1

With the blessings of Their Holinesses

Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Viswa Maha Vidyalaya

(University Established under section 3 of UGC Act 1956)

Enathur, Kanchipuram

Accredited with Grade ‘A’ by NAAC

POWER PLANT INSTRUMENTATION

COURSE MATERIAL

(FIFTH SEMESTER - EIE)

(For the Academic year - 2020-2021)

PREPARED BY

Dr.T.SUNDAR

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRONICS & INSTRUMENTATION ENGINEERING

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Sl.No TITLE Page .No

1. AIM 3

2. OBJECTIVE 3

3. UNIT – I OVERVIEW OF POWER GENERATION 6

4. UNIT – II MEASUREMENTS IN POWER PLANTS 48

5. UNIT – III ANALYZERS IN POWER PLANTS 82

6. UNIT – IV CONTROL LOOPS IN BOILER 108

7. UNIT - V TURBINE – MONITORING AND CONTROL 143

8. MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS WITH ANSWER 168

9. ASSIGNMENT / QUESTION BANK 187

10. USEFUL VIDEO LINK 199

11. CONCLUSION 203

12. REFERENCE 203

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SEM: V POWER PLANT INSTRUMENTATION T P C

Branch: EIE 3 - 3
CODE: BEIF185T40

Pre – requisite: Basic Electronics.

AIM

The course is designed to familiarize the student with the functions and instrumentation available
in a modern power generation plant.

Course Objectives

The course should enable the students to:

1. To provide an overview of different methods of power generation with a particular stress on

thermal power generation.
2. To bring out the various measurements involved in power generation plants.
3. To provide knowledge about the different types of devices used for analysis.
4. To impart knowledge about the different types of controls and control loops.
5. To familiarize the student with the methods of monitoring different parameters like speed,
vibration of turbines and their control.

UNIT- I OVERVIEW OF POWER GENERATION

Brief survey of methods of power generation – hydro, thermal, nuclear, solar and wind power –
importance of instrumentation in power generation – thermal power plants – building blocks –
details of boiler processes UP&I diagram of boiler – cogeneration.

UNIT –II MEASUREMENTS IN POWER PLANTS

Electrical measurements – current, voltage, power, frequency, power – factor etc. – non electrical
parameters – flow of feed water, fuel, air and steam with correction factor for temperature – steam
pressure and steam temperature – drum level measurement – radiation detector – smoke density
measurement – dust monitor.

UNIT –III ANALYZERS IN POWER PLANTS

Flue gas oxygen analyzer – analysis of impurities in feed water and steam – dissolved oxygen
analyzer – chromatography – PH meter – fuel analyzer – pollution monitoring instruments.
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UNIT –IV CONTROL LOOPS IN BOILER

Combustion control – air/fuel ratio control – furnace draft control – drum level control – main
stem and reheat steam temperature control – super heater control – at temperature – deaerator
control – distributed control system in power plants – interlocks in boiler operation. Nuclear
power plant instrumentation - radiations detection instruments - process sensors - Spectrum
Analyzer - nuclear reactor control systems and allied instrumentation.

UNIT- V TURBINE – MONITORING AND CONTROL

Speed, vibration, shell temperature monitoring and control – steam pressure control – lubricant oil
temperature control – cooling system.

COURSE OUTCOMES

On completion of this course, the students will be able to,

CO1. Understand the basic principles of power generation.

CO2. Understand about measurement of various parameters in power plant.
CO3. Know the various analyzers in power plant.
CO4. Understand about the turbine boiler control.
CO5. Understand about the turbine monitoring.

TEXT BOOKS

1. Sam G. Dukelow, The control of Boilers, instrument Society of America, 1991.

2. Modern Power Station Practice, Vol.6, Instrumentation, Controls and Testing,
Pergamon Press, Oxford, 1971.
3. Liptak B.G., Instrumentation in Process Industries, Chilton, 1973
4. P.Tamilmani, power plant instrumentation, sams publishers,Chennai.
5. P.K.Nag, Powerplant Engineering, Tata McGraw-Hill Education, 3rd edition, 2007.
6. Krishnaswamy.K and Ponnibala.M., Power Plant Instrumentation, PHI Learning Pvt.Ltd.,
New Delhi, 2011.

REFERENCES
1. Elonka,S.M.and Kohal A.L.Standard Boiler Operations, McGraw Hill, New Delhi, 1994.
2. R.K.Jain, Mechanical and industrial Measurements, Khanna Publishers, New Delhi, 1995.
3. Everett Woodruff , Herbert Lammers, Thomas Lammers, Steam Plant Operation,9th Edition
McGraw Hill, 2012.
4. Rajput R.K., A Text book of Power plant Engineering. 5th Edition, Lakshmi Publications,
2013.
5. E.Al. Wakil, ‘Power Plant Engineering’, Tata McGraw Hill, 1984.
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Mapping of COs with Pos

PO1 PO2 PO3 PO4 PO5 PO6 PO7 PO8 PO9 PO10 PO11 PO12

CO1
✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
CO2
✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
CO3
✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
CO4
✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
CO5
✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
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UNIT – I

HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER PLANT

Introduction

The hydro-power plays a very important role in the development of the country as it provides
power at cheapest rate being perpetual source of energy (Nearly 20% of the total world power is
generated using hydro-plants.)

The quantity of water available and head is equally important in the generation of power. The
available head depends upon the selection of site for hydraulic power plant./The site of the power
plant is always selected for the highest available head. The quantity of water available at the
selected site depends upon the hydrological cycle of nature. As the availability of water depends
on the natural phenomenon of rain, the maximum capacity of hydraulic generating plant is
usually fixed on the basis of minimum quantity of water available.

Hydrology

The science which deals with rainfall and run-off is known as hydrology. The evaporation of the
water from the surfaces of river and oceans and its precipitation of the earth is known as
hydrological cycle. The distribution of precipitation on the earth surface and beneath the earth is
calculated with the help of hydrological considerations.

The rainfall, known as precipitation is the natural process of converting atmospheric vapour in to
water. As the rain falls upon the drainage basin, a portion of it is evaporated directly by the sun,
another large portion is taken up by vegetarian and growing crops particularly in growing season
and some percolates in to the ground. The percolating water may be partly absorbed by the roots
of vegetation or it may reappear in course of time as spring water either inside or outside the
catchment area/The remaining portion of rainfall flows through the catchment area on the surface
of the earth and is known as "runoff")

Hydrograph Hydrograph is defined as a graph showing discharge run off) of flowing water with
respect to time for a specified time. The time period for discharge hydrograph may be hour, day,
week or month. The discharge may be m/sec, km2- cm/hr or day-second-metre. Discharge
hydrographs are known as flood or run-off hydrographs. Each hydrograph has a reference to a
particular riversite.

Classification of Hydro-electric power plants

1. Classification according to the availability of head

a. Low head power plants

b. Medium head power plants

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c. High head power plants

2. Classification according to the nature of load

a. Base load plants

b. Peak load plants

3. Classification according to the quantity of water available

a. Run-off River plant without pondage

b. Run-off River plant with pondage

c. Storage type plants

d. Pump storage plants

e. Mini & Micro-Hydel plants

f. height of water in the reservoir.

The water entering in to the turbine rotates the turbine shaft and ultimately the generator shaft
which is coupled to turbine shaft. The current flows from the generator to the transformer where
the voltage is stepped up to be transmitted by huge pylons

Operation of Hydro-Electric Power Plant

In hydro-electric plants, the potential energy of water is converted in to kinetic energy first
passing through the tunnel to the power house. The Kinetic energy of the water is converted in to
mechanical energy in the water turbines. The mechanical energy of the water turbine is further
utilized to run the electric generator. This is the common principle of hydro-electric. The load on
the generator fluctuates according to the demand, therefore, the mechanical power developed by
the turbine must also change and that is controlled by the governor by changing the quantity of
water supplied to the turbine.

Components used in Hydro-Electric Power Plant

 Reservoir
 Dam
 Trash rack
 Forebay
 Surge Tank
 Penstock
 Spill way
 Power House
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 Prime movers room

 Draft tube

The functions of different components used in hydro-electric power plant are described below:

Reservoir

The main Purpose of the reservoir is to store the water during rainy season and supply the same
during dry season

Dam

The function of the dam is to increase the height of the water level behind it which ultimately
increases the reservoir capacity. The dam also helps to increase the working head of the power
plant. Many times high dams are built only to provide the necessary head to the power plant.

Trash Rack

The water intakes from the dam or from the fore bay are provided with trash rack to prevent the
entry of debris which might damage the wicket gates and turbine runners or choke-up the nozzles
of the impulse turbine.

If the winters are severe, special provision is made to prevent the trouble from ice. To prevent ice
from clinging to the trash racks, they are often heated electrically. Sometimes an air bubbling
system is provided in the vicinity of the trash rack which brings warmer water to the surface of
trash racks.

Forebay

The forebay serves as regulating reservoir temporarily storing water when the load on the plant is
reduced and provides water for initial increment of an increasing load while water in the canal is
being accelerated. In many cases, the canal itself may be large enough to absorb the flow
variations.

If the canal is long, its end is sometimes enlarged to provide necessary temporary storage. In
short, forebay is a naturally- provided storage which is able to absorb the flow variations. This
can be considered as naturally provided surge tank as it does the work of surge tank. The forebay
is always provided with some type of outset structure to direct water to the penstock depending
upon local conditions.
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Surge Tank
A surge tank is introduced in the system between the dam and power- house nearest to the power
house and preferably on the high ground to reduce the height of the tower to provide better
regulation of water pressure in the system during variable load conditions.

When the turbine gates are partly closed and water flow in to the turbine is reduced suddenly,
water rises in the surge tank. This produces a retarding head and decreases the velocity of water
in the penstock. When the velocity of the water in the penstock is reduced to the value demanded
by the turbine, the level of the water in the surge tank starts falling and fluctuates up and down
till its motion is damped out by friction. When there is sudden rise in the load on the turbine,
additional water is supplied from surge tank. This lowers the water surface in the surge tank thus
producing an accelerating head which increases the flow of water in the penstock. When the
discharge of water corresponds to the turbine demand, the water surface in the tank ceases to fall.
The surge tank thus helps in stabilizing the velocity and pressure in penstock and reduces the
water hammer effect.

Penstock

The structural design of the penstock is some as for any other pipe except it has to bear very high
pressure on inside surface during decreased load conditions on generator and on onside surface
during increased load conditions of generator. A pipe between the surge tank and prime-mover is
known as penstock.

In very cold weather conditions, it is sometimes advised to bury the penstock to present the ice
formation is the pipe and to reduce the number of expansion joints required. Uncovered
penstocks are usually more expensive because of the expansion joints, anchors and other
apparatus required but they have the advantage of being accessible for inspection and repairs.

Spillway

Spillway is considered a safety valve for a dam. It must have the capacity to discharge major
floods without damage to the dam and at the same time keeps the reservoir level below some
predetermined maximum level.

Power House

A power house consists of two main parts, a sub-structure to support the hydraulic and electric
equipment and superstructure to house and protect this equipment.
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The elevation of the turbine with respect to the tail water level determined by the necessity of
avoiding cavitations. It is always advantageous to locate the power houses underground under
certain topographic conditions where there is no convenient site for conventional type.

Prime Movers

The main purposes of the prime movers are to convert the kinetic energy of water in to
mechanical energy to produce electric energy. The prime movers which are in common use are
pelt on turbine, Francis turbine, Kaplan turbine and propeller turbines.

Draft tube

The draft tube is essential part of reaction turbine installation. It supplements the action of the
runner by utilizing most of the remaining kinetic energy of the water at the discharge end of the
runner. The draft tube is a diverging discharge passage connecting the running with tailrace. It is
shaped to decelerate the flow with a minimum loss so that the remaining kinetic energy of water
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coming out of runner is efficiently regained by converting in to suction head, thereby increasing
the total pressure difference on the runner. The regain of kinetic energy of water coming out
from reaction turbines is the primary function of the draft tube.

Thermal Power Plant

The development of power in any country depends upon the available resources in that country.
The hydel power totally depends upon the natural sites available and hydrological cycle in that
country. The development of nuclear power in a country requires advanced technological
developments and fuel resources. This source of power generation is not much desirable for the
developing countries as it is dependent on high technology and they are highly capital based
systems.

Many times, hydel power suffers if draught comes even once during a decade and the complete
progress of the nation steps. The calamity of rain draught on power industry has beed
experienced by many states in this country. To overcome this difficulty it is absolutely necessary
to develop thermal plants in the country which are very much suitable for base load plants. Hydel
power plants are much better for peak load requirements; therefore the development of the
thermal plants becomes a necessity for economic generation of the power.

The development of all three sources should be made simultaneously if possible to assure sound
supply of power in the country. The mix of three depends upon the availability in that particular
area but it is always economical and desirable to develop all sources of power for steady and sure
progress of the country.

Circuits in Thermal Power Plant

The general layout of the thermal Power Plant consists mainly four circuits as shown in fig. The
four main circuits are

1. Coal and ash circuit

2. Air and Gas circuit

3. Feed water and steam flow circuit .

4. Cooling water circuit

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A thermal power station using steam as working fluid works basically on the Rankine cycle.
Steam is generated in a boiler, expanded in the prime mover and condensed in condenser and fed
in to the boiler again.

Coal and Ash circuit

In this cireuit, the coal from the storage is fed to the boiler through coal handling equipment for
the generation of steam. Ash produced due to the combustion of coal is removed to ash storage
through ash-handling system.

Air and Gas circuit

Air is supplied to the combustion chamber of the boiler either through Forced Draft or Induced
Draft fan or by using both. The dust from the air is removed before supplying to the combustion
chamber.

The exhaust gases carrying sufficient quantity of heat and ash are passed through the air -heater
where the exhaust head of the gases is given to the air and then it passed through the dust
collectors where most of the dust is removed before exhausting the gases to the atmosphere
through chimney.
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Feed water and Steam circuit

The steam generated in the boiler is fed to the steam prime mover to develop the power. The
steam coming out of prime mover is condensed and then fed to the boiler with the help of pump.
The condensate is heated in the feed-heaters using the steam tapped from different points of the
turbine. The feed heaters may be of mixed type or indirect heating type.

Some of the steam and water is lost passing through different components of the system,
therefore, feed water is supplied from external source to compensate this loss. The feed water
supplied from external source is passed through the purifying plant to reduce the dissolved salts
to an acceptable level. The purification is necessary to avoid the scaling of the boiler tubes.

Cooling water circuit

The quantity of cooling water required to condense the steam is considerably large and it is taken
either from lake, river or sea. The cooling water is taken from the upper side of river, it is passed
through the condenser and heated water is discharged to the lower side of the river. Such system
of cooling water supply is possible if adequate cooling water is available throughout the year.
This system is known as open system.

When the adequate water is not available, then the water coming out from the condenser is
cooled either in cooling pond or cooling tower. The cooling is done by partly evaporating the
water. When the cooling water coming out of the condenser is cooled again and supplied to the
condenser, then the system is known as closed system.

Working of Thermal power plant

Steam is generated in the boiler of the thermal power plant using the heat of the fuel burned in
the combustion chamber. The steam generated is passed through steam turbine where part of it
thermal energy is converted in to mechanical energy which is further used for generating electric
power. The steam coming out of the steam-turbine is condensed in the condenser and the
condensate is supplied back to the boiler with the help of the feed pump and the cycle is
repeated.

The function of the boiler is to generate the steam. The function of the condenser is to
condensate the steam coming out of steam turbine at low pressure. The function of the steam
turbine is to convert part of heat energy of steam in to mechanical energy.

The function of the pump is to raise the pressure of the condensate from the condenser pressure
(0.015atm) to boiler pressure (200 atm) the other components like economizer, superheated and
steam feed heaters (steam from Raw coal different points of turbine is fed to the heaters to heat
the condensate to a higher temperature) are used in the primary circuit to increase the overall
efficiency of the thermal power plant.
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Different types of systems and components which are used in thermal power plants

 Coal handling system

 Ash and dust handling system
 Draft
 prime-mover
 condenser's and cooling towers
 Feed water purification plant
 Economizes
 Super heater
 Feed heaters etc.

Coal Handling System

Two methods are in general use to feed the pulverized fuel to the combustion chamber of the
power plant.

i) Unit System

ii) Central or Bin System

In unit system, each burner of the plant is fired by one or more unit pulverizes connected to the
burners, while in the central system, the fuel is pulverized in the central plant and then
distributed to each furnace with the help of high pressure air content. Each type of fuel handling
system consists of crushers, magnetic separators, driers, pulverizing mills, storage bins,
conveyors and feeders. The arrangement of different equipments required in both systems is
shown in figure with the help of block diagram.

The coal received by the plant from the mine may vary widely in sizes necessary to make the
coal of uniform size before passing the pulverized for efficient grinding.

The coal received from the mine is passed through a preliminary crusher to reduce the size to
allowable limit (30mm). The crushed coal is further passed over magnetic separator which
removes pyrites and tramp iron.

In a unit system, each burner or a group of burners and a pulverized constitute a unit. Crushed
coal is fed to the pulverized through feeder at a variable rate governed by the combustion
requirements of furnace and steam generating rate required in the boiler.
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In a central feed system, the crushed coal is fed to the drier from the raw coal banker by gravity.
The drying of coal is effected either by using hot gases, preheated air or bled steam.

The dried coal is fed to the pulverized with the help of feeder. The pulverized coal is carried
from the pulverized mill and it is separated in the cyclone separator.

Ash and Dust Handling System

Ash handling system comprises the following operations

i)To remove the ashes from the furnace ash hopper.

ii) To convey the ashes from furnace ash-hopper to a storage or fill with the help of conveyors.
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iii) To dispose the ashes from the storage.

The ever increasing capacities of boiler units together with their ability to use low grade high ash
content coals have been responsible for the development of modern ash handling systems.
Mechanical handling system Hydraulic ash handling system.The general layout of the
components used in modern ash handling and dust collection plant is shown in figure.

The modern ash-handling systems are mainly classified in to four groups namely

 Mechanical handling system

 Hydraulic ash handling system
 Pneumatic system
 Steam jet system

General layout of ash handling and dust collection system

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The mechanical system is generally used for low capacity power plants asing coal as fuel. The
hot ash coming out of boiler furnace 1s made to fall over the best conveyor through a water seal.

The cooled ash falls on the best conveyor and it is carried continuously to the dumping site or
overhead bunker. The ash is carried to the dumping site from the ash bunker with the help of
trucks.

The hydraulic ash handling system carries the ash with the flow of water with high velocity
through a channel and finally dumped to the sump.

The pneumatic ash handling system is more suitable to the boiler plants from which ash and soot
must be transported some considerable distance for final disposal. The ash and dust from all
discharge points are picked up by a high velocity air stream created by an exhauster at the
discharge end.

Draft Systems

The purpose of draft is to supply required quantity of air for combustion and remove the burnt
products from the system. To move the air through the fuel bed and to produce a flow of hot
gases through the boiler, economizer, preheater and chimney require a difference of pressure
equal to that necessary to accelerate the burnt gases to their final velocity and to overcome the
pressure losses equivalent to pressure head.

This difference of pressure required to maintain the constant flow of air and to discharge the
gases through the chimney to atmosphere is known as draft When the draft is produced with the
help of chimney only, is known as Natural Draft and when the draft is produced by any other
means except chimney, is known as artificial draft.

i) Forced Draft

In a forced draft system, a blower is installed near the base of the boiler and air is forced to pass
through the furnace, economizer, air-preheated and to the stack. This draft system is known as
positive draft system or forced draft system because the pressure of air throughout the system is
above atmospheric pressure and air is forced to flow through the system.

The arrangement of the system is shown in figure. A stack or chimney is also used in this system
but its function is to discharge gases high in the atmosphere to prevent the contamination. It is
not much significant for producing draft therefore height of the chimney may not be very much.
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ii) Induced Draft

In this system, the blower is located near the base of the chimney instead of near the grate.

The air is sucked in the system by reducing the pressure through the system below
atmosphere. The induced draft fan sucks the burned gases from the furnace and the pressure
inside the furnace is reduced below atmosphere and induces the atmospheric air to flow through
the furnace. The action of the induced draft is similar to the action of the chimney.
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The draft produced is independent of the temperature of the hot gases therefore the gases may be
discharged as cold as possible after recovering as much heat as possible in air-preheater and
economizer. The fan should be located as such a place that the temperature of the gas handled by
the fan is lowest. The chimney is also used in this system and its function is similar as in forced
draft but total draft produced in induced draft system is the sum of the drafts produced by the fan
and chimney as shown is figure.

Economisers

The economizer is a feed water heater deriving heat from the flue gases discharged from the
boiler. The justifiable cost for economizer depends on the total gain in efficiency. In turn, this
depends on the gas temperature going out of the boiler and feed water temperature to the boiler.

Regenerative cycle inherently gives high feed water temperature, therefore the adoption of
economizer must be known. A typical return bend type economizer is ask shown in figure.

Air Pre-heaters

The heat carried with the flue gases coming out of economizer are further utilized for preheating
the air before supplying to the combustion chamber. It has been found that an increase of 20°c in
the air temperature increases the boiler efficiency by 1%.Tt is also as a necessary equipment for
supply of hot air for drying the coal pulverized fuel systems to facilitate grinding and satisfactory
combustion of fuel in the furnace.
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A typical arrangement of tubular air-pre heater is shown is figure. The flue gases flow through
the tubes and air is passed over the outer surface of the tubes as shown in figure. The horizontal
baffles are provided to In increase, the time of contact while will help for higher heat transfer. In
some design, tube-row staggering is used to improve the air-distribution.

SOLOR POWER PLANT

The radiation continuously showered on earth by the sun represents the most basic and
inexhaustible source of energy which is the mother of all forms of energy. Life on this planet
completely depends upon the constant flow of solar energy. The food production and life support
system of nature depends upon the sun.

The interior of the sun has a temperature of above 25 x 106°C. The hydrogen atoms in the sun
fuse with helium atoms to produce energy. The solar energy travels in particles called photons.
This energy reaches the surface of earth by direct mode and diffuse mode.

The daily average solar energy incident in the country varies from 5 to 7 KWhr per square metre.
Approximately 5x 1015 KWhr of energy per annum is received from the sun in India. The direct
energy when collected can be converted in to heat energy through Solar Thermal Devices and
Systems.
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Heat energy, thus produced can be used for variety of applications in industries, dairies,
hospitals, hotels, hostels etc. It can be used for generation of electric power, using steam cycle
and conventional turbines.

Basic Principle

The solar energy is collected by large parabolic collectors. This energy is used to heat water.
The feed water is heated in two stages to produce steam to run the turbines. The alternators
coupled to turbines produce the required electrical energy. Steam is condensed and feed water
returned to boiler for reuse.

Solar Thermal Conversion

1. Flat plate collector

2. Solar Air Heater

3. Cylindrical Parabolie Concentrating or focussing Solar Collector

4. Paraboloid Concentrating Solar Collector

5. Sensible Heat Storage Systems

Flat Plate Collector

The collector used for collection of solar energy should have high absorption and low emissivity.
A flat plate collector is as shown in Figure. In any collector device, the principle followed is to
expose the dark surface to solar radiation so that the radiation is suitably absorbed.

A part of this absorbed radiation is transferred to a fluid like air or water. It can be used for a
variety of applications in which temp ranges from 40°C to about 100°C are required.)A flat plate
collector consists of an absorber plate on which the solar radiation falls after coming through one
or more transparent covers, usually made of glass.

The absorbed radiation is partly transferred to a liquid flowing through tubes fixed to the
absorber or integral with it, and the rest is lost to the surroundings by convection and radiation.
The liquid mostly used is water. A flat plate collector is usually held tilted in a fixed position on
a supporting structure, facing south if located in the northern hemisphere.
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Solar air heater

A schematic cross-section of a conventional solar air heater ia as shown in figure, which is

essentially similar to that of a liquid flat-plate collector except for the passages through which air
flows.

Cylindrical Parabolic Concentrating Solar Collector

When temperatures higher than 100°C are received, it becomes necessary to concentrate the
radiation by the use of focusing or concentrating collectors as shown in figure. The collector
consists of a concentrator and a receiver. The concentrator as shown is a mirror reflector having
the Receiver -Concentrator shape of a cylindrical parabola.

It focuses the sunlight on to its axis where it is absorbed on the surface of the absorber tube and
transferred to the fluid flowing through it. A concentric glass cover around the absorber tube
helps in reducing the convective and radioactive losses to the surroundings. In order that the
sun's rays should always be focused on to the absorber tube, the concentrator has to be rotated.
This movement is called tracking. In the case of cylindrical parabolic concentrators rotation
 23

about a single axis is generally required. Fluid temperatures up to around 300°e can be achieved
in such systems.

Parabolic concentrating collector

The generation of higher working temperatures is possible by using parabolic reflectors which
have a point focus.

This requires two-axis tracking so that the sun is in line with the focus and the vertex of the
parabolic as shown in figure.
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Energy storage systems

One of the major problems associated with the utilization of solar energy is its variability.

for this reason, most applications require some type of energy storage system, the purpose of
which is to store energy when it is in excess of the requirement and to make it available for
extraction when the supply of solar energy is absent or inadequate.

Solar energy can be stored as sensible heat or latent heat. Sensible heat storage is usually done in
an insulated container containing a liquid like water or a porous solid in the form of pebbles or
rocks as shown in figure.

The first type is preferred with liquid collectors, while the second type is compatible with air
heaters. In the case of latent heat storage, heat is stored in a substance when it melts and
extracted when the substance freezes.

Solar Thermal Power Generation

Low temperature solar power plant (up to 100°C)

The energy of the sun is collected by water flowing through an array of flat-plate collectors as
shown in figure.

To get still higher temperatures, booster mirrors which reflect radiation on to the flat-plate
collectors are sometimes used.
 25

The hot water at about 100°C is stored in a well insulated thermal storage tank. From storage
tank, it flows through a vapors generator through which the working fluid is passed. The working
fluid has a low boiling point. Consequently, vapor at about 90°C and a pressure of a few
atmospheres leaves the vapor generator. This vapor then executes a regular cycle by flowing
through a prime mover, a condenser and a pump.

Medium Temperature System (above 100°C to 250°C)

It can be attained by using arrays of cylindrical parabolic focusing collectors. The axes of these
collectors could be oriented north-south or east west and tracking about these axes would be
required.

The fluid flowing through the absorber tubes is a high-boiling-point liquid. It is stored in tanks
and drawn through a heat-exchanger in which it transfers heat to high pressure water which is
converted in to steam.

High temperature solar power plant (above 250°C)

The central receiver tower solar power plant consists basically five subsystems as shown in
figure.

 The heliostat field

 The sodium heat transfer system
 The power conversion system
 The electrical system
 The data acquisition system
 26

Heliostat array made of plastic sheets with protective coating are used reflect sun rays to central
receiver tower (500m high). The heliostats continuously track the sun by optical guides and
focus the lower top where heat transport fluid is heated and piped to ground for turbo generator
drive.

Liquid sodium is used as a cooling medium for the receiver due to its excellent thermal
transmission characteristics. Solar concentration ratio of about 1000 is achieved with a
temperature range of 480°C 540°C which suits turbine characteristics. Such plants are operative
up to 500 kW capacities which need four acres of land for heliostats infrastructure.

Two sodium tanks are integrated in to sodium heat transfer system to form a thermal store. A
conventional water steam circuit in conjunction with steam turbine and generator converts
thermal energy which has been transferred to a steam generator by the sodium heat transfer
system in to electrical energy.

The electrical system provides power to all its auxiliaries. However an emergency diesel
generator and batteries are maintained. The electric power is fed to the grid through a
transformer.

A data acquisition system is maintained in the control room for monitoring and logging normal
operations and for evaluation of system.
 27

Photo Voltaic Power Generation

Photo voltaic power generation is a method of producing electricity out of a semi-conductor by

means of a quantum effect which converts optical energy in to electrical energy as shown in
figure.

If an n-type semi-conductor is brought in to contact with a p-type semiconductor a contact

potential difference will be established at the interface by the diffusion of the electrons. With the
p-type semiconductor exposed to light, its electrons absorbs photons of light and pass it to n-type
region, thus generating an electric current in a closed circuit. Such cells are Solar Cells. Solar
cells can be connected in series and parallel in the form of array on a panel to get the desired
rating of voltage and current. The maximum possible rating is 250W/m2 of array. So a power
plant of 250M W needs an array surface of one square kilometer.

