6th International Conference on Manufacturing

Processes, Systems and Operations Management

World Class Competitiveness and Sustainability in the Global Market for
Manufacturing Organisations in Africa

24th – 25th March 2015

6th MPSOM PROCEEDINGS

Elephant Hills Resort – Victoria Falls

Zimbabwe

ISBN 978-0-7974-9536-4
June 2015
 MPSOM Proceedings, 24th– 25thMarch 2015, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

AN AUTOMATIC BOILER CONTROL AND STEAM LEAK DETECTION SYSTEM MONITORED BY

SCADA
(CASE STUDY DELTA BEVERAGES, BELMONT)
Masiko Moyo1, Wellington Tumbudzuku2, Nicholas Manyunga3,
1,2
Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
National University of Science and Technology, P O Box AC 939, Ascot, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
masiko@live.com,
wellietumbudzuku@gmail.com,
3
Utilities Department, Delta Beverages Belmont Branch, Bulawayo
n.manyunga@delta.co.zw

ABSTRACT
In sight of the millennium development goals (MDGs) of sustainable development, green
manufacturing is indisputably the dominant technology towards attaining clean environment, by
product synergy and industrial ecology. Delta Beverages’ pursuit of advanced manufacturing
technologies like Lean Manufacturing has aligned it to the recently unveiled Zimbabwe Agenda for
Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (ZIMASSET), touted as the economic blueprint for the
country over the next five years. The company has put itself at a competitive advantage within a
depressed economy. This paper discusses deficiencies and limitations in proper boiler controls,
management of steam leaks in process pipe lines. The methodologies used include mathematical
modelling of steam leaks, quantifications of coal losses and carbon emissions with aim of achieving
sustainable process heating. The results shows how a Programmable Logic Controller(PLC) can be
used to give a remarkable reduction in water, electricity and steam energy losses in a beverage
manufacturing company.
Key words: Boiler automation, Beverage Company, steam leak detection, ZIMASSET.

124
 MPSOM Proceedings, 24th– 25thMarch 2015, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

1 INTRODUCTION
Power shortages in Zimbabwe due to obsolete infrastructure have severely disturbed operations
within the Zimbabwean industry. Reliable capacity is of the order of 1 320 megawatts against a
demand of about 2 200 megawatts. The power shortages have seen capacity utilisation in the
manufacturing sector declining from an average of 57 % in 2011, 44% in 2012 and 39% in 2013.
(Farai & Tendai, 2014)
Bituminous coal is a source of an indispensable reserve of thermal energy widely used in industries
such as Delta Beverages. Proper combustion controls of coal can deliver large amounts of energy at
minimal cost to the environment. In the quest for more efficient and economic process heating,
principles of Lean Manufacturing are deeply rooted in our proposed solutions to carbon emissions
and global warming

2 LITERATURE REVIEW
Of the USD 27 billion required to execute the various projects identified in ZIMASSET, energy and
power supply are the number one priority for economic recovery. Zimbabwean companies wholly
rely on coal fired boilers for process heating. Infrastructure for power generation is absolute on a
nationwide scale and many companies have closed due to a deplorable energy and water delivery
system However, the use of fossil fuels worldwide has brought a lot of distress to the environment.
Engineers are continually on a quest to unearth new ways of harnessing energy from nature without
harming the earth’s ecosystems. (Chingarande, 2014).
Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems and Programmable Logic Controllers
(PLCs) are dominating the modern day process automation and control systems, offering great
benefits in productivity, safety and efficiency. Similarly SCADA systems can be employed for remote
control of boilers through use of PLCs. These systems enable real time monitoring of steam leaks on
steam lines reducing losses in energy and resources. Owing to its brilliant reputation in the oil and
gas industries the SCADA monitored leak detection systems have proved their worth in saving
millions of dollars each year (Gowri & Shankar, 2008).

2.1 Boiler control and steam leak detection techniques

Methods and apparatus are provided for detection of leaks in pipelines by use of various traditional
and emerging technologies that include pressure point analysis, acoustic methods and cable systems
technology. Boiler control and automation is mainly dominated by use of advanced PID and fuzzy
logic control mechanisms.

2.2 Boiler control

Commonly, a steam boiler is characterized by changing sensitivity and inertia factors, highly variable
disturbances, large thermal time constants and time delays. PID (proportional integral-derivative)
control is still the current tool for the steam boiler control However the PID controller cannot
eliminate the effect of disturbances to the transition process of the steam parameters enough
effectively because of delayed response on variable steam expenditure and feed water flow. (Baruch
& Seth, 2003)
To increase operation stability and the process control quality of the steam boilers and power plants,
wide investigations of long-range control methods are made recently: an active disturbance

125
 MPSOM Proceedings, 24th– 25thMarch 2015, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

rejection control method, using multi variable robust controllers with optimal settings and
robustness against uncertainties and disturbances ; cascade control of drum water level and feed
water flow an adaptive PID & Fuzzy logic control for transient process optimisation automatic
reservation, to compensate extreme overloads (Quark, 2013).

