Detroit Thermal Boiler Controls Upgrade, Detroit, MI

FeedForward recently completed two 500,000 lb/hr boiler controls upgrades for Detroit Thermal, a provider of heating steam for downtown Detroit buildings. The project included replacement of Pneumatic Combustion Controls (CCS) and relay logic for Burner Management (BMS). The new CCS and BMS Controls each use fault tolerant ControlLogix processors and I/O connected to Intellution HMI in the central control room.

FeedForward's scope of supply on this project included the following:

• A control system Functional Specification including P & IDs, I/O list, SAMA diagrams, instrument list and graphic displays


• Design and procurement of ControlLogix hardware and software and four enclosures


• Specification and Procurement of new instrumentation and BMS Flame Scanners


• A complete construction package for installation of the control system enclosures, wiring, instruments and power


• Onsite installation supervision and startup support

The project was completed in 2006 and has performed without interruption since then.

DuPont Dowtherm Boiler Controls, Chattanooga, TN

FeedForward completed a control system upgrade for DuPont-Chattanooga to control the Dowtherm system boilers and condensate collection tanks. Our scope of supply included Foxboro I/A control system hardware and software, application engineering, factory testing and startup support. The total system includes 200 I/O points, four main graphic displays, 100 overlays and 40 controller outputs for various boiler controls. FeedForward provided the characterization and tuning during startup. The system is now operational in the automatic mode.

DuPont Liquid Crystal Polymer, Reactors, Evaporators and Tank Controls

FeedForward completed a Foxboro I/A Control System for a complex batching process for DuPont's Specialty Polymers. The system included four operator workstations, two I/A controllers and approximately 500 I/O points. The control configuration included recipe management and a unique sequence control strategy. FeedForward's scope of supply included hardware and software procurement, software and graphics configuration, factory testing and on-site startup support.

DuPont Nylon Flake Handling Controls

This nylon flake handling system modernization used an existing Allen-Bradley PLC network and layered an RSView 32 MMI as a replacement for TCP Smart Screens. There are eight PLCs, two data server PCs (one of these runs the RSWorks development software), and eight client PC operator stations. The PCs and PLCs communicate on an Ethernet LAN. The system has a hot cutover requirement to substitute bus communication from DH and DH+ to Ethernet. The system has approximately 8000 tags. (System configuration is shown on the attached diagram)

DuPont Engineered Polymer Autoclave Controls

FeedForward has completed a project to convert an existing Autoclave Reactor Process from Modicon 984 PLCs to ControlLogix with a Wonderware HMI. FeedForward was responsible for implementing a new process description into ControlLogix for regulatory, discrete, interlock and sequence control requirements. The ControlLogix Sequential Function Chart (SFC) method is being used as a master scheduler for the phase step logic for the polymerization process.

FeedForward's scope of supply included an upgrade to the existing Wonderware HMI, developing an overall control system configuration for four reactors, ControlLogix configuration and factory staging and testing. Onsite installation and startup support was also included.

FeedForward completed the chilled water plant portion of a control system project to provide Allen-Bradley ControlLogix Controls for a central heating and cooling plant for the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. The follow on phase included controls for a co-generation facility to provide power and steam for the chillers along with a tie to the local electric utility (PEPCO) grid. The overall Scope of Supply includes:

• Supervisory controls for eight new 2000 ton York chillers to provide chilled water to five Smithsonian Institution buildings and to monitor energy use by each building.


• Remote energy metering with ControlLogix processors tied to the main processor via fiber optic to calculate the cost of chilled water for each building.


• Supervisory controls for a dual turbine 10MW co-gen facility with boiler controls for a new duct burner of turbine exhaust gas.


• A Synchronization and Load Management panel to provide an interface to the PEPCO grid for power import and export. FeedForward installed and tested new chiller controls and the factory tested co-gen/boiler controls.

City of Flint

FeedForward provided new instrumentation and a Rockwell Automation control system and Operator Workstations for four sludge burning incinerators. The controls were part of a major overhaul to reduce emissions,improve air quality and provide better control system reliability. FeedForward designed, procured, and configured the new controls and operator graphics and connected the new controllers to field instruments and motors using the latest fieldbus and network technologies.

US Steel

At US Steel in Detroit, FeedForward upgraded legacy instrumentation and controls on two large gas boilers fueled with by-product blast furnace and coke oven gases or natural gas. The project improved reliability and efficiency by significantly reducing usage of natural gas and provided high ROI to US Steel through more uptime and lower fuel costs. FeedForward specified and procured new instrumentation, the Emerson Delta V DCS and designed and configured the hardware and software to accommodate rapid changes in the fuel supply - without tripping the boiler. US Steel is now realizing significant ROI through increased uptime and reduced natural gas cost.

