Description:
<jats:p> This paper describes the simulation of the effect on overall carbon monoxide and oxygen readings of alterations to the air inlet valve of each of a number of burners sharing a common flue. Built as part of the development program of a rule-based system for combustion control in a multiple burner furnace in the steel industry it has proved to be an invaluable tool. It is now being used to aid the adaptation of the rule-based system for use on other multiple burner furnaces and on boiler plants. </jats:p><jats:p> Every burner in the installation is represented by a number of perfect burners which in turn are represented by Prolog facts in a relational database. Changes to the burners and readings of carbon monoxide and oxygen from the common flue are accomplished by Prolog predicates operating on the database as are changes in firing level and degeneration of the burners over time. Prolog was initially chosen for ease of interfacing with the rule-based system but was found to be an ideal language for writing the simulation although elegance of expression often had to be sacrificed to brute force for it to run effi ciently on a micro computer. </jats:p><jats:p> The output of the functional simulation of a two burner installation under the control of the rule-based system is compared with that of a two burner boiler under the control of the same system. The response of the two is shown to be similar under a broad range of operating conditions. </jats:p>