Boiler - Combustion control

MAJOR BOILER CONTROLS

• Combustion Control
• Feedwater (drum water level) Control
• Steam temp. Control
 COMBUSTION CONTROL

Purpose of Combustion Control :

1) To Regulate fuel input to boiler to maintain a
continuous supply of steam at a constant
pressure.
2) To Regulate the air input to the boiler in the
correct proportion to the fuel input.
 COMBUSTION CONTROL
Combustion control results in:
* A more constant steam pressure &
temperature, resulting in high efficiency.
* Fuel saving.
* Increase in life of equipments & pressure
parts.
* In the case of more than one boiler connected
to a common steam outlet, correct load
distribution is achieved since this control
ensures that equal outputs are obtained on
each boiler. If necessity arises, the load can
be shared in any proportion among the
boilers.
 COMBUSTION CONTROL
• Steam pressure at boiler outlet is the key variable that
indicates the state of balance between the supply and
demand for steam from the boiler. If supply exceeds
demand, the steam pressure will rise. Conversely, if
demand exceeds supply, the steam pressure will fall.
• Steam pressure decreases with increasing load and
vice versa. Hence variation in steam pressure is
detected and supply of fuel and air inputs are adjusted
accordingly.
• Combustion control - divided into three sub loops.

❖ master demand,

❖ fuel flow control and

❖ air flow control.
 COMBUSTION CONTROL

Open throttle valve

• steam flow to
turbine main steam pressure

Comb. Control system

• air & fuel to
combustion rate
 COMBUSTION CONTROL
Figure shows a single-loop control diagram that
manipulates the fuel flow and air flow to control
steam pressure at the desired setpoint.
 COMBUSTION CONTROL
MASTER DEMAND

Main steam pressure - measured by a pressure

transmitter.

Transmitter output compared with the SP. Error is

applied to a PI controller.

A proportional value of main steam flow signal taken

as feed forward feature. This is added to the output
from the controller.

An auto manual station used for master control.

Output of A/M station is the air flow demand and fuel
flow demand signal.
 Combustion Control
Various Strategies:

❖ Fixed position control (single-point positioning)

❖ Parallel Positioning Control
❖ Series Metered System
❖ Parallel Metered System
❖ Cross Limiting System
 Combustion Control
Fixed Position Control
The simplest form of combustion control is the fixed
position control (FPC) - also known a single-point
positioning or jackshaft control.

The simplicity of this control strategy makes it a very

economical choice for firetube and small watertube
boilers with modest firing rate changes. However,
because fuel and air are fixed, the fuel/air ratio is also
fixed.
 Combustion Control
Fixed Position Control
This strategy incorporates a single positioning motor,
which drives both the fuel & air positioning devices via
an interconnected single mechanical link, the jack-
shaft. This strategy lacks feedback to the control
element - can cause fuel to cross over the airflow and
cause a fuel-rich furnace or efficiency losses.

In this strategy only, one measurement is used. It is

the steam header pressure. Both the fuel control valve
and the air damper are positioned based on this
signal. Figure shows the simple feedback control
scheme used in single-point positioning.
 Combustion Control

Fixed Position Control (Single point system)

 Combustion Control
Parallel Positioning Control
In this control strategy, only one measurement is
used. This is the steam header pressure.

Both the fuel control valve and the air control valve
are positioned based on this signal. The controller
outputs go to the fuel valve and the air damper. The
jackshaft used in single-point positioning is replaced
by a characterizer within the controller.

Figure shows the parallel positioning control

scheme.
 Combustion Control
Parallel Positioning Control
 Combustion Control
Series Metered System
In this control strategy, only one measurement is used.
This is the steam header pressure. Both fuel and air
are metered.

The steam pressure controller regulates the fuel flow

that is measured, linearized and then used as the
remote set point to the air-flow controller. This
positions an air damper to maintain the specified ratio
between the fuel and air.

This system is used where load changes are not large

or common. This system lags in response to load
changes - can result in temporary incomplete
combustion and fuel-rich conditions.
 Combustion Control
Parallel Metered System

In this control strategy, only one measurement is used.

This is the steam header pressure. Both fuel and air
are metered.

This system operates the fuel and air control loops in

parallel from the setpoint generated by the steam
pressure controller. The setpoint signal is ratioed
before being used as the setpoint to the air controller to
establish the fuel-air proportions. This system is best
applied to processes that experience relatively slow
load changes.
 Combustion Control
Cross Limiting System (or Air/fuel cross-limiting)
The full-metered, cross-limiting control scheme is
sometimes referred to as the standard control
arrangement. This control strategy ensures that
there can never be a dangerous ratio of air and fuel
within a combustion process.

Three measurements are used : steam header

pressure, fuel flow, and air flow.

The benefits of this control scheme are:

• Compensates for fuel and air flow variations.

• Provides active safety constraints to prevent
hazardous conditions.
 Combustion Control
Cross Limiting System (or Air/fuel cross-limiting)
The system is also known as a lead-lag system.

When the demand increases, there is a tendency for

the fuel flow to rise before the air flow, simply because
it has a naturally faster responding actuator. This is
prevented as follows:

When demand increases, a low selector blocks the

signal, forcing the air flow signal to become the
setpoint to the fuel flow controller. A high selector
passes the increase to the airflow controller’s setpoint.
This means fuel flow cannot increase until air flow has
begun to increase, i.e. air increase leads fuel increase.
 Combustion Control
Cross Limiting System (or Air/fuel cross-limiting)
Master demand

Measured (Actual)
Measured (Actual)
Air flow
Fuel flow

To Fuel flow To Air flow

controller controller
 Combustion Control
Cross Limiting System (or Air/fuel cross-limiting)
When demand decreases, the low selector passes the
signal to the fuel flow controller setpoint. A high
selector blocks the signal to the Air Controller and
passes the fuel flow signal to the air flow controller
setpoint. This means air flow cannot decrease until the
fuel flow begins to drop hence air decrease lags fuel
decrease. This means a fuel rich condition is avoided,
regardless of the direction of load change.

