2012 7th International Conference on Electrical and Computer Engineering 925

20-22 December, 2012, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Boiler Gas Burner Management System Automation

Using PLC
P. K. Bhowmik,1* and S. K. Dhar2
1
Dept. of Instrumentation and Communication, Eastern Refinery Ltd., Chittagong, Bangladesh
2
Member, IEEE, Chittagong, Bangladesh
*
pkbcuet@yahoo.com

AbstractThis paper presents an operation and control II. PLC SYSTEM

system for gas burner management of steam boiler and discuss
about the system structure and implementation of smooth
automatic operation using programmable logic controller (PLC).
All criteria for safe starting of a burner are taken into account in
the PLC program with self protection and operation. The
presented control system is simulated and tested on SIMATIC
S7-200 Controller with SIMATIC STEP 7-Micro/WIN
programming software presents the feasibility of real time
system deployment. Such systems are of frequent interest over
analog and relay based old control systems provide less
complexity in troubleshooting, commissioning and controlling as
well as ease of expansion or communication with other discrete
control modules.
Index Terms PLC, Boiler burner management system,
SIMATIC S7-200 PLC, SIMATIC STEP 7-Micro/WIN.
PLC is a 'digital operating system' designed especially for
use in an industrial environment, which uses a programmable
memory for its internal operation of user-orientated
instructions and for implementing specific function such as
logic, sequencing, timing, counting and arithmetic [2-3].
Figure 2 shows the block diagram of the complete set up of
the PLC [3-4]. The STEP 7 Microwin PLC programming
software and S7- 200 Simulating software are used in this
paper [2-3].
III. PROCESS SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM
The process schematic diagram of crude oil distillation
process is shown in Fig. 1.

I. INTRODUCTION
Boiler burner management is a complicated control system
which requires continuous monitoring and inspection at
frequent intervals. There are possibilities of errors at
measuring and various stages involved with operators. In
order to automate the operation & control of boiler burner
management system and subsiding human intervention, PLC
based control system is a good option. The internal storage of
instructions of a PLC is used for implementing functions and
thus to control various types of equipment & process variables
through digital and or analog input or output modules [3-4].
The main control strategies in boiler burner management
system are primary control and combustion control. Primary
control allows fuel to flow only when all of the safe
conditions for fuel ignition are met. The combustion control
regulates furnace fuel and air ratio within limits for
continuous combustion and stable flame throughout the
demand operating limits of the boiler. The major steps in
boiler burner management system are checking boiler self
protection for start up, pre-purging, pilot trial and ignite, main
burner trial and ignite, maintaining air/fuel ratio according to
the load demand and post-purging after burner stop [1].
The ease of programming and simulation on the Siemens
S7-200 ensure accuracy of the system and reducing the
implementation time and cost. The conventional relay based
boiler burner management system of STG Unit-2 of Eastern
Refinery Limited; Bangladesh is taken as the reference system
model in this paper. PLC based control systems are now
widely used in the industries like; power plants, oil refineries,
process plant, and chemical industries etc[4]. It is anticipated
that this paper will be effective & helpful to keep pace with
the growing needs for PLC based automatic operation &
control in the sector of oil & energy. Fig. 1 Gas burner management system of a boiler [1]
978-1-4673-1436-7/12/$31.00 2012 IEEE
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IV. PROCESS MODEL DEVELOPMENT C. Pilot Burner Trial Ignition

The process model of boiler burner management system After completion of furnace pre-purging Furnace Pre-
can be categorized into the following basic type of process purged lamp will be illuminated. Then the pilot block valve
circuit and their components [1]. open, vent valve close, pilot gas valve open and CA damper
position to near 20% opening. After that the ignition
A. Fuel Gas Circuit transformer energise and pilot ignite and flame detected by
It consists of main gas circuit and the pilot gas circuit. Pilot flame scanner. There is fixed time for the ignition trial of the
gas system is requisite to start the furnace in a low fuel supply pilot burner.
and the main gas system is necessary to ensure supply of
required gas to the furnace according to the demand. D. Main Burner Fire
After energizing of pilot burner and pilot flame detection
B. Steam and Water Circuit afterwards the main gas block valve open, vent valve close
Boiler drum water level and steam pressure are the vital and main gas valve open to start up position. The opening of
parameters that have fundamental importance for boiler gas valve will supply gas to the main burner and it fired by the
burner start up and safe operation. pilot burner flame within the ignition trial time of pilot burner.
The UV scanner detected main burner flame and after
C. Combustion Air Circuit expiration of the trial time pilot system will be de-energized.
It consists of FD (force draft) fan, air damper, air flow
transmitter. The fuel gas valve and air damper are E. Air/fuel Ratio Control
simultaneously controlled by AFRC (air/fuel ratio controller). Ensure that on rising demand the air will lead the fuel and
The AFRC maintain the proper burning of the fuel. It is on falling demand the air will lag the fuel. This keeps that the
important for safe and economical fuel combustion. air/fuel ratio always higher (air rich) during change in demand
The fundamental elements of the above circuit are: gas than the normal steady condition.
regulator, gas pressure switch, gas valve, gas block valve, gas On rising demand the total combustion air flow cannot rise
vent valve and flame detector for both main and pilot gas more than 1.3 times the total fuel flow and on falling demand
system. It also consists of air damper, FD fan and transmitter the total fuel flow cannot fall less than 0.7 times the total
for air flow, steam flow and drum water level. combustion air flow. This keeps the air/fuel ratio reasonably
controlled.
V. PROCESS OPERATION DESCRIPTION Fuel rich alarm set at 0.95 of air/fuel ratio and fuel rich trip
Successful operation of a process system depends upon set at or below 0.85 of air/fuel ratio.
careful installation & initial start up. The safe operation &
normal shutdown of a system should be done according to the FT PT FT
design of that unit. Before start up there should be a thorough
check of the system, like valves, control trip, safety device,
and all the mechanical and electrical system that should be in Gas Range H/S Air Range
PIC
good condition. The boiler burner management system is
categorized in the subsequent phases: Initial start up and self
protection and precondition for furnace pre-purging check up,
Pre-purging, Pilot valve open and pilot energized by ignition LSS LSS
transformer, Pilot flame detected and fuel valve open to
<0.7 >1.3
energized the main burner and ensured by the main burner
flame detector and finally throttling the fuel valve and air HSS HSS
damper to ensure the proper air/fuel ratio according to track
the demand of steam flow from boiler. At any case if main