The solar energy is directly received by the photovoltaic cells and it can be increased by use of
concentration and tracking system. The output of the photovoltaic cells array is DC so it is
converted in to a.c. for local use and feeding the grid. This can be done by suitable regulation
and dispatch unit.

NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS

The discovery of the fission of Uranium was the tremendous importance as it opened the
prospects of using the energy stored in the atomic nucleus for the production of electric power.

Presently, the nuclear energy enormously enlarged the world's power sources. The present
estimates reveal that fissionable Uranium alone contains moderated far more energy that all the
world's reserves of coal and petroleum put together.
 28

A unique feature of nuclear energy is an exceptionally high degree of concentration which

exceeds by millions of times the concentration of energy in the conventional fossil fuels.

For example the energy of one kg of Uranium is equivalent to about 20 x 10° KW-hrs of heat
energy or burning of 2000 tons of high grade coal.

In the nuclear power plant, the energy released by splitting the nuclei of Uranium is converted in
to the heat energy of steam and then into electric

Nearly all the energy released by nuclear fission transforms to heat. The device in which a
nuclear fission chain reaction takes place is known "nuclear reactor".

The only difference between conventional thermal power plants and nuclear plants is that in the
former water is heated to combustion generate steam by of coal while in the latter the required
heat is generated in nuclear reactors.

Classification of reactors

1. On the basis of neutron Energy

a) Fast Reactors

b) Thermal Reactors

2. On the basis of fuel used

a) Natural Fuel

b) Enriched Uranium

3. On the basis of moderator used

a) Water moderated

b) Heavy water moderated

c) Graphite moderated

d) Beryllium moderated

4. On the basis of coolant used

a) Water cooled reactors

b) Gas cooled reactors

c) Liquid metal cooled reactors

 29

d) Organic liquid cooled reactors

Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR)

The arrangement of pressurized water reactor is shown is figure. A pressurized water reactor is a
light water cooled and moderated reactor. It uses enriched Uranium as fuel.

The pressurizing tank included in the circuit maintains the constant pressure in the circuit
throughout the load range. Electric heating coil in the pressurized boils the water to form the
steam which is collected in the dome reactors as shown in figure and pressurizes the entire
coolant circuit before starting reactor. To reduce the pressure, water spray is used to condense
the steam. The fuel which is generally used is UO. The Uranium Oxide is highly resistant to
irradiation damage and is very well adapted to the high burn-ups. It’s also highly resistant to
corrosion b high pressure water in the event of a break-up in the fuel cladding.

The water in the primary circuit gets heated by absorbing the fission energy in the reactor core
and same energy is given in the heat exchanger to generate the steam. The water coming out of
the heat exchanger is circulated by the pump to maintain the pressure in the circuit in the range
of 100 to 130 atm.
 30

The water becomes radioactive in passing through the reactor, therefore, the entire primary
circuit including steam generator (heat be exchanger) must shielded to protect the operating
persons. The radioactive coolant does not make the steam radioactive in the boiler.

Boiling Water Reactor (BWR)

In this type of reactor, enriched Uranium is used as fuel and water is generated in the reactor
itself instead of separate steam boiler. The arrangement of the single circuit system is shown in
figure.

The majority of the power plants in U.S.A. are of PWR and BWR types as diffusion plants are
established for enrichment of fuel during Second World War.

Components used in Nuclear Reactor

 Reactor Core
 Moderator
 Reflector
 Coolant system
 Control rods
 31

 Biological shield
 Boiler
 Turbine
 Generator
 Condenser

The principle component of a nuclear power plant is its nuclear reactor made up of the
following:

i) Core is main part in which nuclear reaction takes place and heat energy is released.

ii) Moderator is required to slowdown the fast moving neutrons so as to utilize them for fission.

iii) Coolant system transfers heat from the reactor core to the feed water.

iv) Control system is provided for controlling the release of energy due to fission.

v) Reflector is provided to reflect back unused neutrons in to the core for improving the neutron
economy of the reactor.

vi) Reactor vessel is a strong walled container housing the core for the reactor.

vii) Biological shield is provided to protect the personnel against radiation hazards

Reactor Core

The core consists of large number of fuel tubes in which nuclear fuel is placed in the form of
Uranium or Plutonium rods clad with a hermitically sealed metal jacket. The fuel rods are
referred to as fuel elements. It is in these rods that the nuclear reaction takes place and large
amount of heat is released in the process. There may be as many as a few thousand fuel elements
in the core.

The reactor core is shaped either cubical or cylindrical to coolant facilitate the circulation
through the core. The core has a series of elements parallel fuel in the form of plates or rods with
arrangement for axial flow of the coolant.

Moderator

The core accommodates a neutron moderator which 1s used to moderate or reduce the neutron
speed to a critical value that increase the chances of fission. Chain reaction produces fast moving
neutrons which do not effectively cause fission of U35 and try to escape from the reactor.

To improve the utilization of neutrons their speed is reduced. It is done by colliding them with
material having light weight nucleus so that on collision it does not absorb the neutron but
 32

scatters them. Such a material is called Moderator. Three commonly used moderators are
graphite, heavy water and 'beryllium'. In fast reactors, moderators are not used.

Coolant System

A coolant is made to flow through reactor core to remove heat produced due to chain reaction
and transfer this heat to the feed water for running the steam turbine.

Control System

The control and operation of a nuclear reactor differs from the coal or oil fired furnace where
heat energy in the furnace is controlled by regulating the fuel supply. On the contrary a nuclear
reactor is loaded with fuel which is sufficient to operate a large power plant for several months.

The consumption of this fuel and the heat generated in the reactor depends upon the neutron flux
in the reactor core. The energy produced due to chain reaction in the core is enormous which
needs a suitable control, otherwise the entire core and surrounding structure may melt destroying
everything followed by radio-active pollution. This situation would be synonymous to atom
bomb explosion.

For control of chain reaction 'control rods' of Cadmium or Boron one accommodated in the core
which can be raised or lowered for varying the rate of disintegration. Control rods absorb
neutrons which are responsible for starting the chain reaction.

Control rods insertion in the core absorbs more neutrons and damps down the chain reaction
while their withdrawal absorbs less neutron which

Most of the wind powered electrical generators were displaced as the electric power to the rural
area was provided from central power stations through the national grid. Now, because of
increasing cost of power, the trend is going to be reversed and again more wind mills be set up to
provide the power needs of the rural areas.

Windmills have been used for several countries where high velocity wind is available in
abundant quantity. A windmill converts the kinetic energy of moving air mass in to mechanical
motion that can be either used directly to run the machine or to turn the generator to produce
electricity.

Classification of Wind Power Generators

1. Based on axis

a) Horizontal axis machines

b) Vertical axis machines

 33

2. According to size

a) Small size machines (up to 2kW)

b) Medium size machines (2 to 100kW)

c)Large size machines (100kW and above)

Single generator at a single site

Multiple generators

3. as per the type of output power

a) DC Output

DC generator

Alternator Rectifier

b) AC Output Variable frequency,

Variable or Constant voltage AC. Constant frequency,

Variable or Constant voltage AC.

4. As per the rotational speed of the aero turbines

a) Constant speed with variable pitch blades

b) Nearly constant speed with fixed pitch blades.

c)Variable speed with fixed pitch blades.

field modulated system

Double output indication generator

AC DC AC Link

AC Commutator generator

Variable speed constant frequency generating systems

5. As per the utilization of output is made

a) Battery storage

b) Direct conversion to an electromagnetic energy convertor

 34

c) Thermal potential

d Inter convention with conventional electric utility 'grids.

Basic components of a Wind Energy Conversion System (WECS)

The main components of WECS are shown in figure 1.20 in block diagram multiple generator
form.

Aeoroturbine

Aeoroturbine converts energy in moving air to rotary mechanical energy. In general, they require
pitch control and yaw control for proper DC generator operation.

A mechanical interface consisting of a step up gear and a suitable coupling transmits the rotary
mechanical energy to an electrical generator. The output of this generator is connected to the
load or power grid as the warrants. Gears mounted on the hub to serve as a transmission to
increase rotor speed to generator speed. Such a combination offers a high degree of design
flexibility as well as large potential savings.

Generator

Either constant or variable speed generators are a possibility, but variable speed units are
expensive and / or unproved. Among the constant speed generator candidates for use are
synchronous induction and permanent magnet types. The generator of choice is the synchronous
unit for large aero generator systems because it is very versatile and has an extensive database.
Other electrical components and systems are, however, under development.

Controls

The modern large wind turbine generator requires a versatile and reliable control sy stem to
perform the following functions.

i) The orientation of the rotor in to the wind (azimuth of yaw) in power plant

ii) Startup and cut-in of the equipment

iii) Power control of the rotor by varying the pitch of the blades .

iv) Generator output monitoring-status, data computation and storage

V) Shutdown and cutout owing to malfunction or very high winds

vi) Protection for the generator, the utility accepting the power and the prime mover equipment
and indicate when and where maintenance or repair is needed.

vii) Auxiliary and / or emergency power, and The functions of instruments to be performed for
 35

vii) Maintenance mode

Many combinations are possible in terms of the control system and may involve the following
components

a) Sensor:

Mechanical, Electrical, or Pneumatic

b) Decision Elements:

Relays, logic modulus, analog circuits, a microprocessor a fluidics, units, or a mechanical unit,
and

c) Actuators:

Hydraulic, electric or pneumatic. A recommended combination of electronic transducers feeding

in to a micro-processor which, in turn, signals electrical actuators and provides protection
through electronic circuits, although a pneumatic slip clutch may be required.

Towers

Four types of supporting towers deserve considerations, there are:

a) Reinforced concrete towers

b) Pole tower

c) Built-up shell-type tower

d) Truss tower

Among these, the truss tower is favored because it is proved and widely adaptable, cost is low,
parts are readily available, it is readily transported, and it is potentially stiff. Shell-tube towers
also have attractive features and. and may prove to be competitive with truss towers.

IMPORTANCE OF MEASUREMENT AND INSTRUMENTATION

Instruments used in power plants furnish accurate information for guidance to safe, continuous
and proper plant operation.

The information given by the recording units from the control room helps to direct its operation
so as to achieve the best performance and furnish data for calculation so that results may be
compared from time to time. There may be used to check on the internal condition of equipment
and indicate when and where maintenance or repair is needed.
 36

The functions of instruments to be performed for

i) Operating Guidance

ii) Performance calculations a

iii) Maintenance and repair guidance

iv) Economical Supervision

V) Pressure and temperature measurements of steam and feed water

37
38
 39

BOILERS OVERVIEW OF POWER GENERATION

Basic Steaming Process

In the conversion of water from its liquid phase to steam (its vapor phase) heat is added to
initially increase the water temperature to and leaves the system in the form of steam. The
boiling point temperature. This heat raises the temperature of the water is known as sensible
heat.

As the conversion from the liquid phase (water) to the vapor phase steam) begins the temperature
no longer changes with the addition of heat. The fluid exists at the saturation temperature-
pressure relationship during the entire conversion of water to steam.
 40

The heat that is added in converting from the liquid to the vapor phase at constant temperature is
called the latent heat of evaporation. Steam that is fully vaporized but has not been heated to a
temperature above the saturation temperature is called dry saturation steam. Steam that is not
fully vaporized is called wet steam.

By adding additional sensible heat to dry saturated steam, the temperature can be increased
above the saturation temperature. Steam that is heated above the saturated temperature is called
"Superheated Steam".

A basic diagram of a boiler is as shown in figure. It comprises two separate systems:

One system is the steam-water system. In to this, water is introduced and, upon receiving heat
that is transferred through a solid metal barrier, is heated, converted to steam, and leaves the
system in the form of steam.

The other system of a boiler is the fuel-air-flue gas system. This system provides the heat that is
transferred to the water. The inputs to this system are fuel and the necessary air required to burn
the fuel. In this system the fuel and air are thoroughly mixed and ignited in a furnace. The
resulting combustion converts the chemical energy of the fuel to thermal or heat energy.

The furnace is usually fixed with heat transfer surface in the form of water-steam circulating
tubes. These tubes receive heat radiating from the flame and transfer it to the water-side-system.

The gases resulting from the combustion, known as the flue gases, are cooled by the transfer of
their heat by what is known as the radiant heat transfer surface. The gases leave the furnace and
pass through additional heating surface that is in the form of water-steam circulating tubes. Thus
heat transfer cools the flue gases, which then leave the boiler.
 41

The factors affecting this time constant include the system heat storage, the heat transfer
coefficients in different parts of the system, the masses of metal and refractory and their
configuration, and various other factors.

Boiler Types and Classification

There are two general types of boiler

a) Fire tube boiler

b)Water tube boiler

In addition, boilers are classified as

a) High pressure boilers

b) Low pressure boilers

c) Steam boilers

d) Hot water boilers

High Pressure boilers operate at a pressure greater than l5 psig when the boiler water temperature
rises as the pressure is increased; the flue gas temperature is increased.

A particular attribute of high pressure steam is that it contains a significantly greater amount of
available energy that is available to be converted to work in an industrial or electric power
generation steam engine chamber Feed or turbine.

Low pressure boilers operate at a pressure lower than 15 psig. Almost all low pressure boilers are
used for space heating. Low pressure boiler systems are simpler since pressure-reducing valves
are seldom required and the water chemistry of the boiler is simpler to maintain.

Hot water boiler is essentially a fuel-fired hot water heater in which sensible heat is added to
increase the temperature to some level below the boiling point.

High Pressure Boilers

When steam is needed at pressures, 30 Kgf/ cm2 and individual boilers are required to raise less
than about 30 tons of steam per hour, shell boilers are considerably cheaper than water tube
boilers, and are equally satisfactory in all other respects. Above these limits, shell boilers
(generally factory built) are difficult to transport if not impossible. There are no such limits to
water tube boilers.
 42

a) La Mont Boiler

A forced circulation boiler was first introduced in 1925 by LA MONT. This is generally used in
Europe and America. The arrangement of water circulation and different component is shown in
figure.

The feed water from hot well is supplied to a storage and separating drum (boiler) through the
economizer. The most of the sensible heat is supplied to the feed water passing through the
economizer.

A centrifugal pump circulates the water equal to 8 to 10 times the weight of steam evaporated.
This water is circulated through the evaporator tubes and the part of the water evaporated is
separated in the separator drum. The large quantity of water circulated (10 times of evaporation)
prevents the tubes from being overheated.

The centrifugal pump delivers the feed water to the headers at a pressure of 2.5 atm. above the
drum pressure. The distribution headers distribute the water through the nozzles in to the
evaporator. The steam separated in the boiler is further passed through the super heater and
 43

finally supplied to the prime mover. To secure, a uniform flow of feed water through each of the
higher size units with higher steam parameters seem a natural choice for economical installation
and operation of thermal power plants. The 800 MW units would be designed on supercritical
steam pressure with a drum less boiler on once through principle.

With increasing pressure of steam, the differential between the specific weight of saturated water
in down-comers and specific weight of steam-water mixture in furnace wall tubes (which causes
natural circulation in boiler) circulation boiler. goes on decreasing.

Sluggish circulation causes film boiling. In film type boiler, the tube metal remains in contact
with steam bubbles which provide high thermal resistance for heat flow and therefore tube metal
sharply deteriorates due to high metal temperature leading to boiler tube failures.

For pressure above 180 bar with natural circulation as shown in Fig, it is not possible to prevent
"film boiling" in the upper furnace tubes. Therefore, generally, above 150 bar pressure,
controlled circulation in water walls is used by providing boiler circulating pump between down
comers and lower water distributing heaters and the water walls.

In controlled circulation boilers as shown in figure, it is possible to utilize high steam pressure up
to 200 bar but beyond this, there is a reduction in the effectiveness of Boiler Drum in separating
the saturated Vortex shedding9 Super heated steam to turbine O Steam drum FW steam from
water.

Therefore, beyond 200 bar, a drum less boiler is envisaged. A Separator Vessel is utilized to
separate out salts from steam water mixture in sub- critical range (225.65 bar), the separator
vessel cannot function and only once through (mono tube) is adopted. Various manufacturers
have adopted different techniques.

Sulzers Brothers Ltd. has adopted Separator Vessel in their design as shown in figure with sub-
critical pressures and there are no boiler circulating pumps. The once through circulating is
provided by feed pump.

H/S Combustion Engineering Company have adopted a "Mixing Vessel" which provides suction
to boiler circulating pumps at sub-critical pressures, provides suction to boiler circulating pump
and inlet saturated steam to superheater and serves as a receiving header for steam-water mixture
from evaporator suction as shown in figure. The boiler circulating pumps are required to function
in the start-up or low pressure conditions but when the pressure goes above critical pressure then
these are stopped and once through circulation is provided by boiler feed pump. This is called a
combined
 44

PIPING AND INSTRUMENTATION DIAGRAM OF BOILER

Using ISA control diagramming system or SAMA control diagramming system, all the process
variables are measured and transmitted to a controller for control action in the find control
element figure. Shows the piping and instrumentation diagram. Air has taken for combustion
process through forced draft fan across Air heater. The temperature of the air is transmitted by
temperature transmitter (TT) and the flow is measured by differential pressure measurement by
flow transmitter (FT). Depends upon the load, the fuel is supplied from the pulveriser through
mass flow meter (FT) and it is controlled by a flow controller (FC).

In the boiler furnace, temperature is measured at the sides and the middle by temperature
transmitters (TT). Drum level is measured in the steam drum and mud drum by using level
transmitter (LT). Feed water supplied to the steam drum after deaerated through Economizer
with at is favorable towards combined production of thermal and mechanical energy. Controlled
flow using flow controller (FC).
 45

Temperature of the steam is increased by adding additional sensible heat to dry saturated steam,
the temperature can be increased above the saturation temperature for the production of super
heated steam. The pressure and temperature of the superheated steam is measured by using
pressure transmitter (PT) and temperature transmitter (TE). Finally the super heated steam is
passed in to the prime mover with controlled flow, pressure and temperature.

From the boiler, because of combustion process the flue gas is taken out through the stack and its
temperature is exchanged to feed water and to the air input, the corresponding temperature is
measured by temperature transmitter. The dust and ash is collected by the use of Ash collector. A
pollution monitoring instrument is used for the measurement of pollutant (AT) in the flue gas.

CO-GENERATION SYSTEM

Co-generation is the combined production of two forms of useful energy from the same fuel. In
industry, two forms of required useful energy are to condensate thermal and electrical.

Co-generation systems are sequential in nature because the exhaust from producing one form of
energy is used as input for producing the next form of energy

In co-generation system, high pressure steam is used for generating & the power and the exhaust
steam is used in manufacturing processes. Efficiency of co-generation system is as high as 85%
whereas the efficiency o steam power plant is hardly 40%

The higher efficiency in the conversion of fuel in to useful. Translates in to a substantial

reduction in pollution and reduction in the energy costs associated with production operations.

Co-generation is most often used in industrial units requiring significant amounts of thermal
energy and electricity and where the ratios of the two forms of energy are favorable towards
combined production of thermal and mechanical energy.

There are two types of co-generation systems as:

i) Topping Cycle

ii) Bottoming Cycle

In topping cycle, shaft power is first developed as shown in Fig.1.26 b d and the exhaust is used
for supplying thermal energy. Whereas, in bottoming K cycle, the sequence is reversed as shown
in figure.
 46

Topping cycle is often used when temperatures and pressures for a given industrial process are
relatively low. Bottom cycle is typically feasible when the temperatures of process waste system
are relatively high Form of energy .The important benefits of co-generation are reduction in the
overall energy cost. These savings, combined with the benefits of minimal operating and
maintenance costs and high reliability of the components can lead to an overall positive cash
flow.

i) Energy saving of 0.3kg / kWh of coal is possible using co. generation.

ii) Capital cost will be reduced from Rs,2 Crore / MW to Rs.1 Crore/ MW with the use of co-
generation

Nearly 2000MW co-generation potential has been identified in Indian industry and it is
worthwhile to adopt co-generation wherever possible as it has low capital cost and low running
cost also.
 47

Combined cycle systems

Generator This is generally used to increase the overall efficiency of the gas turbine cycle as the
efficiency of basic gas turbine cycle is considerably low (20 to 25%).

Different modifications over the basic gas turbine cycle to improve the thermal efficiency of the
plant are shown in figures shows the modifications to use the heat in the exhaust of gas turbine to
improve the overall efficiency of the plant.

Shows the arrangement for co-generation where the Air Exhaust heat is used for steam
generation which is used further for process plant.
 48

UNIT – II

Measurements in Power Plants

MEASUREMENT OF AIR FLOW, STEAM FLOW AND FEED WATER FLOW

Methods of Flow Measurement

a) Pressure difference method

b) Displacement method

c) Inferential method

d) Non-Inferential method

Method a) is used for all main flows of steam and feedwater.

Methods b) are used for ancillary flows and for oil flow to burns of oil-fired boilers.

Elements used for Flow Measurement

i) Orifice plates

ii) Nozzles

iii) Venturi tubes

iv) Dall tubes

Differential Pressure Measurement of Air Flow

i) Measurement of Combustion Air Flow with Orifice Segment in Duct One potential primary
device is an orifice segments in the forced draft duct, figure. shows this type of device. It is
simple to design and install but its drawback is lower pressure recovery and thus greater
permanent pressure drop. Considering the individual nature of the ductwork, an accurate design
is impossible. An approximate design combined with field calibration can produce good results.
 49

Measurement of Airflow with Orifice Segment in Duct

An approximate design can be made by considering the duct as a round duct and designing an
orifice plate in a standard manner( The d/D (orifice diameter/pipe diameter) is then converted to
an area ratio (a/A), ) which will be the square of the d/D ratio.

Using the area ratio, the opening area can be determined. This area is subtracted from the duct
cross-section area to yield the area of the oriface K, and K2 Duct cross section, C

Measurement of Combustion Air Flow with Venturi Section in Duct

Measurement of Air Flow with Venturi Section in Duct

In order to reduce the permanent pressure loss of the measuring device a venturi-type duct
segment, as shown by figure, can be installed. The design of such a duct segment should be
undertaken only by someone with good design basis information, such as a boiler manufacturer.

This does not assure good design, however, since a design of 2 inches of H,O differentially yield
an actual differential pressure of 8 inches of H,O. A recalculation confirmed the original design.

Measurement of combustion Air with Air Foil in Duct

Further reduction in permanent pressure loss can be obtained by using an air foil design, as
shown in figure. The design of an air foil also requires background of such a design along with
empirical data that is based on the actual results of previous air foil designs.

Measurement of Air Flow with Air Foil in Duet

 50

Air foil designs are usually made by boiler manufacturers. A primary device of this type is also
somewhat less expensive to construct than the venturi duct section.

Measurement of Combustion Air flow using Differential Pressure across a Tubular Air
Preheater

Another technique that requires no additional power consumption is to use the pressure drop
across the boiler parts.

One method is the use of the pressure drop across the air side of a tubular air preheater as shown
in figure. There are usually 2 (or) more inches of HO available at full boiler load.

In most such air preheater arrangements, the difference in elevation between the pressure
connections requires compensation for the chimney or stack effect due to the difference in
temperatures.

Measurement of Air Flow using Differential Pressure across a Tubular Air Preheater

The method of connection shown in figure will usually provide the Hot wire necessary
compensation

Inferential Measurement of Combustion Air Flow

 51

Inferred Measurement of Combustion Air Flow by Pressure Drop across Baffles in Flue Gas
stream Figure shows this method, which uses the pressure or drait O K, Hot air > differential
across the boiler tube passes. The use of such a measurement tends, however to0 produce a
greater interaction between the fuel and air flow control loops.

A further disadvantage is that such an air flow measurement is affected by soot or other foreign
deposits on the boiler tubes. Another disadvantage is the unavailability in many elevation of the
pressure connections is used to compensate for(the "Chimney" effect that results from
temperature difference of the flue gases at the two measurement points.

Non-inferential Method of Air Flow Measurement

HOT WIRE ANEMOMETER in the flowing fluids. Due to the change in the velocity of flowing
fluid, the heat lost by the hot wire will also change. A relation between this loss of heat the basic
system consists of an electrically heated wire suitably mounted and the fluid flow can be desired.

The setup of the Hot Wire Support

This heat loss changes the temperature and as a consequence resistance Fuel of the hot wire
changes. This generally changes the current through the hot wire for a constant voltage supply.
Measuring the change in the resistance or in the current the flow can be found out. There are two
basic techniques of Flamea Air Gas baffles drum Mud measurement of flow.

i) By measuring resistance keeping the current constant.

ii) By measuring the current keeping the temperature constant i.e., Pressure Drop across Baffles
in Flue Gas stream resistance constant.

The thermo element is generally made of platinum wire having diameter of 0.0005 to 0.03 Cm
and a length of 0.1 to I cm depending on the flow channel diameter. The axis of the hot wire is
perpendicular to the direction of flow. The heat from such a wire to the fluid is obtained.
 52

Bridge circuit

The bridge circuit with appropriate supply and detector is used for measurement purpose. In the
constant current type the circuit is as shown in figure . Where R is a large resistance and R, R,
and R, is of the same order as that of R.

OIL FLOW MEASUREMENT

Vortex Flow Meter Flow

For oil flow measurement in recently constructed power stations8, the rotating vortex type of
flow meter is being installed as illustrated in figure the vortex-velocity principle involves a
vortex pool which has a clearances circular motion from and drives a multi-bladed rotor. The
rotor, which has ample the meter body is only used to count the vortex by means revolutions of
the of a magnetic coupling to an integrating mechanism

Vortex Velocity Principle

 53

Solids entrained in the fluid do not affect the operation and very little wear occurs, the bearings
being purged with clean oil or appropriate fluid from an external supply.

Vortex Meter

The error is specified as within 0.5% over a 10:l span, but with a " prover loop" on which the
flow measuring device can be periodically calibrated, it is expected that the error can be kept
within + 0.2%.

Figure is normally required. Illustrates how the vortex meter is housed in a special pipe section
provided with flanges which are connected to the pipe work arranged for straight lengths of 10
diameters upstream and 5 diameter downstream of Blow down cocks the vortex meter.

The integrating meter can be replaced at any time, whilst the rotor assembly can be replaced
without dismantling the pipework provided that Slope not less than 1:10 Air vessels the oil has
been drained.

(The method of usingg a "prover loop" is shown in figure and this consists of a transportable U-
section the diameter of which is known precisely and in which a plastic ball is accommodated)
shown as a block dot at A. The loop is connected to branches on the pipework. So that the oil can
flow through the loop and vortex meter in series.
 54

Meter Prover Loop

Electronic timers at the two ends of the loop measure the time taken for the plastic ball to move a
known distance from A to B; and the swept volume can be calculated. The diagram is over
simplified, as arrangements are provided for returning the ball to A for repeat tests, so as to
obtain an average flow rate in gal/sec. A density correction has to be used for conversion to klb/h
Figure is normally required.

MEASUREMENT OF STEAM FLOW

Steam flow measurement

It consists of a differential transducer located below the level of the main or pipeline (laid
horizontally) in which the orifice is installed. (Pressure pipes fall continuously from orifice to
meter at a slope of not less than 1/10 as shown in figure 2.11.
 55

If the horizontal distance is too great to allow this slope by direct connection between orifice and
the meter, then pressure pipes may first be taken below the meter and then raise to the meter. If,
however, the bends above the pipeline can't be avoided, then air vessels with vent cocks should
be filled at the highest points and these must be vented and drained as frequently as is necessary
to prevent them from filling with air.

The special requirement for steam metering 1s necessary ot interposing cooling chambers for the
purpose of condensing the steam and providing an adequate volume of water for supplying the
meter displacement at all variations of load.

STEAM PRESSURE MEASUREMENT

Steam Pressure Measuring Equipment

To measure the steam pressure, the pressure, take-off pipe should be at the top of the main pipe
and should be fitted with a suitable isolating valve drained. as shown in figure .

The connecting impulse piping to the pressure gauge must be of ample strength and a water seal
must be provided so that the steam does not directly rush to the Bourdon Tube. The water seal
can be provided either separately or as part of the pipe.

