System for combustion optimization using quantum cascade lasers

Abstract

A system with a boiler and a turbine, and an associated control method. The method includes sensing a plurality of operating conditions at a first common boiler location. At least one of the plurality of operating conditions sensed at the first common location is indicative of a combustion anomaly occurring during operation. The combustion anomaly indicated by the plurality of operating conditions at the first common location is traced back to an offending burner that is at least partially responsible for the combustion anomaly based on a model that takes into consideration at least two of the plurality of operating conditions sensed at the first common location. At least one of a process input and a boiler configuration is adjusted to establish a desired value of the operating conditions at the first common location.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]1. Field of the Invention[0002]The invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for controlling operation of a boiler that generates steam to drive a turbine or provide process steam or heating, and more specifically to method and apparatus for monitoring and controlling combustion within a boiler by sensing a plurality of operating conditions at a common location with a common sensor.[0003]2. Description of Related Art[0004]One method of generating electricity includes driving a turbine generator with steam. A boiler for generating the steam commonly includes a furnace with an array of individual burners for burning the hydrocarbon fuel in the presence of oxygen to raise the temperature of water and produce the steam to be delivered to the turbine. The combustion performance of an individual burner provided to the furnace can affect the combustion performance locally within the furnace, and thereby affect the overall performance of the boil...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0013]According to another aspect, the invention provides a system that includes a steam-driven turbine and a boiler. The boiler includes a plurality of burners arranged in an array to burn a hydrocarbon fuel. The system includes a plurality of sensors, each adapted to sense a plurality of operating conditions at a common location within the boiler and to transmit a signal indicative of a combustion anomaly when one or more of the operating conditions falls outside of a predetermined range of suitable values indicative of desired combustion. The system includes an actuator for controlling at least one of a process input and a boiler configuration to affect operation of at least one of the burners. The system includes a controller in communication with the plurality of sensors to receive the signals indicative of the combustion anomaly, wherein, responsive to receiving the signals the controller traces the one or more operating conditions outside of the predetermined range of suitable values to identify an offending burner contributing to the combustion anomaly and controls the actuator to adjust the at least one of the process input and the boiler configuration to bring the one or more operating conditions into the predetermined range of suitable values.

[0014]According to yet another aspect, the invention provides a system including a steam-

Problems solved by technology

The combustion performance of an individual burner provided to the furnace can affect the combustion performance locally within the furnace, and thereby affect the overall performance of the boiler as a whole.

The combustion anomaly can also result in fuel-rich gases and high local gas temperatures that can contribute to the formation of difficult to remove ash deposits called slag, or can cause boiler tube-wall wastage through corrosion and thermal fatigue.

Such control methods fail to consider the local effects each burner has on the boiler, and fails to attribute the individual contribution of each burner to the combustion anomaly.

Determining the presence of a combustion anomaly and identifying the offending burner(s), however, is typically not determined as a function of a single operating condition, such as a measured temperature, at a particular location within the boiler.

The temperatures near the burners to which the temperature sensors are exposed are typically too high for the CO concentration sensors to be co-located with the temperature sensors.

But the mapping of a sensed operating condition from one location to another location within the boiler introduces a degree of error in evaluating a combustion anomaly, limiting the ability to effectively identify the offending burner(s).

Further, the mapping requires the use of many mathematical models and robust control equipment, making boiler control expensive and complex.

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