Prediction of Boiler Drum Pressure and Steam Flow Rate Using Artificial Neural Network

Numerical simulation of complex systems and components by computers is a fundamental phase of any modern engineering activity. The traditional methods of simulation typically entail long, iterative processes which lead to large simulation times, often exceeding transient real time. Artificial neural networks （ANNs） may be advantageous in this context, the main advantage being the speed of computation, the capability of generalizing from the few examples, robustness to noisy and partially incomplete data and the capability of performing empirical input-output mapping without complete knowledge of underlying physics. In this paper, the simulation of steam generator is considered as an example to show the potentialities of this tool. The data required for training and testing the ANN is taken from the steam generator at Abott Power Plant, Champaign （USA）. The total number of samples is 9600 which are taken at a sampling time of three seconds. The performance of boiler （drum pressure, steam flow rate） has been verified and tested using ANN, under the changes in fuel flow rate, air flow rate and load disturbance. Using ANN, input-output mapping is done and it is observed that ANN allows a good reproduction of non-linear behaviors of inputs and outputs.

An inverse method for online stress monitoring and fatigue life analysis of boiler drums

A method based on solution of the inverse heat conduction problem was presented for online stress monitoring and fatigue life analysis of boiler drums. The mathematical model of the drum temperature distribution is based on the assumptions that the difference of temperature along the longitudinal axis of the boiler drum is negligible with changes only in the radial direction and the circumferential direction, and that the outer surface of drum is thermaUy insulated. Combining this model with the control-volume method provides temperatures at different points on a cross-section of the drum. With the temperature data, the stresses and the life expectancy of the boiler drum are derived according to the ASME code. Applying this method to the cold start-up process of a 300 MW boiler demonstrated the absence of errors caused by the boundary condition assumptions on the inner surface of the drum and testified that the method is an applicable technique for the online stress monitoring and fatigue life analysis of boiler drums.

Sliding Mode Predictive Control of Main Steam Pressure in Coal-fired Power Plant Boiler

Since the combustion system of coal-fired boiler in thermal power plant is characterized as time varying, strongly coupled, and nonlinear, it is hard to achieve a satisfactory performance by the conventional proportional integral derivative (PID) control scheme. For the characteristics of the main steam pressure in coal-fired power plant boiler, the sliding mode control system with Smith predictive structure is proposed to look for performance and robustness improvement. First, internal model control (IMC) and Smith predictor (SP) is used to deal with the time delay, and sliding mode controller (SMCr) is designed to overcome the model mismatch. Simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed controller compared with conventional ones.

Fault Diagnostics on Steam Boilers and Forecasting System Based on Hybrid Fuzzy Clustering and Artificial Neural Networks in Early Detection of Chamber Slagging/Fouling

The slagging/fouling due to the accession of fireside deposits on the steam boilers decreases boiler efficiency and availability which leads to unexpected shut-downs. Since it is inevitably associated with the three major factors namely the fuel characteristics, boiler operating conditions and ash behavior, this serious slagging/fouling may be reduced by varying the above three factors. The research develops a generic slagging/fouling prediction tool based on hybrid fuzzy clustering and Artificial Neural Networks (FCANN). The FCANN model presents a good accuracy of 99.85% which makes this model fast in response and easy to be updated with lesser time when compared to single ANN. The comparison between predictions and observations is found to be satisfactory with less input parameters. This should be capable of giving relatively quick responses while being easily implemented for various furnace types.

A Simple Approach to Determine Noise Frequency of Boiler Drum Level

This paper proposed a simple approach to determine noise frequency of boiler drum level in order to improve control performance. Based on analysis of uncertainty of drum level, the redundant oscillation component of signal, noise is ascribed to the surface wave of drum water. According to the characteristic of surface wave, a new method was proposed to determine noise’s frequency band. By gradually removing the lowest frequency component of signal, the variance of remained component is calculated and observed. An apparent turning point was found and the corresponding critical frequcncy was determined. With this result a low-pass filter was designed to separate noise component. Finally validation is conducted by comparing the proposed method and conventional ones. Results show the accuracy and simpleness of the proposed method.

Digital Control Design for the Boiler Drum BDT921

A boiler drum BDT921 that is installed in the Control Laboratory, Department of Mechatronics and Robotics Engineering, Faculty of Electric and Electronic Engineering, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia （UTHM） is being used as a model plant to achieve the digital control system since its analog. Implementing a digital system to boiler quite a though work. This paper covers analysis from the experiment done to match with digital design that will be implemented to the real system. The digital control design will come up with the mathematical model and will be analyzed with MATLAB and SIMULINK software named as ＂Discrete Analysis ofBDT921 Simulation＂. A proportional integral and derivative （PID） controller is being chosen as the control element in discrete form as the real system is using the same control element. The output responses behave as the second order system with a bit difference in rise times and peak times compared with data obtained from experiment. With regarding to the analysis done, the digital control can be implemented and for further viewing, to be controlled digitally with computer in the control room.