Aventine Ethanol Plant

FeedForward completed startup on one pulverized coal boiler and two chaingrate stoker fed boilers at Williams Bio-Energy in Illinois. The pulverized boiler produces 300,000 lb/hour of steam for in-house power and process steam. A Foxboro I/A System was installed with fault tolerant CP30s, an AW51(B) and two WP51(B)s, and associated FBMs for analog and digital controls.

Scope of work for the Aventine Plant included:

• Developing a new control strategy to improve response of the Boiler


• Configuring the controls and graphics to meet Operations needs


• Providing start-up support and boiler tuning services

The improved control strategy used a calculated Coal BTU Flow to the furnace. The basis for the coal flow measurement is the sum of the coal feeder speeds. The summed speed is multiplied by a correction factor based on the total boiler heat release. The steam inventory in the boiler is taken into account by acting on changes in the drum pressure. If the drum pressure is constant, the derivative (lead) function on the drum pressure signal adds a value of zero to the compensated steam flow. If the Coal BTU Flow to the furnace and the total boiler heat release values match, the difference is zero and the input to the multiplier does not change. If the total boiler heat release is greater or less than the Coal BTU Flow reference, then the multiplier is changed by an integrator until the two signals balance thereby providing the proper coal feeder speed signal.

In 2000, FeedForward implemented a complete Yokogawa CS-1000 DCS on a grass roots Ethanol Plant for Heartland Grains at Huron, SD. The system includes 800 I/O points, two operator stations and four field control stations on the VL-Net Bus. The processes include corn handling, cooking, fermentation, purification, drying and evaporation. The controls for the process included standard regulatory and discrete control and numerous interlocking and sequence controls for the various areas of the plant. FeedForward was responsible for the entire hardware and software configuration, including 25 graphic displays for the operator interface. The scope included a rigorous factory test and on-site startup support.

FeedForward has now upgraded the DCS to the latest Yokogawa hardware and software, the CS3000 system. This system upgrade was done in conjunction with a plant expansion which includes equipment upgrades and a mole sieve.

Abengoa BioEnergy

York, NE - Yokogawa DCS Upgrades

FeedForward has completed numerous projects for Abengoa at their ethanol plant in York, NE. The DCS is a Yokogawa Centum CS3000. Regulatory and advanced sequence control was implemented on a four-bottle molecular sieve, boilers, fermenters, and beer feed heat exchanges. FeedForward was responsible for hardware selection and acquisition, regulatory control, and sequence configuration, including graphic displays, group displays and overlays for the operator interface. The boiler upgrades included a new control strategy to implement parallel-metered, cross-limited with oxygen trim control. A plant header master control provides demand signals to the two individual boiler master controllers. Similar to our work for Colwich, FeedForward upgraded the entire Yokogawa DCS at York to a new CS3000 system. FeedForward provided the design engineering, hardware, software and programming for the new DCS.

Commercial Reference: Mr. Danny Allison
(636) 728-0508
Technical Reference: Mr. Mike Kriewald
(505) 356-3555

Abengoa BioEnergy

York, NE - New BioMass Based Ethanol Plant

FeedForward provided a Yokogawa CS3000 DCS for a Pilot Facility to produce ethanol using various types of BioMass as feed stock. Corn stover and wheat straw are the primary feed materials. The project included fault tolerant controllers and equipment to connect several hundred field devices. FeedForward's scope included DCS design, procurement, configuration and factory testing. We were also responsible for specification and procurement of instruments. The total I/O was increased to 600 points and includes an interface to several Allen-Bradley Control Logix PLCs to control filtration and the boilers.

FeedForward configured the controls and graphics to accommodate new unit operations associated with washing, slurrying and separating the BioMass.

Abengoa BioEnergy

Ravenna, NE - New 84 MGY Ethanol Plant

FeedForward has completed a Yokogawa DCS project for Abengoa Bioenergy's new 84MGY Ethanol Plant located in Ravenna, Nebraska. The full scope project included DCS design, procurement, enclosures and control room equipment, software configuration and factory testing. A complete DCS wiring and installation package was also included, along with on-site support for checkout and commissioning.

The DCS design includes a Communication Network to connect 1000 fieldbus instruments, 300 Profibus Motors and 10 PLCs. FeedForward's scope included the segment design for fieldbus, the ASi bus design for motors and configuration of the PLC interfaces. FeedForward has now completed two additional sister plants in Illinois and Indiana.