Key point: A cross-limiting strategy ensures that there

can never be a dangerous ratio of air and fuel within a
combustion process.

Figure shows air and fuel feed responses during a load

change in a system with cross-limiting.
 Combustion Control

Cross-limiting combustion mechanism

 Combustion Control
Air Flow Control

Secondary air flow to the boiler - measured by

aerofoils. (There are two ducts carrying
secondary air - one at left side of boiler and
another at right side of boiler).

Each flow measurement - compensated for

pressure and temp. Total primary air flow,
obtained by summing the air flow through each
mill in service, is added to obtain total air flow
to boiler.
 Combustion Control
Air Flow Control
• Air flow demand signal from master demand &
actual fuel flow signal - compared and the
higher of the two (lead-lag system) selected.
• This is done to ensure always an air-rich
furnace. This signal is refined for maintaining
correct amount of excess air.
• Amount of excess air identified by oxygen level
in flue gas. Oxygen level in flue gas at the inlet
of AH measured.
• This signal compared with excess air set point.
(Excess air to be maintained within limits for
better combustion efficiency).
 Combustion Control
Air Flow Control

• High/Low limiters - used to limit the value in

case the oxygen analyser is out of service.

• Under any circumstance the air flow should

not be less than 30% MCR airflow. Hence the
signal from high/low limiter is checked for
minimum 30% MCR airflow.
 Combustion Control
Air Flow Control

• Resultant signal - the developed setpoint for

the air flow control.

• Difference between SP and actual total airflow

signal - applied to a PI controller.

• Controller output signal - connected to the

regulating device of the corresponding FD fans
in service through an Auto/Manual station.
Combustion Control
 Combustion Control
Air Flow Control
 Combustion Control

Fuel Flow Control

Fuel flow demand signal from Master Demand & actual

total airflow signal corrected for air-fuel ratio are
compared.
.
Lower of the two is selected as the SP of fuel flow
controller (Lead-lag system).

To ensure that under any circumstance, fuel flow

should be lower than the airflow.
 Combustion Control
Fuel Flow Control

Coal flow - measured by adding speed of the

coal feeders in service.

Heavy oil flow in supply & return line -

measured and difference between two is
corrected for calorific value.

The sum of coal flow & heavy oil flow gives the
actual fuel flow.
 Combustion Control
Fuel Flow Control

Actual fuel flow signal - compared to SP

(described earlier). Difference applied to a PI
controller.

Controller output signal - connected to coal

feeders in service.

Bias unit provided to modify the signal whenever

required. An auto/ manual station provided for
each feeder.
 Combustion Control
Fuel Flow Control
 Combustion Control
Excess Air
Insufficient air supplied - result in unburnt fuel loss. Heat
loss is rapid when all the fuel is not burned.

Important function of combustion control - to maintain

optimum excess air to get maximum combustion
efficiency.

More air (excess air) than the theoretical minimum

requirement for complete combustion is usually
supplied for the following reasons:

1. To ensure stable combustion and prevent the

formation of carbon monoxide (CO) which is highly
poisonous and explosive.
 Combustion Control
Excess Air

2. To provide good air–fuel mixing in order to ensure

complete combustion over the operating range of the
burner.
3. To allow for operating range inconsistencies of fuel-
to-air ratio control equipment, such as valves,
linkages and regulators.
 Combustion Control

Excess air loss rises at a slower rate than does the loss
from unburnt fuel by about six times.
 Combustion Control
Oxygen Trim
Oxygen Trim Control - An Oxygen Sensor located in the
flue gas stream measures the oxygen level and adjusts
the fuel/air ratio for optimum combustion on a
continuous basis.

Under ideal conditions, all of the oxygen supplied with

the air would be consumed by the combustion process.
Due to incomplete mixing, however, it is always
necessary to provide more air than the theoretically
correct mixture. This results in a small percentage of
excess O2 in the flue gas.

A flue gas oxygen analyzer supplies feedback on the

combustion process and is the basis for trimming the
air/fuel ratio to maintain optimum combustion.
 Combustion Control
Oxygen Trim
Figure A shows one method of trimming the excess
air (air/fuel ratio) based on O2 control.

The optimum percentage of O2 in the flue gas

depends on the type of fuel and varies with boiler
load. Therefore, the O2 setpoint is characterized as a
function of steam flow which provides an index of the
boiler load.

Figure B shows a plot of excess O2 as a function of

steam flow for a particular application. The controller
output is clamped by high and low limits to prevent
driving the air/fuel ratio beyond unsafe or inefficient
limits.
 Combustion Control
Oxygen Trim

This loop is linked

to Air flow control
loop

Figure-A : O2 Trim Control Figure-B :O2 Characterizer

 Combustion Control
Excess Air

There is a zone of maximum combustion efficiency

where the sum of the losses is at a min.

In general for a typical oil fired boiler, the optimum min.

is 2% oxygen or 10% excess air in the flue gas.

Similarly for a typical coal fired boiler, the optimum

min. is 4% oxygen or 20% excess air in flue gas.
Amount of excess air to be maintained depends on the
particulars of a given installation, type of burners &
fuel burned. Thus, these optimum oxygen percentage
figures can vary.
Thanks