If the gauge is below the level of the steam pipe, water will form and protect the gauge and
Bourdon tube. In case gauge is above the steam pipe, coil a to collect water must be provided in
the impulse piping near the pressure gauge.

An isolating valve is fitted at the gauge end of the impulse piping, so that the gauge can be
changed whilst the steam is flowing in the main pipe
 56

Bourdon Gauge

In this case, in laying of the steam is flowing in the main pipe. In this case in laying of the
impulse pipe, formation of loops, in which air or vapour can collect should be avoided. When the
pressure medium is air or gas, the pipe should rise continuously to the gauges, so that any
moisture can be drained.

In order to test the bourdon gauge in-situ, it may be necessary for certain important gauges to
have a T-connection with an additional isolating valve to which the check gauge can be
connected while the steam continuous to flow in the main pipe.

MEASUREMENT OF HIGH PRESSURES

The pressures in the range of 650 kg/cmn* to 16500 kg/em2 are considered to be as high
pressures. The conventional pressure measuring devices, such as strain gauge pressure cells,
Bourdon tubes etc. are considered to be suitable for measurement of pressures as high as 3300
kg/cm2 to 6600 kg/cm2.

The Bourdon tubes for such applications are quite stiff and the deflection per unit is quite small.
They are made of round cross-section having high ratio of wall thickness to diameter and are
usually made of a number of turns.
 57

Bulk Modulus Pressure Gauge for High Pressure Measurement

Very high pressures of the above order can be measured by electrical resistance pressure gauge.
In such gauges, the bulk compression effect is utilized to change the electrical resistance.

In other words, these gauges make use of the resistance change brought about by direct
application of pressure to the electrical conductor itself.

The sensing element consists of a loosely wound coil of relatively fine wire and does not actually
contact the process medium, but is separated there from by a kerosene-filled bellows. Thus the
bulk compression effect of the pressure results in an electrical resistance change which is
calibrated in terms of the applied pressure.

Based on its principle of working, this type of gauge is also known as bulk modulus pressure
gauge. The section of such a gauge is shown in Figure.

STEAM TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT

The part of a thermometer which senses the change in temperature sometimes is called the
thermometer element. This element is thermometer inserted in to a pocket which must be
carefully designed and installed with due regard to the working pressure in the pipe at high
temperature and pressure.

In order to prevent heat transfer from the hot body the thermo well should conduct heat readily at
the tip as well as axially. The thin wall of the well (thermometer pocket) also reduces time lag in
the response or thermometer.

The base i.e., the top of the well should protrude out beyond the wall of the pipe in order to
prevent flow of heat along it and the wall of the pipe should be properly insulated around the
measuring point.
 58

In case there is some space left out between the outside of testing body Cell body and the well, it
must be filled with proper filling substance (stab) which will not evaporate or burn at the
measuring temperature.

Steam temperature measurement

In certain cases, the resistance elements or the thermocouple leads dully mounted in the proper
hot wells (protecting tubes) which are threaded outside and these can be simply inserted in to the
steam pipe by providine the necessary stubs on the pipes

BODLER STEAM DRUM

Saturated Steam Moisture Elimination

The steam that is collected in the steam drum contains some droplets of boiler water that must be
removed before the steam is delivered from the drum figure demonstrates in a general way how
the water and steam are separated

As the steam-water mixture raises to the drum, internal baffles separate this mixture from the
water that goes on to recirculation through the down comer tubes. The steam is liberated from
the mixture and collects in the upper part of the drum. Before passing out of the drum, the stream
passes through mechanical separation devices.
 59

Boiler Steam Drum

These "Scrubbers" or Separators", which may be of many different designs, return the moisture
droplets to the water in the drum and allow dry re steam to pass out of the drum. The most
sophisticated of these separators uses a centrifugal action that whirls the mixture with the steam
emitted from the center and the heavier water from the outside. When very dry steam is required,
many of these devices will be found inside the drum along with simpler scrubber equipment.
While it is not evident from the outside the inside of the drum is often filled with such devices.

After passing through the scrubbing devices for eliminating moisture droplets, the steam leaves
the drum. If the boiler has no super heater, the steam flows to a distribution header. All boilers
feeding such a header must have a non-return valve at the boiler outlet. If the boiler has an
integral superheater, the steam will pass through the super heater before it leaves the boiler.

Drum Level Measurement

The basic indication of the drum water level is that shown in a sich: gage glass connected to the
boiler drum. The typical arrangement is shown in figure. Since the configuration of the boiler
and the distance of tho boiler drum from the operator may not provide a useful "line-of-sight
indication, the gage-glass image can be projected with a periscope arrangement of mirrors, so
that the operator may easily view it.

In many installations, the use of mirrors to project the water level image to a desired location for
viewing may be necessary. One such method is to use closed-circuit television. Yet another is the
use of a remote level indicator based on fiber optics.
 60

Gauge Glass Drum Level Indication

While the gage glass is the basic measurement, the indication it provides usually is in error to
some degree and is not as correct as a properly calibrated level measuring instrument. The basis
for the error can be recognized from Water figure .

Condensate from cooling boiler steam circulates through the gage-glass. This cooling of the
steam and its condensate results in cooler water in the gage glass than in the boiler drum. The
greater density of the cool water in the gage glass then shows a lower height water column to
balance the column of water in the boiler drum.

Assuming a typical industrial boiler, the gage glass reading often reads 1 to 3 inches of water
below the actual level in the boiler drum/ The deviation depends on the boiler pressure and the
ambient temperature, plus piping and insulation between the boiler drum and the gage glass.

For large height pressure electric utility boilers, the difference may be 5 to 7 inches. This may be
in the mechanical design or the potential for moving the gauge column closer to the drum.

When this fact is sufficiently understand, most of the error can be eliminated by physically
lowering the gage glass. This potential for error must be well understand by anyone dealing with
boiler drum level measurement and control, or much unproductive work may be performed in
trying to make a gage glass and measuring instrument agree.

These types of drum measurement errors should not be confused with drum level measurement
differences between the two ends of the drum. Because of water circulation induced lateral flows
inside the boiler drum, such differences are common.
 61

On large electric utility units, differences of six or more inches may be observed. In some cases,
the higher measurement may be at one end of the drum at low boiler loads and at the other end at
high flows.

Drum Level Transmitter-Connection and Calibration

A typical arrangement of a drum level measuring transmitter is shown in figure. The transmitter
is a differential pressure device in which the output signal increases as the differential pressure
decreases. Typically, the differential pressure range is approximately 30 inches with a zero
suppression of several inches.

To determine the measuring instrument calibration, the necessary design data are the location of
the upper and lower pressure taps in to the boiler drum with respect to the normal water level
(NWL), the operating pressure of the boiler drum and the ambient temperature around the
external piping.

In addition, with long pipe connections to a remote indicator there 1s a time lag due to the small
head change in relation to the inertia of the liquid in the two columns.

For the reasons mentioned, it is necessary to avoid long pipe connections and to arrange for these
to have, a continuous fall from drum to diaphragm so as to avoid air bubbles which can seriously
impair accurately. As the indicator is connected direct to the boiler drum, the diaphragm has to
be located in a safe position, usually just below the drum. For boilers on 500 MW plant, either
diaphragms or bellows are used to sense the level and these are provided with telemetering
equipment so that an electrical instrument can be used in the control room for boiler water level
indication. One of these is a mercury manometers and the other a bellows or diaphragm operated
manometer. In the former the movement of a float or bell is applied to an electrical transmitter or
a resistance-change element in the low-pressure limb may be used for this purpose. With the
 62

latter, a bellows or diaphragm, is opposed by a control spring and the mechanical movement
converted in to an electrical signal.

Errors in boiler water level gauge readings

SMOKE MEASUREMENT

The Ringlemann Chart

The emission of smoke from industrial premises has been brought under control of the "Clean
Air Act" and the assessment of smoke emission to comply with this Act is based on the use of a
chart which has fire areas representing shades of grey. This is known as a Ringlemann chart, the
darkness of the smoke being compared with the shades of grey shown on the standard chart
which has been prepared by the "British Standards Institution". A facsimile of the standard
Ringlemann chart is shown in figure from which it will be observed that the shades of grey are
produced by squares with different thickness of black lines on a white background so that a
known percentage of white is obscured.

When making an observation of the darkness of smoke the Ringleman n chart is placed at such a
distance from the observer that the black lines merge to give appearances of shades as
Ringlemann numbers, range from 0 (all whital to 5 (all black) in steps of 20% obscuration of the
white background.

The legal requirement is that the darkness of the smoke must correspond to less than Ringlemann
2 (40% obscuration),) although this is the eriterion for dark smoke emission, the chart is only of
practical use for spot checks, The more usual method is by continuous recording smoke density
instruments, commonly referred to as smoke meters.
 63

Facsimile of Ringlemann Chart

Smoke Meters (Photocell Type)

The principle is the same for all type of smoke meters, the passing of a focussed light beam
through the duct or chimney on a photocell. Variations in the signal of the photocell circuit will
be a measure of the variation of the obscuration of the light source due to the smoke and dust in
the gases.

The indicator will be scaled in percentage obscuration. This is the obscuration of light due to the
smoke in the duct which is not necessary the same as the apparent obscuration caused by the
smoke issuing from the chimney, when viewed against the sky and referred to as a Ringlemann
number.

From work at "Warren Spring Laboratory" (Ministry of TechnologY), C.E.R.L (Central

Electricity Research Laboratory) have calculated that for average conditions 64% obscuration as
shown by the smoke meter corresponds to Ringlemann 2.
 64

Effect of differing optical path lengths

This relationship, however only applies when the Length of: path of the smoke meter is equal to
the diameter of the chimney top. A correction graph showing the relationship when the light path
differs from the chimney diameter is given in figure which is taken from a C.E.R.I. Report.

Optical-Type Smoke Meter

 65

A smoke meter equipment consists of a stabilized power supply, a lamp and projector mounted
on one side of the duct, a receiver fitted with a photocell, which may be of either selenium or
cadmium sulphide type on which the light is beamed, mounted on the opposite side of the duct, a
control unit with indicator, warning lamps, alarm and recorder as shown in figure.

The "Everclean" Window

Fouling of the projector and receiver lenses by smoke and dust has always been a problem with
smoke meters and various methods for overcoming this have been introduced from time to time.
The "Everclean" window is the most successful of these devices and is now in general use.

The principle of the "Everclean" window is that dust will not be deposited at the end of the tube
at right angles to the duetif length to the the ratio of the diameter is at least 4:1 for the coarser
particles and 16:1 for the finer dust and fumes.

If, therefore, the lamp and photocell units be mounted on extension tubes of adequate length, the
lens windows are likely to remain clean for m lengthy periods.

In order to avoid the necessity to use very long extension tubes, a plain section containing a
number of small tubes bunched up in parallel, thus achieving the additional 16:1 ratio required to
avoid deposition of very fire dust with an extension tube of moderate length. For practical
purposes the small tubes are of hexagonal section as shown in figure .

"Ever Clean" Window to Optical-Type Smoke Meter

 66

Factors Affecting the Correct Operation of Smoke Meters

Inability to check regularly zero drift

Ageing of the lamp, photocell and other components and any slight buildup of dust on the lenses
leads to a zero drift. If is only possible to check this drift under "clear duct" conditions which
cannot therefore be regularly done on boiler plant in operation for lengthy periods. Proposals tor
carrying ou this checking under load conditions, including more sophisticated meters Measuring
Photo electric cell with reference circuits are under investigation.

Misalignment of Lamp and Photocell

When the smoke meter Circular Optical Wedge used to obtain output signa is installed on a duct,
misalignment of the projector unit and the receiver unit may occur due to distortion of the duct
under operating conditions, the light beam no longer shining directly on to the photocell.

The effect of this misalignment is worsened when "Everclean" windows Compensating Photo
electric cell are fitted. Where alignment cannot be maintained under operating conditions it is
necessary to mount the projector and receiver units on firm platform or other structures not
attached to the duct.

DUST MEASUREMENT

The dust monitors installed in power stations during the past few years are:

a) The C.E.R.L Flue Dust Monitor (Central Electricity Research Laboratory)

b) The Konitest Flue Dust Monitor

The C.E.R.L Flue Dust Monitor

The C.E.R. L. dust monitor periodically collects a sample of grit and dust on a glass plate and
measures the obscuration caused by this deposition using optical means. The glass plate is then
blown clean by compressed ar and the measuring cycle recommended. As the sampling is non-
isokinetic and by deposition only, the collection favors the larger particles, and it is claimed that
this instrument particularly gives a warning of an emission likely, to cause a nuisance. The
principle of operation of the C.E.R.L monitor is that dust and grit enters an opening in the
sampling head, which is inside the duct, and falls permanently on a glass plate.

A light source is beamed through the glass plate on to a photocell and the percentage obscuration
caused by the deposition of the dust on this plate in a predetermined time is measured by the
movement of a motor-driven circular optical wedge.
 67

CERL dust monitor

On the completion of this measurement, a jet of compressed air blows the dust off the glass plate,
the optical wedge adjusts itself to the zero condition now obtaining, and the cycle re-commences.

The recorder is provided with a circular chart on which, for each period of measurement, a line is
drawn, radially, the length of which is a measure of the dust and grit concentration on the glass
plate. The chart is scaled in percentage obscuration per minute.

An integrator is also provided. In principle it measures the ability of the dust to obscure a surface
which is perpendicular to the gas flow, and hence its ability to obscure a vertical surface at
ground level when due allowance has been made for dilution. Although primarily developed for
the assessment of nuisance value in that any increase in the emission of large grit particles is
immediately detected, the instrument normally indicates the rate of dust emission.

This indication can, by means of dust sampling tests, be calibrated as dust concentration. Such a
calibration only holds good if the dust particle size is not significantly changed, and for this
instrument will also require correction if the gas velocity differs from that during the calibration
tests.

A reduction in precipitator efficiency is usually accompanied by increase in the coarseness of the

emitted dust. The C.E.R.L monitor is likel therefore, to indicate such a reduction more readily
than other types of monitors.
 68

The Fordust Monitor

Fordust Reflected Light Dust Monitor

Instruments have existed for some time which measure the lignt reflected or scattered from dust
instead of recording the light absorbed by dust. A recent example is the FORDUST instrument,
as shown in figure in which a simple lamp and a photocell are mounted side by side.

The light from the lamp is beamed in to the duct through a suitable opening and some of this
light will be reflected back on the photocell, the indication from which will vary with variation
of the dust quantity in the gas.

A mathematical solution is somewhat complete, the indication beings primarily on a function of

the total dust area, although other considerations such as dust colour also have some effect.

As with other optical monitors the instrument indications can be Light path calibrated on a
weight basis (grains/ft3) and used as a measure of dust emission provided that there is no
significant change in the dust size grading.
 69

The advantages of the FORDUST monitor are:

a) No alignment problems

b) Scans a larger volume of dust-laden gas than the obscuration type monitors

c) Relatively free from corrosion due to absence of components within the duct.

ELECTRICAL MEASUREMENT IN POWER PLANT

Electrodynamometer type of instruments is used as a.c. voltmeters and ammeters both in the
range of power frequencies and lower part of the audio frequency range. They are used as
wattmeter, and with some as power factor meters and frequency meters. Recorder

Operating Principle

By taking up a permanent magnet moving coil instrument and considering how it would behave
on a.c. It would have a torque in one direction during one half of the cycle and an equal effect in
the opposite direction during the other half of the cycle.

Electrodynamometer desired. type Instrument

If the frequency were very low, the pointer would swing back and forth around the zero point.
However, for an ordinary meter, the inertia is so great on that power frequencies the pointer does
not go very far in either direction but merely stays (vibrates slightly) around zero.
 70

If, however, we were to reverse the direction of the flux each time the current through the
movable coil reverses, a unidirectional torque would be produced for both positive and negative
halves of the cycle.

In electrodynamometer instruments the field can be made to reverse operating magnetic field of
the instrument. Simultaneously with the current in the movable coil if the field (fixed) coil is
connected in series with the movable coil.

Construction of Electrodynamometer type Instrument

Fixed Coils:

The field is produced by a fixed coil. This coil is divided in to two sections to give a more
uniform field near the centre and to allow passage of the Shunt instrument shaft.

Fixed coils are usually wound with heavy wire in ammeters carrying the main current and
wattmeter. The wire is standard where necessary eddy current to reduce losses in conductors.

Moving Coil:

A single element instrument has one moving coil. The moving coil is wound either as a self-
sustaining coil or else on a non-metallic former. A metallic former cannot be used as eddy
currents would be induced in it by the alternating field. Light but rigid construction is used for
the moving coi. It should be noted that both fixed and moving coils are air cored.

Control:

The controlling forge is provided by two control springs Thses springs act as leads to the
moving coil

Moving System:

The moving coil is mounted on an aluminium spindle. The moving system also carries the
counter weights and thus type pointer. Sometimes a suspension may be used in case a high
sensitivity is Figure desired.

Damping:

Air friction damping is employed for these instruments and by a pair of aluminium vanes,
attached to the spindle at the bottom. These vanes move in sector shaped chambers. Eddy current
damping cannot be used in these instruments as the operating field is very weak and any
introduction of a permanent magnet required for eddy current damping would distort the
operating magnetic field of the instrument.
 71

Electrodynamonetor type ammeter

Figure. shows that the arrangement of coils of an electrodynamometer ammeter. In this case the
fixed and moving coils e de connected in series and therefore, carries the same current

The current through the moving coil should not exceed 100mA and therefore, the arrangement of
figure is suitable for ammeters havinga Deflection, bKZ2' de range upto 100 mA.

In power plant, for ammeters of higher capacity, the arrangement shown in figure . is used. In
this case the moving coil is shunted across by a low resistance to limit the current through
moving coil to 100 mA.)

Thus there are two separate parallel branches for fixed and moving Moving CI coils. In order
that the ammeter may indicate correctly at all frequencies, the time constant L/R of two branches
should be equal as otherwise the currents will not be independent of frequency.

The electric connecting the dynamometer movement is used as a voltmeter by fixed and moving
coils in series with a resistance. The high non-inductive arrangement is shown figure .
 72

Electrodynamometer Voltmeter

Electrodynamometer type voltmeter is the most accurate type of a.c. voltmeter

Electrodynamometer Wattmeter
 73

This instrument is similar in design and construction to electrodynamometer type ammeters and
voltmeters as shown in figure. The two coils are connected in different circuit for measurement
of power.

The fixed coils (or) Field Coils" are connected in series with the load and so carry the current in
the circuit, therefore form the "current coil" of the wattmeter as shown in figure.

The moving coil is connected across the voltage and therefore carries current proportional to the
voltage. A high non-inductive resistance is connected in series with the moving coil to limit the
current to a small valve Since the moving coil carries a current proportional to the voltage, it is
called the "pressure coil" or "voltage coil".

Fixed Coils:

The fixed coils carry the current of the circuit. They are divided two halves. The into reason for
using fixed coils as current coils is that be made massive they can and can be easily constructed
to carry considerable current since they present no problem of leading the current in or out. The
fixed coils are wound with heavy wire. In the case of precision wattmeter, the two halves of the
fixed coil, which are corrected in series for a basic measuring range can be connected in parallel
to increase the wattmeter current range to twice its original value. Shunts are not used for
extension of current range since they are subject to temperature errors.

Moving Coil:

The moving coil is mounted on a pivoted spindle and is entirely embraced by the fixed current
coils. Spring control is used for the movement. The use of moving coil as pressure coil is a
natural consequence of design requirements. Since the current of the moving coil is carried by
the instrument springs, it is limited to values which can be carried safely by springs without
appreciable heating. Both fixed and moving coils are air cored.

Control:

Spring control is used for the instrument

Damnping:

Air friction damping is used. The moving system carries a light aluminum vane which moves in
a sector shaped box. Electromagnetic or eddy current damping is not used as introduction of a
permanent magnet will greatly distorting the weak operating magnetic field.
 74

Single Phase Electrodynamometer Power Factor meter Power factor can be calculated
from the relationship

The Power factor meter has a current circuit and a pressure circuit. Current circuit carries in the
circuit whose power factor 1s to be measured The pressure circuit is connected across the circuit
whose power factor is to be measured and is usually split up in to two parallel paths. One
inductive and the other non-inductive. The deflection of the instrument depends upon the phase
difference between the main current and currents in the two paths of the pressure circuit, i.e,
upon the phase angle or power factor of the circuit. The deflection is indicated by a pointer. The
moving system of power factor meter is perfectly balanced at equilibrium by two opposing
forces and therefore these are no need for a controlling force.

Electrodynamometer Type Power Factor meter

 75

Fixed coil is in series with an inductance, L, and capacitance, C, forming a resonant circuit of
frequency, f, slightly below the lower end of the instrument scale. Fixed coil 2 is in series with
inductance L, and capacitance C, forming a resonant circuit of frequency f, slightly higher than
the upper end of the instrument scale. In the case of instruments for power frequency
measurements, the circuits may be tuned to frequencies of 40 Hz and 60 Hz respectively with 50
Hz in the middle scale. The two parts of fixed coil are arranged as shown in the figure , their
return cireuits being through the movable coil. The torque on the movable element is
proportional to the current through the moving coil. This current is the sum of the currents in the
two parts of the fixed coil. For applied frequency, within the limits of the frequency range of the
instrument, the circuit of fixed coil 1 operates above resonant frequency (as X>Ac with current i,
through it, lagging the applied voltage. The circuit of fixed coil 2 operates below the resonant
frequency (as Xca> X with current i, leading the applied voltage. One fixed coil circuit is
inductive and the other is capacitive and therefore the torques produced by the two currents i,
and i, act in opposi.ion on the moving coil. The resultant torque is a function of frequency of the
applied voltage and therefore the meter scale can be calibrated in terms of frequency. The
instrument scale spreads over an angle of about 90°. The controlling torque is provided by a
small iron vane mounted on the moving system. This meter is used only for power frequency
measurement and is used for power system for monitoring the frequency.

Measurement of Reactive Power

Reactive power, Q = VI sin ¢ It is often convenient and even essential, that the reactive power be
measured. For example, in lead monitoring, such a measurement gives the operator or load
despatcher information concerning the nature of the load.

RADIATION DETECTORS

A lot of instrumentation is needed to measure the amount or radioactivity encountered in nuclear

power plant and for tracking of radiated alpha, beta and gamma particles. The energy of these
particles is absorbed by other molecules, producing chemical changes, ionization or other
reactions that produce visual evidence of the presence of other particles. These process are used
to detect, count and trace the movement of such particles.

Types of Radiations

Radioactive material emits nuclear radiations which mainly consist of four parts:

1) Alpha particles:

(The alpha particle is a helium nucleus consisting of two protons and one neutron. It has a mass
of 62 x 10-2 kg and carries a positive change of 3.2x 10 C. The alpha particle is the heaviest and
the slowest, travelling at speeds of from 1/10 to 1/100 of the velocity of light. Since it has the
 76

greatest mass and slowest speed, it is least penetrating. It penetrates about 0.02 mm of aluminium
foil.

2) Beta Particles:

The beta particles are an electron with a mass of 9.03 x 10:31 kg and a charge of 1.6 x 1013 C.
Since beta particle is much lighter than alpha particle and has a speed approximately equal to that
of light, it can penetrate much farther than alpha particles-about 100 times the penetration of
alpha particle.

3) Gamma Particles:

Gamma particles or gamma rays are an electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength of

approximately 0.03 to 3 angstrom Gamma particles travel at the speed of light and because of
their shorter wavelengths, have very great penetrating power. Gamma rays can penetrate about
20 cm through a mass of lead.

4) Neutrons:

The mass of the neutron is intermediate between that of alpha and beta particles, having the same
mass as a proton. The speeds of neutrons may ha high or low depending upon the source from
which they are emitted. Because neutron has no charge it is very difficult to detect. However, its
penetrating power is small.

The above mentioned properties of these particles must be considered in the methods and
processes for their detection and measurement.

Types of Radiation Detections

i) Geiger Muller Tube

ii) lonisation Chambe

iii) Scintillation Counter

Geiger Muller Tube

 77

The Geiger Muller tube or simply Geiger tube is frequently used To detection and measurement
of alpha, beta and gamma rays. This tube 15 diode, consisting of a cathode which is a long metal
cylinder and an an0de which is a fine wire running through the centre of the cylinder.

Both of them are mounted in a thin walled, air tight, glass envelope sealed by an extremely thin
window through which radiations may pass at one end as shown in figure. The air is evacuated
from the envelope and a small amount of an inert gas, such as Argon, is added.

The voltage of the battery is kept below the ionization potential of the gas. Now if radiation
penetrates through the window and enters the envelope it would ionize some of the gas atoms.

The resulting negative ions move towards the anode and positive ions towards the cathode. In
their passage, the ions collide with some of the gas atoms, causing them to be ionized in turn.
This process continues till whole of the gas atoms are ionized. In fact complete ionization takes
place in no time.

A pulse of current thus flows through the tube. This current flows through resistance, R which is
connected in the anode circuit. The resulting voltage drop across R is the output voltage.

Once ionization is established, it is expected to continue indefinitely. However, since resistor R,

which has a high resistance, is connected in series with the anode and the battery, when the gas
ionizes a heavy current flows through resistance causing a large voltage drop. This voltage drop
is sufficient to reduce the anode voltage below the ionization potential and therefore ionization
occurs.

As long as the gas is not ionized, no current flows through the resistance R and hence there is no
output. Thus when the gas deionizers, the current ceases to flow through resistance R and so
there is no output.

Now irradiation again enters the tube, the ionization starts and a current again flows through
resistance R giving an output voltage. This way a series alpha or beta particles or bursts of
gamma rays, cause a series of current pulses to pass through the anode circuit of the tube and
hence through resistance, R. The output pulses from resistance, R may be amplified and
registered by a counting device.

By counting the number of pulses, we can know the number of particles entering the Geiger
Muller tube in a particular interval of time.

The number counted gives the intensity of radiation. The pulses may h stored in some cases and
the total count may be calibrated directly in term of radio-activity. The counting rate of this tube
is greater than 10" counts per second.
 78

lonisation Chamber

The ionization Chamber is a metal cylinder (the outer electrode) sealed at one end by a window.
The other end of the cylinder is closed, and a metal rod (the centre electrode) protrudes outside
the cylinder on this end, as shown in figure.

The central electrode is grounded through resistance R. Resistor R has a very high resistance. A
large positive potential is applied the outer electrode. The chamber contains a gas which may be
air, carbon diode, nitrogen, argon or methane.

The action of this ionization chamber is similar to that of Geiger Muller tube. Let us consider
that the chamber is filled with air. When a nuclear scintillation counter radiation enters the
chamber through the window, some of the atoms of the air are ionized, the resulting ions travel
towards their respective electrodes i.e., positive ions towards the central electrode and the
negative ions towards Every time if a radiation strikes the scintillation crystals a tiny flash of
light is produced. The flash of light is amplified by a photomultiplier the outer electrode.

In the process of rushing electrodes, these ions collide with other atoms of air causing ionization
of these atoms. The action is instantaneous.

As the positive ions collect on the central electrode (which is at ground potential), the d.c.
potential of this electrode is increased. This increased potential, which is the output signal of the
chamber, may then be amplified per second and measured. Since the increase in this potential is
a function of the number of radiation particles that have entered the chamber, the intensity of the
nuclear may be determined. The main use of this chamber, is to detect and Radiation measure
alpha particles.
 79

Scintillation Counters

Certain crystals such as zinc sulphide, sodium iodide, anthracene and nepthalene etc., produce a
brief flash of light each time they are struck by an alpha, beta or gamma particles/The production
of a flash of light by striking the crystals mentioned above, with alpha or beta or gamma rays is
called scintillation. This principle is employed in a nuclear radiation sensor called scintillation
counter as shown in figure.

Every time if a radiation strikes the scintillation crystals a tiny flash of light is produced. The
flash of light is amplified by a photomultiplier incorporated in the scintillation counter.

Thus each particle produces a pulse of anode current at the output of the photomultiplier. The
output of the photomultiplier is applied to a high speed electronic counter which counts every
tiny flash generated by the scintillation crystals.

Thus by counting the number of pulses in a given period of of radiation may be detected. Its
counting rate is very fast by counting the number of pulses in a given period of time, comparing
to Geiger Muller.

