17/8/2018 Boiler load control: Header pressure or steam flow

Boiler load control: Header pressure or steam flow

What determines the set point for boiler-turbine loads!!

By Naji on 29 May, 2012 - 9:44 am

Hello everyone,

I am trying to understand how load control is achieved in a boiler-steam turbine system in a 120 MW
LFO/HFO fired power plant. The boiler documentation states that the unit load control is based on a "fixed"
steam header pressure of 120 bars for the range from 60 to 120 MW. The unit load control philosophy is as
follows:

A) Measure steam header pressure

B) Compare header pressure to set point ( which is the 120 bars for the aforementioned load range)

C) Generate error signal

D) Use temperature-corrected Steam flow signal to alter the controller gain to optimize control

E) Cascade signal to fuel and air loops (i.e. the set point is generated)

What is really puzzling me is how does this not contradict generating "DIFFERENT" fuel and air set points
for the "SAME" header pressure at 60, 80, 100 MW ?!!!!

Any help will be highly appreciated

"and rewarded with a free guitar lesson for beginners..if you fancy that!"

Thanks,
G

By Iridium on 31 May, 2012 - 11:37 am

1 out of 1 members thought this post was helpful...

We operate a 500MW gas-fired steam turbine with a normal operating steam header pressure of 164 bar.
We avoid sliding (changing) the pressure in the range from 100MW to 510MW.

In our case the unit operator or AGC sets a MW load target. This is converted to a % of boiler maximum
continuous rating (BMCR) so in our case 510MW corresponds to 120% BMCR. It is more or less a linear
function.

To this figure is added the steam header trim value you describe in steps A to E - this value only trims the
current %BMCR value - up to +/- 10% or so.

This modified value provides the fuel & air setpoint. The air setpoint is further modified by an excess O2
trim - at low loads this ensures about 6% excess O2 in the boiler exhaust while at higher loads this is
reduced to around 1%.

Independent of the above is cross-limting which ensures that the air/fuel ratio is always within acceptable
limits.

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17/8/2018 Boiler load control: Header pressure or steam flow

For a given MW load a %BMCR value is generated. If the header pressure drops below setpoint (actually
out of a deadband)the trim controller will increment the %BMCR value which will increase fuel & air
setpoints and so correct the error. We are primarily concerned with providing a fuel/air setpoint for a given
generation because this energy must be ultimately be supplied by a proportional amount of fuel & air.
Maintaining a steady steam header pressure is done by trimming this "base-load" setpoint value and
although important can be considered as coming second to it.

Hope this helps to answer at least part of your question

By David Todd on 1 June, 2012 - 5:54 am

When the turbine load changes then the steam header pressure will change. The header pressure will fall on
increasing load and rise on decreasing load. If the load increases then the master pressure output will
increase and thereby increase the set point of the fuel flow and air flow controllers causing the boiler to
increase steam output to meet the new load demand with the header pressure eventually returning to set
point and steam flow increasing to the required value to support the load condition. The opposite will occur
on reduced load demand.

By krush on 1 June, 2012 - 5:18 pm

1 out of 1 members thought this post was helpful...

This two-part article may help with the fundamentals. It's "Boiler tuning basics" from Power Magazine.

http://www.powermag.com/issues/features/Boiler-Tuning-Basics-Part-I_1741.html

http://www.powermag.com/issues/features/Boiler-Tuning-Basics-Part-II_1859.html

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