ABB FEED WATER FLOW CONTROL

FEED WATER FLOW CONTROL

1. MEASUREMENT OF DENSITY CORRECTED DRUM LEVEL

2. FEED WATER FLOW CONTROL

a) BY FEED WATER FLOW CONTROL VALVE.

i. 1-ELEMENT CONTROL
ii. 3-ELEMENT CONTROL

b) BY BFP SCOOP
i. DP CONTROL ACROSS F W C V
ii. 3-ELEMENT CONTROL

3. BFP PROTECTION CONTROL

4. BFP RECIRCULATION CONTROL

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ABB FEED WATER FLOW CONTROL

MEASUREMENT OF DENSITY CORRECTED DRUM LEVEL

In order to have balance between steam flow and feed water flow , accurate measurement of Drum Level
and its control at fixed set point is necessary. Boiler Drum in Power Plant is a high pressure and high
temp. vessel . Typically in a 210 MW Power Plant, Drum Pressure and Temp. are of the order of 160
Kg/cm2 and 345 deg. C. respectively. The water and steam in the drum are in saturated condition. At such
a high pressure and temp. , there is significant change in density of water and steam . Typically, at above
pressure and temp., density of water is approx. 0.59 and that of steam is approx. 0.106.

The measurement of drum level is done indirectly by measuring Differential Pressure generated between
a constant reference head and a variable head dependent upon the actual level in the drum. As the Diff.
Pressure is affected by the changing density of water and steam , this become necessary to compensate the
measured Diff. Pressure for density changes in drum water and steam .

Density of water and steam in the Boiler Drum , depend upon the pressure and temp. of the medium
inside the drum. Where as the density increases with increase in pressure , it is inversely proportional to
temp. Depending upon , how the effect of temp. is compensated, there are two methods of measurement
as described below :

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 ABB FEED WATER FLOW CONTROL

Saturated Water & Steam Properties

1.200000

1.000000

Water
0.800000 Steam
Specific Density gm/cc

dw-ds

0.600000

0.400000

0.200000

0.000000
0.000000 50.000000 100.000000 150.000000 200.000000 250.000000
Pressure Abs Kg/cm2

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ABB FEED WATER FLOW CONTROL

MECHANICAL TEMP. COMPENSATION

A temperature compensated dual column Constant Head Unit (CHU) is used, where continuous flow of
water, condensed from steam, is maintained into the drum in order to keep the CHU temp. same as that of
drum. The faster is the condensation, the temp. of CHU is more nearer to that of drum. This ensures that
the density of water & steam , and thereby level in the variable column is almost the same as that water &
steam inside the drum . Pressure compensation is applied either mechanically by using a cam or
electronically through a multiplier or divider circuit . This type of density compensation was used in
RUSSIAN & G.K. system of as illustrated below :

a) RUSSIAN SYSTEM

STEAM
ds
NWL
H

WATER
dw h

DP = H dw ( h dw + ( H-h) ds)
= H dw- h dw (H-h) ds
= (H-h) dw (H-h) ds
= (H-h) (dw-ds)

This results into the following equation :

(H-h) = DP/(dw-ds)

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ABB FEED WATER FLOW CONTROL

b) GEORGE KENT SYSTEM

STEAM
ds
NWL
H

WATER
dw h

DP = (H+k) dw [ (H+k-h) ds + h dw)]

= H (dw ds) h (dw-ds) + k (dw ds)
= (dw ds) [(H-h) + k]

This results into the following equation :

(H-h) = DP/(dw-ds) - k

The purpose of excess length of CHU is to ensure faster and greater condensation of saturated steam into
water and thus ensuring that the temp. of water inside the CHU is more nearer to that of drum water . The
excess +ve head of `k is nullified in the electronics .

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ABB FEED WATER FLOW CONTROL

ELECTRONIC TEMP. COMPENSATION

Temp. and Pr. compensation is done in the electronic circuits using multipliers, dividers & function
generators, as has been done in CONTRONIC system of M/s. H & B Germany :

CONTRONIC SYSTEM

Dw dw

STEAM
ds
NWL
H

WATER
dw h

DP = H dw [h dw + (H h) ds]
= H (dw ds) h (dw - ds)

This results into the following equation :

h = [H (dw- ds) DP] / (dw-ds)

Here, dw is the average density of water in the Reference Column , which differ from place to place
depending upon the climatic conditions . For ease of calculation , four Reference Temperatures have
been considered , viz, 25, 50, 75 & 100 deg. C.