PRESSURE TRANSDUCERS

1. Bourdon Tubes

2. Bellows

3. Diaphragms

4. Capsules
 80

Bourdon Tubes

The Bourdon tubes are designed in various forms namely C-type, spiral, twisted tube and helical
as shown in figure. The Bourdon tubes are made out of an elliptically flattened tube bent in such
a way that so as to produce the above mentioned shapes. One end of the tube is sealed or closed.
The other end is open for the fluid to enter.

When the fluid whose pressure is to be measured enters the tube, the tube tends to straighten out
on account of the pressure applied. This causes a movement of the free end (closed end) and the
displacement of this end is amplified through mechanical linkages

The amplified displacement of the free end may be used to move a pointer on a scale calibrated
in terms of pressure or may be applied to a electrical displacement transducer whose output may
be calibrated in terms of the pressure applied.

Types of Capsules

STRAIN GAUGES

If a metal conductor is stretched or compressed, its resistance changes on account of the fact that
both length and diameter of conductor change. Also there is a change in the value of resistivity of
the conductor when it is strained and this property is called piezo resistive effect. Therefore,
 81

resistance strain gauges are also known as piezo resistive gauges. The strain gauges used for
measurement of strain and associated stress in experimental stress analysis. Secondly, many
other detectors and transducers, notably the load cells, torque meter, diaphragm type pressure
gauges, temperature sensors, accelerometers and flow meters, empty strain gauges as secondary
transducers.

Type of Strain Gauges

1. Unbonded metal strain gauges

2. Bonded metal wire strain gauges

3. Bonded metal foil strain gauges

4. Vacuum deposited thin metal film strain gauges

5. Sputter deposited thin metal film strain gauges

6. Bonded semiconductor strain gauges

7. Diffused metal strain gauges

 82

UNIT – III

Analysers in Power Plants

FLUE GAS ANALYSIS

There is a general perception that flue gas analysis instrumentation is more complex, more
costly and less reliable than other types or measuring instruments normally used in boiler control
systems. On the other hand, the analysis of flue gas provides a measurement that is more precise
than fuel/air ratio measurements.

Analysis

1. % Oxygen (%0,) - Excess combustion air is a function of % Oxygen.

2. % Opacity -A measurement of smoke or particulate matter. Due to environmental standards,

this measurement may be needed for use in limiting the control action based upon other analyses.
When total combustion air is a function of % carbon dioxide.

3. % Carbon dioxide (CO,) greater than 100% of that theoretically required, excess combustion
air is a function of % carbon dioxide.

4/ Carbon monoxide (C0) or total combustible in the ppm range - This measurement is that of
unburned gases., Measurement in the ppm range is necessary if desired control precision is to be
obtained.

Uses

% Oxygen as an individual control index.

ppm CO or total combustible as an individual control index.

% Oxygen in combination with ppm CO or total combustible.

% Carbon dioxide in combination with ppm CO testing.

%Oxygen in combination with % opacity

METHODS OF FLUE GAS ANALYSIS

i) The "In Situ" point sample method.

ii) Extractive or "Ex Situ" method.

iii) Light or Infraced Beam across the stack.

 83

In Situ Flue Gas Analysis

Percent Oxygen and ppm C0 can be measured in this method.

In Situ Flue gas analysis

This method uses an analyzers probe, which is inserted in to the duct at the point of analysis.
Analyses cell on the end of the analyzers the hot flue gas flowing past it. With no sampling
system time lag, typical response times of these analyzers is 50 to 10 second Fig. 3.1 shows the
arrangement for this method.

The analysis will be that existing at the point of cell location in the duct. Due to stratification of
the flow in large ducts, electric utility boilers generally use several probes at different locations
in the duct cross section. The best location of these probes can be determined by traverse testing.

The location of this type of probe along the flue gas stream 1s very flexible needs only on a open
area on one side of the boiler duct system for probe insertion. Because of the air seal leakage of
regenerative air preheater, the analyzer probes should be installed in the flue gas stream ahead of
such air preheater.

If % oxygen is being measured, the measuring cell is Zirconium oxide. The principle is that of a
fuel cell. The cell reacts to the ratio of the partial pressure of oxygen in the flue gas to the partial
pressure of oxygen in reference air that is also admitted to the cell. Because of the cell
temperature, any residual combustible gas is burned in the cell and absorbs some of the oxygen
is the flue gas. The result is therefore, a measurement of % net oxygen.

The output of the cell is a mill volt signal that is an analog of the logarithm of the partial
pressure ratio of the % oxygen in the flue gas to that of the reference air. In order that results will
be accurate and repeatable, the cell temperature is closely controlled./The typical controlled
temperature set point for such cells is in the 1300 to 1600°F range. The upper temperature limit
for this method is that of the cell
 84

The cell output (approximately 0 to 100m V) is further processed by inversion, linearization and
amplification to produce a linear signal of % Oxygen Vs milli PS (mA). In this form the signal
can easily be used by any form of standard control instrumentation.

(If ppm CO is being measured, the analysis cell operates on the infrared absorption principle. In
this principle, carbon monoxide absorbs a part of infrared energy from an included infrared
source. The amount absorbed is within the frequency range specific to carbon monoxide.
Measuring the absorption of infrared energy within that range provides a measurement of carbon
monoxide. The resulting electrical signal in some of the ppm CO analyzers is compensated for %
moisture, temperature and excess air and is processed and amplified to that of a standard
instrumentation signal.

Extractive of "Ex Situ" Method

Extractive or Ex Situ Flue Gas Analysis

The extractive or ex situ method is as shown in fig. In this method a small sample of the flue gas
is drawn from the duet to the heated cell housing mounted on the duct wall. Because the sample
is admitted back in to the duct after analysis and never cooled below the dew point, sampling
maintenance is not normally a problem. As with the "In Situ" method the analysis is on the "wet"
basis.

For an air aspirated sample, the response time of this method is typically in the range of 10 to 15
seconds.) For natural or thermal aspiration, the response time is in the range of 25 to 40 seconds.
Both time periods consist only of the sample transport dead time duration from the tip of the
sample probe to the cell. Typically, another 15 seconds of dead time should be added for the
sample transport time from the burner to the sample point. This applies to all flue gas analyzers.

The measurement is the analysis of the flue gas existing of the tip or the sample probe. As with
the In situ method, for installations in the large ducts of electric utility size boilers, averages of
 85

several individual duct measurements are needed. Special averaging sample probes can used or
multiple analyzers can be used and their output signals averaged.

As with the In situ analyzers, the location along the flue gas stream is flexible since installation is
made from one side of the boiler or flue gas ducts. Also as with the In situ analyzers, the
installation should be ahead of sources of "tramp" air, such as the leakage of the seals of
regenerative air pre heaters.

This method is applicable to the measurement of % oxygen and ppm Vs ac or % total

combustible.

If % oxygen is being measured, the measurement principle is the same as that of the In situ
analyzers. In this case, the temperature controlled zirconium oxide cell (approximately 1500° F)
is located in the cell housing, mounted on the duct instead of in the flue gas stream. The 4 -20 mA
110V ac dc measurement signal and signal processing functions are also the same for the two
methods.

Since the temperature - controlled cell is located outside the flue gas stream, cell temperature
does not limit the application of this type of analyzer. In this case, the limit is based on the
material of the sample probe. By using sample probes of ceramic material, flue gases can be
analyzed with this system up to more than 3000°F.

If ppm total combustible is being measured, a catalytic combustion principle is used. In this case,
any remaining combustible gas that is present in the flue gas is "burned" in the measurement cell
to produce a signal th at is then amplified to that of standard measuring instrumentation. The
transport of the flue gas sample to the cell is identical to that of the % oxygen measurement. The
cell can also be housed in the same assembly with the cell for measuring % oxygen, and the
same the gas sample can be used. In this case, two output signals are obtained: % Oxygen and
ppm or % total combustible.

Light or Infrared Beam across the Stack

The third general method is the use of a beam of light or infrared energy across a flue gas duct or
stack. This arrangement is shown in figure. This method is applicable to the measurement of
ppm Co %CO, and % Opacity. If ppm CO is being measured, the beam is infrared energy. The
same principle of selective infrared absorption as used in the "In Situ" ppm CO is also used in
this type of analyzers. Analyzing the infrared absorption in an additional frequency range the is
sometimes used to measure %o Carbon dioxide (CO,). As with the In Situ measurement of ppm
CO the normal application limitation of 600 to 700° F flue gas temperature applies.
 86

"Across the Stack" Flue Gas measurement

The lR beam 18 transmitted through the flue gas from one side to the other. Both single-pass
systems (measurement on the opposite side of the duct or stack from the source) and double-pass
(in which the is reflected back to the side of the source) systems are used. Carbon monoxide in
the PPM range and opacity are generally measured in this manner.

If ppm CO is measured, the formula that is used to calculate range the signal is known as Beer's
Law". One factor used directly is the length of the infrared path. The result is that a double-pass
device has a greater signal and greater sensitivity.

If % Opacity is to be measured, the essential principle is that a beam Flue gas flow of light is
passed stone across the duct, and the measurement of light intensity that is received on the
opposite side is a measure of % Opacity.
 87

For the applications described above, in general, locations must be and Signal found that are free
of obstruction on both sides of the duct or flue gas stack. This often dictates that the analyzer be
located in the flue gas stream after the air infiltration or leakage at the air pre heater. This also
tends to make the installation and location of this type of analysis less flexible and more costly
than that of the single-side installations.

FLUE GAS OXYGEN ANALYSERS

Paramagnetic Oxygen Meter

Measurements of Oxygen and carbon dioxide content of flue gas are used as a guide to
combustion.

The change in oxygen percentage is proportional to the change in excess air, so that this
measurement is the most appropriate one to apply to the combustion control process. An
additional advantage in using oxygen content for control purposes is that any change in its value
is a larger fraction of scale reading than the corresponding change in carbon dioxide percentage.
For gases which contain a varying amount of sulphur dioxide there would be changes in the
value of carbon dioxide since the nitrogen content has to remain the same.

Oxygen content is measured in a paramagnetic type of instrument shown in fig. 3.4 and such a
device has a quick response which is in favor of using oxygen for control purposes.

Operation

Most gases are diamagnetic, i.e., gas will seek the weakest part of Magnetic field, but oxygen is
one of the few exceptions. The oxygen analyses employs the paramagnetic property of Oxygen
and dependence of this property on temperature. The gas to be analyzed 1s introduced in of a en
the to the analysis cell and passes through the annulus indicated by the arrows.

The analysis cell contains a horizontal bypass tube which supports on its outer surface two
adjacent identical platinum windings. These are connected to adjacent arms of a wheatstone
bridge and are heated when a voltage is applied across the bridge. To recorder One of these
windings is traversed diametrically by an intense magnetic field provided by a large permanent
magnet, and when the gas sample passes the end of the tube nearest the intense magnetic field it
is drawn in to the tube and heated by the windings the magnetic susceptibility of the oxygen
content of the gas sample is thus reduced and fresh cool gas entering the tube forces the warm
gas out of the other end AC supply of the tube in to the annulus.

This continuous gas flow, termed "Magnetic wind", causes differential cooling of the two
winding sand as the resistance of the platinum windings changes the temperature, the bridge
becomes unbalanced.
 88

The resulting emf is measured by a potentiometer, and as it 1s proportional to the oxygen

content, the reading is shown as a percentage oxygen content of the sample admitted to the
analyzers.

Paramagnetic oxygen analyzer

MEASUREMENT OF IMPURITIES IN FEEDWATER AND STEAM

In power plants, the water should be of purest form and the contaminants should be kept to
minimum to avoid serious troubles. If the concentration of impurities exceeds certain limits in
high pressure and temperature steam plants, these may cause scale formation, corrosion and
cracking of metallic parts of the plant.

The Major impurities that are generally found in water are:

i) Sodium, calcium chlorides and sulphates which largely result from leakages in the condenser
where circulating water enters the condensate. Sometimes magnesium compounds also occur.

ii) Copper and iron pick-up from metals of the plant through when feed water and steam have
passed.

iii) Carbon-dioxide in evaporator distillates.

iv) Dissolved oxygen from contact with air in condensers and sometimes in the feed-heater
drains because of bad venting or occlusions or leakages at low loads.
 89

v) Ammonia from condenser leakage or from distillates derived from raw water.

vi) Silica from inherent dust residues and from the walls of vessels and pipes.

The Various instruments employed to detect these impurities are: - Insulating tube

i) Electrical conductivity meter Insulating tube

ii) Dissolved oxygen meter.

iii) Hydrogen lon concentration (pH) meter.

Electrical conductivity meter

Wire ring (positive) Gun metal casing connected to. It is used to check the existence of
dectrolytes, such as NaC1 in feed water.

The correct unit of measurement is the micro mho per centimeter at 20°C.(It has been
recommended the conductivity of water should not exceed 0.3 micro mho/cm at 20°C,

The most commonly used instrument for determining the purity of water based on the electrical
conductivity principle is the "Ionic Water purity meter". ) The electrical conductivity of an
aqueous solution 1s dependent on the inorganic impurity and the apparatus measures this i terms
of resistance of a standard water column or tube through which the sample is passed as shown in
Fig. 3.5. The reference is a resistance of one meg ohm between the opposite faces of centimeter
cube of the water or solution. The conductivity is measured of two water columns in parallel,
1.e., between the platinum rings and the gun metal collars. The conductivity 18 the reciprocal of
this and is equal to one micro mho per cm. The temperature should be 20°C, if it is not, an
automatic correction will be made by the instrument. Degasifying chambers are generally
provided to avoid errors which may be caused by carbon-dioxide occlusions.

The water connections are made via insulating tubes because the inner casing is alive, i.e., at
negative potential direct current. The electrical connecting diagram for this instrument is shown
in Fig. 3.6. (Another type of conductivity meter generally used has temperature Compensation
and operates on a "Null Balance" principle.
 90

Water purity meter

Steam Purity Meter

On large modern steam generators working at high pressure, it is necessary to monitor the purity
of the steam supplied to the turbines. The instrument used for this purpose also works on the
same principle as described for water testing. In this instrument means are provided. r
condensing the steam and for degasifying it before conductive measurement. (Special platinum
electrodes are used in place of gun casing. Voltage alternating current is used instead of direct
current.

Circuit for water purity meter

 91

Circuit for steam purity meter

Flame photometer

For the measurement of steam purity. The purity of the steam supplied to turbines is usually
monitored, the specified limit being equivalent to a conductivity of not more than 0.3 mho/cm at
20°C. This value is applicable to the measurement taken after a action exchange column,
otherwise the conductivity value would be a higher figure (due to dissolved gases) and would
only be an approximate guide to the effectiveness of feed water treatment and boiler priming.

The steam is sampled by passing a small quantity of it through the cooling coils of a stainless
steel condenser. The condensed steam is passed through a caption exchange at a sample flow rate
of about a quarter of that for feed water sampling due to the longer time needed for the sampling
process. The water thus treated is measured for conductivity in a similar way to that described
for water testing. High frequency a.c. current is usual for the measurement, as it can be
conveniently obtained and is free from polarizing error should conductivity be too high.

Flame photometer
 92

Because of the high level of steam purity required in the systems of steam generation employed
for large modern boilers, purity determination by conductivity metre is not sufficiently sensitive
and in such cases sodium flame photometers are often used because the impurities are mainly
sodium salts, which are added as conditioning. Chemicals are present due to cooling water
leakage in condensers or other casual sources of contamination.

Operation

A simplified arrangement of a laboratory flame photometer is as shown in fig. 3.8. Illustrates the
principle of the apparatus which consists of three mass parts, namely atomiser, combustion
chamber and optical system.

Air enters through the tube at a controllable pressure in to the atomizer nozzle, while gas enters
another tube as shown at a controlled W pressure.

The airflow around R2 Feed water the atomizer draws the sample up the capillary tube in to the
atomizer which injects in to the mixing chamber, the larger drops leaving through drain. The
baffles produce an even mixture of gas, air and sample which passes to the burner where it is
ignited to burn with a broad flat flame within a well ventilated chimney.

Light from the flame is collected by the reflector and focused by lens through the filter on the
photocell. The crystal wavelength is isolated by the filter and the intensity of the emitted light as
detected by the photocell represents the sodium content which can be calibrated using Waste
solutions of known sodium concentration.

Dissolved oxygen analyzers

Katharometer Dissolved Oxygen Analyses

Diagrammatic layout of the Katharometer through which sample water flows from the constant
head tower (W) in to vessel (B) which maintains the electrical elements R, and R, at an even
temperature. The water at a temperature of 20° C passes through an orifice (D) which regulates
the flow to 400 cc/min, then down the scrubbing tower (C) and out through the water seal (E).

The space in the constant head tower and around the sensitive element R, is filled with hydrogen
generated by the electrolytic cell (J). surplus gas being ejected through bubbler (N). The sensitive
forms one arm of a wheatstone bridge, the opposing arm of the bridge being element R, which is
sealed in an envelope filled with hydrogen and also placed in vessel (B), thus compensation for
any change in temperature of the sample. Any oxygen in the water will be liberated in the
scrubbing (C), forming a hydrogen-oxygen mixture which will affect the thermal conductivity of
the gas and alter the temperature and consequently the resistance of the element R,. This
unbalances the Wheatstone bridge circuit and causes a reading on the recording instrument (R)
which is generally provided with a scale range up to 0.25 ppm.
 93

Katharometer dissolved oxygen analyses

Electrochemical Dissolved Oxygen meter

Electrochemical dissolved oxygen meter

 94

The standard for dissolved oxygen in feed water for modern high pressure boilers is that it must
not exceed 0.007 PPM (be weight) and electrochemical equipment was developed to measure
this accurately with a scale range 0.001 PPM, a sensitivity of 0.0001 PPM and the response time
less than 10 sec. In this meter, the oxygen gas is scrubbed, as shown in Fig. 3.10. The equipment
has constant head at input and output and the flow can be regulated by a valve device K.
Hydrogen is generated electrolytically in J, any traces of oxygen being removed in N', so that
pure hydrogen flows in a closed loop through measuring cell D', pump 'A', and calibrating cell
°B The measuring circuit is maintained under pressure of hydrogen gas through pipes 'a' and h'
any surplus escaping from a bubbler U through pipe b. Piped' is normally closed.

The purpose of pipe 'd' is for zeroing the equipment. This is done by stopping the flow of water
through the scrubber 'C' and flushing out the gas circuit with pure hydrogen with pipe b' closed
and pipe 'd' open. All the electrolytically produced hydrogen passes through the measuring
system, and if it is oxygen free the cell must produce a zero reading. If now pipe 'd' is closed and
'b' opened to prevent further hydrogen entering (with no water flow) any upward drift in the
reading will indicate a leak of air in to the measuring system, which must be traced and stopped.
With this gas transfer method, the oxygen in solution is removed until the concentration of
oxygen to hydrogen (gas phase) is in equilibrium with that dissolved in water (liquid phase). The
oxygen in the two phases is then related by the law of solubility of gases, and calibration of the
current from the electrochemical cell can be made for known oxygen concentrations.

CHROMATOGRAPHY

The Chromatograph type of analyser can be used to measure the amount of individual gases in a
mixture, Chromatograph analysis in a repetitive sampling procedure. The analyser automatically
takes a sample of gas and injects it as a constant volume in to a portion of the analyser known as
the chromatographic column, the gas sample being passed through the column by a carrier gas.

The nature of the sampled gas components can be readily identified by the time taken to pass
through the column, as it is a feature of gas chromatography that a given substance will always
emerge from the column after a known interval of time for a given set of conditions. At the end
of the column director-usually a thermal conductivity measuring device signals the amount of
each component in the sample.

Operation

The helium carrier gas takes the sample of flue gas through two chromatograph columns as in
fig.3.13 (a). column is 30 in. long and is packed with 30% hexamethyl phosphoramide (HMPA),
while column2 is 6ft 60in. long filled with activated molecular sieve 13%. Before the sample is
injected in to the apparatus the helium passes two thermistors in the thermal conductivity cell,
flow through column, then the third thermistor,column2, and lastly past the fourth thermistor.
 95

The cooling effect in all four arms of the bridge is, therefore, equal, the electrical reading zero
and a datum line commences on the recorder chart.

Chromatograph apparatus

Chromatogram

Chromatographic analyser

As soon as the sample of gas composed of say. CO, CO, HS, CH, N, and 0, is injected, the CO,
and H,S one held back by the (HMPA) column. The other gases proceed to the first detector
(third thermistor, T,) and unbalance the electrical bridge, thus causing a deflection of the
recorder pen to mark these combined gases as a composite peak. Shortly after this composite
peak has passed, the CO, is separated from column causing a second peak, while the CO,0,N,
 96

and CH, are being separated in the molecular sieve column2. These emerge one at a time through
detector 2 (fourth thermistor, T), and provide separate deflections (peaks) or the chart and all
except H,S are therefore, recorded in a process which takes about 4 minutes. HS (if any) is seen
by detector 1 (T,) after about 5 min. Both CO, and HS are absorbed by column2 and therefore,
not seen by detector2. The peak heights can be read to 0.2 divisions on a 10 in. chart, which has
100 divisions, so that gases are detected to an accuracy of +0.2% although Units can be
improved by scale suppression. A typical chromatogram is shown in figure.

pH METER

The pH value is a measure of hydrogen ions in a solution, and the letters pH stand for "power of
the hydrogen ion concentration as represented by the negative logarithm of the hydrogen
concentration.

pH value cannot exceed 14.5 approximately. Screened Cable It is necessary to control the pH of
feed water as one of the measures to "O" Ring reduce feed system corrosion, the products of
which become a controlled corrosion hazard when transported to the boiler. Boiler water pH is
similarly consoled in an alkaline condition to encourage the formation of the protective
magnetite film and also to counteract any impurities which may enter the boiler and give rise to
BSPT conditions. Outlet Inlet Equipment for pH measurement is shown in figure and the
construction of pH meter is shown in figure .

Arrangement of equipment
 97

Details of continuous flow electrode system

One electrode is known as the "reference electrode" which, does commonly, contains a paste of
mercury and calomel (mercurous chloride), immersed in saturated Potassium chloride solution
and with a platinum wire connection to the calomel paste. The whole is contained in a glass tube
having a porous plug at some convenient point, through which electrical contact is made with the
water to be tested.

The other, or measuring electrode, takes the form of "glass electrode" which is essentially a glass
tube, the lower end of which is closed by a thin-walled bulb formed a glass of special
composition.

The bulb contains acidic silver chloride solution) and a platinum wire leads upwards out of the
tube. The glass bulb is considered to act as a membrane which is permeable only to hydrogen
ions.

The emf of the glass electrode varies with the concentration of hydrogen ions in the water, while
the calomel reference electrode emf remain constant and the potential difference is therefore a
measure of pH value.

The electrical output from these two electrodes is connected via an amplifier, to a potentiometric
indicator and recorder. Some continuous monitoring instruments have the glass electrode
contained with the calomel electrode in the sampled water flowing through the assembly, which
is in a sealed watertight housing as in figure.
 98

Two wires in a single lead are taken to a suitable amplifier and meter. It is essential to comply
with the maker's requirements for setting up, standardization and maintenance, in order to obtain
reliable readings.

Generation operation memo. No. 72. advices that boiler feedwater should have a pH not less than
8.5 measured at 25°C.

AUTO ANALYSIS

Method for determining Total Iron

The auto analyser uses a continuous flow system which automates the progressive steps of
classical wet chemistry" methods and as such can be applied to most of the boiler and feed water
analysis required in a power station which depends on colorimetric analysis or any other kind of
analysis which finishes with an electrical measurement in some form. It is mainly used to
measure continuously chemical parameters which are undergoing continuous change, for sample
pick-up of metals like Iron, Copper and Nickel in the feed water during start-up operations. The
diagram of Fig. 3.14 represents the arrangements of equipment used for determining total iron in
feed water. The basis of the method is that the iron in the water forms a colored complex with
TripyryzylTriazene (TPTZ) and the intensity of the colour measured by a colorimeter In
corporating a photocell. The output from this photocell is proportional to the iron present.

in carrying out such an automatic analysis, the solution has to be mixed with chemical solutions
in definite ratios, and this is achieved by a proportional pump in which the variation in the rate of
flow of the different Chemical solutions is controlled by using tubes of different bore fig. 3.15
illustrates how this proportioning is done in the generalised analyser flow diagram and the
method of translating the colour effect in to an electrical signal- for indicating and recording.

Variations of. this auto analyser are available for the of copper, determinatio being nickel, silica,
hydrazina, phosphate, etc., the operating principle essentially the same as for iron but using
different solutions mixing with the To sample to obtain the characteristic colour.
 99

Generalised analyser Flow diagram

FUEL ANALYSIS

Fuels can generally be classified as gaseous, liquid or solid. In cases where a solid fuel is finely
ground, such as pulverized coal and can be transported in an air stream, its control characteristics
approach those of a gaseous fuel. Liquid fuels, as they are atomized and sprayed in to a furnace,
also have control characteristics similar to those of a gaseous fuel. The control treatment of a
solid fuel that is not finely ground is quite different from that of a gaseous or a liquid fuel.

Whether a fuel is a gas, a liquid, or a solid is determined by the ratio of its two primary chemical
ingredients, carbon and hydrogen (H/C).

Natural gas has an H/C ratio in excess of 0.3

Fuel Oil has an H/C ratio above 0.1

coal has an H/C ratio is usually below 0.07.

Since hydrogen is the lightest element and the molecular weight of Amplifier and recorder
carbon is approximately six times that of hydrogen, a decrease in the HIC ratio increases the
specific gravity and the density of the fuel.

Gaseous Fuels

The most used gaseous fuel is natural gas, but "waste gas", or gas produced as a process by
product may allow the replacement of natural gas or other purchased fuels.

In the iron and steel industries such gases are coke oven gas and blast furnace gas.
 100

In the petroleum refining industry, a mixture of these gases is known as refinery gas.

In the petrochemical industry, such gases may be called tail gas or off gas.

A characteristic of these gases is a significant difference in heat Content and other physical and
chemical characteristics as compared to natural gas.

Natural gases vary in their chemical analyses and thus in tha heating values. While the average
heating value is approximately 1000R per standard Cubic foot (scf), Table 3.1 shows that these
gases m commonly vary from 950 to over 1100 Btu per scf.

Natural gas is the only major fuel that is as it delivered by the supplier is used. The transfer of
this fuel to the user usually occurs at a metering and pressure-reducing station as shown in
figure.

The pressure reducing values reduce the pressure from the pipeline suppliers to the pressure
required in the users boiler control system. L addition, the gas is metered for billing calorimeter
is also purposes, and in many cases installed for recording the heating value of the Ba that is
supplied.

No fuel preparation is required before the gas enters the boiler plant except for the reduction in
pressure.
 101

Gas pressure reducing and metering arrangement

In the boiler control system, the regulation of fuel Btu input can be S 0.34 accomplished with a
standard control valve. The design of the valve is based on the capacity requirement of the
system, the specific gas properties and the pressure drop available for control of the gas flow.

The supply of the "waste gas" streams is usually pressure and /or flow controlled based on the
ability of the process to produce the particular gases. A mixture of propane and air is a fuel
alternate for natural gas. It will burn in the same burners and under the same conditions as
natural gas. A typical system for mixing the propane and air is shown in figure. fuel oil and the
No.6 grade of heavy residual fuel oil. The normal random of analyses of these two fuel oils are
shown in Table 3.3.

Other liquid fuels that are used as waste or auxiliary fuels are process by-products such as tar,
pitch or acid sludge and in some cases, liquid sewage. In some of these cases the heat content
alone may not pay for burning the fuel and the economics may be based on a comparison with
the costs of other methods of waste disposal

Particularly in pulp and paper mills there is a by-product liquid fuel known as black liquor or red
liquor. This liquid is burned in order to recover the chemical content of the liquor. The heat
 102

produced from the combustion of the dissolved "wood" chemicals as the liquor is burned in a
bonus. Because the basic process need is chemical recovery, the process is operated to optimize
chemical recovery rather than the heat from the combustion of the wood waste content.

If the user is not an oil refinery, the fuel oil is purchased in lots and delivered to the plant by
truck, railroad tank car, or oil tanker. The fuel oil is pumped from these tanks and delivery
vehicles in to users fuel oil storage stored there until used. A generic arrangement including the
fuel oil preparation is shown in fig. In this arrangement the fuel o1 is delivered to the storage
tanks. From the storage tanks, the fuel may be taken directly to the fuel preparation equipment,
or it may be transverse to a smaller tank, sometimes called a day tank. From the day tank, oil
pumps provide the pressure necessary for the fuel control and atomizing system.

