Boiler Control System

Single and multiple burner boilers require two independent control systems. One system
to control steam production and one to control the fuel burning equipment. The Human
Machine Interface (HMI) is accomplished with, off the shelf, PCs using Wonderware
software.
The first of the two required control systems is the Boiler Control System. The national
Fire Protection Association defines a boiler control system as The group of control
systems that regulates the boiler process, including the combustion control system but
not the burner management system. The combustion control system is The control
system that regulates the furnace fuel and air inputs to maintain the air-fuel ratio within
the limits that are required for continuous combustion and stable flame throughout the
operating range of the boiler in accordance with demand.

Boiler Control System

The boiler control, to be complete, should contain the following applications which can
all be easily and economically implemented with Foxboro hardware and software:
1. Combustion control
2. Excess air control
3. Steam drum level control

COMBUSTION CONTROL
Combustion is controlled by adjusting the fuel flow and combustion air flow to meet the
demand for steam while maintaining the proper ratio of air-to-fuel. The steam demand
signal sets the demand for fuel. The combustion air demand signal comes from an air-to-
fuel ratio controller. Therefore, the control scheme essentially sets the fuel flow to meet
the demand for steam and sets the air flow in ratio to the fuel.
This simple control scheme has a rather basic problem, especially when operating the
boiler at the ragged edge where efficiency is highest. The optimum air-to-fuel ratio is one
at which the combustion air rate is just sufficient to provide complete combustion.
Therefore, the slightest negative deviation in the air rate can cause a significant increase
in carbon monoxide and/or unburned hydrocarbons. Larger deviations can even result in
an explosive mixture.
The solution to this problem is a cross-limiting control scheme in which the air rate leads
the fuel on a demand increase, and lags the fuel on a demand decrease. Therefore, air is
never deficient during load changes. Furthermore, the air demand signal is limited to a
minimum air rate to prevent combustion problems at low steam demand.
Since air flow control is so important to efficient boiler operation, the boiler control
system closely monitors the air flow controller mode. If the controller is put into manual,
the control system is essentially disconnected from setting the air flow. Therefore, the
control system switches air-to-fuel ratio control to the fuel flow and forces the steam
demand signal to track the fuel.
The control scheme can also interface with the Burner Management System (BMS). The
BMS sends signals to the combustion controls to pre-position the FD fan damper and the
fuel control valve for various BMS functions, such as shutdown, boiler purge, and burner
light-off.

EXCESS AIR TRIM CONTROL

The optimum air-to-fuel ratio can vary greatly, depending primarily upon load, but also
upon a number of other variables. The load variation can be programmed into the control
system, automatically setting the ratio based upon a load curve. The load curve is
established during a test run prior to the commissioning of the boiler controls.
The other variables are often immeasurable, so a flue gas oxygen analyzer is usually
employed to provide feedback trim control of the air-to-fuel ratio. The amount of trim is
limited to an engineer-entered range around the programmed air-to-fuel ratio. The limited
trim range helps to prevent spurious analyzer results from driving the ratio too far away
from where it ought to be.
The optimum setpoint for the flue gas oxygen controller can also vary with load.
Therefore, the setpoint can be programmed versus load as well as air-to-fuel ratio. The
operator can bias the programmed setpoint.

STEAM DRUM LEVEL CONTROL

The steam drum level indicates the flow imbalance between the boiler feed water supply
and steam production. Therefore, to maintain boiler feed water inventory, the boiler
controls include a steam drum level controller that adjusts the boiler feed water flow.
The level indication can be affected by changes in the steam drum pressure as well as
changes in boiler feed water inventory. The pressure changes can cause shrink and swell,
which can fool the level controller into adjusting the feed water flow in the wrong
direction. To mitigate this problem, the level signal can be compensated for pressure
changes, provided that the steam drum pressure measurement is available. In addition,
three-element control is used to pre-adjust the boiler feed water flow for changes in
steam production rate. The level controller then does not need to concern itself with
major changes in load and can be detuned to become merely a trim control.
However, a detuned level controller can let the level get away at times. This is especially
true at low load. Therefore, the level controller is automatically switched to a single-
element controller at low loads (level controller output direct to valve), and then switched
to three-element control once the load increases above a trigger point.
Another way to improve level control response time is to utilize an advanced level
control algorithm. It provides improved response to level changes versus the typical PID
controller.
The second required control system is the Burner Management System. The national Fire
Protection Association defines a burner management system as The control system that
is dedicated to combustion safety and operator assistance in the starting and stopping of
fuel preparation and burning equipment and for the preventing misoperation of and
damage to fuel preparation and burning equipment.

