Computer Standards & Interfaces 24 (2002) 151 – 159

www.elsevier.com/locate/csi

Fuzzy models in control systems of boiler aggregate

technological processes
A.M. Prokhorenkov a, A.S. Sovlukov b,*
a
Murmansk State Technical University, 13 Sportivnaya str., Murmansk 183010, Russia
b
Institute of Control Sciences, 65 Profsoyuznaya str., Moscow 117997, Russia

Abstract

Application of fuzzy models in thermal power control systems is considered. Structure of fuzzy system for thermal object
(boiler) is described. Results of the design and scheme-technical realization of boiler aggregate control systems are reported.
Use of the suggested fuzzy models for control of fuel – air relationship and boiler water level are described as examples. D 2002
Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Boiler aggregates; Technological process; Control system; Fuzzy model

1. Introduction cesses in controlled objects subjected to the influence

Decision-making systems are used as the basis
under design of control systems for the application
in basic exploitation regimes in the most perspective
application area of advising fuzzy systems in the class
‘‘situation– control strategy –action.’’ Fuzzy logic is
used here for formalization of fuzzy conceptions from
their semantic point of view [1– 3]. It provides effec-
tive processing of high-quality data alongside with
clear, quantitative data.
2. Operation peculiarities of district heating plants
and the related boiler aggregate control problems
Random daily thermal energy consumption is a
peculiarity of district heating plants. Most often, pro-
*
Corresponding author.
E-mail addresses: Alexander.Prohorenkov@mstu.edu.ru
(A.M. Prokhorenkov), sovlas@ipu.rssi.ru (A.S. Sovlukov).
of controlling and disturbing factors during their
operation are nonstationary. It is caused by nonuni-
form daily consumption of thermal energy (steam and
hot water) both in dwellings and in industrial plants.
Automated control systems for technological pro-
cesses function under the action of monitored and
nonmonitored disturbances both external to a system
and internal ones. Therefore, practically all the pro-
cesses in control systems are random. In this con-
nection, for control accuracy improvement under the
design of modern systems for control of technological
processes, three basic tasks should be solved: filtration
of measurement signal from noise, estimation of data
reliability and realization of control rules that provide
compensation on the influence of both internal and
external disturbing factors. Especially important now
is the solution of these problems under the application
of control systems realized on the base of informa-
tional – control complexes with software that does not
contain effective means for filtration of signals that
contain random characteristics.

0920-5489/02/$ - see front matter D 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
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152 A.M. Prokhorenkov, A.S. Sovlukov / Computer Standards & Interfaces 24 (2002) 151–159
Considered district heating plants are among such
objects. Decrease of expenditures for realization of
control and monitoring systems is the important
problem in this case [4].
Design and application of distributed control sys-
tem for boiler aggregates provides:

continuous and highly accurate control of fuel
burning down by the use of low-cost industrial
controllers;

monitoring of operation regimes for all the
needed parts of boiler aggregates and also
determination of their technical state by direct
and nondirect parameters by application of low-
cost monitoring and control means;

optimal exploitation regime of boiler aggregate;

optimal distribution of thermal loading of the
district plant between boiler aggregates de-
pending on their current loading character-
istics;

increase of safety and nonaccident work of
boiler aggregates;

absence of the need in analogous and discrete
registers;

district heating plant efficiency increase totally,
decrease consumption of fuel and electrical
energy, decrease of NOx and CO throws out.
Cost-oriented distributed control system for boiler
aggregates should universally solve all the problems
of control and monitoring for this technological proc-
ess:

signal processing;

data transfer;

on-line monitoring;

control;

regulation;

protection;

exploitation and supervision;

complex control for automated objects;

reception, registration and preservation of
exploitation parameters.
The designed and applied system should provide:

united complex solution for realization of all
the system functions of process control;

simple composition of system elements for
realization of functions for exploitation and
control by technological processes;

adaptation to realization of all the process needs
taking into account items of reliability, read-
iness and of economic factors;

