PCI combustion control technology
October 2008
PLCs, DCSs & Controllers
Today, coal cost is impacting heavily on the operating expenses associated with boiler operation. Local company Boiler Combustion Technology quickly realised the huge potential of developing alternative combustion control technology for coal fired boilers in the quest for energy efficiency. The company reports that it is able to save up to 25% on coal consumption and reductions of as much as 60% on boiler fan electricity requirements.
Boiler Combustion Technology claims its PLC-based control solution is a cost saver
Doing away with conventional control processes, the company’s engineers decided to employ the power of modern day electronic control technologies to make every bit of coal count, to save valuable energy and reduce harmful emissions into the atmosphere. Driving the entire combustion process is a Rexroth Bosch L20 PLC in conjunction with a VCP05 HMI, which is used to adjust control variables for different boiler requirements.
The system provides accurate combustion control and interactive boiler operation, allowing the operator to change critical variables such as coal mass density and chemical composition. The system offers visualisation of the length of the fire on the stoker, which assists the operator when setting the under grate dampers and the guillotine.
Should clients require full automation the system can also be configured to automate the setting of the guillotine.
For more information contact Georg Venter, Tectra Automation, +27 (0)11 971 9400, georg.venter@tectra.co.za, www.tectra.co.za
Further reading:
Loop signature Part 2-6
PLCs, DCSs & Controllers
This instalment of the Loop Signature series introduces frequency plot theory as a foundation for understanding process dynamics, explaining Bode plots, dynamic gain, phase lag and their relationship to control loop tuning.
Read more...
The rise of software-defined brownfield automation
Schneider Electric South Africa
PLCs, DCSs & Controllers
Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure Automation Expert is enabling brownfield operators to modernise incrementally, decoupling control logic from hardware to bridge legacy equipment and future-ready operations without disrupting production.
Read more...
Upgrading alarm systems for critical industries
Omniflex Remote Monitoring Specialists
PLCs, DCSs & Controllers
Omniflex’s OMNI16R alarm annunciator platform provides a direct replacement for legacy CSA systems such as MPAS 90 and SA9100, enabling operators in oil and gas, nuclear and power generation to modernise alarm infrastructure without sacrificing the clarity required for safe operations.
Read more...
How DCS can step off the hardware obsolescence treadmill
Schneider Electric South Africa
PLCs, DCSs & Controllers
Schneider Electric argues that virtualising DCS environments breaks the cycle of hardware obsolescence, giving plant operators a smarter path to lifecycle modernisation without production disruption.
Read more...
Loop signature Part 2-6
PLCs, DCSs & Controllers
The Loop Signature series turns to frequency plot theory, explaining Bode open-loop plots and how dynamic gain, phase lag and crossover frequency can be extracted from test data to inform more accurate control loop tuning.
Read more...
PC-based control in surgery
Beckhoff Automation
Editor's Choice PLCs, DCSs & Controllers
Researchers at the University of Basel are using Beckhoff PC-based control technology to develop a miniature laser robot for minimally invasive bone surgery.
Read more...
IIoT controller for the field and control cabinet
ifm - South Africa
PLCs, DCSs & Controllers
The IIoT controller from ifm is a powerful, communicative and flexible PLC solution in machine and plant digitalisation.
Read more...
How the DCS can step off the hardware obsolescence treadmill
Schneider Electric South Africa
PLCs, DCSs & Controllers
Ageing servers and unsupported operating systems are quietly eroding the stability of process plants that rely on distributed control systems. Kobus Vermeulen of Schneider Electric explains how virtualising the DCS environment can break the hardware obsolescence cycle without disrupting operations.
Read more...
Centralised control rooms where growth is elastic, not physical
Schneider Electric South Africa
PLCs, DCSs & Controllers
Modernised control rooms feature distributed control system architecture consolidated into centralised compute environments. replacing traditional PCs with thin clients.
Read more...
Advanced DCSs preserve what must not change while enabling
Schneider Electric South Africa
PLCs, DCSs & Controllers
Next-generation DCSs, such as Schneider Electric’s Foxboro, are preserving the best of the old while introducing the new in a less disruptive manner.
Read more...