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ISA EXPO
2006

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

FUEL

AIR

STEAM/WATER SYSTEM

MIXING OF
FUEL & AIR

FURNACE

BLOWDOWN

HEAT
TRANSFER
SURFACE

FLUE GAS

ASH

Steam & Mud Drum / Circulation

STEAM
STEAM

FLU E G AS

FU R N AC E

C IR C U L A T IO N

FU EL
FLAM E
A IR
M U D
D R U M

G AS BAFFLES

W ATER
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 (contd)

MEASURING/READOUT LETTERS
Table II
Process Variable

Function

A = Analysis**
C = Conductivity
D = Density
F = Flow
L = Level
M = Moisture
P = Pressure
S = Speed
T = Temperature
V = Viscosity
W = Weight
Z = Position

FRT

**Self-defining symbols such as O

2,

FR

R = Recording
I = Indicating
T = Transmitter
RT = Recording
Transmitter
IT = Indicating
Transmitter

pH, etc., can be used in place of A.

SAMA Symbols (Table III)

FUNCTION
SUMMING

SIGNAL
PROCESSING
SYMBOL

or +

FUNCTION
INTEGRATE OR TOTALIZE

AVERAGING

/n

HIGH SELECTING

DIFFERENCE

or -

LOW SELECTING

PROPORTIONAL

K or P

HIGH LIMITING

or I

LOW LIMITING

INTEGRAL
DERIVATIVE

d/dt or D
X

VELOCITY LIMITING

DIVIDING

BIAS

ROOT EXTRACTION

TIME FUNCTION

NON-LINEAR FUNCTION
TRI-STATE SIGNAL
(RAISE, HOLD, LOWER)

f(x)

REVERSE PROPORTIONAL

MULTIPLYING

EXPONENTIAL

SIGNAL
PROCESSING
SYMBOL

VARIABLE SIGNAL
GENERATION
TRANSFER
SIGNAL MONITOR

-K or -P
V

f(t)
A

T
H/, H/L, /L

SAMA Legend
1. CONTROLLER

Measuring or Readout
Automatic Signal Processing

Manual Signal Processing

SET POINT
GENERATOR

RESET

PROPORTIONAL

MANUAL SIGNAL
GENERATOR

AUTO./MAN.
TRANSFER SWITCH

Final Controlling
|

Signal Repeater

Summing

/h Summing

d/d1 Derivative
Integral
K, -K

2. AUTO MANUAL + BIAS STATION

Difference

Proportional, Reverse Proportional

X Multiplying

Dividing Root Extracting

f(x) Non Linear or Unspecified Function

AUTO./MAN.
TRANSFER SWITCH

f(t) Time Function

MANUAL SIGNAL
GENERATOR

>

BIAS
ADJUSTMENT

|> Selecting
> High

| Selecting
< Low

High Limiting

Low Limiting

Velocity or Rate Limiter

+, -, Bias

Simple Feedback Control

PRIMARY VARIABLE
XT

PROCESS

SET POINT
A

f(x)
MANIPULATED VARIABLE

Feedforward Plus Feedback Control

PRIMARY VARIABLE
XT
SECONDARY
VARIABLE
YT
K
PROCESS

SET POINT
A

f(x)
MANIPULATED VARIABLE

Cascade Control
PRIMARY VARIABLE
XT
SECONDARY
VARIABLE
ZT
K
PROCESS
K
SET POINT
A

f(x)
MANIPULATED VARIABLE

Ratio Control
UNCONTROLLED VARIABLE
YT
CONTROLLED
VARIABLE
XT

PROCESS
K

RATIO SET
A

f(x)
MANIPULATED VARIABLE

Block Diagram of Boiler Control

INPUT

BOILER

FEEDWATER CONTROL

FUEL DEMAND
AIR DEMAND

FIRING
RATE
DEMAND

STEAM TEMPERATURE
CONTROL

OUTPUT

Furnace Pressure Control

Block Diagram of Boiler Control

INPUT

BOILER

FEEDWATER CONTROL

FUEL DEMAND
AIR DEMAND

FIRING
RATE
DEMAND

STEAM TEMPERATURE
CONTROL

OUTPUT

Boiler Steam Drum Swell / Shrink

SATURATED
STEAM

STEAM

FEEDWATER
WATER

WATER

WATER-MIXED STEAM BUBBLES

Single Element Feedwater Control

DRUM LEVEL

LT

SET POINT

PT

DRUM PRESSURE

f(x)

PRESSURE
COMPENSATION

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 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

TIME

* INTERACTION WITH FIRING RATE CONTROL DUE TO IMBALANCE

BETWEEN STEAM FLOW AND FEEDWATER FLOW.