light access to all system data, show of all the
control and monitoring blocks without back
action on the system;

shortening of staff mistakes due to data quality
improvement under process functioning and
monitoring;

computer design of control system documenta-
tion;

increased exploitation object readiness as the
result of control system self-diagnostics;

perspective system improvement with high
degree of innovation.
3. Control methods for boiler aggregates
Experimental investigations showed that processes
in steam boiler under exploitation regimes are ran-
dom. It was confirmed by the results of mathematical
processing and statistic analysis [5].
As a measure of quality control, shift of expect-
ation M(t) and dispersion d2(t) at basic regulation
coordinates were chosen, taking into account random
character of processes in steam boiler:
eMn ðtÞ ¼ MZn ðtÞ  MTn ðtÞ ! eMZn ðtÞ ! min ð1Þ
Here MZn(t) and MTn(t) are needed and current
expectation values for basic regulated parameters of
steam boiler such as quantity of air, fuel, boiler steam
production ability.
ed2 n ðtÞ ¼ d2Zn ðtÞ  d2Tn ðtÞ ! ed2Zn ðtÞ ! min ð2Þ
2 2
Here dTn (t) and dzn (t) are the current and needed
dispersion for basic regulated parameters of steam
boiler.
 A.M. Prokhorenkov, A.S. Sovlukov / Computer Standards & Interfaces 24 (2002) 151–159
Criterion for quality control is the following:
 
X
j
Jxn ¼ aeMn ðtÞ þ bed2xn ðtÞ ! min
n¼1
Here, n = 1, . . ., j; a and b are weighing coeffi-
cients.
The problem of structural synthesis of control
system is formulated as follows. For steam boiler,
there is a need to find control u(t) = f [x(t), g(t), F(t)] as
function of needed value and disturbances realization.
It provides functioning of closed system in accordance
with needed quality criterion.
Thus, there is a need in synthesis of control means at
whose input data about regulated value x, needed value
g and disturbances F come that influence on controlled
object. General structural scheme of the corresponding
control system is shown in Fig. 1. State of this control
system may be determined at any moment by mistake
value that is connected with output value and distur-
bances acting on the object. Results on real object and
also those of behavior of steam boiler modeled by
computer show that for the provision of needed control
quality at needed boiler work regime it is necessary to
change quantity of air and fuel. Optimal control strat-
egy should be formed depending on boiler work regime
Fig. 1. General structure of steam boiler control system.
153
(regulated or base one). For regulated regime of steam
boiler, the control strategy should be formed for pres-
sure support in steam collector at constant level inde-
ð3Þ
pendently of steam consumption by thermal energy
consumers. For the base regime of steam boiler, the
strategy of needed steam production value given by
operator is formed.
In control system (Fig. 1), deviation signal e2
coming to the input of the unit for control commands
is formed by comparison element (summarizer C2)
using control commands X3 produced by task com-
mands unit, signal DX from fuzzy controller and e1.
Deviation signal e1 is received as a result of compar-
ison of optimal and current values of controlled