Power Generation Systems Using Continuous Blowdown Waste Heat from Drum Boilers Driving an Organic Rankine Cycle

提出了一种利用汽包锅炉排污系统余热的有机朗肯循环发电系统,有机工质回收扩容器疏水的热量,并通过气轮机发电。建立了系统的热力性能分析模型,并对R227ea、RC318、R236ea、R245fa、R245ca、R123和R113等7种工质的热力性能进行了优化。结果表明,临界温度高的工质,其o2循环的最佳主气温度（蒸发温度）反而低；亚临界循环采用干流体时,过热不利于余热的利用；超临界循环可以改善热源与工质间的温度匹配,有利于增大系统输出功,但是其运行压力高、大比热区的传热恶化等问题是实际运行和设计需要考虑的因素；R236ea的热力性能优于其余6种工质。

Development and Installation of High Pressure Boilers for Co-Generation Plant in Sugar Industries

The sugar cane containing minimum 30% fiber was referred as bagasse and used the generation of power required for the operation of sugar mill. The bagasse is fired in the boiler for producing steam at high pressure, which is extracted through various single high capacity turbines and used in the process. The installation of high pressure boilers and high pressure turbo-generators has provision for the operation of co-generation plant during the off-season also that enhances the power generation from 9MW to 23MW. The annual monetary benefits achieved are Rs. 204.13 million and this was based on cost of power sold to the grid @ Rs 2.548 per unit, sugar season of 219 days and off season of 52 days. This required an investment of Rs 820.6 million. The investment had an attractive simple payback period of 48 months.

Water Level Deviation Analysis of Levels Between Two Sides of the Boiler Drum

It is always quite difficult to accurately measure boiler drum water level in power plant. Though the effect of false measurement of water level can be reduced with some devices, the effect of deviation of boiler drum water level to the monitoring and alarm system, even to the control of drum water level, and so on, cannot be surmounted. Because of these reasons, the accurate water level alarm signal cannot be provided and the water level control measures cannot be applied. In order to solve this problem, a water level deviation analysis method is presented for analyzing boiler drum water level. Based on the analysis of boiler drum water level related running parameters, the relational model of water level deviation under different working conditions and its parameters is constructed. By analyzing this model, the specific impacts of the main factors can be fixed. Thus the drum water level deviation can be reduced by adjusting running parameters without changing unit load. And then the measurement of drum water level can be more accurate only if power plants have accurate measuring devices. Therefore, the boiler drum water level can be more accurately monitored and controlled. So, this innovation is important in ensuring the safe running of power plant.

Design and application of a novel coal-fired drum boiler using saline water in heavy oil recovery

In this paper,the design and operation of a novel coal-fired circulating fluidized bed(CFB)drum boiler that can generate superheated steam using saline water were introduced.The natural circulation water dynamics with a drum was adopted instead of the traditional once-through steam generator(OTSG)design,so that superheated steam can be generated for the better performance of the steam assisted gravity drainage(SAGD)technology in heavy oil recovery.The optimized staged evaporation method was proposed to further decrease the salinity of water in the clean water section of the boiler.The evaporating pipes of the salted water section were rearranged in the back pass of the boiler,where the heat load is low,to further improve the heat transfer safety.A CFB combustion technology was used for coal firing to achieve a uniform heat transfer condition with low heat flux.Pollutant control technologies were adopted to reduce pollutant emissions.Based on the field test,the recommended water standard for the coal-fired CFB drum boilers was determined.With the present technology,the treated recovery wastewater can be reused in steam-injection boilers to generate superheated steam.The engineering applications show that the boiler efficiency is higher than 90%,the blowdown rate is limited within 5.5%,and the superheat of steam can reach up to 30 K.Besides,the heavy oil recovery efficiency is significantly improved.Moreover,the pollutant emissions of SO2,NOV and dust are controlled within the ranges of 20-90 mg/(N·m^(3)),30-90 mg/(N·m^(3))and 2-10 mg/(N·m^(3))respectively.