2.3 Leak detection systems

The primary purpose of leak detection systems (LDS) is to assist pipeline controllers in detecting and
localizing leaks. LDS provide an alarm and display other related data to the pipeline controllers in
order to aid in decision-making. Pipeline leak detection systems are also beneficial because they can
enhance productivity and system reliability through reduced downtime and reduced inspection time
(Chris, 2005)

2.3.1 Hardware-based methods

Different hardware devices are used to assist the detection and localization of a leak. Typical devices
used include acoustic sensors and gas detectors, negative pressure detectors and infrared
thermography. (Geiger & Gerhard, 2006)

2.3.2 Software-based methods

The methods include flow/pressure change detection and mass/volume balance, dynamic model-
based system and Pressure Point Analysis (Geiger & Gerhard, 2006).

2.4 Steam usages

Steam is distributed throughout the brewery by a pipe-work system. The pressure selected is
typically in the range of 6 to 10 bars. A general rule is that the system is designed for a
maximum steam velocity of 25 m/s.

2.4.1 Cereal cooking

The main function of this step is to cook the cereals with high gelatinization temperature, such as
maize and sorghum separately so that when transferred to the mash tun the adjunct starch is in a
form that it may be converted by malt enzymes.

2.4.2 Mashing
The main function of the mash tun is to convert starch into simple fermentable sugars. The
procedure followed allows for the different enzyme action to occur to produce the desired
fermentable sugars namely, maltose, fructose and glucose.

2.4.3 Lautering
After conversion, the mash is transferred from the Mash tun into the lautertun where instead of
floating; it will tend to settle down in a stratified form above the false bottom. In the lautertun that
is where the separation of the sweet wort and the spent grains is achieved.
The Pareto chart in Figure 1, shows the downtime in the major steam consuming section of the
Belmont Plant. Production loss amounted to 140hrs due to low steam pressures from the
boilers. Thus 7.3% loss in production time was accountable to boiler activity. The need for
accurate and robust controls is therefore evident in this statistic in order to deliver enough steam for
expedited product manufacturing.

126
 MPSOM Proceedings, 24th– 25thMarch 2015, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

Brewhouse Downtime
200
180
160
140
120
100
Downtime Hrs
80
60
40
20
0
Lautering Low steam Water Raw Maize Valve S6 Low HLT Ferment
problems material dropping temp Issues

Figure 1 Brew house loss and waste (April 2013-July 2013)

3 CALCULATIONS
The solution proposed involves implementation of a method based on the law of conservation of
mass. The analogy between amount of steam lost and an equivalent amount of coal and electricity
lost can be exploited coal to evaluate the tonnage of carbon released into the atmosphere.

3.1 Mass Balancing systems

These kinds of LDS use the principle of mass conservation: Mass is conserved if there is no leak in a
pipeline accordance to equation (Febbo & Craveiro, 2011).

3.2 Compensated Mass Balance

The leak detection system takes into account the inherent losses in pressure in a pipeline due to
bends and friction as the liquid flows through the pipeline.

̇ ̇ (1)

Where

̇
̇

The leak rate in a pipe of length n meters can be modelled mathematically as:
(2)

3.3 Steam savings calculation.

According to the steam trap survey in Table 1

127
 MPSOM Proceedings, 24th– 25thMarch 2015, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

(3)

Direct steam savings can be obtained from the steam trap survey. The survey estimates the amount
of steam lost per leaking, or blowing steam trap.

(4)

3.4 Coal Savings Calculations

(5)

3.5 Emission Savings Calculation

Coal savings conversion to CO2 savings, carbon content of coal at 27.6 (t C/TJ) and 20.52:
TJ/kilotonne coal from IPCC =.566352 t C/tonne of coal.
Assuming complete combustion of coal;
(6)

Where

128
 MPSOM Proceedings, 24th– 25thMarch 2015, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

3.6 Steam Trap Survey

The Steam Trap Survey is summarised in Table 1.
Table 1. Steam Trap Survey
Condition No. % Op. Estimated Estimated Total
Hours Steam Savings Steam Savings Annual
per hour per Year Savings

(Kg/hr.) (Ton/trap) Tons

Blowing 8 10.5% 8400 7.8 65.48 523.86

Leaking 17 22.4% 8400 7.5 63.02 1074.47

Good 23 30.3% 8400 0 0 0

Blocked 4 5.3% 8400 0 0 0

Dysfunctional 24 31.6% 8400 0 0 0

TOTAL 76 100% 1598.34

3.7 Data output

The boiler can be modelled mathematically as follows using the principle of conservation of mass
and the principle of conservation of energy as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2. Model of a steam boiler

Boiler start up requires a comprehensive scan for emergency and safety interlocks. On start up the
following scan takes place. The conditions of all Variable Speed Drives(VSDs) is checked if any drive
has tripped a message is displayed on the Human Machine Interface to notify the operator that the
variable speed drives have tripped.