parameter. From the output of the control command
unit, signal q comes to the input of regulator that does
control by corresponding actuator.
Contours for burning, regulation, feeding water
level, regulation of the state in heater are the basic
regulation contours of steam boiler.
4. Structure of fuzzy control model
Fuzzy control model is the main part of situation-
dependent advising fuzzy system. Structure of fuzzy
154 A.M. Prokhorenkov, A.S. Sovlukov / Computer Standards & Interfaces 24 (2002) 151–159
Fig. 2. Architecture of situation-dependent advising fuzzy system.
model is shown in Fig. 2. It contains three large units.
Decision making unit is the basic one while other
units are of the same importance for normal model
functioning.
Formalized description of situation caused at the
controlled object on the base of input data is produced
in the unit of state estimation. Transition from inner
form of controlling commands to the outer one is
realized in the unit of controlled commands.
Control system is not clearly described in situation-
dependent advising fuzzy system in the class ‘‘sit-
uation –control strategy – action’’ [6]. This system is
realized according to the fuzzy situation network. It is
fuzzy weighed graph of transitions for standard sit-
uations depending on initial and needed situations.
Control system is not clearly described by a set of
fuzzy situations for normal functioning. They corre-
spond to possible states of the controlled object and
Fig. 3. Structural scheme of the system TDC 3000 for control and monitoring of steam boiler at enterprise ‘‘TEKOS.’’
are described by the following terms. In particular, for
a boiler, they can be described in like terms: ai is air
quantity, Ps is steam production [5]. Introduction of
these terms is based on the fact that quality of
produced steam by steam boiler depends on quantity
of fuel mixture, on quantity of burned fuel in the
boiler heater and also on steam production ability of
the boiler.
Transition of the object from a situation to another
one is modelled for forming of fuzzy situation net-
work. A set of control decisions R={R1, R2, . . ., Rn} is
received in this case for the control object.
Controlling commands are given as relationships
between values of signs. For each situation SisoSs
under control commands from the set R. Basic factors
influencing significantly on produced steam quality
are: air volume coming into heater of the boiler, fuel
consumption, steam production ability of the boiler.
The following terms are considered in the system for
steam boiler quality control: (1) term a={a1, a2, a3},
where a1 is small air volume per kilogram of fuel (m3/
kg); a2 is middle air volume; a3 is big air volume; (2)
term Ps={ P1, P2, P3, P4}, where P1, P2, P3 and P4 are
small, not big, middle and big steam production ability
of the boiler, accordingly (t/h); (3) term N={n1, n2, n3,
n4} characterizing consumption of fuel that comes into
the heater (kg/s) where n1, n2, n3 and n4 are small,
middle, rather high and high fuel consumption values,
accordingly. The data characterizing these three sets of
 A.M. Prokhorenkov, A.S. Sovlukov / Computer Standards & Interfaces 24 (2002) 151–159 155

