ISNTRUMENTATION
BASICS
OF PRESSURE ,TEMPERATURE
,FLOW AND LEVEL
INSTRUMENTATIONS
CONTROL LOOPS :
BOILER AND TURBINE PROTECTIONS
AND CONTROL LOOPS
C&I ENG CHONA
CONTENT
• Definition of Instrumentation and its Relations
• Objectives of Instrumentation
• Field Instrumentation
• Control Loops: set up and definition
• Boiler and Turbine control loops
Basic Instrumentation
• Instrumentation: collection of instruments or functions or their
application for the purpose of measuring, monitoring, controlling or
any combination of these.
• Instrument: A device used for direct or indirect measurement,
monitoring or control of a variable.
• Process: Any operation or sequence of operations involving a change
of energy, state, composition, dimension or other properties that may be
defined with respect to zero or some other defined initial value.
• Process variable: Any measurable property of a process, used in this
standard to apply to all the variables other that instrument signals
between devices in a loop
Objectives of Instrumentation
• Safe Operation Of Plant
• Lowest Cost Of Generation
• Longest Equipment Life
• Minimum Environmental Effects
• Maximum Efficiency
• Energy Conservation
Field Instrumentation
SENSORS AND TRANSDUCERS
• A sensor is a device that has a characteristic that changes in a predictable way when
exposed to the stimulus it was designed to detect.
• A transducer is a device that converts one form of energy into another.
Field Instrumentation
STANDARD INSTRUMENTATION SIGNALS
• Standard instrument signals for controllers to accept as inputs from instrumentation
and outputs to final control elements are
• 1) Pneumatic 2) Current loop 3) 0 to 10 volt
1. PNEUMATIC (3 TO 15 PSIG):
• Before 1960, pneumatic signals were used almost exclusively to transmit
measurement and control information. Most often an i/p (i to p) transducer is used.
(This converts a 4-20 ma signal into a pressure signal)
Field Instrumentation
2. CURRENT LOOP (4-20 MA)
• Current loops are used because of their immunity to noise and the distances
that the signal can be transmitted.
• A dc milliamp current is transmitted through a pair of wires from a sensor
to a controller or from a controller to its final control element
• Controller output is configured for 0% to correspond to a 4 ma signal and
100% to correspond to a 20ma signal
3. 0 TO 10 VOLT
• 0 to 10 volt is not commonly used in control systems because this signal is
susceptible to induced noise and the distance of the instrument or final
control element is limited due to voltage drop
• You may find 0-10 volt signals used in control systems providing the speed
reference to variable speed drives.
Field Instrumentation
TRANSMITTERS AND THEIR TYPES
• Transmitter is a device which is used to measure physical variables transducer and to
transmit signal into electrical signal in form of 4-20 mA or 1-5v dc signal
TYPES ARE:
• Conventional transmitters
• Smart / intelligent transmitters
CONVENTIONAL TRANSMITTERS
• Conventional transmitter’s calibration can be done after disconnecting the
transmitter from field.
• Calibration cannot be done by using hart (highway addressable remote transducer).
• It consists of zero and span adjustments for the calibration.
Field Instrumentation
SMART / INTELLIGENT TRANSMITTERS
• A smart transmitter is a digital device that converts the analog information from a
sensor into digital information, allowing the device to simultaneously send and
receive information and transmit more than a single value smart transmitters, in
general, have the following common features:
I. digital communications
II. configuration
III. re-ranging
IV. signal conditioning
V. self-diagnosis
• Calibration can be done by using hart communicator
• Online calibration can be performed
Field Instrumentation
FACTORS AFFECTING INSTRUMENTS
• Range: is the lowest and highest values it can measure within its specification
• Span: of a sensor is the high end of the range minus the low end of the range
• Resolution: is the smallest amount of input signal change that the instrument can
detect reliably
• Accuracy: is how close the measurement approaches the true value of the process
variable.
• Precision: is the reproducibility with which repeated measurements can be made
under identical conditions
• Sensitivity: the ratio of the output signal to the change in process variable
Basic Instrumentation
Basic Quantities to measure
• Pressure
• Temperature
• Flow
• Level
Pressure Measurement
• Pressure is defined as force per unit area.
• It can be expressed in three ways.
I. Absolute pressure—above complete vacuum
II. Gauge pressure—above atmospheric pressure
III. Differential pressure—the comparison of two pressures without
expressing either in absolute terms.
Pressure Measurement
Pressure measuring devices are divided into two types.
• Liquid column, Expansion elements.
• Liquid column Pressure measuring devices are manometer type instruments. But
these are not favored on modern power plants.
• Expansion elements type Pressure measuring devices are preferred in modern power
plant.
• Thet are usually metallic & their movement indicates the pressure either directly
coupled with mechanical linkage or indirectly by an electrical transducer connected
to the readout device
• The sensor then converts this displacement into an electrical output such as voltage
(0-5v) or current (4-20 ma)
Temperature measurement
• “ Temperature is a measure of degree of the hotness or coldness of an
object ”
• Temperature is most important process variable because the efficiency of
generation depends on temp measurement.
