Steam boilers optimization strategy
Steam boilers optimization strategy
(OP)
Hello everyone:
We have 3 steam boilers in our plant and right now we are struggling on setting up a proper optimization strategy.
The challenge is that one of the boiler is roughly double the size of the other 2.
When the boilers are the same size, a lead/lag strategy is relatively straight forward and equalizes the working times of each boiler, but when capacities are different the situation changes a little bit.
The boiler manufacturer established the cut it/cut out settings but after a period of analysis and observations, in some of the days we had boilers starting around 150 times in a 24 hours period. This is a recurrent situation.
Clearly the optimization strategy is not working, but the boiler supplier doesn't seem capable of providing a better one than the usual lead/lag with the poor results stated above.
Any ideas how can we optimize the system and reduce the huge amount of cycles in the boilers?
Thanks.
We have 3 steam boilers in our plant and right now we are struggling on setting up a proper optimization strategy.
The challenge is that one of the boiler is roughly double the size of the other 2.
When the boilers are the same size, a lead/lag strategy is relatively straight forward and equalizes the working times of each boiler, but when capacities are different the situation changes a little bit.
The boiler manufacturer established the cut it/cut out settings but after a period of analysis and observations, in some of the days we had boilers starting around 150 times in a 24 hours period. This is a recurrent situation.
Clearly the optimization strategy is not working, but the boiler supplier doesn't seem capable of providing a better one than the usual lead/lag with the poor results stated above.
Any ideas how can we optimize the system and reduce the huge amount of cycles in the boilers?
Thanks.





RE: Steam boilers optimization strategy
General Blr. CA,USA
RE: Steam boilers optimization strategy
Yes, the burners are modulating
Boilers are 2x 1000KW and 1x2000KW.
Lead is working with a pressure setting of 8 bar with a hysteresis of 0.2
Lag 1 kicks in at 7.7 bar with a hysteresis of 0.5
Lag 2 kicks in a 3 bar with a hysteresis of 0.5
RE: Steam boilers optimization strategy
I remember a school district in which some of their heating boilers were cycling repeatedly and one solution was to reduce their firing rates and nozzle sizes.
RE: Steam boilers optimization strategy
I don't have the information regarding their turndown rations here with me.
I'll have to see the O&M manual for the boilers.
RE: Steam boilers optimization strategy