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The unexpected benefits of unattended boiler operating systems

04 September 2023

Etienne Fourie discusses the theory behind unattended boiler operating systems, and explains how the technology is advancing.

Unattended boiler operating systems have been in use for over 20 years, traditionally by organisations whose operational hours extend beyond the standard and may not have a full gamut of boiler house staff on site during these times.  Recent years have seen a considerable acceleration in both the popularity of these systems and the length of time that they are able to safely operate unattended, going from the usual three days up to seven.  

An unattended boiler operating system permits uninterrupted operation for a set period – usually of up to six months – and unattended steam boiler operation, most commonly for up to three days.

The system can be set at commissioning for daily or three day checks – depending on a risk assessment of the steam process and the degree of monitoring of the water treatment system employed – in accordance with the latest BG01 Guidance on Safe Operation of Boilers.  

Once set up for unattended operation, all the user needs to do is monitor for any operational alarms and undertake a very simple check every three days, which should be able to be completed without interfering with boiler operation and is acknowledged to the boiler control system, thereby ensuring the tests are completed to the operating schedule.  

Most steam boilers can be adapted to work with unattended boiler operating systems and nearly all manufacturers supply such systems.  However, when it comes to very old equipment – 40+ years – the cost and complexity to make it compliant with BG01 would probably make buying a new system a better option.  

Apart from the obvious cost and convenience of being able to run a boiler without operator attendance, unattended boiler operating systems have a number of benefits that are often not considered.

At the top of this list is a lower boiler operation cost.  This is achieved through the replacement of daily boiler water level control checks by a simple 15 minute test every three days. The test can be undertaken without stopping the boiler, thereby avoiding interference with normal production requirements.  Furthermore, the mandatory daily/weekly boiler water level control evaporation test is replaced with a six monthly test, reducing overall manning and operational costs.  Overall energy savings can be achieved when boilers are controlled by an unattended boiler operating system, along with reduced emissions.

Obviously, any savings made have to be offset against the annual cost of the system, but this is a fraction of the cost when compared to the labour savings made, especially if staff are being paid extra to work at weekends or in the evening.

Another benefit is ease of operation. Self-checking burner controls, for example, enable uninterrupted, unattended burner operation.  

Improved safety and conformance with current and future UK & EU legislation is also a key benefit and one that even 24/7 operational sites that are fully staffed are increasingly attracted to.  

Most manufacturers will offer unattended boiler operating systems to accompany their steam generators and boilers, but they are not all equal despite the fact that they do all have to meet BG01. One of the key differentiators between manufacturer’s systems is the human machine interface (HMI) controls and operation. A good system should have in-built data logging of activities and details of HMIs. 

The next level
Three day unattended boiler operating systems (essentially covering a weekend) are the standard and are written in to BG01 Guidance on Safe Operation of Boilers, the revised version of which was released in 2020.  But, with the introduction of seven day unattended boiler operating systems, those guidelines are already behind the curve.  

A relative newcomer to the market, seven day systems operate with the same principle as three day systems but have many additional benefits including extensive data logging, providing the user with valuable information.  Ideally seven day systems should meet BG01 Typical Arrangement 3 with a boiler house risk assessment on both the boiler feed water and returning condensate conditions.  Further water analysis equipment may need to be fitted, along with further boiler house protection systems such as fire detection to meet this high level of unattended operation, but the benefits are considerable.

IRC Cucina’s new Trafford Park centralised kitchen has employed a Babcock Wanson BWD30 fire tube steam boiler which it uses to supply large volumes of steam instantaneously to its sous vide and sauce cooking equipment. The boiler comes with BW7DAYS, a seven day unattended boiler operating system, and features the NAVinergy remote monitoring system which integrates all the components necessary for the supervision and management of the boiler room from any device, anywhere in the world.  For IRC Cucina this solution has proven both cost-effective and reassuring, according to Robert Lishman, General Manager at IRC Cucina. He said: “With remote monitoring and alerts sent direct to wherever you are, you don’t have to worry about how the boiler is performing. The safety systems in place give you the confidence it is running as it should.  It’s really user friendly.  It also avoids the need for constant labour of centralised plant, which is a full-time resource.”

With skilled engineering staff in short supply, more businesses are having to look at other solutions, primarily automation of plant. Unattended boiler operating systems that can provide seven day cover can be a benefit for those needing to address this skills gap.

Etienne Fourie is Technical Sales Manager at Babcock Wanson.


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