• Temperature is most commonly measured by:
I. Resistance Temperature Detector (RTD)
II. Thermocouples
III. Thermistors (may also be found embedded in control equipment)
IV. Liquid expansion and bimetallic type temp gauges
Temperature measurement
1. RESISTANCE TEMPERATURE DETECTOR (RTD)
• A metallic wire changes its resistance with temp
• Used when applications require accuracy, fast response, long-term stability,
linearity and repeatability
Temperature measurement
2. THERMOCOUPLE
• “ when two dissimilar metals are joined a predictable voltage will be generated that
relates to the difference in temperature between the measuring junction and the
reference junction ”
• Thomas Johann Seebeck discovered that thermal energy produces an electric
current. He found that when two metals made from dissimilar metals were arranged
so that they had a common junction(Hot junction HJ) in good electrical contact and
when this junction and a junction at the other end(Reference junction RJ) were
exposed to different temperatures, a net thermal EMF was produced, the actual value
dependent on the materials used and on the temp difference between the junctions.
• This is called seebeck effect.
Most commonly
nickel-chromium and
nickel-aluminium for a
K-Type thermocouple with
max temp 1200 degrees
Temperature measurement
3. LIQUID EXPANSION TEMP GAUGE
• these are thermometers filled with either a liquid such as mercury. any rise
in temperature produces expansion of the liquid
Temperature measurement
4. BIMETALLIC TEMP GAUGE
• it is a well-known principle that if two metals a re rigidly joined together as
a two-layer strip and heated, the difference in the expansion rate causes the
strip to bend
Flow measurement
• There are various methods used to measure the flow rate of steam, water,
lubricants, air, etc., in a thermal power generating station.
1. DP CELL TYPE FLOW DETECTOR
• To measure the rate of flow by the differential pressure method, some form
of restriction is placed in the pipeline to create a pressure drop.
Flow measurement
2. MAGNETIC FLOW METERS
• Conductive liquid passes through the magnetic filed a voltage is generated
in the liquid which is sensed by using electrodes.
Level measurement
• Level measurement is very important aspect in thermal power plant.
• Level measurement can be divided in to two main sections.
• Liquid level measurement, and Solids level measurement.
1. Ultrasonic Level Transmitters:
• Are used for non-contact level sensing
of highly viscous liquids, as well as bulk
solids.
• They are also widely used in water
treatment applications for pump control etc
Level measurement
2. Hydrostatic Pressure Level Measurement Method
• A vertical column of fluid exerts a pressure due to the column’s weight.
• The relationship between column height and fluid pressure at the bottom of
the column is constant for any particular fluid (density) regardless of vessel
width or shape.
Level measurement
• Differential pressure transmitters are the most common pressure-sensing
device used in this capacity (Hydrostatic Pressure ) to infer liquid level
within a vessel.
Level measurement
3. Level gauges (sight-glasses)
• Level gauges are perhaps the simplest indicating instrument for liquid level
in a vessel.
Level measurement
4. Radar level measurement
• Radar level instruments measure the distance from the transmitter to the surface of a
process material located farther below.
• This is much the same as ultrasonic transmitters configuration and it is by measuring
the time-of-flight of a traveling wave.
Control Loops
What is a control Loop in instrumentation?
• Control loops are systems applied by design
engineers in various industrial applications to
maintain process variables (PVs) at a desired
value or set point (SP).
• Control loops are important for maintaining the
stability of a system, and for consistently
producing the desired outcome of a process.
Types of control loops
• There are many types of control loops
• Our focus is two main types:
i. open loops that take human input and
ii. closed loops that are fully autonomous.
• Some loops can be switched between closed and
open.
• When open, a switchable loop is manually
controllable and when closed it is fully
automated.
Types of control loops
Open Loop control system
• By looking at the indication on the level indicator the operator
is controlling the tank level by throttling the manual valve by
hand.
Types of control loops
Closed loop control system
• The tank level is sensed and measured by an electronic transmitter,
• The signal is fed to the controller and its output signal is regulating the
control valve to control the level in the tank automatically.
Comparison: closed and open control loop
Parameter Closed Loop Open Loop
Principle of Operation Uses feedback to adjust the No feedback is used. Output is
control action based on the neither measured nor adjusted
output. to achieve a desired result.
Theory Measures output, compares to A predetermined input
a set point, and adjusts directly controls the action,
accordingly. irrespective of the output.
Advantages Higher accuracy due to Simple design. Generally less
feedback. Adaptable to system expensive and less complex.
changes.
Disadvantages No correction for More complex design.
disturbances. Potential Potential for instability.
inaccuracy.
Response to Disturbances Good Poor
Accuracy High Low
Stability Generally stable Variable
Control Loops
Major Boiler Control loops
• Feed water control
• Furnace draft control
• Fuel flow/pressure control
• Super-heater temperature control
• Re-heater temperature control
• PA header pressure control
• Fluidizing air header pressure control
• Bed temperature control
Control Loops
Major Turbine Control Loops
• De-earator level/pressure control
• Condensate tank level control
• Hot-well level control
• CEP re-circulation control
• LP heaters level control
• HP heaters level control
• BFP re-circulation control
• HP/LP bypass control
• Gland steam pressure control
• Glands steam temperature control
Common Control Loop
• CCS/Boiler/Turbine master
End