Denver, CO - National Renewable Energy Lab Biorefinery Controls and Instruments

FeedForward provided instrumentation and controls for the DOE National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) in Denver. NREL operates a Biorefinery Research Facility to convert various Biomass feed stocks into C5 and C6 Sugars for fermentation and ethanol production. Under a subcontract to Mortenson Construction, FeedForward will specified and provided the field instruments and valves, the control system design and functional requirements, and DCS hardware and installation drawings.

Albemarle Chemical Plant Spectrum Migration to I/A

FeedForward completed a full scope project to replace a Spectrum Multi-Station and eight workstations with a Unix-based Foxboro I/A System. The new system included a Spectrum Migration Integrator to two Fault Tolerant CP40s, one AW51(B), one WP51(B) and six terminals connected to the AW and WP. The buildout included 900 I/O points, 50 FoxView graphic displays, and unique sequence controls developed for automatic bromine transfer to Albemarle's customer. FeedForward's scope of supply included developing the control database, duplicating the SMS controls and sequences in I/A, building and configuring displays and faceplates, and conducting a thorough factory test prior to shipment to the site. Albemarle and FeedForward collaborated on-site to cutover the process controls from the SMS to I/A with less than a two day outage. FeedForward provides continuing on-site services to the customer.

Reichhold Chemicals Dowtherm Vaporizer Controls, Newark, NJ

FeedForward completed a Dowtherm Vaporizer controls upgrade using Yokogawa hardware and software. The scope of work included upgraded digital controls for boiler operation, flash tank, condensate tank, fuel oil delivery and associated pumps and blowers. As part of the project, FeedForward implemented an improved control strategy which combusts air and fuel based upon pressure in the Flash Tank. The combustion controls use a metered cross-limiting function between fuel and air based upon BTU input. O2 trim is also employed in this function. FeedForward developed and programmed the equations to implement this regulatory control strategy in the new Yokogawa DCS. The scope also included a new operator MMI on graphic displays, and on-site startup and tuning support.

Reichhold Chemicals Raw Materials Handling: this batch project was for the modification of existing logic to include additional raw materials, addition of weight batch tanks to confirm mass flow meters and new valve manifolds for five batch reactors on a Yokogawa MicroXL DCS. Batch logic and graphic panel modifications were required to complete the project.

FeedForward upgraded an existing Yokogawa Yewpack Mark II DCS to a Yokogawa CentumCS 1000 DCS. The batch process produces a rheological paint additive through a two-step reaction. The CS Batch 1000 recipe and batch management package, which is ISA S88.01 compliant is used to operate and monitor the batch process. The unit operations include polymer drying, raw material flow and weight charging, reaction, mixing the polymer with solvent and water, and material transfer. In addition to the batch and sequence logic, the field control station performs regulatory control, discrete control, and interlocks. FeedForward completed the hardware and software configuration, including ten operator interface graphic displays. The scope included a factory test and on-site start up support.

Green Bay Packaging Paper Machine #1 and #2 Control Optimization and Upgrade

FeedForward successfully completed a major project to implement a new Foxboro I/A DCS on two paper machines at Green Bay Packaging. The project scope included implementing over 1500 I/O points to support replacement of the Machine Tenders Control Room and the Stock Prep Control Room with a new I/A based Control Room. The project included the following activities:

• Site Walkdowns and Twenty New P & IDs for all Processes


• Development of I/O List and Control Function Diagrams


• Approximately 80 Graphic Displays and 500 Controllers


• Complete Software Configuration and HMI


• Factory Staging and Testing of eight ME 32s and 14 Workstations


• Instrument Location Drawings for Construction


• On-site Commissioning and Startup Support for Hot Cutovers

All Wet and Dry End processes were included in the scope. As a result of exceptional performance, FeedForward received a scope expansion to implement Foxboro I/A controls on a new Valmet Headbox and Fourdrinier on Paper Machine #2, and now have a continuing service agreement with Green Bay Packaging.

FeedForward partnered with McBurney and Blue Ridge Paper to upgrade the controls on coal fired four power boilers at a mill in North Carolina. McBurney provided new burners and the BMS and FeedForward completed the Foxboro I/A controls and HMI for the entire plant. Our scope of work included the following:

• Configure and factory test Foxboro I/A controls and graphics for four boilers.


• Configure a gateway from the BMS PLC to the Foxboro I/A system and setup four BMS displays.


• Provide on-site startup support for four separate boiler startups.