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ABB FEED WATER FLOW CONTROL

FEED WATER FLOW CONTROL

The flow of water into the drum is controlled either by throttling the control valve or by varying the
discharge pressure of Boiler Feed Pump through scoop control and it is ensured that true drum level
(density compensated drum level) is maintained at a constant level, i.e., the set value :

a) FEED WATER CONTROL BY FEED WATER CONTROL VALVE.

There are two types of Feed Water Control Valves
1. Low Load Control Valve : Upto 20 to 30 % of load , drum level is controlled through this valve.
2. Full Load Control Valve : From 20-30 % to 100 % of load, drum level is controlled through this
valve .
During low load / unit start up, the control is effected through 1-Element Control system, and from 20-30
% to 100 % of load , level is controlled through 3 - Element Control system. The three Elements are
:
1. Drum Level , 2. Feed Water Flow, and 3. Steam Flow.

The reason for this division of control is that below 20 % of load , one can not have reliable and accurate
measurement of Feed Water and Steam Flow due to their being square root function of DP across the
flow elements.

* 1-E CONTROL
Density compensated Drum Level signal is compared with the fixed set value and the resultant error
signal is applied to a PID Controller, the output of which is rooted through suitable interface and control
is effected through low load control valve during low load operation of the unit.

SET VALUE DENSITY COMPENSATED

DRUM LEVEL

PID

1-E CONTROL DEMAND

FOR LOW LOAD CONTROL

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ABB FEED WATER FLOW CONTROL

* 3-ELEMENT CONTROL
The most common control scheme is described here. Similar to 1-E control , Density compensated Drum
Level signal is compared with the fixed set value and the resultant error signal is applied to a PID
Controller (Drum level Controller), the output of which is added with pressure & temp. compensated
Steam Flow signal to form a variable set point for feed water control. This signal is compared with
pressure & temp. compensated Feed Water Flow and the error signal is applied to a PI + P Controller
(Feed Water Controller), the output of which is rooted through suitable interface and control is effected
through full load control valve during 20-100 % load operation of the unit.

SET VALUE DENSITY COMPENSATED

DRUM LEVEL

PID

PR. & TEMP. COMENSATED STEAM FLOW

+ + - PR. & TEMP. COMENSATED FW FLOW

PI
3-E CONTROL
BY BFP SCOOP 3-E CONTROL DEMAND

SUM BFP PROTECTION SIGNAL

MIN

PI

TO FULL LOAD
CONTROL VALVE

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ABB FEED WATER FLOW CONTROL

b) FEED WATER CONTROL BY BFP SCOOP

In order to have flow into the drum, sufficient Feed Water Pr. has to be maintained at the discharge of
the Boiler Feed Pump. This discharge pressure of BFP is controlled by BFP Scoop in two ways as
described below :
* DP CONTROL ACROSS F W C V
In order to have rangibility and linear operation of 3-E Drum Level Control through FW Control Valve,
there must be a constant differential pressure across the FW CV. This task is executed by this control
through BFP Scoop.

Differential Pressure across FW CV is measured and compared with a set point , which can be fixed or
load dependent. The error signal is applied to a PI + P controller, which behaves as a master controller.
For advance action Feed Forward inputs from control valve position are applied through the
proportional channel of the controller . Depending upon the number of BFPs in operation , the gain of the
controller is adjusted through a Automatic Gain Control circuit (AGC) . The output of this master
controller is distributed to individual BFP scoop controls, which is a position controller with PI control
structure. For load sharing between individual BFPs Bias stations are provided for each BFP scoop
controller.
DIFF. PR. ACROSS FWCV

SET VALUE FW CV POSITION

+ -- Z
BFP-A in Auto
AGC BFP-B in Auto
BFP-C in Auto
PI+P
3-E CONTROL DEMAND BFP PROTECTION DEMAND
MIN
BIAS BIAS BIAS

F.B. + F.B. F.B.

