Thermoprocessing solu- tions provider Talec Combustion will, this month, install a complete modular burner control system – the first of its kind in South Africa – for a major food manufacturer.

The Modular Control System is an integrated burner and boiler management unit that controls the burner for opti- mum combustion, while simultaneously managing boiler safety systems and interlocks, says Talec principal member Trevor Lotter.

The control panel for the food manufacturer is currently under construction. Lotter reveals that the project turnaround time for the manufacture and installation of each control panel and related safety devices is about three months.

The automatic burner con- trol system is used to control a single burner of any rated capacity. The standard unit can be used for gas and oil burners or for a combination of the two fuels. It can also control the burner blower speeds and oxygen levels to ensure optimum burner safety and efficiency.

Lotter says a range of features can be added for effi- ciency. Flame supervision modules can be added for various sensors such as ioni- sation, ultraviolet sensors, phototransistors and contact inputs.

The system includes an inte- grated valve proving system to test the integrity of gas safety valves, an oxygen probe and control for improving burner efficiency can also be added. Another feature is speed control for combustion fans.

Lotter says one of the benefits of the system is that it can be installed in stages, unlike other systems that need units to be completely installed.

Other benefits of the system include noise reduction from the blower during speed control, electricity savings, reduced stress on the motor and fan and a long actuator service life.

An advantage of using the oxygen control system is that the exhaust gas-measuring probe is fail-safe and suitable for continuous duty in combination with the boiler control system. The oxygen exhaust gas-measuring probe also requires no reference gas.

Weather-related interference is compensated for, thereby improving burner efficiency. Fuel consumption is reduced, as the burner can be regulated with significantly less excess air.

The system is also password protected to prevent tampering or unauthorised changes to the settings. The system can also be controlled using the Internet or on a file transfer protocol server.

A hand-held programmer has a four-line liquid crystal display on which information such as time, date, fault memory, reference values, actual values, number of start-ups, frequency and oxygen values of the burner control system can be displayed.

All inputs and outputs can be checked for wiring defects using the keys on the hand-held programmer. The programmer is also suitable for installation in the control cabinet.

“The system is different to other systems offered in that the capital cost of this system is 30% lower than that of other systems on the market. Also, the modular system allows for the installation of the system in phases, if funds are limited,” says Lotter.

The system was developed by German thermal and pro- cess heating solutions manufacturer Dungs Combustion Controls and, as the Southern African representative, Talec has the rights to distribute and export the products to Southern Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands. The system has been on the market since 2010 and has been used on boilers and burners worldwide.

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