ISSN 00406015, Thermal Engineering, 2010, Vol. 57, No. 10, pp. 840–842. © Pleiades Publishing, Inc., 2010.
Original Russian Text © G.I. Zhukov, V.N. Laptev, S.V. Laptev, A.A. Fedulov, V.M. Karas’, 2010, published in Teploenergetika.
Experience Gained at OAO EMal’yans with Constructing Automated
Control Systems for Steam Boilers
G. I. Zhukov, V. N. Laptev, S. V. Laptev, A. A. Fedulov, and V. M. Karas’
OAO Alliance for Construction of Power Machinery (EMAl’yans), ul. Lenina 220, Taganrog, Rostov oblast, 347900 Russia
Abstract—The experience gained at OAO EMAl’yans with furnishing its own boilers with automated process
control systems is described.
DOI: 10.1134/S0040601510100034
The Alliance for Construction of Power Machinery
(in Russian, EMAl’yans) is one of Russia’s largest
companies for construction of the power machinery
and equipment that specializes in design and manu
facture of boiler equipment and executes turnkey con
tracts (engineering, procurement, and commissioning).
The company owns 70.83% of common shares of the
Krasnyi Kotel’shchik Works. EMAl’yans has its design
offices in Taganrog, Podolsk, Barnaul, and Ivanovo.
DESCRIPTION OF WORKS CONDUCTED
BY EMAL’YANS SPECIALISTS
ON FURNISHING STEAM BOILERS
WITH AUTOMATED CONTROL SYSTEMS
The GOST (Russian State Standard) 2826989: Sta
tionary LargeCapacity Steam Boilers requires that
each steam boiler must be equipped with an auto
mated process control system (APCS). As a rule,
power stations, which are end customers of this equip
ment, wish that the APCSs of newly commissioned
thermal power equipment (steam boiler, auxiliary
equipment, turbine, generator, etc.) be made in a
common information–technical environment.
Therefore, the producer of a steam boiler is not
requested to supply the boiler complete with its auto
mation system, and in the majority of cases the supply
of APCSs is ordered to a specialized enterprise. How
ever, irrespective of who supplies an automation sys
tem, the technological basis for developing this system
comes from the boiler designer.
EMAl’yans specialists develop initial data for a
boiler automation system in the form of a basic engi
neering design, and it should be pointed out that the
volume of work on developing basic engineering
designs has become considerably larger in recent
years.
As a rule, the basic engineering design of a boiler
automation system includes the following documen
tation:
(i) a diagram of instrumentation and automatic
control devices (I&C);
840
(ii) piping and instrumentation (P&I) diagrams of
technological paths;
(iii) lists of databases (measurement points, electric
loads, I/O signals, etc.);
(iv) algorithms of the boiler’s process protections
and interlocks;
(v) functional diagrams of the boiler’s automatic
closedloop control system; and
(vi) algorithms (logic diagrams) of stepped pro
grams for functionalgroup control of the boiler.
The I&C diagram contains the main information
on tapping points in matching to the technological
paths, as well as data on the parameters of medium and
metal at tapping locations. In addition, this diagram
shows details of sampling devices for measurement
instruments.
P&I diagrams of technological paths appeared for
the first time in designing of steam boilers for power
stations outside of Russia. But at present, the custom
ers of projects for Russian power stations also request
that a set of P&I diagrams should also be developed.
The first diagrams of this sort in fact replaced automa
tion circuits, which contained only general data on the
technological paths of the boiler, but at present, these
diagrams contain detailed data on each element of the
circuit and on each pipeline, including its geometrical
characteristics, parameters of medium, etc. All the
equipment shown in P&I diagrams have unique codes,
the KraftwerkKennzeichensystem (KKS) being the
most widely used system for coding equipment. A P&I
diagram comes with its description, which contains
summary information on the process diagram, princi
ples of its operation in manual and automatic control
modes, etc.
Lists of the data on measured parameters, types of
stop and control valves for boilers, and other equip
ment were usually developed as separate tables. At
present, all such data are entered in unified tables of
databases the formats of which are usually developed
by organizations performing the functions of a general
designer on agreement with suppliers of the APCS. It
 EXPERIENCE GAINED AT OAO EMAL’YANS WITH CONSTRUCTING AUTOMATED
should be pointed out that the volume of information
entered into the tables of databases has become much
larger; nonetheless, specialists of EMAl’yans take the
work of filling in database tables even in the part that
was previously within the scope of a general designer.
To avoid possible errors in the course of developing
P&I diagrams and database tables that can be made in
them due to the human factor, specialists of
EMAl’yans have developed a computer program that
is now successfully used at the company in drawing up
documents.
