Boiler Control | Drum Level/Feedwater

Water control problems cause 90% of all boiler accidents.

Too high a level in the drum results in carryover of water and dissolved solids into the steam lines. Too low a level in the drum affects the internal water treatment and recirculation functions an can even result in tube rupture. DrumPAK control systems are designed to maintain optimal boiler drum water levels, stabilize the effects of feedwater pressure changes, and respond to plant load changes. DrumPAK drum level controllers can significantly reduce or eliminate boiler shutdowns due to drum level or feedwater pressure—it not only minimizes loss of valuable production time and materials, but increases the safety of your boiler. A DrumPAK drum level control system more than pays for itself when it prevents just one shutdown per year.

The DrumPAK controller offers excellent flexibility – it’s ready to go as a single, two-element or three-element control as standard. All you have to do is select the strategy you need during controller setup. Furnace pressure (draft) control, fuel totalization and economizer monitoring are available as options. Modbus RS-485 communication is standard.

These solutions are pre-engineered and pre-configured so all you have to do is enter the parameters specific to your boiler. Application-specific installation, startup and operation manuals provide clear and easy guidance. Install DrumPAK as a standalone system or in conjunction with other SteamPAK systems for total boiler control and efficiency improvement.

Data Sheet (97 K)

Brochure (97 K)

Superior Flexibility for Drum Level Control:

DrumPAK comes pre-configured with the necessary I/O for single, two- and three-element control. Upgrading your control strategy later as your budget permits is easy: no additional hardware to buy, no re-programming required. The benefits of each strategy are explained below:

This is an easy and economic way to upgrade on-off level control to continuous control. You’ll reduce wear and tear on feedwater pumps and motors, and ensure more consistent control around setpoint. Only level measurement is required. And, DrumPAK allows easy upgrade to two- or three-element control right in the field – simply install your field devices and select the new strategy.

With the addition of steam flow measurement, DrumPAK provides “shrink” and “swell” compensation and better response to load changes. The controller calculates the feedwater flow requirement based on level, and uses the Steam Flow signal from a flow transmitter as a feed-forward signal. This allows DrumPAK to anticipate the effect of steam demand changes on level.

Three-element control provides tight control of mass balance — steam out and feedwater in — resulting in tighter control of level and better response during load changes. It performs especially well on feedwater systems with variable feed header-to-drum pressure differential because feedwater flow is controlled. This automatically compensates for pressure drops across the feedwater valve before they affect drum level — preventing firing rate fluctuations, conserving energy, and reducing boiler trips. Three-element control solutions help optimize the performance of large boilers or boilers with large or rapid load changes.

Drum Level Control Strategy Selection Guide:

Need more information? Contact boilers@micromod.com

Single-Element Control

Two-Element Control

Three-Element Control

Selection Guide

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