The Powerhouse needs automatic optimized header control!

Most major industrial sites have a Power and Utility operation that includes several boilers and possibly one or more steam turbine generators. These units typically feed or interact with multiple steam headers, often high, medium, and low pressure headers. Pressure Reducing Valves (PRVs) and Vent Valves are also normally in the system.

In addition to the complexity of a typical industrial steam system, the challenge for operations personnel is increased with the fact that the processes are rarely in steady state. Demands are swinging and conditions are changing as a normal state of the production environment.

A majority of industrial Power and Utility operations lack a key piece of control functionality that is relatively inexpensive, but can often be invaluable; Automatic Coordinated Steam Header Control.

This piece of control functionality coordinates the headers, PRVs, and any steam turbines as a system to automatically accomplish the following:

- Eliminate need for operator intervention during upsets and equipment failures
- Allow prioritization of headers to “save” a header and prevent blackout
- Minimize header pressure disturbances
- Maximize efficient generation by minimizing the use of PRVs

On a day to day basis, coordinated header control minimizes disturbances and maximizes on-site generation if there are steam turbines. The real benefit, however, comes when something breaks or there is a large upset. At these times, the controls automatically make all the right moves to “save” the plant/mill. Operations personnel are freed to address the cause of the upset, rather than dealing with the affects of the situation.

How many sites have experience with Automatic Coordinated Steam Header Control and is it worthwhile to you? How many others need to have it?