Application of Response Surface Methodology for Analysis of Reheat Steam Temperatures in a Double Reheat Coal-Fired Boiler

For the improvement of reheat steam quality and performance of double reheat coal-fired utility boiler under wide load operation, a variety of temperature regulation ways were utilized to adjust the energy distribution between different heating surfaces. In this paper, thermodynamic calculation based on the fundamental heat transfer theory was conducted for the analysis of temperature regulation strategy effects to steam temperature. In consideration of the specific overlapping heating surface arrangement, the compartment model was adopted to solve this problem. Response surface methodology(RSM) was used to analysis the effect of each temperature regulating variables on the steam temperature and boiler efficiency;then the polynomial model was fitted to predict the primary and secondary steam temperature simultaneously. Results showed that the flue gas recirculation rate has a relatively significant influence on the steam temperature, the maximum temperature deviation between fitting value and calculation value is 3.85℃ in 75% THA;the quadratic model can well predict the steam temperature under different operation conditions in wide load change. The variation of flue gas baffle has a significant influence on the boiler efficiency, compared to the flue gas recirculation and angle of burner oscillation. The influence of various factors on the reheat steam temperature is flue gas baffle > flue gas recirculation > angle of burner oscillation.

Dynamic simulation of drum level sloshing of heat recovery steam generator

Drum level sloshing is the latest discovery in the application of heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) in combined cycle, and shows certain negative influence on drum level controlling. In order to improve drum level controlling, influence factors on the drum level sloshing were investigated. Firstly, drum sub-modules were developed using the method of modularization modeling, and then the model of drum level sloshing was set up as well. Experiments were carried out on the experimental rig, and the model was validated using the obtained experimental results. Dynamic simulation was made based on the model to get a 3-D graph of drum level sloshing, which shows a vivid procedure of drum level sloshing. The effect of feed-water flow rate, main-steam flow rate and heating quantity on the drum level sloshing was analyzed. The simulation results indicate that the signals with frequency higher than 0.05 Hz are that of drum level sloshing, the signals with frequency of 0.0-0.05 Hz are that of drum level trendy and "false water level", and variation of the feed-water flow rates, main-steam flow rates and heating quantities can change the frequency of drum level sloshing, i.e., the frequency of sloshing increases with the increase of feed-water flow rate, or the decrease of the main-steam flow rate and the heating quantity. This research work is fundamental to improve signal-to-noise ratio of drum level signal and precise controlling of drum level.

Restart-up Performance of a CFB Boiler after a Sudden Power Failure Accident

Due to the massive bed materials in its typical main loop,a circulating fluidized bed(CFB)boiler may face greater trouble in operation and restart-up if an unplanned sudden power failure happens in the power plant.This study aims to explore the restart-up performance of a 170 t/h natural circulation CFB boiler after a sudden power failure and evaluate whether the hot restart-up can be realized.The heat transfer process after the restoration of the primary air is modeled.Validating the isothermal property of the bed after the restoration of the power and air supply,the correlation among the accident duration time,bed temperature after the power restores,inlet air temperature,air supply time,and air velocity is proposed.The predicted results indicate that the major influencing factor of the bed temperature during this process is primary air velocity.To provide guidelines for judgment on whether the hot restart-up can be realized,the maximum values of the air supply time and accident duration time for hot restart-up for different types of coals are given.The results show both of them have a rapid decrease as the coal ignition temperature in a CFB boiler increases from 450°C to 650°C,which also means that the coal ignition temperature plays a very important role in the restart-up process.Based on the simulation results of bed temperature during the accident,it is also estimated that the drum level drops by 77.7 mm after 8 hours but still stays in the permissible range.

Development and Theoretic Validation of Model of Drum Level Sloshing

In order to develop a feasible model of drum level sloshing, the mechanism of drum level sloshing was analyzed, and the model of drum level sloshing was developed on the Easy5 software flat. The thermodynamic property of the model was validated by using the reference model, which was set up by using the method of lump parameter. The results indicate that the model can precisely reflect the phenomena of thermodynamic property inside drum, and the numeric error is within 1%. And the hydraulic property of the model was validated by the analytical theory of liquid sloshing, and the results indicate that the hydraulic property inside drum can also be correctly reflected by the model, and the sloshing period error is within 5%. The important work was done for exploring modeling for drum level sloshing, research of drum level sloshing and precision controlling of drum level.

A Method for Optimum Heating and Cooling Boiler Components of a Complex Shape

A numerical method for determining a transient fluid temperature is presented.The method is formulated to minimize the total time of heating and cooling operation based on the assumption that maximum tensile and compressive total stresses in a solid can not exceed the allowable value during the entire process.The method can be used for any construction element of a simple or complicated geometry.In this method,material properties of solids can be assumed as constant or temperature dependent.The method will be implemented for the heating operation of an outlet header.This construction element is mounted in supercritical power plants.The outlet header is installed in the 460 MW power unit and it is designed for the working pressure of p_w=26.5 MPa and the steam working temperature of T_w=554℃.The results obtained from the proposed method will be compared with the calculations according to TRD 301-German boiler code.