Burner Management System

The Burner Management System is broken down into four basic sections all of which can
be easily, economically and safely implemented with Foxboro A2 hardware and software:
1. Boiler purge control
 2. Fuel safety control
3. Prelight control
4. Individual burner control

BOILER PURGE CONTROL

The boiler purge control is responsible for removing all combustibles from the boiler
furnace and replacing them with air. This is accomplished by insuring that a
predetermined set of fuel and air related permissive conditions are satisfied. These
permissive conditions should include as a minimum.
1. All fuel valves proven closed
2. Air supply fan proven running
3. Air flow is not less than 70% (single burner boilers) or not less than 25%
(multiple burner boilers) of full load air flow
All of the permissive conditions must remain satisfied for the length of time it takes to
change the air eight times (single burner boiler) or five times (multiple burner boiler).
All boiler purge permissive conditions should be displayed to the operator as well as
boiler purge in progress and boiler purge complete. The purge time remaining
should also be displayed.

FUEL SAFETY CONTROL

The fuel safety control is responsible for removing fuel from the boiler if any of the
predetermined trip conditions has been exceeded. The fuel safety control contains a first
out function that informs the operator of the first condition the system detected that
caused the fuel to trip.

Depending on the fuels involved the fuel safety control can be made up of the following:
1. Master fuel trip
2. Igniter fuel trip
3. Gas fuel trip
4. Oil fuel trip

Master Fuel Trip

If any of the predetermined master fuel trip conditions is exceeded a master fuel trip is
initiated. The first out cause of trip indication is displayed and alarmed. All fuel is
removed from the boiler. Some examples of a master fuel trip are:
1. Loss of draft fan(s)
2. Low boiler air flow
3. Loss of all flame
4. Loss of all fuel
5. Operator trip pushbutton

Igniter Fuel Trip

If any of the predetermined igniter fuel trip conditions is exceeded the igniter fuel trip is
initiated. The first out cause of trip indication is displayed and alarmed. All igniter fuel is
removed from the boiler, all igniters are shutdown and all sparks are de-energized.
Depending on other conditions a master fuel trip may be generated. Some examples of an
igniter fuel trip are:
1. High igniter pressure (gas)
2. Low igniter pressure (gas or oil)
3. Low igniter atomizing pressure (oil)
4. Operator trip

Gas Fuel Trip

If any of the predetermined gas fuel trip conditions is exceeded the gas fuel trip is
initiated. The first out cause of trip indication is displayed and alarmed. All gas fuel is
removed from the boiler and all gas burners are shutdown. Depending on other
conditions a master fuel trip may be generated. Some examples of a gas fuel trip are:
1. High gas pressure
2. Low gas pressure
3. Last gas burner shutdown
4. Operator trip

Oil Fuel Trip

If any of the predetermined oil fuel trip conditions is exceeded the oil fuel trip is initiated.
The first out cause of trip indication is displayed and alarmed. All oil fuel is removed
from the boiler and all oil burners are shutdown. Depending on other conditions a master
fuel trip may be generated. Some examples of an oil fuel trip are:
1. Low oil pressure
2. Low atomizing pressure
3. Last oil burner shutdown
4. Operator trip

PRELIGHT CONTROL
Prelight control is responsible for insuring all predetermined boiler common conditions
are satisfied prior to placing any fuel in service. Once the boiler purge has been
completed and the master fuel trip has been reset, the prelight control insures that
individual fuel and air conditions are satisfactory for igniter and burner operation. Some
examples of prelight permissive conditions are:
1. Master fuel trip relay is reset
2. Igniter fuel pressure is adequate
3. Burner fuel pressure is adequate

BURNER CONTROL
The burner(s) is/are placed in service in a predetermined timed sequence. The operator
may initiate the burner lighting sequence by actuation of a control switch on the operator
interface or in the case of a single burner boiler burner lighting may be initiated
automatically at the completion of the boiler purge and resetting of the master fuel trip
relay. This starts the burner lighting timer, typically twenty five seconds for a gas burner
(oil burner lighting times could be longer). A signal is generated to energize the ignition
transformer or sparking device for five to eight seconds and opens the igniter valves.
Flame must be detected by the end of five to eight second ignition time or the lighting
will be terminated. When ignition is established the burner valves are opened. At the
completion of the burner lighting time the igniter is removed from service unless it is a
class one or class two igniter. The burner will remain in service provided the flame
remains detected and the burner valves remain open as indicated by a limit switch.
Typically the following are displayed to the operator on the operator interface.
1. Igniter in service
2. Flame detected
3. Burner valve position