Succeed with Ucn RUC UCR RUGS a Pe accu ce ecrhc a CNece PRS ee RS aTHE STEAM-HEATED shell-and-tube heat exchanger is he workhorse of che chemical industry. Effective control of such an exchanger’ liquid ouslet temperature often is crucial to plant operstion. In the firs article in this series (www.ChemicalProcess ing.comvarticles!2008/041 hem! ), we focused on use of a cantrol valve on the steam supply. "This arvile will examine control via a valve on the condensate Fucute articles will look at cascade control and liquid. bypass with one or two control valves. Tn many applications, a control valve on the steam supply poses a major disadvantage for condensate recur, especially when the presse within the shell of the exchanger provides the driving fore for the con= densate to flow back to the boiler feed-water makeup ‘equipment. Should the pressure in che shell drop below that required for condensate return, the exchanger fills with condensate, leading co the eyeling deseribed inthe previous article, Condensate control avoids this, However, installing the control valve in the condensate return line instead che steam supply line completely changes the mechassstn for vary ing che heat transfer rate (UAAT). With a valve on steam supply (previous article), alering position affects the shell pressure, which alfects the shell termperatuce, which affects the heat tans fer rate (ehrough the AT term). In contrast, with a valve on condensate (Figure ), changing the valve position affects the level of condensate within the exchanger, which afects the effective heat transfer area, which affects the heat transfer rate (through the A term). The effective area for heat transfer is the heat transfer surface exposed to condensing vapors; the submerged heat transfer area mainly cools the condensate with litle contribution to the total heat transfer rate ‘With gard ro condensate reero, the pressure within the shell always is che steam supply The process designers mus size the condensate return piping so thc this pressure is adequate to return the condensate tothe boiler house. valve EXCHANGER RESPONSE ‘The configuration shown in Figure 1 often raises an issue of dynamics. The exchanger responds more slowly to control actions than does an exchanger with the control valve on the steam supply. Changes in the condensate valve posicion must rst affect the level within the excha causing 2 slower response, However, for most applications, the response of the exchanger is suf. ficiently rapid to provide acceptable performance. said ot Although equal-percentage valves are gener- ally installed for condensate control, an argu: ment can be made fr linear valve characteristics, The driving force For fluid Flove is provided by the steam supply pressure, The hydrostatic heed of the condensace within the exchanger is neg ligible in comparison. The pressure drop in the condensate return system also usually is small. (Oversizing isn’t limited to control valves.) Under these conditions, the pressure drop actoss the conerol valve in the condensate line is essentially constant. Most guidelines suggest linear valve characteristics for installations where the pres sure drop across the control valve is constant. However, these guidelines aren't always followed. Figure 2 presents the process operating lines for both the linear valve and che equal valve. With a linear valve, che liquid ou perature is linearly slated tothe valve position, The process operating ine for the equal-pescent age valve clearly rfleces the inherent characteris- ties of such a valve : 2m. Eo Condensate valve postion, % Figue Aehenge bl heat tran feravea good emice forconvel ofFigures From blowing @< © 4 }——$— nisin HEAT TRANSFER Theoretically, the minimum heat transfer rate is zero. Wich the control valve closed, the exchanger completely fills with condensate, resulting in no beat cransfer The maximum heat transfer occurs when the exchanger is completely drained of condensate. The value forthe maximum heae transfer rate isthe same, regardless of whether the control vale ison the steam supply or the condensate. However, the consequences of attempts to exceed she maximum are very diferent. The exchanger in Figute 1 has the potential to “blow stata” into she condensate renurn system. As the control valve ‘opens, the condensate level within the exchanger drops. If the valve is opened too ruck, the level drops entirely our of che exchanger and steam flows into the condensate return system, a somewhat anpleasant sieuation Both operating lines in Figure 2 verminate ata iquid outlee remperacure of 288°F. Ar this poing, the exchanger is completely drained of condensate and he entire cube ateais exposed to condensing steam, Figure 2 suggests thar this occurs aca valve opening (of 5496 for the linear valve and 8496 for the equal-per- centage valve, What about valve openings greater than hese values? In practice, the liquid outlet temperature asually drops. When the exchanger blows steam, che shell pressure usually drops below the steam supply pressure, giving a lower liquid outlet temperature Grounded by conventional wisdom?