University of the Valley of Guatemala

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Control Systems

Project

Temperature Control for a Water Heater

Closed for Steam

Nikkos Papadopolo 09255

15/11/2013
Content

Introduction............................................................................................................................................ 3
Objectives................................................................................................................................................. 4
Reference Frameworka ............................................................................................................................... 4
Heat Exchanger: Closed Water Heater..................................................................... 4
Temperature Sensor: Thermocouple.................................................................................................. 6
PID Controller................................................................................................................................... 6
Control Valve............................................................................................................................... 7
Window Comparator..................................................................................................................... 8
Descriptive Block Diagramo ........................................................................................................... 9
Block Diagram with Transfer Functions........................................................................... 9
Transfer Functions and Gains............................................................................................ 9
Signal Flow Diagram..................................................................................................................11
Functioning Analysis (per Block)..............................................................................................12
PID Controller.................................................................................................................................12
Control Valve.............................................................................................................................12
Temperature Sensor (Thermocouple)..............................................................................................12
Process (Heat Exchange).........................................................................................................12
Window Comparator...................................................................................................................12
Emergency Stop..........................................................................................................................12
Conclusions..........................................................................................................................................13
Recommendations.................................................................................................................................13
Bibliography............................................................................................................................................14
Annexes...................................................................................................................................................15
Introduction

A heat exchanger is a process to achieve heat transfer and thereby obtain and/or
maintain the temperature of the product (in this case hot water) for which it is necessary to have
another variable (in this case steam flow) capable of affecting the variable being controlled and
that can be manipulated by the control system. From the production point of view, it
consider a process as a place where raw materials and some form of energy come together
to produce a desired product. From a control perspective, the meaning is more
specific. A process is identified as one or more associated variables whose values are
important to know and control.
These types of systems can be applied to various industrial processes, among which stand out
power generation, chemical industries, food industries, etc.
A control system, regardless of the application, involves three basic types of
components: a controller that is responsible for making decisions under a certain scenario, a sensor
from where the controller takes the information to decide and an actuator that is responsible for doing it
that the controller indicates to achieve the desired state.
The basic methodology for designing the control system that is presented below was
an investigation of the process and the necessary components to implement the control system,
the obtaining of transfer functions and finally the creation of block diagrams and of
flow to visualize how it works.
Objectives

- Design and analyze the control system of an open water heater to control the
water temperature to be heated, by means of the variation in vapor flow that will transfer
the heat at the same.

- Establish the method to be used to obtain an adequate control system for the process
to control.

- Determine the basic components necessary to design the control system.

proposed.

Reference Framework

Heat Exchanger: Closed Water Heater

A closed water heater in a power generation plant is an auxiliary equipment of the plant that
helps improve efficiency. Broadly speaking, it is a heat exchanger, a device
that takes the heat from one fluid and transfers it to another. The heat transfer can occur directly or
indirectly. In the first case, the transfer occurs directly between the two fluids,
while in the second case additional materials are used for heat transfer,
like shell and tube exchangers.

Figure No. 1 Water Heater Diagram.

A closed water heater is specifically used in boiler systems of power plants.

generation for preheating the boiler feed water using steam, extracting the
same as the turbines. The feedwater heaters are used to bring this water from
feeding at a temperature close to that of boiler water, and not having to invest much
fuel to bring it close to the boiling point. Every 10 °F (12 °C) increase in the
the temperature of the feed water, the boiler efficiency increases by approximately
1% due to the fuel savings that would be necessary to heat is in the same proportion.
 Figure No. 2 Water Heater without control system.

Many water heaters have implemented a temperature control system.

fluid that comes out of the exchanger, as a way to control to ensure the correct
operation of the heater, but more importantly, to know the starting point of the water
to turn it into vapor.

The basic operation of a control system of this type is sensing the output temperature.
of hot water, and through the closing or opening of the steam flow valve to the exchanger,
control the temperature of it.

Figure No. 3 Water heater without control system.

Figure No.4 General block diagram for a water heater.

The basic components for this control system are the following:

Temperature Sensor: Thermocouple

A thermocouple is a transducer made up of the junction of two different metals that produces a
voltage, based on the Seebeck effect, which is a function of the temperature difference between one of
the extremes called 'hot junction' and the other 'cold junction'. Thermocouples are constructed by
the middle of two wires which are joined at one end (usually soldered) and free at
the other. When applying temperature to the joint of the metals, a very small voltage is generated.
millivolt order which increases with temperature.

Figure No.5 Type J thermocouple and its parts.

Thermocouples are used as temperature sensors; they are inexpensive, interchangeable,

they have standard connectors and are capable of measuring a wide range of temperatures. Their main
The limitation lies in accuracy, as it is easy to obtain system errors lower than one degree Celsius.

PID Controller

A PID controller is a controller that uses feedback to calculate the deviation or error.
between a measured value and the value to be obtained, in order to apply a corrective action that adjusts
the process. The PID calculation algorithm is based on three distinct operations: the proportional,
integrative, and the derivative. The proportional operation determines the reaction of the current error. The
integral generates a correction proportional to the integral of the error, this ensures us that applying
a sufficient control effort, the tracking error is reduced to zero. The derivative determines
the reaction of the time in which the error occurs. The sum of these three actions is used to
adjust the process via a control element such as the position of a control valve or energy
supplied to a heater, for example. Adjusting these three variables in the control algorithm
From the PID, the controller can provide a control designed for what the process requires.

Figure No. 6. Operation of PID Controller.