burner fails or intentionally boiler stopped after pilot valve O2 O2 to
opening the process of furnace post purging will initiated. FIC curve FIC
AFR
Thus the entire process is carried out [1].

A. Initial Start up by Checking for Pre purging FCV (Gas) MCR O2 FCV (Air)

At the initial start up the pre purging system are checked.
During this checking system mainly check the combustion air
flow, respective interlock, drum water level, fuel gas pressure
and alarm condition. If all the criteria for start up protection
are safe condition than the air damper open to the pre purge
condition (10~15% opening) and illuminated the Furnace
ready to pre-purge lamp.
B. Furnace Pre-purging
After illumination of the Furnace ready to pre-purge
lamp, the furnace pre-purging will be started by the Burner
Start Switch. There is fixed time for furnace pre-purging.
This is done to remove gases that may cause explosion during
furnace firing.
FRA <0.95. <0.85. FRT
FT- Flow Transmitter, PT- Pressure Transmitter, FIC- Flow Indication &
Controller, PIC- Pressure Indication & Controller, LSS- Low Level Set,
HSS- High Level Set, AFR- Air Fuel Ratio, FCV- Fuel Control Valve
Fig. 2 Logic schematic diagram of Air/ Fuel Ratio control of a boiler
F. Burner Fail or Stop and Furnace Post-purging
The gas burner will continue to operate until it is stopped
intentionally by the Gas Stop switch or by interlock failure,
or by flame failure. After stop or fail of pilot or main gas
burner or flame fail after trial of burner the furnace post-
purging system will initiated & continue for a fixed time.
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G. Process Flow Diagram H. Program Development

In this paper PLC programme is developed in SIMATIC
Step 7-MicroWIN V.4.0.5.08 and simulate in S7-200 PLC
simulating software. The Ladder Diagram (LD) PLC
programming language used easy to understand. LD is based
on graphical representations with contacts, coils and boxes, as
per the circuit diagrams [3].
I. Program Execution
The ladder logic program execution by Step 7 Microwin
V4.0.5.08 software requires the following steps [3]: program
development, program debugging, program transfer to
Simulator S7-200 and finally simulate the program.
Then the PLC executes the program successfully after run
the program. PLC always scan its input and give an output
signal according the corresponding input and instruction of the
program [3-4].

Fig. 3 Process flow diagram of gas burner management system Fig. 4 Process variable declaration for PLC system
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Fig. 5 LD program for gas burner management process of a boiler

VI. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The simulated result of proposed system by using S7-200
simulator is identical to the described reference system.
Interlocks that are used in the proposed system to ensure the
system safe operation are tested independently. Interruption of
any interlock or process sequence by operation fault or sensor
or system fault the respective program sequence for safe
operation or shutdown is ensured by the simulation result. In
general if any safety interlock is breached the burner is shut
off leading by closing the fuel valves and energizing the
furnace post purging. Before opening of the fuel valve all
features and interlock for safe start up and operation must be
satisfied leading by furnace pre purging system. Replacement
of the conventional system which is consists of many discrete
elements like relay, timer, contacts and controller with a
single PLC, provides more flexibility of the system in case of
operation, control, troubleshooting, commissioning and
modification. The presented system would also be beneficiary
in economical aspect. Considering the limitation of required
version of the software a simplified form of the precise control
strategy of the air/fuel ratio controller is described.

VII. CONCLUSIONS
To cope with the technological advancement and to ensure
higher efficiency, effectiveness and reliability in a more
economical way, the system presented in this paper would be
a great scope. It will also provide better flexibility in
customization of operation and control with minimum effort.
The paper has furnished itself to study the integral parts of the
entire processd, their implementation and the problems that
can occur have also been investigated with due importance.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The authors would like to thank Mr. Sharafat Ali, AGM,
Dept. of Inst. & Comm., Eastern Refinery Ltd., Bangladesh
and Md. Ali Zulquarnain, Member, Planning, Bangladesh
Atomic Energy Commission for their valuable guidelines,
review and comments to complete the task.

REFERENCES
[1] Operation Guideline of Boiler of STG Unit-2 of Eastern Refinery
Limited, Chittagong, Bangladesh.
[2] Warnock, Ian G., Programmable Controllers: Operation and
Application, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1988.
[3] SIMATIC Step 7-MicroWIN V4.0.5.08, PLC Software
[4] P. K. S. Khan, A. A. Noman and R. K. Dey, PLC Based Operation of
Three Natural Gas Generator Models- A Learing Aid for
Undergraduate Students Third International Conference on Power
Systems, Kharagpur, INDIA December 27-29, 2009.