Typical fuel oil pumping and heating arrangement

If the fuel is No.2 fuel oil, heating of the fuel is normally unnecessary. f the fuel is a heavy oil
such as No.6, it is usually necessary to heat the oil in the tanks so that it can be easily pumped
through the systems. If heavy fuel oil in a tank is unused for a period of time, the tank heating
may cause the evaporation of some of the lighter constituents, ultimately making the oil too thick
to remove from the tank by any normal means.

Heavy fuel oil must also be heated before burning Ash in order to reduce its viscosity. fig. 3.19
shows the temperature-viscosity relationship of the various grades of fuel oil. Since most burners
are designed for a viscosity of 135 to 150 Saybolt Universal Seconds (SSU), the temperature
control of the fuel oil is set to produce the desired viscosity for whatever fuel is being used. From
the relationship, the specifications for No.6 oil cover a band of viscosities. Because of this, the
correct temperature set point necessary to produce the desired viscosity may vary depending
upon the specific fuel characteristics. Solid Fuels The most commonly purchased solid fuel is
coal. Coal is available in a number of grades and classifications that vary from bituminous coal.
 103

Fuel oil temperature vs. viscosity

with almost 15,000 Btu per lb to a low grade coal called lignite of less than 7,000 Btu per lb.
These are two different analyses of coal. i Proximate analysis, is used Primarily for ranking Coal
ii) Ultimate analysis, is the analysis of the chemical constituent S by weight percentage and is
used in combustion calculations
 104

Auxiliary or waste solid fuel is usually a process by product that is burned either for its heating
value or for disposal purposes. The most frequently used solid auxiliary fuel is some form of
wood waste from wood product manufacturing processes such as Lumber saw mils and pulp and
product manufacturing processes such as Lumber saw mils and pulp and paper manufacture.
paper pulp and sawdust from a saw mill. The residue of sugarcane (called bagasse) is used in the
sugar industry, and coffee grounds are used in Typical of these are the bark from the pulpwood
that is made in to plants that manufacture instant coffee. Other solid auxiliary fuel is solid Waste
such as municipal garbage or other refuse.

Handling and Delivery of solid Fuels

The various steps in the coal-handling process are shown in figure many "mine mouth" power
plants for electric power generation burn the coal essential as it is mined, along with all the dirt
and rock that come along with the coal.

Coal used in other electric power generation boilers and in industrial boilers generally follows
the steps shown in figure. The coal is cleaned and sized as in the process shown.

Fuel preparation and handling coal

 105

Since such coal must be shipped to the point of use, this cleaning reduces freight charges. For
proper burning of coal with a stoker, the size of the coal lumps is important. The coal bunkers
admit coal by gravity directly to the stoker hoppers.

AIR POLLUTION MONITORING SYSTEMS

The development of derivative gas-phase spectroscopy has opened a whole new dimension in
gas-phase analysis. As a result, highly specific and accurate gas measurements may now be made
in complex mixtures such as urban air. By eliminating both the need for extensive sample
conditioning and the lengthy time lags between sampling the air and obtaining useful data, gas-
phase derivative spectroscopy makes it possible to study gaseous mixtures and their behavior in
real time and without secondary reactions or sample alterations

The features and benefits inherent in this measurement technique preparation plant Cleaning
Sizing Rock separation are now available in a family of instruments designed specifically for
monitoring pollutant levels in urban or clean air. These instruments combine number of
performance oriented features to provide highly accurate, specific, reliable and continuous
measurements of the concentrations of NO,NO,SO, or NH, in the atmosphere.

The technique of tuned, second derivative spectroscopy is particularly well-suited to

measurement situations where continuous monitoring of the concentration of a specific
compound is required in a very complex and frequently changing mixture of gases.

This is especially true for the duty profile of ambient-air monitors. Air monitoring system are
available to meet this demanding duty profile and solve the complex measurement requirements
for continuous air monitoring, regardless of regional variations of special atmospheric problems.

Derivative Spectroscopy

Derivative spectroscopy is concerned with the shape characteristics, rather than with the basic
intensity changes, of a spectral absorption distribution. The slope and curvature characteristics
are often quite large, very specific and largely independent of intensity. Because these show
Characteristics are large, yet specific to individual compounds, extreme complex separations of
component gases are possible, while the sensitivity. Over conventional spectrometric techniques
increases by several decade The Air Monitoring systems make full use of these advantages and
open the way for monitoring ambient air where previously available techniques have been
unsuitable due to their lack of specifically, low end sensitivity, or excessive analysis time.

In these instruments, the light radiation emitted by an ultraviolet or visible source is spectrally
dispersed by a grating monochromatic, providing essentially monochromatic light in the sample
cell as shown in figure.
 106

Air pollution monitoring equipment

The wavelength of this monochromatic light is varied with respect to time by a literally
oscillating monochromatic entrance slit (°Wobbler"). Electro-mechanical displacement of the
wobbler is sinusoidal at a frequency of 45 hertz and has a peak-to-peak displacement of 1/4 to
millimeter, depending upon the desired amplitude of wavelength modulation. Therefore, the
radiation entering the sample cell has a wavelength established by the positioning of the grating,
but it modulated with also respect to time. For example, if the amplitude of wobbler oscillation is
t1/2 millimeter, the wave length is modulated 1o angstroms at 45 hertz. The 1/2 metre sample
cell contains three spherical mirrors in "white cell" arrangement. Diverging light enters the
sample cell from the monochromatic and is collected by a mirror at the far end of the cell. This
mirror focuses the light at a point on the mirror at the near end.

The light then diverges to the second mirror at the far end of the cell and is, in turn, focused at a
new position on the near end mirror. This process can be repeated as many as 32 times, but in
normal operation, light passes through the sample a total of 12 times (6-metre path length).
Finally the light exits the sample cell and is focused on a photomultiplier tube.

Since the second_ derivative function is proportional to the second harmonic of the 45-hertz
input frequency, the output signal from the photomultiplier tube is electronically analysed for its
90-hertz component. Generally, this components amplitude is small in comparison to the total
DC output voltage and is buried in noise

However, a coil fixed to the oscillating wobbler and moving in a magnetic field provides a
reference signal having the exact frequency and phase of the wavelength modulation. By
electronically doubling the frequency of the reference signal, the instrument locks in on the
frequency and phase of the 90 hertz photomultiplier output component.

Using these standard phase-lock amplifier techniques, the instrument presents a DC voltage
representative of the amplitude of the 90-hertz signal component. This DC voltage is
proportional to the second derivative of intensity with respect to wavelength (curvature).
 107

To obtain a signal proportional to the gas concentration, the Second derivative voltage signal is
electronically divided by the total output voltage of the photomultiplier tube, providing the
desired voltage ratio.

Each absorption peak indicates the presence of an absorption a particular wavelength at which a
given molecule absorbs energy of ultraviolet or visible radiation and makes a transition from one
state to another (resulting in a new geometrical configuration of the molecule).

Unlike infra-red absorption bands that are low energy transitions the ultraviolet and visible bands
are relatively insensitive to effects of temperature and pressure.

The air monitoring instruments operate on the same principle, except that they do not scan the
spectrum. Instead, their centre wavelengths are fixed ("tuned") to a previously identified peak
that is characteristic of and unique to the compound being analyzed as shown in figure. The
height of that peak is then a direct measure of the compound's concentration.
 108

UNIT – IV

BASIC CONTROL LOOPS IN BOILER

Simple Feedback Control

Simple Feedback Control

Proportional - plus- Integral control

 109

Simple Feedback Control is shown in the control diagram of Figure. With this type of loop,
changes in the primary variable feedback to a control function, as shown.

The control function can be Proportional plus - Integral (as shown), Proportional only,
Proportional plus - Derivative, Integral only, or Proportional - plus - Integral plus - Derivative.

In all these cases the controller includes the error detectors function, which measures the error
between the primary variable and the set point.

The controller output is determined by a combination or summation of the effects of the different
control action capabilities that are built in to the controller. These are the proportional or gain
multiplication of the error magnitude, the difference between the measured amount and the set
point, the integral action based on incremental time away from set point multiply by error
magnitude and the derivative or rate of change of the measure variable. A change in the
controller output changes the manipulated variable. Which through action of the process changes
the process output selected as the primary variable? This closes the control loop. A time-based
diagram of the control action components for a in repeats Proportional-plus-Integral Controller is
shown in figure. The first a minute, minutes per repeat, or seconds per repeat. Component of the
control action is the Proportional controller.

The error or magnitude of the difference between the process variable and the set point is
multiplied by the proportional gain, one of the controller tuning adjustments.

This gain may be expressed directly as a multiplies or in terms such as Proportional Band". In
the case of proportional band, the value divided in to 100 is equal to the gain or error multiplier.
As the error increases and decreases, the effect of this control component changes in direct
proportion.

The tuning constants that are set in to the controller are affected by the measurement ranges, the
dynamics of the control loop and the capacity of the manipulated variable for effecting change.

The measurement range of the measured variable determines the magnitude of the basic error
signal with respect to set point. The capacity of the controlled device determined the amount of
manipulated variable change for each increment of control signal change.

The Proportional gain or multiplier essentially gears the measured and manipulated variables in
to proper balance so that a measured variable error will produce the desired magnitude of change
to the manipulated variable.

The desired proportional gain value is the highest value of proportional gain that results in stable
conditions of the measured variable and with change aspects of the manipulated or other
variables that also result in most desire conditions.
 110

Nearly perfect steam pressure control of a boiler may be stable but may result in considerable
oscillation of the fuel and combustion air, an undesirable operating condition. To reduce these
oscillations would require reducing the gain and accepting some deterioration in the steam
pressure control.

The second component of the controller output is the integral value. The integral setting value is
time-based and closely relates to the process

There is more than one method of computing (algorithm) for the integral. The most common is
integration with respect to time of the error multiplied by the gain. If seconds per repeat is used
and the controller setting is 10 seconds per repeat/ then after 10 seconds the controller would
have added K (controller gain) times the error from set point to the controller output. Another
common algorithm integrator only the error value and does not use the proportional gain.

In the case of Figure, assume that, as time starts, the loop is stabilized, at set point, the measured
variable is pressure, the pressure sensor has a range of 0- 400psigand the set point has a value of
200psig.(The controller has been tuned, the proportional gain is 2.0/ and the integral setting is
0.5 repeats per minute.

At the end of (x) time, the system flow capacity changes, the pressure begins to deviate from set
point and a change to the manipulated variable is necessary to return the measured variable to the
set point.The diagram shows that when the controller returns to set point the error is 0. Therefore
any effect of the proportional gain is also reduced to zero. The proportional gain effect is,
therefore, temporary and has a value only when the process variable deviates from the set point.
The value of the integral portion of the controller output is, however, permanent and with the
process variable at a steady state and at set point, is equal to the controller output. f this had been
a proportional-only controller, an offset from set point would have to be maintained to satisfy the
need for a permanent change in the controller output.

Feed forward Plus Feedback Control

Feed forward -plus-Feedback control

 111

Feed forward-plus-Feedback control

In feed forward - Plus -Feedback Control is as shown in figure , a secondary variable that has
predictable relation-ship with the manipulated variable is connected.

In this case, a change in the secondary variable causes the manipulated variable to change in
anticipation of a change in the primary variable. This Primary variable reduces the magnitude of
the change due to the more timely control action that originates from the secondary variable.

The feedback portion of the loop contains the set point and can contain any of the controller
functions of the basic feedback loop. The feed forward gain is adjustable and may be greater then
1.0. In figure , a time-based diagram based on the use of feed forward plus-feedback control is
shown. In this case, a change in the signal from the secondary variable acts without waiting for
the primary variable to change.

The goal is to calibrate the feed forward portion of the control so that the primary variable does
not change value. This is done by changing the gain or multiplier of the secondary variable so
that its change multiplied by its gain produces a change in the feed forward portion of the
controller output that is equal to the permanent steady-state change in the controller output. If
this can be accomplished, then there is no permanent effect on the controller output from the
feedback portion of the controller.

This net result is very similar to that of Proportional plus - Integral control except that the
required magnitude of the controller action takes place in less elapsed time. In this case, the feed
forward action essentially replaces the integral action, so that theoretically the feedback
controller needs only proportional action.

Cascade Control

Cascade control consists essentially of two feedback control loops connected together with the
output of the primary loop acting as set point for the secondary loop.
 112

Cascade Control

Cascade control shown in figure is applied to stabilize the manipulated variable so that a
predictable relationship between the manipulated variable and the primary variable can be
maintained.

To avoid control instability due to interaction between the two feedback it is necessary that the
response time constants be substantially different. The process response of the secondary control
loop should be the faster of the two loops.

A general rule is that the time constant of the primary loop process response should be a
minimum of 5 to 10 times that of the secondary loop. The longer time constant of the primary
loop indicates a much slower response.

Because of this, a normal application would be temperature control a normally slow loop)
cascading on to flow control (a normally fast other loop). AIS applications are temperature
cascading on to pressure control and control cascading on to flow control.

Ratio Control

Ratio control consists of a feedback controller whose set point is in direct portion to an
uncontrolled variable as shown in figure. The proportional al relationship can be set by the
operator of the process, or it can be automatically adjusted by another controller.
 113

Ratio Control

As shown, the mathematical function is a multiplier. If the ratio is set, the set point of the
controlled variable changes in direct proportion to changes in the uncontrolled variable. If the
multiplication is changed, the direct proportional relationship or ratio between the controlled and
the uncontrolled variables is changed.

A careful examination of most boiler control applications will show that the overall control
system is an interconnected matrix of the four types of control application shown in figures.

COMBUSTION CONTROL

Physical Combustion Requirements Combustion is the rapid oxidation of fuel in a mixture of

fuel and is with heat produced and carried by the mass of flue gas generated. Combustion takes
place, however, only under the conditions shown in figure

Combustion Requirements
 114

Time, temperature and turbulence are known as the three "T" s of combustion. A short period of
time, high temperature and very turbulent flame indicates rapid combustion. Turbulence is a key
because the fuel and air must be mixed thoroughly if the fuel is to be completely burned.

When fuel and air are well mixed and all the fuel is burned, the flame Flue gas temperature will
be high and the combustion time will be shorter. When the fuel and air are not well mixed,
complete combustion may not occur, the flame temperature will be lower and the fuel will take
longer to burn.

Less turbulence and longer burning has, however, been found to produce fewer nitrous oxides
(NO,). In some cases, combustion is delayed or staged intentionally to obtain fewer nitrous
oxides or to obtain flame characteristics.

The fuel must be gasified. In the case of natural gas, this is automatically true. For oil, the fuel
must be atomized so that the temperature present can turn it into a gas. When coal is burned, the
coal must be pulverized so that t can be gasified by the furnace temperature or distilled in
suspension or 0 the grate by the furnace temperature of a stoker is used.

Combustion Chemistry and Products of Combustion

For all fuels, the actual chemical process is the oxidation of the hydrogen and the oxygen is the
fuel by combining them with oxygen from the air. The nitrogen from the air and any other non-
combustibles in the fuel pass through the process with essentially no chemical change. A
minimal amount of nitrogen in the air combines with oxygen to form nitrous oxides (NO,, which
pollute the air. Some fuels contain a small percentage of sulphur, which-when burned-results in
sulphur oxides that pollute the air. These may also corrode the boiler if the flue gas containing
them is allowed to cool below the dew point.

Combustion Chemistry and Products of Combustion

 115

Figure demonstrates the basic chemical process and the chemical elements and compounds
involved in complete and incomplete combustion. For any fuel, a precise amount of combustion
air is needed to furnish the Oxygen for complete combustion of that fuel's carbon and hydrogen.

The precise amount of combustion for air is called the theoritical airs that particular fuel. If the
fuel analysis. Air requirements can be calculated easily.

METHODS OF COMBUSTION CONTROL

Single Point Positioning Control

A single point positioning or "jackshaft" system is a mechanical one as shown in Figure. The
position of the fuel control valve and the combustion air flow damper are connected together in a
fixed relationship and move in uniform to the demands of the master regulator.

Single - Point Positioning Control System

A basic requirement of this type of system the careful mechanical alignment of the fuel valve and
the air damper positions. Fuel valves and air dampers tend to have different flow characteristics.
Typical characteristics are shown in figure .

If the master regulator were to move each to the 50% position, then air flow for approximately
75% capacity would be provided while fuel for 2b capacity was being supplied.) By making the
flow characteristics linear, they can then be aligned.
 116

Flow Characteristics of Valves and Dampers

In the case of the air damper, the alignment tool is the use of linkage angularity. In the case of
the fuel flow, the control valve is usually supplied with a cam arrangement for changing the
perceived flow characteristic.

The procedure is to linearism the air flow characteristic and then to Steam match the fuel flow
characteristic to that of the air flow. To perform this alignment procedure properly, it is
necessary to perform combustion tests at pressure Master regulator ORC station several different
boiler loads. Although the single-point positioning system is mechanically linked, a flue gas
analysis trimming control loop can be applied to control the fuel/air ratio and reduce the control
error band figure shows some typical arrangements for applying the trimming control.

Other methods include changing the length of the link to the combustion air flow damper,
changing the length of the drive arm connected to the link, or both. In all these arrangements the
control signal from the trimming control originates, in the control loops. If there is a significant
error in the basic system, the trimming control requires time to make the adjustment.

If the basis system error is different at one load than it is at another load, time time is required to
readjust as the load is changed. This is usually not a problem unless the boiler load changes
rapidly. In such cases the trimming probe unless center may have difficulty keeping up with the
changes in excess air. This problem is demonstrated in figure.
 117

Alignment Problem: Air is Cold, Fuel Pressure is Low

As shown in this plot, at 50% load, the trimming correction due to error in the basic system is
25% and is 12.5% at 25% boiler load. The controller output, therefore must change by 12.5% as
the boiler load is changed. Some microprocessor-based "trim' control arrangements use memory
of last time at this load vs. trim signal relationships to help move quickly to a new output signal
as the load is changed. The plot also demonstrates that poor alignment of the basic system may
Create the need for an excessive amount of correction from the flue gas analysis trim control. In
such cases trim control limits may prevent the amount OT correction that is needed.

Parallel Positioning Control

The functions shown in the mechanical single-point positioning arrangement are also performed
using instrumentation control. Such systems called Parallel Positioning Control Systems/ link the
functions pneumatically Stem or electrically. A SAMA control logic diagram of a parallel
positioning system is shown in figure.

Parallel - Positioning Control System

 118

Such control systems must be aligned in the same manner as the single point system. In this case,
a cam in the positioned of the fuel control valve is used to linear is fuel flow and align it with air
flow.

For air flow calibration, linkage angularity and/or the cam in the positioner of the damper
operator may be used to linearise the air flow signal Vs. flow.

A parallel positioning system has the same weaknesses and same conr error band as the single-
point system. Note that such a system may have simple means of biasing the fuel/air ratio
through use of the manual loading function, (a) in figure .

This adjustment means is useless without the use of a flue gas analyzes or some other form of
combustion guide as shown in figure. In order has the system be aligned with the operator
adjustment in the midpoint ot range, the firing rate demand input to summer (b) is set at a gain of
1.0

Assuming that the operator is provided a plus or minus 15 percent Dia, he gains of the input iron
(a) is set at 0.3. With both inputs at 50%, and with na bias, the output of summer (b) would be
65%. The bias in summer (b) 1s then set at minus 15% so that the signal to the air damper
control device will always match the tiring rate demand signal.

Parallel - Positioning Control with Flue Gas Analysis

The ease with which a boiler operator makes such a fuel/air ratio adjustment also makes it easier
for the operator to cause system misalignment. One advantage of the parallel system is that the
timing of a fuel flow change or an air flow change can be modified by inserting a time constant
 119

in to either of the two control signals to improve matching of actual fuel and sir flow to the
furnace. This makes possible improved dynamic operation.

The bias and gain functions (j) are added to provide a small 3 to 4% dead between the
applications of the high and low select functions. This addition prevents the effect of process
measurement "noise" from causing altercation between the fuel flow and the air flow control
loops.

The addition of the manual signal (k) connected to the high select (1) prove prides a minimum
air flow control capability by preventing the air flow set point from being reduced below 25% of
fuel range.

This diagram also shows the application of a flue gas analysis trim control loop replacing the
manual fuel/air ratio adjustment. By its control action, the air flow measurement signal (e) is
continuously calibrated so that the programmed flue gas analysis will be obtained.

The firing rate demand signal (a) is used as the "boiler load" signal in the arrangement shown.
The fuel flow signal (d) or a steam flow measurement signal could also have been used.

The points marked A, B and C are the points at which this control system arrangement can be
easily be modified for application to the use of other fuels or fuel combinations or for other air
flow control arrangements.

The control system alignment consists of:

i. Calibration of the air flow function generator (n);

ii. Setting the bas values of approximately +25% and gains of 1.0 to items )

iii. Setting the minimum air flow signal (k) at 25%; and

iv. Setting the gain of proportional plus bias (0) to 0.3 and setting the bias to plus 85%

After the alignment procedure, the next activity is to tune the flow Controllers (b) and (c). This
procedure is typical of the turning of any flow Control loop. The optimum gain setting will
probably be in the 0.5 range and the optimum integral setting will probably be several rpm
(repeats per minute).

Dynamic load change excess air during the load change. In this case, either the fuel testing may
reveal a in the desired control loops should be detuned until their dynamic response is the sama
The 25% bias values of items g) avoid any effect from the limiting control during this tuning
period. After the flow controller tuning operation, these settings are adjusted to their operational
settings. This is accomplished by gradually reducing the bias values until interaction with the
flow controllers in indicated. This will normally show ap best as the process noise band of flue
gas analysis.
 120

MEASUREMENT OF FURNACE DRAFT

Figure demonstrates the choice of pressure tap locations for measuring furnace draft. The
pressure connections on most boilers are located on the front, side, or roof of the furnace.

Measurement of Furnace Draft

Although the measurements at these three locations would be for same th furnace chamber of a
particular boiler, the measurement values would differ due to the differing stack or chimney
effects.

The measurements at different elevations will differ by approximately a01 inch H,O per foot
elevation. The measurement in the roof of the furnace will be the highest value. Since it is
necessary to have negative pressure at all points, the value at the furnace roof becomes the
controlling factor in determining the desired set point for the control of furnace draft.

Thus, if the pressure at the furnace roof is to be minus 0.1 inch of H,0 and the connection ior
measuring furnace draft is located at an elevation 15 feet below the furnace roof, then the set
point for this control loop should be approximately - 0.25 inch of H,0. On a larger boiler the
connection might be as much as 50 feet or more below the roof elevation. In this case, the set
point should be approximately -0.6 inch of HO or at a lower pressure.

Furnace draft measurement is also subject to considerable process "noise". The use of a narrow
range transmitter tends to accentuate the effect of such noise in the measurement. An additional
factor is primarily a limitation of analog control. In this case it is quite often impossible to reduce
the controller gain to a low enough value. Therefore, the general practice is therefore to use a
control transmitter range of approximately +1.0 to - 5.0 inches of H,O.
 121

Draft is defined as a "Current of Air": Associated with this meaning is its definition as an air or
flue gas pressure that is slightly negative with respect to atmospheric pressure. When in a conduit
connected to atmospheric pressure, such negative pressure would create a current of air or flue
gas.

Draft Loss: Draft loss in the difference in draft or pressure resulting from the flow of the air or
flue gas through a system that includes the boiler furnace, ductwork and various types of heat
transfer surface.

Natural Draft: (Natural draft is a term used when the air flow through the Figure boiler is a
result of the stack effect in a chimney or stack.

Forced Draft: In the case of boiler, a fan or air blower that takes suction iron the atmosphere
and forces combustion air thorough the system called as forced draft.

The controller is thus quite insensitive to process noise and also t required control action when
close to set point. This also tends to accentuate the problem of the series time delay.

For comparison purposes, figure demonstrates the performanon of a typical feedback furnace
draft control loop. The excursions tend to be large with respect to the set point value and the
control tends to be unstable due to the effects of the process noise.

Assuming 60 a measurement at the furnace roof, the goal is to hold the furnace draft to a set
point of -0.1 inch of H,O with an exeursion range of 0.05 inch of H,O, while the process noise is
usually a minimunm of #0.1 inch of H,O and a typicál overall capability of the fans at 6 to 10
inches of H2O.

Furnace Draft Control using Feed forward-Plus-Feedback Control

The simplest form of the furnace draft control loop uses a Feed forward Plus-Feedback control
loop is as shown in figure .

Furnace Draft Control (Feed forward-Plus-Feedback Control)

 122

Furnace Draft Control (Feed forward-Plus-Feedback Control)

In this case, the signal to the forced draft control device is added in the Summer (a) to the output
of the furnace draft feedback controller. So the series time lag between forced and induced
control action is eliminated.

It is necessary to provide a bias function in the summer (a) so that the output of the furnace draft
controller will operate normally in the middle portion of its output range. This allows the
controller to equally add or subtract from the feed forward signal as necessary.

A proper control alignment for the summer (a) would show it having gains of 1.0 on both inputs
and with bias of -50 percent. t is necessary to parallel the flow characteristics of the two parallel
Control devices (in this case forced and induced draft). If this is not done, the two will not
provide the proper parallel effect, and much of the benefit of the feed forward control may be
lost. It is also necessary to select the proper feed forward signal. Measured air flow should not be
used as the feed forward signal.

DRUM LEVEL CONTROL

Drum Level Control objectives (Feed water control objectives)

Control the drum level to a set point.

Minimize the interaction with the combustion control system

Make smooth changes in the boiler water inventory as boiler changes.

Properly balance the boiler steam output with the feed water input
 123

Compensate for feed water pressure variation without process 100 Interaction with upset or set
point shift.

Single-Element Feed water Control (Simple Feedback Control)

By using simple feedback feed water control as shown in figure we can able to reduce the
controller gain results in less interaction with the firing rate control in order to upgrade the boiler
efficiency.

Simple Feedback Feed water control (Single-Element Feed water Control)

If the controller is proportional only, a greater drum level offset would occur as boiler load
changed. Since the low to high load level change approximately 4 inches, it can be assumed that
a 0-100 percent flow change is assuming a typical measurement range of 30 inches, the he gain
of this controller would be 6.0./This gain would produce greater stability and less interaction but
also twice the proportional offset stability and less interaction but also twice the proportional
offset. To avoid this unsatisfactory condition, integral control is added. The integral effect must
be quite slow since the level signal moves incorrectly at the times of boiler drum level swell and
shrink.

The result is as shown in figure . The specific improvement is that the level will return to set
point, incorrect action of feedwater flow during load changes is reduced, and the system is
generally more stable and less interactive with the firing rate control. Set k point The controlled
device, whether a control valve or pump speed control device, should have a linear signal Vs.
flow characteristic as shown in figure The basic reason for this is that drum level deviations
around Feed water control valve the set point represent a specific quantity of water over the
entire boiler oad range. In the case of signal vs. pump speed, this must be nonlinear, as shown, in
order that the control signal vs. water flow be as linear as possible. The large increase in pump
 124

speed for an initial small increase in control Signal brings the pump speed up to the required
pressure for admitting water in to the boiler.

Control Action of Simple Feedback Feedwater Control (Single-Element Feedwater

Control)
 125

Feed water Control Device Flow Characteristics

Two-Element Feed water Control (Feed forward-Plus-Feedback Control)

A two-element feed water control system is shown in figure. This is easily recognized as a
standard feed forward-plus-feedback control loop. In this case steam flow is the feed forward
signal that anticipates a need 1or additional feed water flow. The feedback control from drum
level is shown as proportional - only control. The control valve is characterized so that the
control signal Vs. feed water flow is linear. For this system to perform properly and drum level
at the set point, it is necessary that the differential pressure acr the feed water control valve be
predictable at each flow and that the valve signal vs. flow relationship does not change.

Two-Element Feed water Control System (Feed forward plus Feedback)

Effect of Feedwater Pressure Variation

 126

flow in a feed water control system, spray water Flow must be added feed water flow or
subtracted from steam flow.

