It just heats water right? What does the computer do?
In: Technology
Along with other’s explanations, the computer controls the whole firing cycle of the boiler. And of course depends on what type of boiler and it’s use. Computers in boilers do perform the same duties as analog controllers used to.
For a typical steam boiler, in sequence this includes: Pre-purges the firebox for any un-burned fuel, (natural gas fumes or atomized oil as examples) with the burner fan; Opening of the pilot-light valve, ignition of & sensing pilot ignition; Opening the main fuel valve and sensing the fuel ignition via the pilot-light; Sensing boiler pressure and maintaining a desired pressure via high or low firing of the fuel; After shutdown of the boiler post-purges the fire box to expel un-burned fuel, (if any).
Just to simplify, it’s the computer, (the “brain”), that takes info from various sensors and controls them accordingly. So, say a pilot-light is not sensed by thermocouple on the pilot assembly, the computer then will not get the signal from it, so therefore the computer will not send a signal to the main burner fuel valve to open for firing off.
More to it, of course, but you get the idea. Lots to it! Which when anyone asks what I did for a living before retiring, I tell them I “Oh, I just boiled water”, hah. Same as much as what you thought, OP. Then I tell them to go look up boiler operator or stationary engineer…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stationary_engineer
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boiler_(power_generation)
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