Lab-scale Combustion Control Setup for Test and Implementation of Control Algorithms

Boilers have many applications from residential and commercial heating to power generation and petrochemical plants. Better control of boilers reduces fossil fuel consumption and environmental pollution. In this paper, a manually operated lab-scale boiler is set up for automatic control and monitoring. Boiler variables are measured using machine vision techniques and added sensors, and then sent to a computer. An actuator delivers the control command to change air flow. A feedforward feedback control algorithm is then suggested to maintain the air/flow equivalence ratio, which is shown to be a suitable indicator for better efficiency and less pollution. Experimental results are presented to support the performance of the control mechanism.