The total pressure drop available for the superheat spray system is summation of to pressure
drops across piping, the two high pressure heat the economizers inlet, up to the economizer, and
the primary super heater This must match the pressure drop across the spray nozzle, the s water
control valves, unrecovered pressure drop across the flow measurement Vent primary element,
friction in the spray water piping and the elevation Water eam difference in head at spray water
conditions between the source and the steam line.

The control system has only the control valve pressure drop to work heater and storage| with and
this is often a relatively small percentage of the total. This contributes to the problem of non-
repeatability between control valve position and flow. In some cases, it may be necessary to
install an auxiliary spray water pump to obtain enough valve pressure drop for good control.

HEATING AND DEAERATION

A typical boiler feed water supply system consists of three basic parts: Boiler Feed Pumps

1. A set of boiler feed pumps Feed water header

2. Valves, feed water piping and headers

3. Feed water heaters

This system is supplied with condensate or chemically treated water at a relatively low
temperature. The heaters and boiler feed water pump condition the water for proper admission to
the boiler. The piping and headers connect the feed water supply, heaters, valves and pumps to
the boiler.

Figure shows a general arrangement of a basic feed water supply system. The relatively cool
water is admitted to the deaerating heater. Water leavings the heater is deposited in to an integral
heated-water storage tank.

The storage tank is connected to the suction of the boiler feed pumps. charge of the boiler feed
pumps, a recirculation to line containing a At the disc or shutoff valve is connected.

Downstream from this connection is a check valve between the pump and the feed water supply
header so that pressure from the supply header cannot return to the pump. With more than one
pump connected, the check valve would be closed on any pump that is not in operation.
 127

Boiler Feed water Pumping and Heating System

The recirculation line is open at low flows and is sized for approximately 15 to 20 percent of
pump capacity. The necessity for this recirculation can be deduced from figure , which shows a
typical set of characteristic curves for a constant speed boiler feed pump.

The power consumption is 60 to 70 percent of full load power at a 0 flow condition. With this
condition of power input and no flow to dissipate the heat, the temperature would rise very
rapidly and damage the pump.

To avoid this potential damage, approximately 15 to 20 percent of the water is recirculated to

keep the pump from cavitating and overheating.

The entrained or dissolved gases are released from the water through his boiling and agitation)
because the pressure in the heater is above atmospheric pressure, the gases can then be vented to
atmosphere. Deaeration removes the oxygen and carbon dioxide as efficiently as mechanically
possible. Scavenging chemicals are introduced to the boiler water to eliminate the remaining
traces.

This process must be carried out with live steam direct from the boiler if exhaust steam is not
available. Several additional feed water heaters in series are used with electric utility units. In
these, the steám for heating the feed water between the condenser and the economizer is
furnished by extracting steam from the turbine.
 128

PERCENT OXYGEN TRIM CONTROL (OR) PERCENT OXYGEN AS AN

INDIVIDUALCONTROL INDEX

Percent the analyser and the analyser time constant. oxygen trim control is shown in figure. The
function generator (a) develops a % oxygen set point signal as a function of boiler load Under
the best conditions, all of these together will be at least 15 to 20 or other index of firing rate.

Percent Oxygen Trim Control Loop

The particular function generated should be based on boiler tests at way Steam by cascading the
water-steam mixture over metal surfaces. In this or more boiler loads. The boiler operator has the
ability, through the three manually generated set point bias signal and summer (b), to shift the %
O2 set point curve up or down without changing its shape. The controller (c) is tuned for a low
gain and relatively slow integral e response in order to obtain control stability. The low gain
results from the relationship between total air flow change and % oxygen change.

A change of 0.1% oxygen is equal to approximately 0.5% change in total air flow. If the analyser
has a total range of 0 to 5% oxygen, then at 40% analyser span (2% O,) the effect on air flow is
10% of total air flow or of air flow span. If the limiting air flow controller gain is 1.0, at a gain of
one for the trimming action, the gain limit of the percent oxygen controller would be [1/ (10/40)]
or 0.25.

The slow integral tuning of the controller results from accumulated time constants in the control
loop. These consist of controller and control tubing time constants, the time constant of the
controlled device, the transport time from the control dampers and valves through the
combustion process to Percent the analyser and the analyser time constant.
 129

Under the best conditions, all of these together will be at least 15 to 20 or other index of firing
rate. seconds and probably more. Of these, the transport time of the flue gases is % Oxygen an
almost pure delay time constant, which varies as a function of boiler load.

Because of the greater potential for analyser failure as opposed to the generally used flow
measurements, limits (d) are applied at the output of the trimming control. The limits can be
applied as limits to the controller output or as a reduced gain at the point the trimming control
enters the basic system.

If implemented by the "reduced gain" method, manual control has a broader signal range and the
gain at the point of entry to the basic system becomes part of the overall loop gain. This allows
an increased gain for the % 0 controller. The function generation for most installations can be a
two slope function generation as shown in figure. On those installations where such a simple
method is not sufficient, a more complex function generation based on multiple slopes or a
polynomial equation is necessary.

DISTRIBUTED CONTROL SYSTEM IN POWER PLANTS

Automation Structure for Power Plant Control

Hierarchical structure of DCS

i. Hardware System

a. Field Stations

b. Sub-Group Control Stations

c. Group Control Stations

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d. Unit Level Control Stations

e. Manual Control Stations

f. Diagnostic Stations

ii. Bus System

a. Group Bus

b. Plant Bus

c. Peripheral Bus

d. Back-up Bus

iii. Software System

a. Data Acquisition and Alarming

b. Data Logging

iv. Human Intdrface

a. Alarm Display

b. Mimic Display

c. Trend Display

d. Bar Chart Display

e. Operator Guidance Messages

f. Multiformat Display

g. Plant Automation Messages

h. Voice Alarm Annunciation

v.System Reliability and Availability

a. Normal Operation

b. Group Controller Failure

c. Sub-Group Controller Failure

d. Unit Level Failure

 131

Modern DCS For Power Plant Automation

Power generation comprises several major processes and each process can be further
divided in to sub-processes, corresponding to individual pieces of plant equipment. Thus, DCS
architecture for power plant should match this process structure and provide for integrated
monitoring, control, automation and protection using unified hardware and software system. It
should encompass the functions such as boiler automatic control, level burner management,
turbine control, sequential control and protection and interlock logics.

Also unit level automation and functions for plant monitoring, Supervision and
maintenance should be included. The application of DCS should finally yield higher operating
efficiency and availability of the power plant itself.

The automation structure, based on hierarchical plant process oriented control as shown
in figure. The drive controller performs basic logic, driving and protection function of a single
drive such as a pump, valve, or damper, whereas the sub-group controller performs modulating
and binary control functions for a sub-process.

For example, a sub-group controller for a feed water sub-process controls all the he feed
pumps that comprise this sub-process. The sub-group control acts on a on a drive controllers. A
unit master controller coordinates the total plant control and gives commands and instructions to
the lower levels. up controller It essentially controls plant start-up and shut-down, and
coordinates he plant processes during load variation. At the unit level, computers are used to
collect all relevant power plant data, report alarms, and log data, to provide historical storage,
performance calculation, plant operation scheduling, high level computer control functions, and
man-machine functions. The entire system is inter connected by an hierarchical bus system.

Hierarchical automation structure in DCS

1. The unit coordination level handles higher level automation function, such as

 Unit coordination
 Unit operation
 Setpoint generation
 Load margin calculation
 Unit master control

2. At the group control level the higher level automation tasks associated with the plant
functional areas are implemented, such as

Coordination programs (Example: boiler coordination program)

 132

 Group controls
 Subgroup sequential controls
 Partial subgroup controls
 Setpoint controls (Example: Feedwater control)
 Plant protection

3. At the process interface level, process-related tasks are implemented. such as

Signal conditions (Analog, Binary)

Computing functions

Binary control of individual loops

Division of the automation structure in to these hierarchical levels. Documentation. results in a

clear subdivision of the tasks of each level.

The tasks implemented at each level are designed in such a manner that their operation is not
affected by failure of the automation functions at next higher level, although, naturally, the
degree of automation is reduced as a result of the failure.

The man machine interface in an automation system provides the following facilities.

1. Process control functions for influencing and maintaining production:

Display of process variables for evaluation by the operator.

Operator control action and checkback display functions

2. Technical operational management functions for tasks related to economie production and
rectification of faults:

information displays for plant monitoring (by the shift-in-charge)

ocumentation (production event recording and control syste design documentation)

Optimisation

Maintenance

Components of the process control system

The components of the process control system provide all the func required for process
automation in power stations.
 133

1. Acquisition and conditioning of process data.

2. Modulating and binary control.

3. Computing functions and optimisation.

4. Monitoring and alarm annunciation.

5. Control and monitoring of the process by the operator either by means of the Video Display
Units (VDU) or by means of miniaturised control Modulating control of individual loops desk
files.

6. Documentation.

Input/Output Modules

The functions of the process interface level are implemented on the Input/Output modules.

The following types of modules are available:

1. Signal modules for conditioning of process signals.

2. Configurable function modules for binary control of individual loops, modulating control and
component protection.

3. Input/Output controller module for direct connection of Input/Output modules to the bus
system.

Single or multi-function modules can be used depending on the level of fault-tolerance required
for the installation.

Automation Systems

The central unit implements the higher-level automation tasks of unit Coordination and group
control and monitors the Input / Output modules at the process interface.

In an improved version the central part consist of three independent, comment synchronous,
central units (CU), the output signals of the three central units being logically combined in 2 -out-
of-3 voting systems.

An automation system card is available for tasks at the process interface level and is directly
coupled to the LAN bus system. The fault tolerance can De increased by redundant provisi1on ot
the Input / Output interface module and Input / Output modules.
 134

Documentation and Configuration System

These systems implement the documentation, diagnostics maintenance tasks within the control
system.

The configuration system is connected either directly to an automation system or via the LAN-
bus is used for configuration of the automation system as well as of configurable Input / Output
modules.

The workstation is used for drawing the function diagrams on the screen and subsequently
generating the configuration code for the central unit and the configurable Input / Output
modules of an automation system.

The workstation can be connected to the bus system for commissioning and maintenance of the
function diagram level

This concept employs the "forward documentation" strategy and thus guarantees that the
configuration code of the central unit and of the configurable Input / Output modules is
absolutely identical to the logic content of the relevant function diagrams.

Operator Interface systems

The following operator interfaces can be employed in the process control system.

1. An operator interface employing miniaturised control desk files, which are had wired to the
binary and modulating control funetions on the Input/Output modules of the process interface
level.

2. An operator interface employing a hand-held terminal connected direct to a control of

Input/Output module.

3. An operator interface employing operator communication module and monitoring system

connected to the LAN-bus and thus to all automation systems which are connected to the bus.
The operating systems (OS) can be configured either as single systems or in * redundant
configuration with several monitors and process e boards. The OS system also have direct access
to the Input/Output modules via the bus, provided Input/Output interface modules have been
installed..

The OS operator system provides facilities for operator control actio in conjunction wiuh
displays on one or more VDU in the following formats:

1. Normalized operation displays for binary and modulating controls

2. Function diagram displays with indication of current status.

3. Graphic displays with indication current process data.

 135

4. Trend and operating point displays.

5. Event message display.

6. Logs.

LAN-bus system

The local area network bus system is the central data communication component of the process
control system. The bus system can also be designed in a redundant configuration to improve the
fault-tolerance level of the system.

Data is transmitted serially over the bus system, which has a line configuration. A number of
busses can be connected by bridges to form a network corresponding to the configuration of the
complete plant.

The bus system does not employ a central controller or a PC can be connected to the bus;
computers of other manufacture can also be connected to the bus via a suitable interface module.

Process Information system

These systems implement, the tasks of operational management as regards documentation,

optimization, diagnosis of process sequences and maintenance of process components.

Application Concepts

The components of the process control system are suitable for a wide range of applications.

The flexibility of the system in its application in power stations is based n the following system
features.

1. Configurable automation systems with graded capabilities.

2. Configurable Input/Output modules with functions of the process interface level a nd 2 bus
interfaces for connection to the control room.

3. Operator communication and monitoring by means of hard miniaturised control desk files.

4. Operator communication and monitoring by means of bus connect. cause VDU based operator
systems with power plant related information .

5. Short range serial data transmission by means of the cabinet bus and longer distance
transmission by means of the local area network system.

6. Locally centralised or locally distributed structure as required.

7. Simple or redundant configuration to meet fault-tolerance requirements.

 136

8. Automation unit, functionally superimposed on the individual control module.

9. Processing unit, performing combined individual control and automation functions.

INTERLOCKS IN BOILER OPERATTON

Interlocking is required to prevent operation of the control system. It is not appropriate to have
the air flow control on automatic while the fuel flow is on manual.

Should the automatic control reduce the air flow to too low a value for the fuel being fired, a
dangerous and potentially catastrophic situation would exist. A similar situation would exist if
the fuels were on automatic and the air flow was on manual. Suppose the induced draft is being
controlled by the furnace dratt and the controller is on manual while the forced draft is on
automatic. An increase in the forced draft could cause excessive furnace pressure a danger
condition. To avoid this possibility, a control system interlock system should be installed to
prevent such operation.

Another aspect of the problem above is protection against the failure control system power
supplies. For that reason, the system may in that compartment or one control device regulated by
such controls could all controllers in that compartment to revert to manual control.

An example is to have all the fuel and air flow controls in one compartment, all of the steam
temperature and reheat temperature controls in one compartment, and all of feed water controls
in one compartment.

Protection against maintenance error while the process system is in operation and on automatic
may also require interlock protection. A large electric utility control system is usually composed
of a number of cabinets and many plug-in electronic cards that look alike.

In such systems it is possible to place part of the overall system on manual control for
maintenance purposes. If this is done, it is also possible to inadvertently unplug a controller card
that is furnishing control action for a part of the system that is still on automatic.

A suitable interlock can provide protection by having the system take security action if a card
holding an automatic mode controller is withdrawn from its connector.

An example of an action could be for all controls in that compartment to revert to manual and
hold their output signals.

Interlocks can also be designed in to the system to enforce a particular order of placing control
loops on automatic or going from automatic to manual.

Typically, the first control subsystem to go on automatic is furnace draft Control since it is
independent of other loops. Next is the feed water control, Which can be placed on automatic as
soon as reliable signals of drum level, steam flow, and water flow are obtained.
 137

It is in this condition, with feed water and furnace draft on automatic, That boiler testing is
usually made. Only after the testing is completed and the rest of the control system is calibrated
based on the test data should steam temperature control and fuel and air flow control be placed
on automatic.

For an industrial boiler, the last control loop to be placed on automatic. The steam pressure
control. For an electric utility boiler this accomplished by the boiler-turbine coordinated control
or boiler following front end control. The last to be placed on automatic is the demand control.

The reverse of the order is described to be followed when transferring. Controls from automatic
to manual. The control sequence above can be designed in to an interlock system that will inhibit
any such operator action that is incorrect.

Classification of Interlocks

Two separate classifications involving trip interlock action should be made.

One relates to the "hazard" involved in the action. Such an action can occur through a healthy
interlock circuit that is operating properly based on the inputs to the system. The action can also
occur due to a failure or fault within the system. The hazard can be potential catastrophe damage
to the operators, to the process equipment, to the process plant, and/or to the environment.

The second classification relates to the "interlock circuitry" and how its integrity is affected by
faults within the system. The classification of the interlock system circuits provides a means of
matching the reliability of a particular classification of interlock circuit to that of the degree of
the particular hazard involved.

Interlock Circuitry

The classification of the interlock circuitry can be made relative to the action that occurs upon a
single point failure or fault. This may be called the degree of redundancy or fault tolerance. The
goal is keeping the protection in force at all times but recognizing that failures will occur.

The classifications described below are named on the basis of the number of unflawed interlock
circuits necessary in order to retain interior protection.

1. 1-0-0-1 One out of One

A single circuit in which a single point failure in the system will cause Output action. The circuit
itself should be designed so that any output.

2. 1-0-0-2 One out of Two ring this is called redundancy.

Two protective circuits are operating essentially in parallel. A single point failure will disable
one of the two circuits while the redundant circuit continuous to provide the needed protection.
 138

3. 2-0-0-2 Two out of Two

This is not redundancy because a single point failure in either circuit made will cause an output
tripping action. This allows no fault tolerance yet has two circuits required to hold. Where 1 -0-0-
2 might be a parallel circuit (normal operation energized with reenergize to trip) One relates 2-0-
0-2 would be a series circuit.

If 2 flame detectors are required to see flame or the boiler will trip, this is 2 -0-0-2. This
demonstrates that it is possible to have a 1-0-0-1 circuit with a 2-0-0-2 portion, a 1-0-0-2 circuit
with a 2-0-0-2 portion, or a 2-0-0-3 circuit in which a critical portion is 2-0-0-2.

4. 2-0-0-3 Voting

This could be called triple redundancy. In this type of interlock system, the output of two out of
three individual interlock circuits must agree to hold in a circuit in monitoring normal operation..

If two out of three agree to trip, tripping action will trip the process equipment device. Any
single point failure involving the interlock devices will not trip the operating equipment. A
maximum of two such failures will rip, just as a minimum of two good circuits will allow
continued operation.

5. 2-0-0-3 Voting with Fault Tolerance

While this type of system requires two out or three voting to keep process equipment operating,
more than two single point failures in seperate circuits can be tolerated.

For example, if the total circuit is made triple redundant and each ciro broken in to three
sequential parts, 27 seperate potential pathways in 9 circuit segments exist.

Assume the three sequential parts are named "input, "processing ting and "output". Input 1 can
connect to processing 2 and output 3. With 2-0-0-3 is each of the like parts, a single point failure
in two out of three of such ii) Operation of forced draft without induced draft. An interlock
should present this. a circuit part (e.g., "input") will cause the safety action to take place by
trippine ng the piece of process equipment.

With the three sections of the circuit 2-0-0-3 voting in each like circuit on the failed fan
immediately. part, a total of two, three or four single point failure possibilities, out of the total of
9 circuit sections, will cause tripping to occur.

One, the fuel immediately. two or three single point failures can occur and the equipment will
continue to operate with full 2-0-0-3 interlock protection. This is shown in figure.

If any total circuit output 2-0-0-3 voting is used, up to five single point failures could occur and
2-0-0-3 voting on the outputs would be satisfied. A sixth single point failure would cause
tripping to oceur.
 139

However, such an arrangement would be composed of the circuit of one "input" segment, one
"processor" segment, and two "outpue" segments. This arrangement might satisfy the 2 -0-0-3
output voting requirement but would lose its integrity since two thirds of the total-circuit would
depend on 1-0-0-3.

It is usually not possible to achieve total redundancy that would be immune from a single point
failure in the total system. Such situations might require three total flow measurement systems
on the same flow, three primary elements and transducers, three sets of shutoff valves in series or
three motor circuit breakers with associated input contacts, or three seperate sources or electric
power that didnt originate in the same place.

Alarms should advise the operator or maintenance personnel when an "non-tripping" fault occurs
that would cause the interlock system degrade, even though full safety protection continues to be
maintained.

Boiler Hazards

Some of the more serious hazards related to boilers are as follows:

i) Loss of flame in a single burner should shut down a burner. Loss of all flame should shut off
all fuel immediately.

ii) Operation of forced draft without induced draft. An interlock should present this.

ii) Loss of a single forced or induced draft fan of a pair. An interlock should close the dampers
circuit on the failed fan immediately.

iv. Operating the boiler with the drum water level low enough to cause damage to the boiler.
Such a water level should shut off, the fuel immediately.

v. Operating a balanced draft boiler with excessive pressure in the boiler furnace. While some
pressure might be tolerated very temporarily, pressure above a set point level should immediately
trip all fuel to the boiler.

vi. Feedwater flow below a set point flow should immediately trip the fuel to a once through
boiler.

vii. Any reheat spray water should be shut off immediately if a turbine trips to avoid water
damage to the turbine by back flow through the cold reheat steam line.
 140

Interlock circuitry

FLUE GAS DEW POINT CONTROL

Flue gas dew point control used in cases where heat recovery equipment, such as an air preheater
or an economizer, is applied to a boiler. In these cases, the flue gases are cooled to a lower
temperature than with a simple boiler with no heat recovery. Both of these heat recovery devices
can be represented by the diagram as shown in figure of a counter flow heat exchanger.

Dewpoint Control Process Arrangement

In the case of an economizer, the incoming fluid would normally be m excess of 220° F. In the
case of an air preheater, the incoming combustion ar might be less than 100° F. In order to avoid
corrosion at the end of an ar preheater, it is necessary to maintain the flue gas temperature above
dew point temperature. The flue gas dew point temperature is determined by the moisture
content of the tlue gas and the presence and percentage SO, and SO, in the flue gas.

The addition of even small amounts of sulphur in the fuel, and thus SO, circuits. ad SO, in the
flue gas, causes a significant shift upward in the dew point and temperature. The resulting
moisture would be a weak solution of sulphurou. and sulfuric acid. At the "Cold end" of an air
preheater. if the air temperature 80°F and the flue gas temperature is 300° F, the average in
 141

contact with the flue gas is considered to be 190°F, the average of the flue gas and combustion
air temperature with a dew point temperature of 200°F, ac1d moisture would collect on the metal
surface and corrosion would take place.

Flue Gas Dew Point Control

This can be avoided through use of a control method that raises the Incoming combustion air
temperature so that the average cold end metal temperature is above the dew point. As the
incoming air temperature is raised, temperature the flue gas temperature shifts upward a smaller
amount. In the example above, raising the temperature of incoming air to 120°F would cause flue
gas temperature to shift upward to approximately 340°F dew point temperature. f the dew point
temperature were 230°F, the combustion air temperature Would have to be raised still higher
than the 120°F point. A control method that accomplishes this is shown in figure. An air heater,
with steam as the heating medium, is placed in the combustion air stream ahead of the flue gas
heat recovery air preheater. The steam is controlled to this heater in order to develop the desired
combustion air temperature.

A simple feedback control loop as shown is usually adequate controlling the steam flow, The
average of the flue gas and air temperatures Shown as the feedback. is considered a pseudo metal
surface temperature to provide a minimum flue gas temperature based on an assumption of the
coldest expected inlet combustion air temperature.

The operation of this type of dew point control has a small impact on air flow and draft control
by changing flow resistance on both the flue gas and air sides of the boiler. A 40°F rise in air
preheater inlet ar temperature will change the average specific volume across the air side of the
air preheater and change its pressure drop by approximately 2.5 percent. The change in draft loss
on the flue gas side will be a smaller percentage amount. This change will be only slightly
noticeable even though open-loop air flow control is used.
 142

Dew point: This is the saturation temperature of the mixture at the corresponding vapor
pressure.

SOOT BLOWING

Soot buildup on the boiler tubes is a normal occurrence for liquid or solid fuel boilers. This soot
accumulation can be reduced to some extent by maintaining the correct combustion conditions.
In any event it must be removed periodically in order to avoid a severe loss in heat transfer.

Figure illustrate the loss in heat conductivity due to soot accumulation. Soot is an excellent
insulator, as shown, and a thin layer can significantly reduce heat transfer. The effect is an
increase in boiler draft The Air fuel ratio is the most common reference term used for mixtures in
internal combustion engines. AFR = air In fuel loss and flue gas temperature with a resultant loss
in boiler efficiency.

The Effect of Soot Building

Soot is normally removed from the tubes with devices called soot blowers. These are devices
mounted along the sides of the boiler from which jets some of steam or compressed air are used
to blast the soot from the tube. fuels have chemical characteristics that cause the soot to adhere .
In these cases fuel additives are often used to change the characteristics of the soot in order that it
may be more easily removed from the tubes.

The normal practice is to start the soot blowing at the furnace and sequentially blow soot in to
the flue gas stream. Operation of soot blowers near the front of the boiler, in particular, may
cause severe pulsations in the furnace draft. Por this reason, it may be desirable to reduce the set
point of the furnace draft control and increase the level of combustion air flow during soot
blowing periods.
 143

UNIT – 5

Turbine -Monitoring and Control

TURBINE

A turbine may be defined in several ways. A few important definitions are given below:

1. The turbine is a prime mover in which gradual changes in the momentum of a fluid are
utilized to produce rotation of the mobile member.

2. The turbine is a machine in which a rotary motion is obtained by the gradual change of
momentum of fluid.

3. The turbine is a prime mover in which a rotary motion is obtained by centrifugal force brought
in to action by changing the direction of a jet of a fluid escaping from a nozzle of high velocity.

CLASSIFICATION OF STEAM TURBINES

There are several ways in which the steam turbine may be classified.

1. With respect to the action of the steam

. a) Impulse b) Reaction c) Combination of impulse and reaction

2. With respect to whether there ls one or more revolving vane discs; separated by stationary
reversing vanes.

. With respect to the number of step reductions as:

a) Single stage

b) Multi stage

4. With respect to the direction of steam flow, as: steam leaving

a) Axial

b) Radial

c) Tangential

d) Mixed

e) Helical

f)Re-entry

5. With respect to the terminal pressure, as:

 144

a) Condensing

b) Non-condensing

6. With respect to the pressure of steam, as:

a) High pressure

b) Medium pressure

c) Low pressure

7. With respect to the source of the steam, as:

a) Extraction

b) Accumulator

Impulse Turbine

It is shown in figure. The bottom portion of the figure shows longitudinal section through the
upper half of the turbine, the mid portion shows the development of the nozzles and blades and
top the shows the variation in velocity of steam on its passage and also absolute pressure
changes.

Impulse turbine
 145

There is only one set of nozzles and complete expansion from the Steam chest pressure to the
exhaust or the condenser pressure takes place in the one set of nozzles. Thus the pressure in the
chamber is 4Pproximately equal to condenser pressure.

Due to very large ratio of expansion, the steam leaves the nozzle tavery high velocity
(Supersonic since the pressure ratio exceeds the Critical pressure ratio and the nozzle thus used is
converging-diverging) of about 1000 m/sec.

The blade speed should be one-half of the steam speed for maximum Work done for good
economy. Even though the rotor diameters are kept 1airly small, the rotational speeds of the
magnitude of 30,000 rpm may be obtained. Such high speeds can be used to drive the machines
or generators only with a large reduction gearing arrangement.

Reaction Turbine

Reaction turbine
 146

This type of turbine is shown in figure. There are number o rows of moving blades fixed to the
shaft and equal number of fixed blades attached to the casing. The fixed blades in this
arrangement correspond to the nozzle referred to in the impulse turbines.

Instead of a set of nozzles, steam is admitted for whole of the circumference and therefore, there
is alround admission. In passing through the first row of fixed blades, the steam undergoes a
small drop in pressure and its velocity is increased.

It then enters the first row of moving blades and just as in impulse turbine, it suffers a change in
direction and therefore, momentum. This gives an impulse to the blades. A C But here the
passage of the blades is so designed that there is also a small drop in pressure in the moving
blades giving rise to increase in kinetic energy. This pressure drop gives rise to reaction in the
direction opposite to that of added velocity. Thus the driving force is vector sum of impulse and
reaction forces. The steam velocities in this type of turbine are comparatively low, the maximum
being abrupt equal to blade velocity. Comparison between impulse and reaction turbines are
shown in figure.
 147

SHELL TEMPERATURE MONITORING AND CONTROL

The most important operational requirement is that excessive temperature differences within the
steel casings of turbines especially at the inlet must be avoided during starting and shutting
down.

In addition, accurate control to give a steady desired value of temperature at any instant will
minimize thermal cycling, because excessive variations in temperature tend to cause high
gradients in thick pipe-walls and casings.

The starting and shutting down process is therefore conditioned by the readings of
thermocouples installed in the metal casings. Quick starting and loading will produce large
gradients of temperature and i1 these are too large excessive thermal strains will be produced,
which if repeated too often will ultimately lead to cracks in the turbine casing

In a special quick-start test taken on a 120 MW machine with steam conditions of 1500 lb/in?,
537°C and reheated to 537°C, use was made 0 high temperature strain gauges to calculate
change in stress level at four positions on the h.p. inlet casing shown in figure.

Thermocouples were also fixed in various positions to enable stress to be calculated from
temperature distribution using simplifying assumptions. The results of hot start test taken 6hr
after shut-down are summarized in diagram from in figure.