Two Element Feedwater Control

STEAM
DRUM
PRESSURE

PT

PRESSURE FLOW TEMPERATURE

LT LEVEL

f(x)

PT

FT

f(x)
X

f(x)
X

PRESSURE
COMPENSATION
SET POINT

TE

TEMPERATURE
AND PRESSURE
COMPENSATION

f(x)

M/A CONTROL STATION

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
DRUM LEVEL

SWELL

NWL

SHRINK
100
% STEAM FLOW
75
STEAM
FLOW

FEEDWATER FLOW

50

25
0

TIME

Performance Two Element (Effect of Feedwater Variation)

FEEDWATER PRESSURE

NWL

SWELL

SHRINK

DRUM LEVEL

100
% STEAM FLOW
75
STEAM
FLOW

FEEDWATER FLOW

50

25

TIME

Three Element Feedwater Control

STEAM
PRESSURE
PT

FLOW
FT

f(x)

DRUM

FEEDWATER

TEMPERATURE LEVEL PRESSURE

TE

LT

f(x)
X

FLOW TEMPERATURE

PT

FT

TE

f(x)
X

PRESSURE AND
TEMPERATURE
COMPENSATION

f(x)
X

PRESSURE
COMPENSATION

TEMPERATURE
CONDENSATION

SET POINT

(K) (a) +K (b) + K (c) etc. + bias =

output

Typical single-drive
For simplicity,
redundant
Typical single-drive
control control
system.system.
For simplicity,
redundant
transmitters
transmitters have not been shown on this typical control drawing.
have not
been shown on this typical control drawing. See Figure 4A for f(x)
See Figure 4A for ANSI/ISA-S5.1-1984 format.
ANSI/ISA-5.1-1984 format.

A
M/A CONTROL
STATION
FINAL
CONTROL
DEVICE

Performance Three Element

Block Diagram of Boiler Control

INPUT

BOILER

FEEDWATER CONTROL

FUEL DEMAND
AIR DEMAND

FIRING
RATE
DEMAND

STEAM TEMPERATURE
CONTROL

OUTPUT

Firing Single Fuel/Cross Limiting

Fuel FLOW

STEAM
HEADER PRESSURE

FT

PT

AIR FLOW
FT

f(x)
P
A

I
T

SP
P
A

I
T

LO SELECT
Fuel CONTROL

SP
P

HI SELECT
A

I
T

AIR CONTROL

f(x)
Fuel Feed

AIR DAMPER

Cross Limit Control With O2 Trim

G AS FLO W

STEAM
HEAD ER PR ESSUR E

A IR F L O W

FT

PT

FT

AT

SP
LO SELEC T

H I SELEC T

G AS C O NTR O L

I
T

f(x )
G A S VA LV E

SP

f(x )
P

A IR D A M P E R

A IR C O N T R O L

STEAM
FLO W

Flow Characteristics
100
AIR
(B)

AIR
% FUEL AND
AIR FLOW

(C)

50

FUEL
(D)
FUEL
(A)

0
0

50
% CONTROL RANGE

100

A,B BASIC FLOW CHARACTERISTICS OF CONTROLLED DEVICES

C,D CHARACTERISTICS AFTER LINEARIZATION AND ALIGNMENT

Non Linear Flow

10
1

20
4

30
9

40
16

50
25

60
36

70
49

80
64

90
81

100
100

Flow in %
120
100

100
90

80

81

80
70

60

Series2

50
40

49

40

36

30
20

25

20
10

0
1

16
9

Series1

64

60

10

11

Non Linear Flow

0
0

10
1

20
4

30
9

40
16

50
25

60
36

70
49

80
64

90
81

100
100

Flow in %
120
100

100

80

90
81

80
70

60

Series2

50
40

49

40

36

30
20

25

20
10

0
1

16
9

1
3

Series1

64

60

10

11

Characterization
0
0

10
7.5

20
15

30
22.5

40
30

50
37.5

60
45

70
52.5

80 OUT
60 IN

90
80

80

70

70

60

60

50

60
52.5

50

Serie

45
40

40

30

30

20

37.5

30

22.5

20
15

10

Serie

10
7.5

0
1

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
P pressure d rop across valve

Control Valve Sizing Calculations

(contd)

Valve sizing water no density consideration:

P = pressure drop across valve typical third of drop

Cv GPM SG P
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

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

(contd)

Control Valve Sizing Calculations

(contd)

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

(contd)

Valve sizing steam:

pph
Cv
63 P V
V specific volume, Steam at 1000 lbs 0.44956
P 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

(contd)

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

Phone: (919) 549-8411

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