- + + - + + - + +

PI PI PI

BFP-A SCOOP BFP-B SCOOP BFP-C SCOOP

CONTROL CONTROL CONTROL

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ABB FEED WATER FLOW CONTROL

* 3-ELEMENT CONTROL

As already indicated , Drum Level can be directly controlled by controlling BFP Disch. Pressure through
BFP scoop . This control provides following advantages over the usual control through Feed Water
Control Valve :

1. Wear & Tear of the FW CV is minimized , as the valve is kept fully open , providing a little
restriction to the flow of Feed Water to the Drum .

2. Significant saving in electrical energy is achieved by reducing the load on BFP, as the BFP has to
maintain a lower disch. pressure for maintaining proper Feed Water flow to Drum in order to
maintain the level of the drum .

This control is particularly useful at higher load ( > 60% of load ) , as the control minimizes the
possibility for the BFP to run at maximum discharge pressure , which is highly unsafe for BFPs life.

To achieve the task , 3-E Control Demand signal is passed on to BFP scoop control through a minimum
selection . The other signal being the control demand from Diff. Pr. Across FW CV Master. The FW CV
is gradually opened to 100% by providing additional bias. The opening of the FW CV ensures that only
3-E Control Demand is passing on to the BFP scoop control .

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ABB FEED WATER FLOW CONTROL

BFP PROTECTION

In order to protect the BFPs from any possible damage , the pump protection circuit is implemented .
Each pump has a particular characteristics ( Header Pr. vs. Flow ) for each running speed , along which
the operating point lies at any given time .

For the operation of the BFPs , the manufacturers also provide a limiting curve, below which the
operation of the BFP is not safe. Similarly , the discharge pressure must not more than the max. and less
than the minimum safe value.

Pmax -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
COMPUTED SAFETY AREA
LIMITING CURVE

Po----------------------------------------------------------------|------
BFP DISCH. | OPERATING
HEADER | POINT
PRESSURE | N3
Pmin | N2
N1 | SPEED
| CURVES
| ACTUAL
FORBIDDEN ZONE | LIMITING CURVE
|
Mo
BFP SUCTION FLOW

To achieve the task a function generator is used to compute the limiting flow as a function of the header
pressure based on the limiting curve provided by the manufacturers. Actual FW flow through the BFP is
compared with the above computed flow, and similarly , header pr. is compared with the max. permissible
pressure . Both the errors are passed on through minimum selector and applied to limiting controller . The
output of the limiting controller along with 3-E Control Demand and Diff. Pr. across FW CV Master
demand is further passed through a minimum selector & applied to BFP scoop control . The pump
protection acts to modify the speed of pumps in order to drive the operating point into the safe region. In
addition to the above , the header pressure is also compared with minimum permissible pressure , and the
error signal along with flow error signal ( i.e., error between computed and actual flow ) is passed on
through a minimum selector and applied to another limiting controller, whose output and 3-E Control
demand is passed on through another minimum selector and applied to full load FW valve controller .

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ABB FEED WATER FLOW CONTROL

Thus, in case of activation of the pump protection circuit, ( drifting of the operating point towards
forbidden zone ) , the full load control valve is also throttled ( driven in the direction of closing ) in
addition to the speed of the pumps being changed to ensure a quick pressure increase after the BFPs. Both
actions are complimentary ( cumulative ) and thus a quick response is guaranteed, which is very necessary
to protect the Boiler Feed Pumps.

BFP DISCH. HDR. BFP SUCTION FLOW

PRESSURE
Pmax Pmin A B C

SUM F(x) SUM MAX

SUM
SAFETY
AREA
SUM

MIN MIN

PI TRACK PI TRACK

BFP SCOOP FULL LOAD VALVE

CONTROL CONTROL

BFP PROTECTION CONTROL SCHEME

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ABB FEED WATER FLOW CONTROL

BFP RECIRCUALTION CONTROL

In order to avoid the risk of BFPs to run dry in case of closing of the Feed Water Control Valve , the re-
circulation control is fore seen . The set point is computed as a function of the pump speed or scoop
position through a function generator, and is compared with the BFP suction flow . The error signal is
applied to a PI controller , whose output regulates are-circulation valve in order to maintain a minimum
FW flow through BFP.

SET VALUE BFP SUCTION FLOW

PI

RECICULATION CONTROL DEMAND

FOR LOW LOAD CONTROL

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