Position of strain gauges and thermo couples for high pressure cylinder

It will be observed that the machine was brought to full load within 1 hr, or a loading rate of 2
MW/min. The high stresses found at the casing near the inlet steam pipes have indicated that the
heating rate of 225°C/h used for this hot start appears to be too high, and that a rate of 200°C
would be safer.
 148

The heating rate of the high-pressure inlet belt metal is usually taken as a guide to operators, and
this can be one of the measurements fed into the automatic start-up controller After a 36 h shut-
down, a cold start test was taken, the heating rate being shown in figure as 133° C/h for a loading
time of 2h, corresponding to a loading rate of 1 MW/min. The run-up and loading times for this
test were shorter than the time normally used, as this was an investigation test; and heating rates
below 100°C/h would be safer

One important result was that, despite the small metal temperature differences shown in figure,
strains in excess of yield strains were developed in the casing metal and it 1s therefore essential
to ensure that tests are taken to assist in locating metal temperature thermocouples at places
likely to be subjected to high stress during starting

The reverse process, of cooling f the thermocouple placed in contact with the small metal in
drilled the flanges during shut-down in combination with steam cooling by boiler gas damper
adjustment, has been tried experimentally.

Recently, start-up trials have taken place using saturated steam through the turbine, while it is
still on turning gear, in order to warm the casing generally to about 100°C before flange warming
steam is applied, which accentuates the importance of avoiding heat loss during a short shut-
down period.

Temperature Measurement

Shell temperature measurement

Thermocouples were used for this measurement of temperature D fixing in various positions to
enable stresses to be calculated from temperature distribution using simplifying assumptions as
shown figure.
 149

here must De BO0a contact between the testing body and the bottom or h hole in the hot plate
where it is situated and insulating the hermocouple wires Irom the metal by the use of thin twin
insulators or refractory or other material according to temperature and the junction The reverse
process, of cooling f the thermocouple placed in contact with the shall metal in drilled ed up the
location where temperature is desired. There should be some mechanical arrangement to secure
firm contact between the junction and the metal.

Monitoring Equipment

The platinum resistance temperature detectors with 100 Ohms resistance is now-a-days
dominating the field and is considered to be a successful competitor for thermocouples. circuitry
has made substantial in roads in temperature measuring system.

In this transmitter, as shown in figure the emf generated by the thermocouple is converted into a
DC current signal. The output signals obtained are fed to the receiving equipment for indication.

Temperature monitoring equipment

In the figure triangles represent amplifiers that build up input signal in stages. Input is
electrically separated from output by an isolation Transformer, permitting connection to any
receiver without grounding techniques and operation with an input signal.

SPEED MONITORING AND CONTROL

Method of Governing Oil pump Relay piston the object of governing is to maintain the speed of
a turbine sensibly constant irrespective of load. The performance will depend to a large extent,
on the method used to regulate the steam supply to the turbine. The popular methods of
governing are:

i) Throttle governing

ii) Nozzle control governing

iii) By-pass governing

 150

iv) Combination of 1 and 2

v) Combination of l and 3

Throttle Governing

It is shown in figure. In throttle governing, the steam pressure at which steam is admitted to the
turbine is reduced at part loads.

The mechanism of throttle governing is simple but thermodynamically it is not efficient due to
available heat drop getting reduced in the irreversible throttle process. Thus it is used on small
turbines.

The steam flow to the turbine is throttled by balanced throttle valve actuated by a centrifugal
governor. 1he effort of the governor may not be sufficient to move the valve against friction in
bigger units. In tha case an oil relay is incorporated and a small force produced by governor for a
small change of speed in magnified to actuate the throttle valve

Throttle governing for speed control

A simple differential relay is shown in figure. The throttle valve is moved by a relay piston. A
floating differential lever is fixed to its one end at some intermediate point on the floating
differential lever, a piston valve is fixed.

The pilot piston valve consists of two piston valves covering ports without any overlap. The
piston valves are also operated by lubricating Oil supplied by a returned to the oil drain
 151

Operation

Let the turbine work at full rated load. The throttle valve will open to take care, of this load, at
rated constant speed. reduced, the energy supplied to the turbine will be in excess and the If the
load is turbine rotor will accelerate. Thus the governor sleeve will lift.

Once the throttle valve position is assumed same momentarily, the PLo valve spindle will get
lifted opening the upper port to o1l pressure and lower port to oil return.

The relay piston will thus close the throttle valve partially. The Lowering of throttle valve
spindle will lower the pilot piston spindle and close the ports. As soon as the ports are closed, the
relay piston gets stabilized in one position corresponding to the reduced load.

Nozzle Control Governing

In this method of control, the steam supplied to the different nozzle groups is controlled by
uncovering as many steam passages as are necessary to meet the load by proper values. An
arrangement often used for large steam power plants is shown in figure . The number of nozzles
supplying the steam to the turbine are divided into groups as Ny, Ng and Ng and the supply to
these nozzles is controlled by the valves V1, V2 and V3. The number of nozzle groups may vary
from three to five or more.

Nozzle control governing

Eccentricity Detectors
 152

These detectors consist of a pair of electromagnets excited iron a high frequency source. They
are firmly fixed to a bearing pedestal or other part of the turbine frame so that the pole-pieces can
be accurately located relative to the shaft or a special collar, as shown in figure.

Eccenticity Detectors

Two types of detector are shown, one with electromagnets diametrically opposite and the other
with one electromagnet. The variation in reluctance in the magnetic circuit causes modulation in
the carrier wave as indicated at (b) of figure, this being the shape of the detector Current arriving
at the bridge circuit of the instrument. Steam supply At point 'A' the rectified current is as shown
at (c) and after a low pass filter which removes the high frequency components the wave shape
as at (d) appears B. The signal is applied to the grid of a cathode follower valve, the output being
taken from the cathode load resistances as a variable voltage representing the slow variation in
the reluctance which can be measured at low speed while the set is on turning-gear.
 153

Shaft Eccentricity during turning gear operation

The grid voltage and cathode load can be adjusted to permit calibration f the indicated variation
against measurement of eccentricity, a High tension which is valuable tor detecting the presence
of bent shafts with the rotors turning very slowly.
 154

Shaft eccentricity during run-up to speed and at normal speed

When the set is being run up an automatic device switches the electrical output signal through a
full-wave rectifier as in figure, so that a DC voltage will represent the mean eccentricity of the
shaft revolving at the higher speeds during starting up and also a 3000 rev/min under normal
operation.

Differential Expansion Detectors

The term differential expansion relates to the difference in expansion Between rotor and casing,
and with machines having "back-off" gear; this will be the resultant of shaft displacement and
measured differential Expansion. Two electromagnets placed on opposite sides of a collar on the
shaft with their coils connected in series and shunted by a centre tapped resistor, are supplied
from a high frequency source as shown in figure.
 155

Differential expansion detector

These detectors are rigidly fixed to the turbine casing so of the causes a change in the reluctance
of the move electromagnets which unbalances the electrical circuit, the resulting current being a
measure of axial movement.

The detector current is set so that the datum differential 1s resented by a definite output from the
bridge circuit. The arrangement represent is such that the rotor expansion relative to the casing
causes an increase in bridge output whereas a rotor contraction would cause a decrease in output.
These are sometimes known as positive and negative with respect Detectors fixed rigidly to ca se
of turbine to the datum value.

Overall expansion is the axial movement of the turbine casing relative to the foundation of the
bearing pedestal remote from the another point, the detector being either a solenoid with
movable core linked to the pedestal or a potentiometer actuated by a similar link mechanism The
movement of the arm causes an electrical current which represents the axial displacement of the
pedestal.
 156

Speed Measurement

Electrical measurement of speed is obtained by using a small AC generator driven from the
turbo-generator shaft. This small generator is excited by a permanent magnet field so that its
voltage is linear with speed. The voltage is usually rectified and applied to an indicating and a
recording instrument.

AC tachometer generator

The tachometer generator has rotating magnet which may be either a permanent magnet or an
electromagnet. The coil is wound the stator and therefore the problems associated with
commutate (as in DC tachometers) are absent.

he rotation of the magnet causes an emf to be induced in the stator coil. The amplitude and
frequency of this emf are both proportional to the speed of rotation. Thus either amplitude or
frequency of induced voltage may be used as a measure of rotational speed. The output voltage
of AC tachometer generation is rectified and is measured with a permanent magnet moving
Integrator coil instrument.

VIBRATION MONITORING AND CONTRL

Electrical pickup for absolute vibrations

 157

A cross sectional diagram of an electro-dynamic vibration pickup for the measurement of

absolute rectilinear vibration is as shown in figure. In this system, the seismic mass comprises a
pa of coils centered by two diaphragm springs within two magnet fields. The right hand coil is
the measuring coil, in which voltage is developed electro dynamically, this being proportion" to
the velocity. The other coil is a hollow copper cylinder " which eddy currents are induced which
bring the damping the system up to g = 1. This pick up can also be empioy the same manner as
relative vibration pickup by connecting to the integrating and differentiating unit.

Monitoring Equipment

Block diagram of vibrating measuring equipment

As there are several bearings in the turbo-generator set and vibrations in all the three directions
have to be monitored on each bearing, several pickups have to be employed. The vibration
pickups used work on the electrodynamics principle and are mounted on the bearing caps.

The electrodynamics vibration pickup type of transducer is based on the movement of a coil
within the field of a permanent magnet. The turns of the coil are perpendicular to the intersecting
lines of force and movement of the coil induces a voltage which is at any moment proportional to
the velocity of the coil. The various pickups are wired up to an automatic selector switch by heat
resisting and screened cables so that the stray magnetic fields etc., do not influence the voltage
carried by these wires.

The resulting DC voltage, which is a measure of the is finally measured and recorded on an
automatic potentiometer record vibration level, meter recorder, the scale of which is calibrated in
microns amplitude. With the aid of an automatic selector switch MS, upto 12 pickups can be
connected for sequential recording. The recorder is also provided with control amplifiers driving
a relay which can be employed for alarm purposes.
 158

LUBRICATION SYSTEM FOR STEAM TURBINES

Lubrication is needed to minimize friction in main bearings, thrust bearings and reduction gears
as well as it helps to cool the journals and bearing surfaces. Proper lubrication is of utmost
importance in the operation of turbine. High journal speed, heat conducted from the steam to the
bearings and the possibility of water leaking in to the oil are some of the problems that make
lubrication difficult. The oil for lubrication should be continuous, under pressure, cool and free
from injurious foreign matter. A lubrication system used for a high capacity turbine (200 MW) is
shown in figure. The system consists of main centrifugal type of pump as shown in figure which
is directly fitted on H.P turbine shaft and two more driven centrifugal type auxiliary oil pumps
(Pj and P2). The oil to the main centrifugal pump is supplied through the jet pumps (J1) which
maintain positive pressure at the suction of main pump. The auxiliary pump (P,) is fully rated,
AC motor driven which 18 used only during starting, shutting down and in emergencies. It
automatically comes in action when the oil pressure in the main relay system falls below a
predetermined value.

POWER PLANT INSTRUMENTATION TURBINE- MONITORING AND CONTROLLING

NECESSITY OF COOLING THE CONDENSER WATER

The cooling water system is one of the most important systems of power plant and its availability
predominantly decides the plant site, The high cost of water makes it necessary to use cooling
towers for The temperature of the discharged water should be kept within safe limits to prevent
harm to fishes. The limit of discharged water temperature is specified by the Fisheries Board.
The arrangement of the open system is shown in figure. Water cooled condensers. Steam from
prime mover As the cooling water takes the latent heat of steam in the condenser, the
temperature of the water increases. The hot water coming out of the condenser cannot be used
again in a closed system without pre cooling. This is because, the hot water coming out if used
again will not be able to absorb the heat reaches near saturation temperature of steam at
Condenser condenser pressure and the condenser vacuum cannot be maintained. Therefore it is
absolutely necessary to pre cool the water coming out of Pump condenser before using again.

Classification of Cooling Systems Screen

The cooling systems which are commonly used in practice according to the availability of the
water are listed below. Cold water in River Hot water out Cooling System Mixed System Open
or Once through system Closed System Figure Open or Once through system The position of
inlet and outlet should be chosen in such a way that there should not be recirculation of hot water
which impairs the efficiency of the condensing plant. Water Cooling Air Cooling Ponds Such re-
circulation is possible in small rivers and canals therefore Direct dry type Towers Cooling Tower
System Indirect air the distance between the inlet and discharged points should be as large as one
kilometre or more. This type of cooling system can be used only where required quantity of
water is available throughout the year. Cooling System 5.7.1.1 Open or Once Through or River
 159

Water System In this system, the water is drawn directly from the upstream side of the river,
pumped through the condenser and then discharged to the downward side of the river.

NECESSITY OF COOLING THE CONDENSER WATER

The cooling water system is one of the most important systems of power plant and its availability
predominantly decides the plant site. The high cost of water makes it necessary to use cooling
towers for water cooled condensers. Steam from prime mover As the cooling water takes the
latent heat of steam in the condenser, the temperature of the water increases. The hot water
coming out of the condenser cannot be used again in a closed system without precooling. This is
because, the hot water coming out if used again will not be able to absorb the heat reaches near
saturation temperature of steam at Condenser condenser pressure and the condenser vacuum
cannot be maintained. Therefore it is absolutely necessary to pre cool the water coming out of
Pump condenser before using again.

Classification of Cooling Systems Screen

The cooling systems which are commonly used in practice according to the availability of the
water are listed below.

Open or Once Through or River Water System

In this system, the water is drawn directly from the upstream side of the river, pumped through
the condenser and then discharged to the downward side of the river at temperature 5 to 10°C in
excess of the inlet temperature.

The temperature of the discharged water should be kept within safe limits to prevent harm to
fishes. The limit of discharged water temperature is specified by the Fisheries Board. The
arrangement ot the open system is shown in figure.
 160

Open or Once through system

The position of inlet and outlet should be chosen in such a way that there should not be
recirculation of hot water which impaires the efficiency of the condensing plant.

Such re-circulation is possible in small rivers and canals therefore indirect air the distance
between the inlet and discharged points should be as large as one kilometre or more. This type of
cooling system can be used only where required quantity of water is available throughout the
year.

Closed System

When enough quantity of water is not available for cooling requirement from river, then closed
type system is universally adopted.
 161

Closed system

In closed system, the hot water coming out of condenser is cooled Cooling Direct contact
condenser either by spraying in the pond or passing through the cooling tower instead of
discharging to the downward side of the river.

The quantity f water required is collected from the river during turbine flood period or when
sufficient water is available with required purity Motor Pump and same water is used again and
again for condenser by passing through the cooling towers. Such arrangement of cooling system
is shown in figure .

With this system of cooling also, an external source of water 1s needed to replace tower
evaporation and carry over losses. The quanit of water lost by evaporation and carry-over varies
between 2 to 5% or that circulated depending upon the design of tower

Air-Cooled or Dry-Type Cooling System

The dry cooling system (air-cooling), offers a solution to the probie of thermal pollution of
water. The dry cooling system rejects the hea directly to the atmosphere which is the largest heat
sink .

Two different dry-type cooling systems which are commonly used Cooling tower are

i) Indirect dry types or Heller cooling system Condenser

ii) Direct dry type cooling system

Indirect Dry Type Cooling System

The principle components of this system are shown in figure. The condensate collected in the
condenser is partly fed to the boiler and partly passed through the cooling coils.

Indirect dry type cooling system

 162

The hot condensate passed through the cooling coils is cooled by passing the air with the help of
fan. The cooled water coming out of cooling coil is spread through the nozzle into the condenser.
The steam coming out of turbine in condensed coming in direct contact with water spread
through the nozzle.

ne water turbine included in the circuit is to recover some of the Pressure and elevation head
between the cooling coils and condenser.

As the circulating water does not come into direct contact with ne cooling air, therefore, there is
no evaporative loss or water as in the wet type cooling tower.

This system of cooling is always referred to as Heller systenm as this concept of indirect system
of condensation by air was first presented by Lazlo Heller

Direct Dry Type Cooling System

The condensation of steam coming out of turbine is effected with the use of atmospheric air
instead of water as in case of once through cooling system.

Direct dry type cooling system

STEAM PRESSURE OR STEAM FLOW CONTROL

For the simpler systems, a simple proportional or proportional plus integral feedback controller
may be used for steam pressure control. Forced fan Figure demonstrates this method for
regulating the firing rate using steam pressure. In some installations, a constant steam flow may
be required for one or more boiler in combination, while other boilers connected to the same
 163

header are used for controlling steam pressure. Condensate receiver It is also possible to arrange
the system as shown in figure. So that the control for a particular boiler can be switched between
steam pressure and steam flow control. The switching procedure would require the boiler
operator to switch the control to manual, adjust the set point.

NON CONTACT TYPE SPEED MEASUREMENT METHODS

1) Using Photo Electric Tachometer

2) Toothed Rtor Tachometer Generator

3) Stroboscopie Method

4) Eccentricity Detectors

Photoelectric Tachometer

This method of measuring speed of rotation consists of mounting an opaque disc on the rotating
shaft as is shown in Fig. 5.28.

Photoelectric Tachometer

The disc has a number of equidistant holes on its periphery. At one side of the disc a light source
is fixed and at the other side of the disc, and on line with the light source, a light sensor such as a
photo tube or some photosensitive semi-conducting device is placed. When the opaque portion of
the disc is between the light source and the light sensor, the latter is unilluminated and produces
no output. But when a hole appears between the two, the light falling upon the sensor produces
an output pulse. The frequency at which these pulses are produced depends upon the number of
holes in the disc and its speed of rotation. Since the number of holes is fixed, the pulse rate is a
function of speed of rotation. The pulse rate can be measured by an electronic counter wnich can
be directly calibrated in terms of speed in rpm.
 164

Advantages

This system has two distinct advantages: pick up

i) The output format is digital and this means that if the tachometer is a part of a digital
instrumentation system, no analog to digital conversion is necessary.

ii) The pulse amplitudes are constant. This simplifies the electronic circuitry.

Disadvantages

i) A disadvantage is that the light source must be replaced from time to time. A typical life time
for light source is 50,000 hours.

ii) The accuracy of this method depends principally on the error Toothed rotor represented by on
pulse. The digital meters measure frequency by counting the number of input pulses which occur
in short period of time called gating period. If this period is too small serious errors Since the
number of teeth is known, the speed of rotation can be may be caused. The gating period should
therefore, be chosen to give a sufficiently large count. In general, all the digits on the digital
display should be utilized.

The factors which the user can control to minimize the errors are:

i) Gating period, and

ii) Number of pulses generated per revolution.

Toothed Rotor Tachometer Generator

This tachometer generator consists of a metallic toothed rotor mounted on the shaft whose
speed is to be measured. This is shown in Fig. A magnetic pickup is placed near the toothed
rotor.

The magnetic pickup consists of a housing containing a small permanent magnet with a coil
wound round it. when the rotor rotates, the reluctance Or the air gap between pickup and the
toothed rotor changes giving rise to a induced e.m.f in the pickup coil. This output is in the form
of pulses, with a variety of wave shapes.

The frequency of the pulses of induced voltage will depend upon number of teeth of the rotor
and its speed of rotation.
 165

Toothed Rotor Tachometer generator

Since the number of teeth is known, the speed of rotation can be determined by measuring the
frequency of pulses with an electronic counter. Suppose the rotor has T teeth, the speed of
rotation is n rps and number of pulses per second is P.

Number of pulses per revolution = T.

A typical rotor has 60 teeth. Thus if the counter counts the pulses in one second, the counter will
directly display the speed in rpm.

We have mentioned above that the pulses have a variety of wave shapes. This is immaterial, as
this tachometer 1s always connected to an electronic Counter, whose requirement is merely that
the amplitude be great enough to trigger a count.

Variable reluctance tachometer probably 1s the most common type of tachometer in use today.

Advantages

The advantages of this tachometer are

i) It is simple and rugged in construction

ii) It is maintenance free

 166

iii) It is easy to calibrate. This has been illustrated earlier, if the rotor has 60 teeth and the pulses
are counted by counter in one second, the count displayed by the counter gives the speed directly
in r.p.m. Gas tube iv) The information from this device can be easily transmitted.

Stroboscopic Method

The stroboscope is a simple, portable manually operated device which may be used for
measurement of periodic or rotary motions. Basically, the instrument is a source of variable
frequency flashing brilliant light, the flashing frequency being set by the operator. The circuit
used is based upon variable frequeney oscillator which controls the flashing frequency. The
speed is measured by adjusting the frequency so that the moving objects are visible only at
specific intervals of time.

The method of use of the stroboscope depends upon imperfect dynamic Shaft Speed
Measurements response of the human eye. If a strong light is caused to flash on a moving object
which, at the time each flash occurs, occupies a given position, the object will appear to e
stationary. Therefore the method is useful for only those types of motions which occur regularly
after a fixed interval of time, such as oscillation or rotation. The stroboscope consists of a source
of flashing light whose frequeney can be varied and controlled. This source is called a
strobotron.

Strobotron

It is hot cathode gaseous discharge tube as shown in Fig 5.30. It has a cathode, an anode and two
grids, one is called the inner grid and other as the outer grid.

If the potential of the outer grid is increased or that of inner grid decreased beyond a certain
limit, the conduction starts. Once the conduction starts, it can be stopped only by removing the
anode potential.

The flashing of light is started by a signal from an oscillator vibrator. When the tube is ionized
and starts giving out flashes tne a Advantages Capacitor C is discharged and a heavy current
drawn by it reduces the due to large voltage drop in resistance R. The ionization stoP and so
does the of light. In the mean time the capacitor is recharged and waits for the next pulse to start
the flashing again.
 167

Shaft Speed Measurements

A distinctive mark is made on the shaft or on a disc attached to the shaft as shown in Fig 5.31. A
stroboscope is made to flash light directly on the mark. The flashing frequency is adjusted until
the mark appears stationary. Under these conditions, the speed is equal to the flashing frequency
provided that the approximate speed of the shaft is known in advance and the flashing frequency
is not allowed to depart too much away from this value. The scale of the stroboscope is
calibrated in terms of speed which can be directly read off. If the two conditions outlined above
are not met or if there are several 1dentical marks on the shaft like spokes of a wheel or jaws of a
chuck, serious errors in the measurement may arise.
 168

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS WITH ANSWER

1. The commercial sources of energy are

(a) solar, wind and biomass
(b) fossil fuels, hydropower and nuclear energy
(c) wood, animal wastes and agriculture wastes
(d) none of the above

Ans: b

2. Compounding of steam turbine is done for

(a) reducing the work done
(b) increasing the rotor speed
(c) reducing the rotor speed
(d) balancing the turbine

Ans: c

3. In India largest thermal power station is located at

(a) Kota
(b) Sarni
(c) Chandrapur
(d) Neyveli

Ans: c

4. The percentage O2 by Weight in atmospheric air is

(a) 18%
(b) 23%
(c) 77%
(d) 79%

Ans: b

5. The percentage 02 by volume in atmosphere air is

(a) 21%
(b) 23%
(c) 77%
(d) 79%

Ans: a

6. The proper indication of incomplete combustion is

(a) high CO content in flue gases at exit
(b) high CO2 content in flue gases at exit
 169

(c) high temperature of flue gases

(d) the smoking exhaust from chimney

Ans: a

7. The main source of production of biogas is

(a) human waste
(b) wet cow dung
(c) wet livestock waste
(d) all above

Ans: d

8. India’s first nuclear power plant was installed at

(a) Tarapore
(b) Kota
(c) Kalpakkam
(d) none of the above

Ans: a

9. In fuel cell, the ______ energy is converted into electrical energy.

(a) mechanical
(b) chemical
(c) heat
(d) sound

Ans: b

10. Solar thermal power generation can be achieved by

(a) using focusing collector or heliostates
(b) using flat plate collectors
(c) using a solar pond
(d) any of the above system

Ans: d

11. The energy radiated by sun on a bright sunny day is approximately

(a) 700 W/m2
(b) 800 W/m2
(c) 1 kW/m2
(d) 2 kW/m2

Ans: c
 170

12. Thorium Breeder Reactors are most suitable for India because
(a) these develop more power
(b) its technology is simple
(c) abundance of thorium deposits are available in India
(d) these can be easily designed

Ans: c

13. The overall efficiency of thermal power plant is equal to

(a) Rankine cycle efficiency
(b) Carnot cycle efficiency
(c) Regenerative cycle efficiency
(d) Boiler efficiency x turbine efficiency x generator efficiency

Ans: c

14. Rankine cycle efficiency of a good steam power plant may be in the range of
(a) 15 to 20 percent
(6) 35 to 45 percent
(c) 70 to 80 percent
(d) 90 to 95 percent

Ans: b

15. Rankine cycle operating on low pressure limit of pi an 1 high pressure limit of p2
(a) has higher the rnal efficiency than the carnot cycie operating between same pressure limits
(b) has lower the”nal efficiency than carnot cycle operating between same pressure limit?
(c) has same thermal efficiency as carnot cycle operating between same pressure limits
(d) may be more or less depending upon the magnitude ofpi and/>2

Ans: a

16. Rankine efficiency of a steam power plant

(a) improves in summer as compared to that in winter
(6) improves in winter as compared to that in summer
(c) is unaffected by climatic conditions
(d) none of the above

Ans: b
17. Carnot cycle comprises of
(a) two isentropic processes and two constant volume processes
(b) two isentropic processes and two constant pressure processes
(e) two isothermal processes and three constant pressure processes
(d) none of the above

Ans: b
 171

18. In Rankine cycle the work output from the turbine is given by
(a) change of internal energy between inlet and outlet
(b) change of enthaply between inlet and outlet
(c) change of entropy between inlet and outlet
(d) change of temperature between inlet and outlet

Ans: b

19. Regenerative cycle thermal efficiency

(a) is always greater than simple Rankine thermal efficiency
(b) is greater than simple Rankine cycle thermal efficiency only when steam is bled at
particular pressure
(c) is same as simple Rankine cycle thermal efficiency
(d) is always less than simple Rankine cycle thermal efficiency

Ans: a

20. In a regenerative feed heating cycle, the optimum value of the fraction of
steam extracted for feed heating
(a) decreases with increase in Rankine cycle efficiency
(b) increases with increase in Rankine cycle efficiency
(c) is unaffected by increase in Rankine cycle efficiency
(d) none of the above

Ans: b

21. In a regenerative feed heating cycle, the greatest economy is affected

(a) when steam is extracted from only one suitable point of steam turbine
(b) when steam is extracted from several places in different stages of steam turbine
(c) when steam is extracted only from the last stage of steam turbine
(d) when steam is extracted only from the first stage of steam turbine

Ans: b

22. The maximum percentage gain in Regenerative feed heating cycle thermal efficiency
(a) increases with number of feed heaters increasing
(b) decreases with number of feed heaters increasing
(c) remains same unaffected by number of feed heaters
(d) none of the above

Ans: a
 172

23. In regenerative cycle feed water is heated by

(a) exhaust gases
(b) heaters
(c) draining steam from the turbine
(d) all above

Ans: c

24. Reheat cycle in steam power plant is used to

(a) utilise heat of flue gases
(b) increase thermal efficiency
(c) improve condenser performance
(d) reduce loss of heat

Ans: b

25. Mercury is a choice with steam in binary vapour cycle because it has
(a) higher critical temperature and pressure
(b) higher saturation temperature than other fluids
(c) relatively low vapourisation pressure
(d) all above

Ans: d

26. Binary’vapour cycles are used to

(a) increase the performance of the condenser
(b) increase the efficiency of the plant
(c) increase efficiency of the turbine

Ans: b

27. A steam power station requires space

(a) equal to diesel power station
(b) more than diesel power station
(c) less than diesel power station

Ans: b

28. Economiser is used to heat

(a) air
(b) feed water
(c) flue gases
(d) all above

Ans: b
 173

29. The modern steam turbines are

(a) impulse turbines
(b) reaction turbines
(c) impulse-reaction turbines
(d) none of the above

Ans: c

30. The draught which a chimney produces is called

(a) induced draught
(b) natural draught
(c) forced draught
(d) balanced draught

Ans: b

29. The modern steam turbines are

(a) impulse turbines
(b) reaction turbines
(c) impulse-reaction turbines
(d) none of the above

Ans: c

30. The draught which a chimney produces is called

(a) induced draught
(b) natural draught
(c) forced draught
(d) balanced draught

Ans: b

31. The draught produced by steel chimney as compared to that produced by

brick chimney for the same height is
(a) less
(b) more
(c) same
(d) may be more or less