Figure No.7 Physical appearance of a PID Controller (Sum of [Link].)

Control Valve

It performs the function of varying the flow of fluid that passes through it. The valve regulates, or modulates,
its opening to influence the flow of fluid. Within control systems, the valves of
Controls are just as important as controllers, transmitters or sensors. There are two types.
of the actuators that move the valve, pneumatic servomotors and electric servomotors.
The operation of these valves is based on the principle that the control flow (flow rate) is
proportional to the applied electric current.
 Figure No.8 Control Valve.

Window Comparator

A window comparator allows you to know if a signal (in

voltage) is within or outside an acceptable limit
previously defined. Establishing the limit voltage
upper and the lower limit voltage at the terminals, is
define the range of them for which the output of
window comparator will be active or inactive.

Figure No.9 Window comparator.

Figure No. 10 Example of Window Comparator Operation.

Descriptive Block Diagram

Fig. No.11 Descriptive Block Diagram (see Annexes for better resolution.)

Block Diagram with Transfer Functions

To analyze the system and its functioning, the following must be considered:

Disturbances
a. There is disturbance due to changes in the inflow of water into the system (the greater
greater water flow greater steam flow needed to reach the temperature
desired).
b. There is disturbance due to the variation in the temperature of the incoming water to the system.
(higher/lower temperature of the incoming water, higher/lower steam flow)
necessary to reach the desired temperature.
2. Assumptions
a. The heat transfer time is assumed to be short, so it is neglected.
delay that the system takes to reach a new state.
b. Heat losses in the heat transfer process are disregarded (not
They take into account the environmental conditions in which it operates.
c. The disturbance due to the change in the temperature of the incoming water is disregarded.
system, since the changes that could occur are minimal.

Transfer Functions and Gains

Gain Set Point

PID Controller Transfer Function

()
Window Comparator Gain
If the value is within permissible range:
Si el valor no está dentro de rango permisible:

Transfer Function Valve

()

Thermocouple Transfer Function

()

Transfer Function Process

()

Perturbation Transfer Function

()

Figure No.12 Block Diagram with Transfer Functions

Signal Flow Diagram

Figure No. 13 Signal Flow Diagram (SFG).

In this way, the Global Transfer Function is:

() ( )( )( )
()
()
[ ( )( )( )( )]

Therefore:

Figure No. 14 Block Diagram with Global Transfer Function.

Block Functionality Analysis

The blocks that make up the proposed control system are as follows and have the function
which is explained below:

PID Controller
The function of this controller within the system is to receive the signal from the temperature sensor to
then regulate the incoming steam flow by sending a signal to the valve for it to act
according to the controller's decision.

Control Valve
The function of the valve within the system is to receive the signal from the controller and act accordingly.
this. This component will open or close the valve to regulate the flow of steam, thus achieving the
required outlet water temperature.

Temperature Sensor (Thermocouple)

This component is intended to measure the temperature of the outlet water, a
physical signal, and convert it into an electrical signal so that it can be interpreted by the controller and that
I made a decision based on what was measured.

Process (Heat Exchange)

This block represents the function of the process, which is to exchange heat from the steam (hot) to the water.
(fry) and thus achieve to schedule the last one respectively.

Window Comparator
This component is designed to verify that the measured water temperature is within
within the permissible range that is desired. Establishing the range, if the value is within the
same, the comparator will emit a signal to the emergency stop. In the contrary case, if the value is
fuera, el comparador emitirá una señal opuesta que interpretara el paro de emergencia.

Emergency Stop
This component acts as a safety device to deactivate the entire system in case of
the temperature value is not within the permissible range. This contactor receives the signal from
window comparator and converts it into a mechanical signal that disconnects the system (closure of
water and steam inlet valves.
Conclusions

A completely generic control system was designed for a heat exchanger, as it does not
the necessary information for each component is available to establish its
characteristics.

2. For better modeling of a control system, it is necessary to delve into the analysis of
disturbances that affect the system, the reaction times of the components and the
operating range of them.

There are several control methods for a water temperature control system.
through a heat exchanger, which must be analyzed separately and
then compare them to determine which one fits the case best.

Recommendations

1. Taking the general transfer function for a heat exchanger incurs in

a certain percentage of error, so the ideal would be to analyze (practically) the model at
control and from there obtain its transfer function.

2. Experimental data must be available for all the components involved.

control system to establish the exact transfer functions of each one.
Bibliography

[1] Kuo, Benjamin C. [Link] de Control Automático. 7ma Edición. México D.F., México.
897 pages.

[2] Bhushan Khare, Y. 2010. PID Control of Heat Exchanger System. International Journal of
Computer Applications. Department of Electrical & Instrumentation Engineering.

[3] Liptak, B.G. [Link] Exchanger Control and Optimization.

[4] Smat, Ramid. 2010. Introduction to comparators, their parameters and basic applications.
Obtained the 11 of November of 2013 en: [Link]
ui/static/active/cn/resource/technical/document/application_note/[Link]

[5] Modern Industry Publishing. 2007. Industrial Process Control Valves. Obtained on 11 of
November 2013 in:[Link]

[6] MathWorks. Estimating Transfer Function Models for a Heat Exchanger. Obtained on the 11th of
November 2013 in:[Link]
[Link]

[7] Beltrán Provoste, C. 2005. Basic Concepts, Terminology, and Techniques for Control
Processes.

Astrom, Karl Johan. 2002. PID Control. Taken from Control System Design, obtained on November 11.
November 2013 in:[Link]
[Link]
Annexes