Fig. 4. System for correction of fuel – air relationship.

signs that are a, P and N come to the input of the state
estimation unit from analogous sensors.
5. Automatization hardware
Equipment installed in the system for control of
boiler aggregates should contain the following:

distributed control system for steam boiler with
operator places;

pneumatic-electrical valves and gates for boiler
control system;

sensors for measurement of temperature, pres-
sure, heater rarefaction, flow;

sensors for determination of water content in
heavy oil;

sensors for determination of water level in
boiler drum;

sensors for measurement of oxygen in heater

sensors for measurement of salt content in
boiler water;

static frequency converters for control of
drivers of smoke removers and ventilators;

equipment for monitoring of boiler water
quality (pH, electrical conductivity, turbidity,
oxygen).
Some of these low-cost devices are new and are
realized on the base of united method, namely on the

Fig. 5. Fuzzy controller for regulation of boiler water level.

156 A.M. Prokhorenkov, A.S. Sovlukov / Computer Standards & Interfaces 24 (2002) 151–159

Fig. 6. Transient characteristics of controlled objects and regulators.

 A.M. Prokhorenkov, A.S. Sovlukov / Computer Standards & Interfaces 24 (2002) 151–159
base of radiofrequency (RF) method. RF and micro-
wave methods are effectively used for measurements
of many technological parameters [7,8]. For the con-
sidered application, RF sensors of water content in
heavy oil, of water level in boiler drum and of salt
content in boiler water were designed. RF sensor for
on-line determination of water content in heavy oil is
realized as section of flowing through coaxial line.
Two-wire line-based RF water level sensor is installed
in bypass tube and provides determination of steam/
water interface position.
End load of RF-line section serves as sensing
element for determination of salt content in boiler
water. Resonance frequency of electromagnetic oscil-
lations serves as informative parameter for all these
sensors. Its value is changed within the frequency
range 1– 100 MHz for these applications depending
on a monitored parameter value.
Equipment listed above is needed in particular for
completion of automated control and monitoring sys-
tem by steam boilers of district heating plant ‘‘Sev-
ernaya’’ within State Regional United Heating Power
Enterprise ‘‘TEKOS’’ (Murmansk city, Kolskiy pen-
insula, Russia) on the base of the system TDC 3000.
Structural scheme of this system is shown in Fig. 3.
6. Examples. Control of air –fuel relationship and
boiler water level
Theory of fuzzy sets operates with linguistic var-
iables. Their values are determined by word terms.
Each term occupies some range at the axis of the
base variable. It can be also infinitely large. The
relation function can be received for each term. This
function relates to the degree of extent for every value
of the base variable for belonging to a considered
term. The function can have values within the limits
0 –1. The more this value the more correct is the
statement that appropriate value of basic variable
belongs to the considered term. Terms and relation
function are received by experienced experts. How-
ever, usually there are done significant simplifications
of such procedure. Only ranges of possible changes of
basic variables stay unknown and, to some extent the
number of terms at them.
Application of fuzzy controller is considered as
example for determination of control strategy for
157
fuel –air relationship in units of fuel valve and ven-
tilator for steam boiler control.
Necessity of correction for fuel – air relationship
resulted from long-term system exploitation and is
caused by nonsatisfactory burning process.
Such situation depends on the following factors:
change of environmental temperature, change of at-
mospheric pressure, change of outer air humidity.
It follows from the above that all the disturbing
factors resulted from air path can be taken into
account by correction of fuel –air relationship. Also,
it can be stated that such correction is better to do by
fuel supplying unit as this unit has minimal time
constant value. Thus, action on proportional constit-
uent of fuel supplying regulator will be faster as
compared with action on air supply. The designed
system on the base of the above ideas is shown in
Fig. 4.
In this system fuel – air relationship, needed for a
current moment is determined by system operator.
Thus, operator should change fuel – air relationship if
burning process is out of the optimal point. Further
returning to the regime and its support is provided by
fuzzy controller.
For such system, it can be designed fuzzy con-
troller that has accuracy 0.25. Dismatch between
needed value of fuel – air relationship, its current value
e and the first derivative D of this dismatch are used as
input valves.
Back transition from fuzzy value to a real signal
are realized in defuzzyficator. Centroid method is
applied for defuzzyfication that provides reception
of real value under weight averaging of all the used
rules.
Results of modelling in Mathlab showed that
accuracy of regulation process is influenced by the
quantity of relation functions and rules that are present
in the knowledge base of fuzzy controller.
These results are illustrated by application of fuzzy
controller for regulation of boiler water level (Fig. 5).
In this case regulation is directed on forming of
control actions for the actuator (controlling valve for
water supply). This valve changes quantity of supply-
ing water of boiler according to the rules described by
fuzzy control model. Fuzzy control replaces correct
control model that is accurate mathematical model. In
this case, inputs and outputs of control system are not
changed. Fuzzy logic-based regulator can be slightly
158 A.M. Prokhorenkov, A.S. Sovlukov / Computer Standards & Interfaces 24 (2002) 151–159