Ans: b

32. In a boiler installation the natural draught is produced

(a) due to the fact that furnace gases being light go through the chimney giving place to cold
air from outside to rush in
(b) due to the fact that pressure at the grate due to cold column is higher than the pressure at
 174

the chimney base due to hot column

(c) due to the fact that at the chimney top the pressure is more than its environmental pressure
(d) all of the above

Ans: b

33. The draught produced, for a given height of the chimney and given mean
temperature of chimney gases
(a) decreases with increase in outside air temperature
(b) increases with increase in outside air temperature
(c) remains the same irrespective of outside air temperature
(d) may increase or decrease with increase in outside air temperature

Ans: a

34. The draught produced by chimney of given height at given outside temperature
(a) decreases if the chimney gas temperature increases
(b) increases if the chimney gas temperature increases
(c) remains same irrespective of chimney gas temperature
(d) may increase or decrease

Ans: b

35. For forced draught system, the function of chimney is mainly

(a) to produce draught to accelerate the combustion of fuel
(b) to discharge gases high up in the atmosphere to avoid hazard
(c) to reduce the temperature of the hot gases discharged
(d) none of the above

Ans: b

36. Artificial draught is produced by

(a) induced fan
(b) forced fan
(c) induced and forced fan
(d) all of the above

Ans: d
37. The draught in locomotive boilers is produced by
(a) forced fan
(b) chimney
(c) steam jet
(d) only motion of locomotive

Ans: c
 175

38. For the same draught produced the power of induced draught fan as compared
to forced draught fan is
(a) less
(b) more
(c) same
(d) not predictable

Ans: b

39. Artificial draught is produced by

(a) air fans
(b) steam jet
(c) fan or steam jet
(d) all of the above

Ans: d

40. The artificial draught normally is designed to produce

(a) less smoke
(b) more draught
(c) less chimney gas temperature
(d) all of the above

Ans: d

41. For the induced draught the fan is located

(a) near bottom of chimney
(b) near bottom of furnace
(c) at the top of the chimney
(D) anywhere permissible

Ans: a

42. The pressure at the furnace is minimum in case of

(a) forced draught system
(b) induced draught system
(c) balanced draught system
(d) natural draught system

Ans: c

43. The efficiency of chimney is approximately

(a) 80%
(b) 40%
 176

(c) 20%
(d) 0.25%

Ans: d

44. The isentropic expansion of steam through nozzle for the steam initially superheated
at inlet is approximated by equation
(a) pvls=C
(b) pv1126 = C
(c) pv1A = C
(d) pv = C

Ans: a

45. The ratio of exit pressure to inlet pressure for maximum mass flow rate per unit area
of steam through a nozzle when steam is initially dry saturated is
(a) 0.6
(6) 0.578
(c) 0.555
(d) 0.5457

Ans: b

46. The ratio of exit pressure to inlet pressure of maximum mass flow rate per area
of steam through a nozzle when steam is initially superheated is
(a) 0.555
(b) 0.578
(c) 0.5457
(d) 0.6

Ans: c

47. The critical pressure ratio of a convergent nozzle is defined as

(a) the ratio of outlet pressure to inlet pressure of nozzle
(b) the ratio of inlet pressure to outlet pressure of nozzle
(c) the ratio of outlet pressure to inlet pressure only when mass flow rate per unit area is
minimum
(d) the ratio of outlet pressure to inlet pressure only when mass flow rate = c

Ans: d

48. The isentropic expansion of steam through nozzle for the steam initially dry saturated
at inlet is approximated by equation.
(a)pv = C
(b)pv1A = C
 177

(c)pv1i = C
(d)pv

Ans: d

49. The effect of considering friction losses in steam nozzle for the same pressure ratio
leads to

(a) increase in exit velocity from the nozzle

(6) decrease in exit velocity from the nozzle
(c) no change in exit velocity from the nozzle
(d) increase or decrease depending upon the exit quality of steam

Ans: b

50. The effect of considering friction in steam nozzles for the same pressure ratio leads to
(a) increase in dryness fraction of exit steam
(b) decrease in dryness fraction of exit steam
(c) no change in the quality of exit steam
(d) decrease or increase of dryness fraction of exit steam depending upon inlet quality

Ans: a

51. In case of impulse steam turbine

(a) there is enthalpy drop in fixed and moving blades
(b) there is enthalpy drop only in moving blades
(c) there is enthalpy drop in nozzles
(d) none of the above

Ans: c

52. The pressure on the two sides of the impulse wheel of a steam turbine
(a) is same
(b) is different
(c) increases from one side to the other side
(d) decreases from one side to the other side

Ans: a

53. In De Laval steam turbine

(a) the pressure in the turbine rotor is approximately same as in con¬denser
(b) the pressure in the turbine rotor is higher than pressure in the con¬denser
(c) the pressure in the turbine rotor gradually decreases from inlet to exit from condenser
(d) none from the above

Ans: a
 178

54. Incase of reaction steam turbine

(a) there is enthalpy drop both in fixed and moving blades
(b) there is enthalpy drop only in fixed blades
(c) there is enthalpy drop only in moving blades
(d) none of the above

Ans: a

55. Curtis turbine is

(a) reaction steam turbine
(b) pressure velocity compounded steam turbine
(c) pressure compounded impulse steam turbine
(d) velocity compounded impulse steam turbine

Ans: b

56. Rateau steam turbine is

(a) reaction steam turbine
(b) velocity compounded impulse steam turbine
(c) pressure compounded impulse steam turbine
(d) pressure velocity compounded steam turbine

Ans: c

57. Parson’s turbine is

(a) pressure compounded steam turbine
(b) simple single wheel, impulse steam turbine
(c) simple single wheel reaction steam turbine
(d) multi wheel reaction steam turbine

Ans: d

58. For Parson’s reaction steam turbine, degree of reaction is

(a) 75%
(b) 100%
(c) 50%
(d) 60%

Ans: c

59. Reheat factor in steam turbines depends on

(a) exit pressure only
(b) stage efficiency only
 179

(c) initial pressures and temperature only

(d) all of the above

Ans: c

60. The value of reheat factor normally varies from

(a) 0.5 to 0.6
(b) 0.9 to 0.95
(c) 1.02 to 1.06
(d) 1.2 to 1.6

Ans: c

61. Steam turbines are governed by the following methods

(a) Throttle governing
(b) Nozzle control governing
(c) By-pass governing
(d) all of the above

Ans: d

62. In steam turbines the reheat factor

(a) increases with the increase in number of stages
(b) decreases with the increase in number of stages
(c) remains same irrespective of number of stages
(d) none of the above

Ans: a

63. The thermal efficiency of the engine with condenser as compared to

without condenser, for a given pressure and temperature of steam, is
(a) higher
(b) lower
(c) same as long as initial pressure and temperature is unchanged
(d) none of the above

Ans: a

64. In jet type condensers

(a) cooling water passes through tubes and steam surrounds them
(b) steam passes through tubes and cooling water surrounds them
(c) steam and cooling water mix
(d) steam and cooling water do not mix

Ans: c
 180

65. In a shell and tube surface condenser

(a) steam and cooling water mix to give the condensate
(b) cooling water passes through the tubes and steam surrounds them
(c) steam passes through the cooling tubes and cooling water surrounds them
(d) all of the above varying with situation

Ans: b

66. In a surface condenser if air is removed, there is

(a) fall in absolute pressure maintained in condenser
(b) rise in absolute pressure maintained in condenser
(c) no change in absolute pressure in the condenser
(d) rise in temperature of condensed steam

Ans: a

67. The cooling section in the surface condenser

(a) increases the quantity of vapour extracted along with air
(b) reduces the quantity of vapour extracted along with air
(c) does not affect vapour quantity extracted but reduces pump capacity of air extraction pump
(d) none of the above

Ans: b

68. Edward’s air pump

(a) removes air and also vapour from condenser
(b) removes only air from condenser
(c) removes only un-condensed vapour from condenser
(d) removes air alongwith vapour and also the condensed water from condenser

Ans: d

69. In a steam power plant, the function of a condenser is

(a) to maintain pressure below atmospheric to increase work output from the primemover
(b) to receive large volumes of steam exhausted from steam prime mover
(c) to condense large volumes of steam to water which may be used again in boiler
(d) all of the above

Ans: d

70. In a regenerative surface condenser

(a) there is one pump to remove air and condensate
(b) there are two pumps to remove air and condensate
 181

(c) there are three pumps to remove air, vapour and condensate
(d) there is no pump, the condensate gets removed by gravity

Ans: b

71. Evaporative type of condenser has

(a) steam in pipes surrounded by water
(b) water in pipes surrounded by steam
(c) either (a) or (b)
(d) none of the above

Ans: a

72. Pipes carrying steam are generally made up of

(a) steel
(b) cast iron
(c) copper
(d) aluminium

Ans: a

73. For the safety of a steam boiler the number of safety valves fitted are
(a) four
(b) three
(c) two
(d) one

Ans: c

74. Steam turbines commonly used in steam power station are

(a) condensing type
(b) non-condensing type
(c) none of the above

Ans: a

75. Belt conveyer can be used to transport coal at inclinations upto

(a) 30°
(b) 60°
(c) 80°
(d) 90°

Ans: a
 182

76. The maximum length of a screw conveyer is about

(a) 30 metres
(b) 40 metres
(c) 60 metres
(d) 100 metres

Ans: a

77. The efficiency of a modern boiler using coal and heat recovery equipment is about
(a) 25 to 30%
(b) 40 to 50%
(c) 65 to 70%
(d) 85 to 90%

Ans: d

78. The average ash content in Indian co als is about

(a) 5%
(b) 10%
(c) 15%
(d) 20%

Ans: d

79. Load centre in a power station is

(a) centre of coal fields
(b) centre of maximum load of equip-ments
(c) centre of gravity of electrical system

Ans: c

80. Steam pressure in a steam power station, which is usually kept now-a-days is of the
order of
(a) 20 kgf/cm2
(b) 50 kgf/cm2
(c) 100 kgf/cm2
(d) 150 kgf/cm2

Ans: d
 183

81. Economisers improve boiler efficiency by

(a) 1 to 5%
(b) 4 to 10%
(c) 10 to 12%

Ans: b

82. The capacity of large turbo-generators varies from

(a) 20 to 100 MW
(b) 50 to 300 MW
(c) 70 to 400 MW
(d) 100 to 650 MW

Ans: b
83. Caking coals are those which
(a) burn completely
(b) burn freely
(c) do not form ash
(d) form lumps or masses of coke

Ans: d

84. Primary air is that air which is used to

(a) reduce the flame length
(b) increase the flame length
(c) transport and dry the coal
(d) provide air around burners for getting optimum combustion

Ans: c

85. Secondary air is the air used to

(a) reduce the flame length
(b) increase the flame length
(c) transport and dry the coal
(d) provide air round the burners for getting optimum combustion

Ans: d

86. In coal preparation plant, magnetic separators are used to remove

(a) dust
(b) clinkers
(c) iron particles
(d) sand

Ans: c
 184

87. Load carrying capacity of belt conveyor is about

(a) 20 to 40 tonnes/hr
(b) 50 to 100 tonnes/hr
(c) 100 to 150 tonnes/hr
(d) 150 to 200 tonnes/hr

Ans: b

88. Method which is commonly applied for unloading the coal for small power plant is
(a) lift trucks
(b) coal accelerators
(c) tower cranes
(d) belt conveyor

Ans: b

89. Bucket elevators are used for

(a) carrying coal in horizontal direction
(b) carrying coal in vertical direction
(c) carrying coal in any direction

Ans: b

90. The amount of air which is supplied for complete combustion is called
(a) primary air
(b) secondary air
(c) tertiary air

Ans: b

91. In ______ system fuel from a central pulverizing unit is delivered to a bunker
and then to the various burners
(a) unit
(b) central
(c) none of the above

Ans: b

92. Under-feed stokers work best for _______ coals high in volatile matter and
with caking tendency
(a) anthracite
(b) lignite
(c) semibituminous and bituminous

Ans: c
 185

93. Example of overfeed type stoker is

(a) chain grate
(b) spreader
(c) travelling grate
(d) all of the above

Ans: d

94. Where unpulverised coal has to be used and boiler capacity is large, the stoker which
is used is
(a) underfeed stoker
(b) overfeed stoker
(c) any

Ans: b

95. TravelUng grate stoker can burn coals at the rates of

(a) 50—75 kg/m per hour
(b) 75—100 kg/m per hour
(c) 100—150 kg/m per hour
(d) 150—200 kg/m2 per hour

Ans: d

96. Blowing down of boiler water is the process

(a) to reduce the boiler pressure
(b) to increase the steam temperature
(c) to control the solid concentration in the boiler water by removing some of the concentrated
saline water
(d) none of the above

Ans: c

97. Deaerative heating is done to

(a) heat the water
(b) heat the air in the water
(c) remove dissolved gases in the water

Ans: c

98. Reheat factor is the ratio of

(a) isentropic heat drop to useful heat drop
(b) adiabatic heat drop to isentropic heat drop
(c) cumulative actual enthalpy drop for the stages to total is isentropic enthalpy heat drop

Ans: c
 186

99. The value of the reheat factor is of the order of

(a) 0.8 to 1.0
(b) 1.0 to 1.05
(c) 1.1 to 1.5
(d) above 1.5

Ans: c

100. Compounding of steam turbine is done for

(a) reducing the work done
(b) increasing the rotor speed
(c) reducing the rotor speed
(d) balancing the turbine

Ans: c
 187

Assignement / QUESTION BANK

UNIT - I
(PART-A)

1. What are the thermal power plant (Steam) circuits?

2. What are the two major advantages of thermal power plant?

3. What do you understand by water hammer?

4. State any two major advantages of hydro power plant.

5. What are the components of nuclear power plant?

6. Explain the term nuclear fission.

7. What is the function of moderator and give examples?
8. State any two application of the diesel power plant?
9. State any two application of gas turbine power plant?
10. What is the use of regenerator?
11. Write principle of Solar cell?
12. Write importance of instrumentation in power plant.
13. Write some nuclear fuels.
14. What is a function of surge tank?

15. What is a function of super heater?

16. What is a function of Reheater?

17. What is a function of Penstock?

18. What is an isotope? Give example.

19. What is a function of Economizer?

20. What is a function of Control rods?
21. What is cogeneration?
22. What is fission? Give some fission materials.
 188

23. What are the types of solar energy collectors?

24. How wind energy is converted into electrical energy?

25. What are advantages and disadvantages of hydro plant?

UNIT - II

(PART – A)

1. Write the principle of ionization chamber or ionization smoke detectors.

2. Write the principle of fire alert ionizing chamber.
3. What is the principle of steam purity meter?
4. What are primary measurements of power plant?
5. What is the principle of smoke density measurement?
6. What is the principle of radiation detector?
7. What do you mean by swelling effect of boiler drum level?
8. What are the types of radiation detectors?
9. What are the instruments used to measure feed water temperature?
10. What are the different methods of power factor measurement?
11. What are secondary power plant measurements?
12. What are parameters involved in measuring electrical measurements in power plants?
13. How the air flow is measured?
14. How voltage is measured in power plants?
15. Why drum level measurement is critical?
16. What is the use of dust monitor?
17. What is the difficulty in slight glass technique in boiler level measurement?
18. How to measure frequency of the electrical signal?
19. What do you mean by shrinking effect of boiler drum level?
20. What is the principle of Electro dynamometer?
UNIT - III

(PART –A)

1. Why flue gas has to be measured?

 189

2. What is the principle of Thermal Conductivity analyzer?

3. What is the principle of steam purity meter?
4. What is the principle of paramagnetic analyzer
5. What is the principle of chromatography
6. What is the effect of variation of feed water PH?
7. What is the effect of high electrical conductivity in boiler water?
8. What is fuel analyzer?
9. What is flue gas analyzer?
10. What are the different types of measuring PH?
11. What are the different types of chromatography?
12. What is the different section of gas chromatography?

13. What are the different methods of gas analysis?

14. What are the advantages and disadvantages of dissolved oxygen analyzer?

15. What are the limitations of liquid chromatography?

16. What are the limitations of gas chromatography?
17. Define pH meter.
18. Why we need pollution monitoring instruments?

19. How the hydrocarbons enter into the atmosphere?

20. What is the use of CO2 recorder?

21. Why do we need to analyze oxygen content in flue gas?

22. What do you mean by deaerated water?

23. What is the indication of incomplete combustion in boiler?

24. How the carbon monoxide emitted into the atmosphere?

25. Name any two instruments to find CO in flue gas?

 190

UNIT- IV

(PART-A)

1. What is the difference between forced draft and induced draft fans?
2. What is reheating control?
3. What is ratio control?
4. What is the necessity of superheated steam flow measurements?
5. What is furnace implosion?
6. What is furnace draft control?
7. What is desuperheater?
8. What is deaeration?
9. What are the types of feed water control?
10. What are the types of super heater?
11. What are the requirements to be considered for firing due to load change?
12. What are the methods used for steam temperature control?
13. What are the functions of super heater and reheater?
14. What are the drawbacks of single element feed water control?
15. What are the draft losses in boiler?
16. What is boiler blow down?
17. What are the methods of measurement of combustion air flow?
18. What is draft (draught)?
19. What is natural draft?
20. What is artificial draft?
UNIT – V
(PART – A)

1. Enlist the various components of cooling system

2. How steam temperature affects efficiency of boiler?
3. How to measure speed of turbine?
4. Why do we need to measure vibration of turbine blades?
5. Name the sensors used in measuring vibration?
 191

6. How to steam pressure is inter linked with turbine governors?

7. What do you mean by high pressure and low pressure turbine?
8. What is the use of auxiliary steam?
9. What are turbine losses?
10. List the methods to control the steam pressure.
11. Why do we need to control lubricant oil?
12. Define turbine efficiency.
13. What are the types of gas turbine?
14. List the methods to measure speed of turbine.
15. How to control the shell temperature?
16. How to control the speed of turbine?
17. How to control the vibration of turbine blades?
18. What are the advantages and disadvantages of wet cooling?
19. What are the advantages and disadvantages of dry cooling?
20. What are the different methods of dry cooling?

UNIT – I
(PART – B)

1. Compare the various methods of power generation and present the summary in a table from
various factors.

2. Draw the overall layout of thermal power plant and present the four major cycles of operation
involved.

3. Explain the boiler process with neat diagram.

4. With a neat sketch explain the process of electric power generation in a nuclear power plant.

5. With neat sketch, explain in detail the constructional feature and operation of thermal power
plant.
 192

6. With a block diagram, explain operation of thermal power plant and mention the important
parameters to be monitored in each block.

7. Draw and mention the function of piping and instrumentation diagram of a boiler system in a
power plant.

8. With neat sketches explain the process of converting solar energy into electrical energy.

9. What is meant by cogeneration? Also explain the topping and bottoming cycle operation of
cogeneration system.

10. Briefly explain the importance of instrumentation in power generation.

11. Describe the different types of steam generations.

12. Briefly explain about the principle of solar power plant with neat diagram.

13. Discuss with a neat sketch the process of electric power generation using solar and wind
energy system.

14. With a neat schematic diagram describe the processes happening in a boiler.

15. With a neat schematic diagram explain in detail the steam generation in a drum boiler and
various processes in a drum boiler in a power generating plant.

16. Discuss a method of harnessing the wind with neat diagram.

 193

17. Mention the four significant need of instrumentation in power generation and explain any
one power generation

18. Describe the different types of systems and components which are used in thermal power
plants.

19. Explain about the SAMA control diagramming system with neat diagram.

20. Explain about the basic components and classification of wind energy Conversion system
with neat block diagram.

UNIT – II
(PART – B)

1. Explain any two electrical parameters do you think is a must to be measured in power plants.

2. Explain how a radiation detector is useful for measurement in power plant.

3. Explain how moisture is eliminated from saturated steam with relevant sketches of the
equipment in a steam power plant.

4. Explain how a U – tube mercury manometer can be used for measuring steam pressure.
Which device is suitable for high pressure? Explain the operation of the same.

5. Explain a primary and secondary element each in the measurement of feed water flow.

6. Explain the principle of vortex flow meter with neat sketch.

7. Specify the need of drum level measurement. Also explain the differential pressure method to
measure the drum level in high pressure boiler.
 194

8. Explain how real power and reactive power can be measured.

9. Explain the different methods of measuring power frequency with relevant sketches.

10. What is boiler drum? Explain in detail measurement of drum level.

11. Classify the transducers based on low, medium and high temperature applications. Also list
the major temperature measurement points and suggest suitable sensors.

12. List the various types of radiation detector. Also explain the method of measuring dissolved
oxygen content.

13. Explain the types of stain gauge pressure transducer.

14. Which device is used for high pressure measurement in power plants? Explain the operation
of the high pressure measurement in power plants.

15. Explain with neat sketches capsules and bellow gauges.

16. Describe the construction and operation of smoke density measurement.

17. What is the objective of a feed water control system? Explain three element feed water
control method with necessary sketch.

18. Explain the construction and operation of Dust monitoring system.

 195

19. With suitable diagram, explain the principle of Electromagnetic type flow meters. Also
mention its advantages and limitations.

20. Name the type of differential pressure flow meter used in a feed water line of a boiler.
Explain its principle of operation with a neat diagram. What are the advantages of venture over
orifice and flow nozzle?

UNIT - III

(PART – B)

1. Name the important instruments used in pollution monitoring. Explain any one type in detail.

2. Give a descriptive note on chromatography and its role in power plants.

3. Describe the short notes on fuel analyzer and its significance.

4. Explain about the analysis of impurities in feed water and water treatment with neat sketch.

5. Explain the flue gas oxygen analysis performed and its methods adopted.

6. Explain the dust monitor with neat sketch.

7. List the various parameters to be monitor in feed water. Also explain the method of measuring
an electrochemical dissolved oxygen meter.

8. Describe in detail about the flue gas oxygen analyzer.

9. Explain the working principle of katharometer dissolved oxygen meter.

 196

10. What are the impurities in feed water and steam? How can their presence be detected?
Explain the schemes in short.

11. Define pH meter. What should be the pH of the pure water? Describe a method to measure
pH.

12. With a neat sketch explain the different methods of feed water treatment.

UNIT – IV
(PART – B)

1. Explain the furnace draft control systems with neat sketch.

2. Describe the features adopted in main steam , reheat steam and super heater temperature
control.

3. Explain interlocks in boiler with neat diagram.

4. With a SAMA diagram, explain a simple feedback control in a process. Assume a proportional
plus integral control function.

5. With a block diagram, describe the function of a distributed control system of a power plant.

6. Explain with SAMA or ISA diagrams three element drum level control steam temperature in
boiler.
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7. Discuss about the air / fuel ratio control.

8. With a neat diagram explain the principle of a deaerator.

9. Describe how air is delivered to the furnace at the right conditions of flow and temperature,
with air heater and different types of fans in the draught plant.

10. With a neat sketch explain the principles and operation of “cross limited” combustion control
system.

11. With suitable sketches explain boiler following firing rate control and turbine following
firing rate control.

12. Explain the term oxygen limit control in boiler operation? How is it performed?

13. Difference between induced and forced draft fan. How are they measured and controlled?
Describe in detail with neat sketch.

UNIT - V
(PART – B)

1. Discuss in briefly on the turbine – boiler monitoring and control schemes.

2. Explain briefly about the types of cooling system with neat diagram.

3. Explain briefly about the shell temperature monitoring and control.

4. Explain with suitable diagrams two non contact type speed measurement methods.
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5. List the various parameters need for turbine supervisory control system. Also explain the
technique for the measurements of the parameters.

6. Why is vibration measurement essential in turbine control? Also explain the method vibration
measurement in steam turbine.

7. Explain the lubricant oil temperature control scheme in briefly.

8. Explain various methods of measuring steam pressure.

9. Describe the steam temperature and pressure monitoring in power plants.

10. Discuss the various parameters to be monitored for smooth running of turbine? Also explain
the operation of differential expansion detector.
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USEFUL VIDEO LINK

UNIT –I

OVERVIEW OF POWER GENERATION

Brief survey of methods of power generation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIddkVnc7pY

Hydro

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uhjhufhg3Xk
Thermal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdPTuwKEfmA
Nuclear

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ke1L4An1yP8

Solar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKxrkht7CpY

Wind
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSWm_nprfqE

Importance of instrumentation in power generation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7PMOUEgEo4

Thermal power plants – building blocks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EUzVOIQ1Ag

Details of boiler processes UP&I diagram of boiler

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxvav0Ijd4E

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmSennUmkvQ

Cogeneration

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mw2h7FMPh8
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UNIT – II
MEASUREMENTS IN POWER PLANTS

Electrical measurements

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLjk5DrScEU&list=PLt5syl71JKf0IacRzLI-02Q_udP4nJiJg

Non electrical parameters

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8g2VLcWdsBs

Flow of feed water

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=is5wdVgPOkI

Steam Fuel ratio Calculation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fpVl7U1G08&pbjreload=101

Steam pressure and steam temperature

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATULQO_5rt8

Drum level measurement

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRK4eJlt2YY

Radiation detector

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMCPceBP1ks

Smoke density measurement

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqhXVBaJ_rY

Dust monitor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3N-GsNe9Sw

UNIT –III
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ANALYZERS IN POWER PLANTS

Flue gas oxygen analyzer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoiSKJGxFjc

Analysis of impurities in feed water and steam

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugDRuS8dtY4

Dissolved oxygen analyzer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7zbmlEaPAs

Chromatography

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMtmSz_9umk

PH meter

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEHRg2IoxKo

Pollution monitoring instruments

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GH5Sw-pwGNw

UNIT –IV
CONTROL LOOPS IN BOILER
Combustion control
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBGpyxbnp50

Air/fuel ratio control

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kyw1xfn__c

Furnace draft control

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqvyBvJLtmw

Drum level control

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3C59TR9OBQ

Main stem and reheat steam temperature control – super heater control
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRT_TXgpIso

Deaerator control
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wJ8m-skuPQ

Distributed control system in power plants

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXRksET5vNo

Interlocks in boiler operation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aps8IzU1m4g

Nuclear power plant instrumentation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pM0VPxJFtck

Radiations detection instruments

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4uqdOwTa-A

Process sensors
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AR7W8L5Ggxo

Spectrum Analyzer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjLZQlejBGQ

Nuclear reactor control systems

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1U6Nzcv9Vws
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UNIT- V
TURBINE – MONITORING AND CONTROL
Speed
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPg7hOxFItI
steam pressure control
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-52FIgiQHs
lubricant oil temperature control
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-YBRzVdPbA
Cooling system
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFawmDQrhwI

CONCLUSION

The basic concepts of power generation system are discussed in detail with different methods
available in the generating plant. Different technological methods were studied to measure
various measurements involved in the power generation system. A detail discussion on different
types of devices used to analyze the power generation system is done. A deep knowledge in types
of controllers and control loop are analyzed. The students were familiar with function of power
generation plant with the instrumentation availability in the modern generation.
REFERENCES

1. Sam G. Dukelow, The control of Boilers, instrument Society of America, 1991.

2. Modern Power Station Practice, Vol.6, Instrumentation, Controls and Testing,
Pergamon Press, Oxford, 1971.

3. Liptak B.G., Instrumentation in Process Industries, Chilton, 1973

4. P.Tamilmani, power plant instrumentation, sams publishers,Chennai.
5. P.K.Nag, Powerplant Engineering, Tata McGraw-Hill Education, 3rd edition, 2007.
6. Krishnaswamy.K and Ponnibala.M., Power Plant Instrumentation, PHI Learning Pvt.Ltd.,
New Delhi, 2011.
7. Elonka,S.M.and Kohal A.L.Standard Boiler Operations, McGraw Hill, New Delhi, 1994.
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8.R.K.Jain, Mechanical and industrial Measurements, Khanna Publishers, New Delhi, 1995.
9. Everett Woodruff , Herbert Lammers, Thomas Lammers, Steam Plant Operation,9th
Edition
McGraw Hill, 2012.
10. Rajput R.K., A Text book of Power plant Engineering. 5th Edition, Lakshmi Publications,
2013.

11. E.Al. Wakil, ‘Power Plant Engineering’, Tata McGraw Hill, 1984.
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