BOILER FLUE GAS ANALYSIS AND AUTOMATIC COMBUSTION AIR TRIM CONTROL BY MEASUREMENT OF CARBON MONOXIDE, UNBURNED HYDROCARBONS, & OPACITY

Control of combustion air flow to the furnace is an essential requirement for steam-plant efficiency, and reliance on outdated combustion monitoring puts the plant at a 2 to 10% fuel-consumption disadvantage as compared with a Diesel plant. Capital investment in a sophisticated boiler-control system installed in Matson Navigation Co. and Sea-Land Service Inc. container-ships has proved extremely cost-effective in terms of fuel saving. The system, of the CO/HC/Op <carbon monoxide/unburned hydrocarbons/ opacity> measurement type, provides the highest level of combustion efficiency obtainable from marine boilers. The system, in which diagnostic data are combined with precision controls, was fitted in six ships, converting what was little more than a remote-control system into a truly automatic system. The author <of Matson Navigation Co.> explains the operating principles and practical application of the system. The essential criteria for assessing such systems are discussed in some detail under the headings:-- Accuracy of Sampling and Fuel Economy; Response to Transients; Reliability and Service History; Actual Combustion Improvements Achieved; Diagnostic and Troubleshooting Capabilities; Crew Acceptance; Economic Justification. This CO/HC/Op system has been found to improve fuel consumption by about 2% as compared with an oxygen analyser.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Marine Technol., 21 <1984> p.74 <Jan.> (5 pp, 2 ref, 1 graph, 2 phot)
• Authors:
  • Sweeney, J J
• Publication Date: 1984

Language

• English

Subject/Index Terms

• Subject Areas: Marine Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00686322
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: British Maritime Technology
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 14 1995 12:00AM