BOILER DRUM LEVEL CONTROL

OBJECTIVES
:
To maintain the water/steam interface at
its optimum level to provide a continuous
mass/heat balance.

DISTURBANCE IN DRUM
SWELL:
When the steam pressure is lowered the
water level rises as the steam bubbles
expand
SHRINK:
When the steam pressure is rises the
water level lowers as the steam bubbles
compress

BOILER DRUM
The steam drum contains a two-phase
mixture of water and steam at saturation
condition
The densities of water and steam vary
with saturation temperature or pressure

PRESSURE-DENSITY TABLE
Abs.Pressure

Gauge
Pressure

Density of water (kg/m3)

Density of steam (kg/m3)

Saturation
Temperature (deg.C)

(D1-D2)/
1000

958.74

0.5801

99.09

0.958

915.58

2.6220

151.10

0.913

10

887.66

5.0543

179.03

0.883

15

14

867.42

7.4568

197.35

0.860

20

19

850.79

9.8606

211.38

0.841

25

24

836.33

12.2806

222.90

0.824

30

29

823.31

14.7258

232.76

0.809

35

34

811.33

17.2029

241.42

0.794

40

39

800.14

19.7169

249.18

0.780

45

44

789.56

22.2424

256.23

0.767

50

49

777.46

24.8734

262.70

0.753

55

54

769.76

27.5239

268.70

0.742

60

59

760.38

30.2276

274.29

0.730

65

64

751.26

32.9885

279.54

0.718

70

69

742.35

35.8106

284.49

0.707

75

74

729.39

40.0898

291.40

0.689

80

79

720.98

43.1211

295.80

0.678

85

84

712.25

46.2449

300.10

0.666

90

89

703.23

49.4376

304.10

0.654

95

94

694.93

52.7315

308.00

0.642

101

100

689.90

54.9600

312.80

0.635

PRESSURE-DENSITY CURVE FOR SATURATED WATER

PRESSURE-DENSITY CURVE FOR SATURATED STEAM

DRUM LEVEL MEASURING SYSTEM

Thermal Insulation
Temp. Equalising
Column

Steam (s)
H
Water (w)

P = [ hw +(H-h)s-Hw ] g
= -(H-h)(w -s)g

Overflow Tube
Water filled upto a
const. level

SINGLE ELEMENT CONTROL

SINGLE ELEMENT CONTROL SCHEMATIC

TWO ELEMENT CONTROL

TWO ELEMENT CONTROL SCHEMATIC

THREE ELEMENT CONTROL

Threeelement
module

THREE ELEMENT CONTROL SCHEMATIC

SINGLE/THREE ELEMENT CONTROL SCHEMATIC