting

Simplified control block diagram of the cross-

limiting combustion circuit.
Air/Fuel Cross-Limiting
 Air/Fuel Cross-Limiting
 Double cross-limiting combustion control is an
enhancement to the above. It is achieved by
applying additional dynamic limits to air and fuel
setpoints. This translates to having the actual
air/fuel ratio maintained within a preset band
during and after transition. This method protects
against having the demand signal driving the
air/fuel ratio too lean, therefore reducing heat
loss.
 Total Heat Control
 In situations where combustion is not the
principal heat source and when several factors
contribute to the total heat to be generated by a
boiler, a control loop can be introduced in order
to monitor and manage the generated heat.
This is particularly true for CHP plants, where
gas turbines and supplementary firing are used
Total Heat Control