Traditionally, the algorithms of boiler process pro
tections and interlocks were issued by equipment man
ufacturers in the form of an explanatory note, com
monly called “the conditions of protections and inter
locks.” At present, EMAL’yans specialists draw up not
only an explanatory note, but also logic diagrams of
boiler process protections and interlocks; the format
of these diagrams, which are drawn using the available
bank of logic elements, is subject to agreement with
the general designer and the supplier of the APCS.
As it regards automatic closedloop and functional
group control systems, the previous practice was such
that the manufacturer developed a brief explanatory
note containing the list of regulators, and simplified
regulators were shown in automation circuits. At
present, EMAl’yans specialists develop functional dia
grams of regulators and logic diagrams of stepped func
tionalgroup control programs. Competent organiza
tions are often attracted for carrying out these works that
have experience in doing them, among which are Auto
mation of Power Installations—VNIIAM (Moscow),
Interavtomatika (Moscow), E4SibKOTES (Novosi
birsk), and DonORGRES (Gorlovka, Ukraine).
NEW OBJECTIVES FOR CONTROL OF STEAM
BOILERS AT THE PRESENT STAGE
Among the new objectives imposed on the control
of steam boilers, it is necessary to mention first of all
the need to reduce the emissions of nitrogen oxides
discharged with flue gases at the boiler outlet to the
required level. The list of methods used at present to
suppress NOx emissions includes the following ones:
(i) the schemes for staged combustion of fuel;
(ii) recirculation of flue gases, and
(iii) special methods for removing nitrogen [selec
tive catalytic and noncatalytic reduction (SCR and
SNCR)].
There are two schemes using which staged combus
tion of fuel is implemented: two and threestage com
bustion (reburning).
During twostaged combustion of fuel (gas, fuel oil,
and highreaction coals), it is necessary to maintain a
certain ratio between the amounts of air supplied to
the main burners (this ratio should be smaller than that
theoretically required for complete combustion of
fuel) and air supplied to the afterburning nozzles (the
THERMAL ENGINEERING Vol. 57 No. 10 2010
841
remaining part of air required for complete combus
tion of fuel) that are located above the main burners.
Control shutters (adjusted by regulators) and flow
measuring devices serving to maintain the required
flowrate of air to the afterburning nozzles depending
on the boiler load (or fuel flowrate) are installed before
the nozzles.
When the threestage scheme of fuel combustion is
used (for burning lowreaction coals), reducing
devices are placed above the main burners to which the
required amount of air is supplied. The reducing
devices receive fuel (gas or finely milled coal) in an
amount required to obtain heat release equal to 15–
20% of its rated value with shortage of air. Tertiaryair
nozzles are installed above the reducing devices. In
this case, the objective of controlling the boiler is to
maintain the required admission of fuel and air to the
reducing devices, as well as air to the tertiaryblast
nozzles depending on the boiler load (or the flowrate
of fuel to the main burners).
When schemes for staged combustion of fuel are
introduced in retrofitted boilers, difficulties are often
encountered due to a dense layout of these boilers. In
particular, problems sometimes occur with installing
Venturi tubes for measuring air flowrate to the nozzles.
Recirculation of flue gases is widely used during the
firing of gas and fuel oil (and sometimes solid fuel) in
boilers to reduce NOx emissions. Schemes with
exhaust fans for recirculating flue gases and schemes in
which recirculation gases are supplied to the suction of
forceddraft fans are used. The purpose of control
consists of maintaining the required flowrate of recir
culation gases depending on the load (or air flowrate).
The abovementioned methods for reducing nitro
gen oxide are related to the category of intraflow fur
nace measures and are most frequently proposed to
customers for reducing the emissions of NOx down
stream of the boiler. In recent years, customers have
begun to show interest in methods central to which is
use of special nitrogen removal plants. The method of
selective catalytic reduction (SCR), implemented
using special catalysts placed in the boiler’s convection
shaft, as well as the method of selective noncatalytic
reduction (SNCR), implemented using an installation
for injecting ammonia into flue gases in the boiler’s
zone of transitional gas conduit, are examples of such
methods. The SNCR method is used jointly by spe
cialists of the AllRussia Thermal Engineering Insti
tute (VTI) and other organizations, including
EMAl’yans (TKZ Krasnyi Kotel’shchik), in the TP87
boiler installed at the Tolyatti cogeneration station. As
it regards SCRbased nitrogen removal plants, they are
not used at present in the boilers of EMAl’yans, but
such a possibility is being considered.