The Secrets in the Steam

Introduction： There are several components in motion before steam reaches its destination. Each element plays a significant role in generating adequate steam for terminal sterilization of critical devices. The knowledge and awareness of factors that contribute to wet packs will assist in maximizing steam quality. Steam sterilization of critical devices such as surgical instruments in the acute care setting is fundamentally necessary to prevent infection. Sterile packaging that is wet after removal from the autoclave is considered contaminated. This wet pack presents a significant infection risk and indicates a defect in the sterilization process. The identification of wet packs prompted the exploration of the sterilization process. In reviewing the evolution of steam production, our investigation began in the boiler room. The assessments of the boiler operations, steam quality, and loading technique of the autoclaves were examined as possible contributing factors in the propagation of wet packs. Methods： The investigation was performed in a 592-bed non-teaching acute care facility in New Jersey. Methods to ensure the integrity of steam included; a cut point of 〈 3,500 ppm TDSs （total dissolved solids）, （daily） calibration of the TDS analyzer to ensure accurate TDS measurement, increase in autoclave drying times, reduction of the weight density of surgical trays from 25 lbs. to 20 lbs., and revision of sterilization loading practices. Modifications were implemented from June 2015 to December 2015. Results： No wet packs were identified from January through May 2016. In June 2016, 2 wet packs were detected, and upon further analysis there was an increase in the water level of the boiler drum. After this special cause variation, no wet packs have been identified. Conclusion： The monitoring and documentation of boiler room parameters and CSP （central sterile processing） practice modifications may have impacted the reduction of wet pack.

Dynamic simulation of hydrodynamic model of drum level wave action and sloshing

In order to build the model of the drum level wave action and sloshing, based on the method of modularization modeling, the hydrodynamic model of drum level wave action and sloshing was developed, and dynamic simulation researches were carried out based on the model. The results indicate that both drum level and drum length have functional relations with period of drum level wave action and sloshing. When the drum level decreases or drum length increases, the period of drum level wave action and sloshing increases, density of liquid and number of sub-module division have little influence on the period of drum level wave action and sloshing. The model was validated by the analytical solution theory of liquid’s wave action and sloshing in cuboid container, and the 3D graphics of drum level wave action and sloshing was also obtained. The model can dynamically reflect the rules of wave action and sloshing of water in the container exactly.

AlCrNbSiTi高熵合金涂层高温水蒸气腐蚀研究

采用磁控溅射在不同偏压条件下制备AlCrNbSiTi高熵合金涂层,通过分析不同偏压涂层的形貌、化学成分、硬度,以及被水蒸气腐蚀后的涂层形貌,研究偏压对AlCrNbSiTi涂层结构及性能的影响。结果表明,偏压对涂层表面粗糙度的调控非常显著,150 V偏压的样品表面粗糙度只有3.35 nm;50 V偏压的样品具有最大硬度和弹性模量,分别为18.19 GPa和232.4 GPa。涂层水蒸气腐蚀失效机制为点腐蚀,偏压为50 V时腐蚀坑出现时间最晚,耐腐蚀性能最好。

高机动车载注汽锅炉集成化设计及其相关技术

油田热采注汽锅炉作为稠油开采的专用注汽设备,在稠油热采生产中得到了广泛的应用。传统注汽锅炉结构型式和运输车辆相对落后的设计理念,限制了较大蒸发量注汽锅炉的应用,已经很难适应油田稠油开采的需要。开发具有能够实现快速移动和较大蒸发量的注汽锅炉,将会成为注汽锅炉机组的研究与创新方向之一。以燃油燃气车载注汽锅炉为研究对象,回顾国内油田注汽锅炉的应用现状和存在的问题,从注汽锅炉本体结构型式、运载车辆优化设计、车载化集成技术及大型运输车辆的安全性等方面出发,探讨高机动集成化车载注汽锅炉的相关技术问题。根据实例分析注汽锅炉的结构型式及其集成设计是实现车载化的基础,运输车辆与锅炉辅助系统的融合与优化是实现集成化的关键,运输车辆悬挂机构与隔振机构的稳定性是实现高机动集成化的基本保证,以上结果对车载注汽锅炉研制具有一定的指导意义。

稠油开采注汽锅炉在线综合预警关键技术

为了对工作在高温高压下注汽锅炉的各项运行参数进行在线准确监测和异常预警,本文在对稠油开采注汽锅炉工况参数进行采集、处理、分析的基础上,提出对注汽锅炉显性故障和隐性故障进行检测的方案。采用长期短期记忆神经网络,利用锅炉的时序数据对系统进行分析和建模,完成锅炉显性故障检测和预警,并通过预测数据的方式缓解锅炉大时滞的特性;利用深度异常检测技术,将无故障判别标准的数据进行隐性故障分析和预警。本文提出的综合预警方案对克拉玛依油田注汽锅炉进行了实验验证,预测误差仅有0.08%,同时异常检测范围也在设定值范围内。