Drop-In Replacement Damper Drives for Boilers and Other Combustion Operations

Pedestal mount damper drive, PM Series
Courtesy Rotork

Damper drives are specialty actuators that position air and flue gas dampers on combustion based systems in industrial settings. They can be linear or rotary to meet certain application requirements. The damper positioning is a process control function that is used to increase efficiency, reduce maintenance, control harmful emissions, and lower fuel consumption.

With a very large base of legacy damper drives of the rotary type already installed throughout commercial and industrial markets, there is a need for drop-in replacements for older drives that are worn or not able to provide the level of performance accuracy needed to meet modern operating demands. Rotork, globally recognized manufacturer of valve and damper actuators, has developed a product series within their damper drive line that specifically addresses the drop-in replacement of legacy damper drives.

Rotork's PM and DM Series drives, a portion of the company's Type K Damper Drive line, provide rotary operation in the 30 to 100 degree range and are available as pedestal mount or direct mount versions. As a subset of this broad offering, the company has crafted the FasTrak Series, which are preconfigured as ready-made units to replace common, older legacy damper drives. Twelve models cover the most commonly occurring pneumatic or electric damper drive replacements. The manufacturer states that the FasTrak drives will:

• Bolt to the floor where the old drive was mounted
• The existing link rod and clevis will attach to the FasTraK drive lever
• Simply verify envelope dimensions to assure that there are no external obstructions

A product catalog describing the full line of Type K drive is provided below. Share your combustion application challenges with a product specialist and work together to find the best solutions.

Type K Linear and Rotary Damper Actuators - Rotork from CTi Controltech

Boiler Combustion Efficiency System Pays Dividends

Industrial Boiler

Steam and hot water use is prevalent throughout industrial processes. Production of these two media is most commonly accomplished with a boiler, many of which are heated by combustion of fossil fuel. Fuel fired boilers of a certain size become the focus of regulatory requirements for emissions. All boilers consume what would be construed by their owners as large amounts of costly fuel. Because of their high pressure and temperature, and the presence of a controlled combustion within an occupied facility, safety is a paramount concern.

There, fortunately, is a single solution that can help to attain useful goals with the three concerns of safety, fuel cost, and regulatory compliance. Applying an efficiency controller to manage the fuel to air ratio of the combustion system will deliver benefits far in excess of the cost to incorporate the necessary devices. The three basic goals for the fuel air controller are:

• Maximize fuel efficiency
• Minimize regulated emissions
• Maintain safe operating condition

A good portion of all three goals can be accomplished through careful concerted parallel control of combustion air supply and fuel supply. The fuel air ratio must be subject to continual adjustment in response to current air conditions (which can vary on a daily basis) and the level of O2 in the flue gas. Controlling the air fuel ratio supports the following goals:

• Preventing excess fuel vapors from entering the flue and creating an unsafe condition
• Providing the correct amount of air to effectively combust the fuel supplied to the burner
• Preventing excess air flow from reducing net heat transfer to the feedwater
• Maintaining regulated emissions within required limits
• Limiting fuel consumption to the minimum necessary to meet demand

Fireye® is a leading manufacturer of flame safeguard controls and burner management systems for commercial and industrial applications throughout the world. Their products, the first of which was developed in the 1930's, enhance the safety and efficiency of all fuel fired burners.

There are numerous capabilities built in to the company's PPC4000 series of fuel air ratio controllers. Some of the more notable include:

• Precise fuel air ratio attained using parallel control of servos to regulate fuel and air supplies.
• User selected burner profiles
• Alarm contacts
• PID operation
• An array of inputs and outputs to accommodate sensors and devices needed to monitor and control boiler operation
• Compatible with other products that provide additional flame and burner monitoring safety
• Multiple boiler sequencing and cold start thermal shock protection
• On board boiler efficiency calculation
• User interface, optional larger touchscreen interface

Glance through just the first two pages of the document below to get a full description of the capability of this compact and comprehensive controller. You can get more detailed information, or get a professional evaluation of your current system efficiency, by contacting the combustion experts at CTi Controltech.

Fireye PPC 4000 Combustion Efficiency Controller from CTi Controltech