Vacuum Boiler - Natural Gas Line Heater

How Natural Grid upgraded their applicances to meet safety and compliance standards | New York

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Project Highlights

• PF3100 Burner Management System - SIL Certified
• Pilot detection with relights
• Temperature control in multiple points
• Modbus communication to gas control
• Out-of-box solution to standardize total heater automation
• Simplified troubleshooting

• IndustryOil & Gas – Downstream/Utility
• CustomerNatural Gas Utility
• Application(s)CWT Boiler, Dry Line Heater, Pipeline Heater, Vacuum Boiler

The Problem

It was critical for National Grid to meet compliance standards and create a safe working environment for their operators. Before working with Profire, they used a millivolt pilot system, which had to be manually lit with a battery-operated remote. The original system produced a millivolt signal generated by the pilot flame which allowed multiple devices to function within the fuel train. The system proved difficult to troubleshoot in the event of a shutdown, requiring the operator to check each individual device with a voltage meter. Additionally, there was no remote communication with the heater via Modbus; heater status and set point adjustments were only available while an operator was at the site.

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The Profire Solution

After consulting with National Grid, the Profire Team recommended a PF 3100 burner management system for the application. The PF 3100 platform provides a wide range of temperature control, process and ESD functions. The proposed solution included a Profire ignition electrode to allow automatic pilot re-lighting and reliable pilot flame detection. The system was further optimized for efficiency and reliability by the following changes:

• • Replacement of the existing temperature switches with Type K dual head thermocouples
• • Replacement of the millivolt operated gas valves with Asco solenoids controlled by the PF 3100 controller
• • Replacement of the existing vacuum switches with vacuum transmitters to allow connection to the PF3100
• • Enabled Modbus features on the PF3100

National Grid was able to dramatically improve reliability, safety, and visibility of their vacuum boiler operation after the upgrades. The company can now easily view live heater conditions and adjust set points both onsite and remotely.

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