readjusted by the addition of new rules. There is
shown in Fig. 6 that fuzzy regulator with five rules
has better items as compared with the one with three
rules and, moreover, with PI regulator.
7. Conclusions
Application of fuzzy control laws avoids over-
regulation problems for controlled object (boiler). It
takes place because at any moment, controlling
actions are determined by relation degrees of relation
functions and the number of formulated rules. Con-
tinuous highly accurate control by fuel burning is
provided under realization of optimal exploitation
regimes of boiler aggregates. There exists also the
ability to monitor work regimes of all the needed parts
of boiler aggregates. Application of means for direct
and nondirect measurements gives the ability to fol-
low their current technical state. Complex of the
solved problems increases efficiency and decreases
fuel and electrical energy consumption. Significant
decrease of NOx and CO thrown out into atmosphere
also takes place, improving the ecological state of the
environment.
Alexander Prokhorenkov was born in
1946. He graduated from the Murmansk
State Technical University, Russia. He
worked for several years as an electrome-
chanical engineer on sea ships. From 1973
to 1977, he was Chair Assistant in Mur-
mansk State University and Chair of Ship
Autonomics. From 1977 to 1980, he was a
postgraduate student of Electromechanical
Institute, St. Petersburg, Russia. In 1980,
he was awarded a Candidate’s degree (PhD)
in Engineering. From 1981 up to now, he has been with the Mur-
mansk State University. Currently, starting since 1991, he is Pro-
fessor of the Chair for Ship Automatics and Computer Engineering.
Prokhorenkov was the leader of many international scientific pro-
grams. He took part in numerous international conferences. He is
author/coauthor of many (about 200) scientific publications in con-
ference proceedings and journals.
Prokhorenkov is the Chief of the Research Laboratory for Energy-
Saving and Environment Protection at Murmansk State Technical
University. He is a member of the Council for Control of Ships in
Russian Academy of Sciences and of the International Information
Academy.
Scientific interests of Prokhorenkov cover control sciences, includ-
ing the study of nonstationary processes in controlled and monitored
objects, design of control and monitoring system for such processes,
etc.

References

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[3] M. Mizumoto, H.J. Zimmermann, Comparison of fuzzy reason-
ing methods, Fuzzy Sets and Systems 8 (1982) 253 – 283.
[4] A. Prokhorenkov, V. Glukhikh, Steam Boiler Unit Automation
System, USAID, Washington, 1996, 286 pp.
[5] A.M. Prokhorenkov, Reconstruction of district heating plants on
the base of data – control complexes, Science for Industry 2 (27)
(2000) 51 – 54 (in Russian).
[6] D. Driankov, H. Hellendoorn, M. Reinfrank, An introduction to
Fuzzy Control, Springer Verlag, Heidelberg, New York, 1993.
[7] V.A. Viktorov, B.V. Lunkin, A.S. Sovlukov, Microwave Meas-
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 A.M. Prokhorenkov, A.S. Sovlukov / Computer Standards & Interfaces 24 (2002) 151–159 159

Alexander S. Sovlukov was born in 1947.

In 1971, he graduated from the Physical
Faculty of Moscow State University, Mos-
cow, Russia. In 1971, he joined the Institute
of Control Sciences of Russian Academy of
Sciences, Laboratory of Microwave and
Radiofrequency (RF) Measurements of
Nonelectrical Quantities, Moscow, Russia.
From 1971 to 1973, he was a researcher.
From 1973 to 1975, he was a poststudent.
From 1975 to 1978, he was again a re-
searcher. From 1978 to 1992, he was a senior researcher. Finally,
from 1992 up to now he is head scientist.
In 1977, Sovlukov was awarded a Candidate’s degree (PhD like). In
1992, he was awarded a Doctorate’s degree in Engineering for his
research work in the field of RF and microwave measurements of
nonelectrical quantities.
Sovlukov has authored and coauthored numerous scientific papers
devoted to microwave and RF measurement methods and sensors of
nonelectrical quantities and to basic problems of measurement
science. He is the coauthor of three monographs (in Russian):
‘‘Principle of independence in measurements’’ (1976), ‘‘High fre-
quency method for measurements of nonelectrical quantities’’
(1978) and ‘‘Microwave measurements of technological processes
parameters’’ (1989). He is also the author/coauthor of more than 60
patents of FSU and Russia.
Research interests of Sovlukov are microwave and RF measurement
methods and sensors of nonelectrical quantities including various
technological parameters; industrial applications of microwaves;
methods for significant improvement of sensor sensitivity and
measurement accuracy (general approach); microwave and RF
nondestructive testing; inventional activity in different areas of
industries: suggestion of new and effective devices, installations,
aggregates, etc. for various technological applications.