129
 MPSOM Proceedings, 24th– 25thMarch 2015, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

The control algorithm implemented in this phase is chosen to be a parallel controller as shown in
Figure 4, and is composed of an air controller, a fuel controller and a load controller that provides
set-points for the first two controllers.

Figure 3. Boiler Control System

Using a PID controller to determine the load. The controller has a predetermined set-point for the
pressure in the steam dome. The measured pressure is used to determine the error, which in turn is
fed to the PID controller. The controller output is limited to the interval 2-10 Volts, representing a
percentage interval of 20-100 %.

130
 MPSOM Proceedings, 24th– 25thMarch 2015, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

Figure 4. Parallel Controller

The signal is limited to a minimum of 20 % so that the combustion is maintained, since if the load
where to be 0 % the combustion would need to be manually started every time the demand rises

Figure 5. PLC Tags

3.8 Steam Ordering System

The system enables the brew house operators to use a simple graphical user interface panel to order
steam from the boiler house. The operator simply selects the process to be run, e.g. wort boiling or
cereal cooking. Figure 6 shows the proposed automatic steam ordering system for ordering steam
from the boiler house.

131
 MPSOM Proceedings, 24th– 25thMarch 2015, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

Figure 6. Steam Ordering System

3.9 SCADA HMI Design

The new control system ensures smooth operation and provides the operator with maximum
comfort.

Figure 7. Human Machine Interface

For steam boilers 14 t/hr, a number of autonomous governors and visual display units are used. By
modernizing the control system, interventions in the operation of the steam boilers were reduced to
a minimum. Most operations are fully automated. The SCADA-based system is used to control and
monitor the steam boilers including the coal burners. All operating data and error states are stored
for later processing.

132
 MPSOM Proceedings, 24th– 25thMarch 2015, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

Shown in Figure 8 below is a Visual Basic program for boiler emissions and leak detection. Formula.
Equation (2) has been programmed into the code to enable leak flow rate to be calculated from the
click of a button.

Figure 8. Boiler Emissions and Flow Monitoring Program

Figure 9. Steam losses on steam traps

Alongside these features the program quantifies steam lost due to leaking steam traps and
unrecovered condensate. Leak duration and rate determine the amount of condensate lost into the
drains. The orifice diameter of the leak also play a role in rate of leak, an average orifice of an eighth
of an inch has been computed as the mean orifice diameter for the project. However the orifice
diameters are difficult to estimate.
Coal and water losses are obtained through a survey of the existing plant and related utilities
worksheets for daily tracking of utility usages. The data mean values over a full year were used to
determine water losses incurred due to coal losses.

Figure 10. Leak Rate computation

Losses in condensate recovery and steam imply that more coal should be burnt to obtain an
equivalent heat energy that achieves a constant process heat requirement. Monetary value of the

133
 MPSOM Proceedings, 24th– 25thMarch 2015, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

loss is quantify to simplify decision making for management in (Capital Expenditure) CAPEX issues
that may be raised.

Figure 11. Utility loss computation

Figure 12. Emissions Calculation

Computation of carbon emissions enables continuous data logging and tracking to be possible. Such
data logging would help the company keep track of its carbon emissions which are also a clear
indication of the combustion efficiencies

4 SUMMARY OF RESULTS
Results for the overall design are shown in this section. Cost savings achieved in utilities are
reflecting significant potential benefits that can be harnessed. Table 2 and Figure 13 show the
corresponding benefits achieved.
Table 2. Benefits achieved
UTILITY

Variables Water Steam Coal

Unit Cost $1.57/m3 $10/ton $0.79/kg

Actual Usages per 3 124 350 L 25 671 8

Annum(Current Situation) tons 445,43tons
Before Recommended Usages/yr. 2 800 000 20 000 tons 8000 tons
Project
%Deviation +11.6% +28.36% +5.6%