One of the new control objectives that had to be
solved by EMAL’yans specialists is controlling the
supply of feedwater during the startup of a once
through boiler with the use of a medium recirculation
842 ZHUKOV et al.
pump. This method has been implemented in the
TPP660/AVSO boiler supplied to the Barh thermal
power station in India. In accordance with the cus
tomer’s requirements, this boiler was furnished with a
medium recirculation pump, which is used in starting
the boiler. The specific feature of the control system
used in this boiler is that it supplies feedwater to the
boiler in a fully automatic mode when the boiler is
started either with the medium recirculation pump or
without it (in the latter case, water is discharged into
the startup expansion tank).
It should be pointed out that the project of the
TPE223 boiler for the Cherepet district power station
incorporates burner turning mechanisms, which are
supposed to be used as additional means to control the
temperature of reheat steam in a wide range of loads.
Such a possibility is available in the boiler’s automatic
closedloop control system, and whether its use is
advisable or not will be determined after completing
the startup and adjustment works (tentatively, the
boiler will be started in 2011).
STEPPED PROGRAMS FOR FUNCTIONAL
GROUP CONTROL OF THE BOILER
As a rule, the functionalgroup control (FGC) sys
tem serves to perform automated control of equipment
when the boiler is started up and shut down. Stepped
programs of FGC are used to carry out the following
operations: filling the boiler with water, assembling the
boiler paths before starting, ventilating the boiler fur
nace and gas conduits before the boiler is started up
and after it is shut down, automatically kindling the
burners on different kinds of fuel, shifting the boiler
from one kind of fuel to another, and connecting/dis
connecting the boiler injections. Sometimes, however,
the FGC system is also used when the boiler operates
in the adjustment range of its loads. For example, the
list of control programs that have been developed for
the TPE318/SO boiler supplied to the Uong Bi ther
mal power station in Vietnam, includes, among other
things, stepped programs for starting and stopping
groups of fueloil and pulverizedcoal burners
depending on the boiler load. For the TPP660/AVSO
boiler supplied to the Barh thermal power station, pro
grams have been developed for automatically start
ing/stopping the mills during operation of the boiler in
the adjustment range of its loads.
SPECIFIC FEATURES OF BOILER
PROTECTIONS AND INTERLOCKS
The new industry standard STO 1723082.27.060.004
2008: Steam Boiler Units contains the requirement
demanding that pulverizedcoal burners must be
equipped with sensors for selective monitoring of
burning. At present, boilers installed at Russian power
stations are equipped with means for monitoring the
common flame in the furnace. The project of the
TPE223 boiler for the Cherepet district power station
incorporates sensors produced by the DURAG Group
for selectively monitoring the pulverizedcoal flame.
In addition, the project incorporates a special newly
developed process protection that must trip the rele
vant dust supply equipment when a group of flames
from pulverizedcoal burners is extinguished.
Customers outside of Russia often request that pro
tections and interlocks should be developed in accor
dance with foreign standards, which differ from the
corresponding Russian standards applied to protec
tions. For example, the protections for the TPE
318/SO boilers supplied to the Uong Bi thermal power
station and TPP660/AVSO of the thermal power sta
tion Barh were made in accordance with the failsafe
principle using the master fuel trip in line with the
American fire safety code NFPA 85. The specific fea
ture of this principle is that protections allow the
equipment to operate if the protection signal applied
to this equipment has a high level. When this signal
disappears (a low level) due to the protection coming
into action or a failure of the protection cabinet’s
communication channel or equipment itself, the
equipment must be tripped out.
THE SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATED TECHNICAL
DIAGNOSTICS OF BOILERS
The DiagnostTKZ system for automated techni
cal diagnostics of a boiler occupies a special place in
the works of EMAl’yans specialists on equipping boil
ers with automated control systems. This system has at
its heart a purely calculation method based on the reg
ulatory documents used in constructing boilers, which
has been verified by the entire history of boiler con
struction and equipment operation. Central to this
method is online monitoring of the quality of equip
ment operation, which includes monitoring of the
temperature conditions under which the elements of
the boiler’s steam–water path operate, recording and
analysis of “excursions,” and analysis of how intensely
the service life is exhausted and how creep phenomena
accumulate.
The diagnostic system makes it possible to improve
the indicators characterizing troublefree operation,
reduce the cost of repair works, and predict probable
time of operation after which repairs should be carried
out, as well as the spare parts and equipment required
1
for carrying out these repairs.
1 A.
S. Chernov, V. B. Nadler, V. A. Aleksandrova, and A. A. Fed
ulov, “The Diagnost TKZ System: Calculating and Predicting
the Remaining Life of Pressurized Boiler Elements during
Operation,” Tyazh. Mashinostr., No. 11, 14–17 (2003).
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