Thermal efficiency improvement through fuel gas rate and excess oxygen control

• Main Author: Noviyanto, Indra Dwi
• Format: Conference or Workshop Item
• Language: English
• Published: 2014
• Subjects: HD28 Management. Industrial Management
• Online Access: http://repo.uum.edu.my/15980/1/P41.pdf; http://repo.uum.edu.my/15980/; http://stmlportal.net/ictom04/TOC.html

Purpose - Understanding the critical process variables in a system and parameters that affects those critical variables will be a strong basis in developing the process control.At the end this will deliver process stability and predictability. Design/Methodology/Approach - Combustion efficiency typically indicates the ability of the burner to use fuel completely without generating carbon monoxide or leaving hydrocarbon unburned.Excess air is required to ensure a complete combustion of the fuel since a boiler firing without sufficient air or “fuel rich” is operating in a potentially dangerous condition. Getting the optimum combustion efficiency will require the accurate control of fuel gas and the air to deliver the just right amount. Field data analysis and the field experiment will be a basis to determine the applied process control works in maintaining the critical process variables. Findings - Daily and seasonal changes in temperature and barometric pressure can cause effect on the critical process variables in oil-recovery steam generator, such as steam pressure, temperature, steam dryness and the excess air. Better control means improved process stability, higher production efficiency, consistent product quality, and reduced energy waste.The fact is we pay substantial dollars every time firing the unit.Research limitations / implications: The accuracy of steam quality measurement and the oxygen excess analyser would affect the control capability.Original/Value – Flow control valve application for the fuel gas and the variable speed drive for the air control will improve the combustion efficiency for 2.0 – 2.5%. For 50 MMBTUPD capacity steam generator unit, this will be equivalent with 30 MSCFD fuel gas saving.