Quantity Saved /yr.(After 174 963 L 3261.54 528.76 tons

After Project) tons
Project % Actual Savings/yr. 5.6% 12.7% 6.3%

134
 MPSOM Proceedings, 24th– 25thMarch 2015, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

Figure 13 Utility Savings

Table 3. Steam Leak Detection System

Description Result

Steam Velocity

Flow Rate Loss due to transient pipe

conditions
Pipe Reynolds Number

Inlet Flow Rate at 10 bars ̇

Outlet Flow Rate at no Leak ̇

Leak Rate

Leak Threshold (A)

̇

Leak Conditions

Alarms Normal Leak {

135
 MPSOM Proceedings, 24th– 25thMarch 2015, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

Alarms Severe Leak Alarm ̇

5 DISCUSSIONS
The control system can be effectively adopted for the two 14ton/hour fire tube boilers that are
currently on manual operation. The steam leak detection system would be very beneficial in steam
energy losses, trends and events can be tracked on the SCADA from a remote control room.

5.1 Boiler control system

Figure 2 shows a block representation of the control system, the controlled value, pressure, changes
with the variation of the heat quantity produced by the combustion chamber, as a result of the
modification of the fuel flow rate and that of the air, at the entry into the combustion chamber. The
main disturbances which operate on the steam pressure are the variation of the steam load required
by the consumer which acts as an external disturbance and the variation of the fuel flow rate which
acts as an internal disturbance. The variation of the air flow rate although, from a quantitative point
of view, having an effect similar with Steam pressure remains constant if the thermal and mass
balance are undisturbed.

5.2 Flow Computer and Leak Detection

The Flow computer compares the flow rates obtained from the digital flow meters and uses logic
tests to determine if a leak exists or not. In the event that a leak exists the program gives the user a
feedback and quantity or rate of flow. Alongside these features the program quantifies steam lost
due to leaking steam traps and unrecovered condensate. Leak duration and rate determine the
amount of condensate lost into the drains due to malfunctioned steam traps and venting of steam
into the atmosphere. Losses in condensate recovery and steam imply that more coal should be burnt
to obtain an equivalent heat energy that achieves a constant process heat requirement.

5.3 The SCADA System

System components would consist of a Siemens Step 7 PLC, sensors, Variable Speed drives and
combustion controllers. The benefits are as follows
 Improved operation of the plant or process resulting in savings due to optimisation of the
system
 Increased productivity of the personnel
 Improved safety of the system due to better information and improved control
 Protection of the plant equipment
 Safeguarding the environment from a failure of the system
 Improved energy savings due to optimisation of the plant

6 CONCLUSION
Agenda 21 is a comprehensive plan of action to be taken globally, clean energy and power
development is one of the major pillars in attaining the international obligations for all Zimbabwean
companies .Practices such as those discussed in this paper could prop not only Delta Beverages but

136
 MPSOM Proceedings, 24th– 25thMarch 2015, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

many Zimbabwean companies towards achieving great improvements in the areas of air pollution,
renewable energies, conservation of water and fossil fuels.

REFERENCES
Anthony, B. (1992). Air Pollution Engineering Manual. New York: van Nostrand Reinhold.
Baruch, & Seth. (2003). Steam Systems Efficiency Improvements. Beijing: European Commission.
Chingarande, A. (2014). Can Tourism Sector Steer The Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-
EconomicTransformation (ZIMASSET)? International Journal of Social Relevance and Concern, 1-2.
Chris, T. (2005). Modern Leak Modelling. Tokyo.
Farai , N., & Tendai, R. (2014). ZIMASSET UNLOCKS PPP POTENTIAL. Harare: The Corporate
Council,Manokore Attorneys.
Febbo, M. d., & Craveiro, M. A. (2011). An Innovative Approach for Leak Detection in pipelines. ILDS
(pp. 3-5). Brasil: ILDS.
Flavius , D. S. (2012). Mathematical Modelling and Numerical and Simulation of the Dynamic
Behaviour of Thermal and Hydro Power Plants. Romania: Politechnica University of Timisoara.
Geiger, & Gerhard. (2006). State of the Art Leak FDetection and Localisation. Gelsenkirchen:
University of Applid Science.
Gowri, & Shankar. (2008). Control of Boiler Operation using PLC and SCADA. Proceedings of the
International Multiconference of Engineers and Computer Scientists (pp. 3-6). Hongkong: IMECS.
Ion, V., & Florin , P. (2012). DYNAMIC MODEL OF A STEAM BOILER FURNACE. Galati: University of
Galaţi.
Mittal, M., & Motti, L. (1996). Estimates of Emissions from Coal Fired Thermal Power Plants In India.
Tampa Florida: Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of South Florida.
Owens, B. M. (1996). Optimised Control of Coal fired boilers. New York: Office for publication of the
European Communities.
Quark, J. (2013). Advanced Boiler Control. International Journal of Emerging Technology and
Advanced Engineering, 10-13.

137