‘A SIMPLE STEP Inserting a steam trap into the condensate line up- stream of che control valve (Figure 3) will prevent release of steam into the condensate return piping. ‘As long as there's some condensate within the ex: changer, the trap has no effect on condensate flow. However, should the condensate completely drain from the exchanger, the trap prevents steam from lowing inco che condensace recurn system. Unforcunarely, che configuration in Fig exposes the liquid outlet temperature controller windup. The test fr the possbili simple: Are cere situations where changes in the controller output (the condensate valve positon) have no effect on the controlled variable (the liquid outlet temperature)? Here, the answer i "yes” — whenever the trap is preventing the steam from flowing into the condensate return system, ‘As customarily configured, the windup pre: vention mechanisms provided by digital control systems are ineffective for this situation. These mechanisms are invoked when the controller out of windup is very -@ saédin Figue 4. Sucha configuration also can prove neha ng stam. pur actains its upper limit (normally sec at value above 100%). Based on the operating lines in Fig- ure 2, the appropriate upper output limit is 5496 for a linear valve and 84% for an equal-percentage SIMATIC PCS 7 takes you beyond the limits. SIMATIC PCS 7 How far can your system go? Traditional DCS limits your vision ~ and potential - but SIMATIC® PCS 7 process control system breaks through and gives you a whole new perspective on system performance. Only PCS 7 enables full integration ‘of all the automation systems in your plant: process, batch, discrete and safety, and all the field devices: instrumentation, analytics, motors, drives, and safety into a single platform, with common tools for engineering, visualization, and facility wide asset and maintenance management. Take flight with over 5,000 satisfied PCS 7 users and see the new possibilities. Answers for industry. SIEMENSFigue 5 this previdesanc rolose of sea sual per cantage ake batter ste he varying aes the te valve, However these limits depend on operating variables, especially throughput. The windup prevention should be involged at the instant the condensate is completely drained from. che exchanger, whieh is when the steam cap begins to block the steam from flowing into the condensate return system, Unfortunately, with the exchanger in- stoumented asin Figure 3there’s no way to detec this ‘event (the exchanger completely drained of condensate). However, there's a way to detece this — by ‘equipping the exchanger with instrumentation not customarily provided. For instance, a level swicch oF level ransmicter for the condensate could indicate when the exchanger is drained of condensate and the maximum heat transfer rate is atained., Under these conditions, che liquid ourlee temperacute controller should be inhibited from increasing its ourpat. Digital systems certainly are capable ofthis — but only, of course ifthe necessary information is available, MORE OPTIONS Figure 4 illustrates an override configuration for im 5 ure F Liquid outlet temper Condensate valve position, % preventing the exchanger from blowing steam. Tt requires a measurement device for the condensare level within the shell ofthe exchanger but all other components are impl ‘As long as the condensate level exceeds its set point, the liquid outlec semperature concroller determines the control valve position. However, if condensate level drops to its set point, ehen the condensate level controller takes over. This is imple~ mented by using a low selec to choose becween the outputs of che liquid outlet temperature controller and the condensate level controller [Another way ro prevent che exchanger from blowing steam isto instal a condensate pot down- stream (Figure 5). The steam pressure in the shell of the exchanger and in the condensate por is the steam supply pressure. Therefore, the full steam supply pressure is available for condensate return, Aconcroller maintains the desired liquid level in she condensate port. The condensate line from the exchanger enters below the liquid level in che con- densate pot, so the exchanger can't blow steam, The condensate flows by gravity from the exchang- certo the condensate pot. So, the condensate level in she exchanger must pt. The bydeostatic head provided by this difference is the driving force for condensate to flow from the exchanger to the condensate pot ‘The maximum driving force is when the ex changer is completely full of condensate; the con- densate low under these conditions would be zero. ted in software 1 above that in the condensate The minimum driving force is when the exchanger is completely empty of condensate; the maximum condensate flow occurs under these conditions. Figure 6 presents the process operating lines for both a linear and an equal-percentage valve. The pres sure drop across the contro valve isnt constant, which favors using the equal-percentage valve. The operating lines in Figure 6 confirm this, There's only a modest ddeparvure ftom linearity from a conceol valve opening .0F 0% t0 78% Above a valve opening of 78% for the equal percentage valve (44% for che linear valve), the control valve has no effect on the liquid outlercemperarure because no condensate remains within the exchanger. So, opening the valve Further doesnt impact the heat cansfer rare of, consequently, the liquid outer cer peratute. This exposes the liquid outlet temperarure controller to windup, ‘The physical locations of the exchanger and he condensate pot affect the degree of windup has possible. he maximum possible level in, NOTHING. bl Unless you specified the IEEE-841 for severe duty service, your motors are | unprotected from contamination entering the bearing environment. A fact of TO De Ci ee Re Cee ee ROE ee OCR Cd Fe ee Se Ce S to Se Cee Rs Cree er UR eC ae or Our INPRO/SEAL NOTE: NEMA Premium motors and IEEE-841 motors, installed with Inpro/Seal Bearing berries rr mee canethe condensate pos corresponds exchanger, there would be no Co the bottom of the exchanger. hydrostatic head for condensace Ifthe condensate pot level is flow when the exchanger is, above the bottom ofthe ex- completely drained of conden changer, the exchanger can't be sate (and the condensate flow completely drained of conden- is at its maximum). As the sate, If the condensate pot level condensate pot level is dropped is exactly at the bottom of the further below the bottom of the LEADING TECHNOLOGY AT YOUR SERVICE ‘Whether you're facing a majortumarouné ‘inn: SULZER Sulzer Chemtech is your single source for ‘cost-effective solutions. Ready to go the SS ‘extra mile, the Sulzer Chemtech team I. £8505 E. North Belt Drive available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days ‘Humble, TX 7396 a week with the quickest response rate Prone: (281) 540-2555 a ery weet AR Poe Gee second to none We fer: iba: wn ancaschcom ‘experienced turaround services team '* SHaRP — Sulzer's Hardware Replacement Program '* Acomplete portfolio of tower hardware '* Consignment hardware lockers and rales, ‘+ Replacement internals — all manufacturers ‘+ Unparalleled field service ‘+ The industry's top welders and ‘tower mechanics '* Site service technicians When you want it done right, on-time, and within budget: one call Sulzer Ghemtech does it all. exchanger, the hydrostatic head for fluid flow increases — bu is also raises the possibility for windup in che liquid outlet temperature controller ‘Windup can't occur ifthe con- trol valve is either perfectly sized or undersized. However, as previously noted, most valves are oversized ar least ro some degre. In this cease, an additional consequence of Coversizng the valve isthe posibil- ity of windup in the liquid outlee temperature controller “This is another case where the windup prevention mecha- nisms as customarily configured in digital systems are ineffective. Figure 6 indicates that the upper output limie could be ser at 78% (for an equal-percentage valve) but chis value is neither precise nor constant. Instead, che wind- up prevention should be invoked at the instant the condensate is completely drained from the ex- changer. Detecting this requires additional instrumentation (such as a level switch) to provide the necessary information so the system can properly inivite its windup protection mechanisms. In large production facilities where multiple exchangers can be physically located within a reasonable proximity, condensate pots are commonly inscalled t0 address che condensate rerurn issues, (Installing a condensate pot for an individual exchanger is iffcule co justify) There are competing designs for condensate pot arrangements but in most the pressure in the condensate pot is the steam supply pressure and the condensate flows from the exchangers to the condensate pot by gravy. @ (CECIL L. SMITH presser of Cec Smith ne, Baton Rouge, Ls Ea him at cxcleiticoxnet