Electronic Pellet Burner Controller - NPBC-V3-1
Electronic Pellet Burner Controller - NPBC-V3-1
INTRODUCTION
NPBC-V3-1 is a smart, functionally completed controller, designed to control a pellet burner and
heating and hot water installations. All necessary mechanisms and sensors along with the circulation
pumps of the water heater and the heating installations can be directly connected to the controller.
Through simple setup menus for all work parameters, NPBC-V3-1 can be easily adapted to every
burner and installation.
The controller is designed to be built in as OEM product in new-made burners. The following can be
connected to it:
• Electric feed screw motor to transfer pellets from the bunker to the burner (power up to 180W)
• Electric internal auger motor to forward the fuel to the burning area (power up to 180W)
• Main blower with smooth speed control to regulate the air flow (power up to 180W)
• Cleaner motor - an additional high power blower to clean the burner ( power up to 800W)
• Heater for firing the pellets ( power up to 550W)
• Hot water circulation pump (power up to 180W)
• Central heating circulation pump (power up to 180W)
• Photo sensor to detect ignition
• Temperature sensor or thermostat to control the backfire
• Temperature sensor to control the water in the boiler
• Temperature sensor for the hot water heater
• Room thermostat to control the burning according to the room temperature.
• Settings for all the parameters of the ignition and burning processes
• RS-232 interface for PC for remote monitoring, control or software upgrade.
• Supports date and time and can be programmed with up to three working periods for the burner
during day.
• Full self diagnostic of the hardware and sensors. If a problem occurs, a short message with the
reason appears and, if necessary, the work mode automatically changes.
• An option to set up automatic clean-ups from 1 to 4 times for twenty four hours, providing
independent continuous performance with no attendance needed.
• Automatic three-level power regulation for reaching the set temperature in the boiler and
additional temporary Suspend mode to avoid ignition and extinction cycles during temporary
reduction of needed energy.
• Control of the pumps of the heating installation and hot water installation from the same
controller.
Hydraulic scheme of the outside heating and hot water installation, controlled by NPBC-V3
The controller consists two modules: Executive module and Control module. They are connected
with 4 wired cable.
Outputs Inputs
FM Main fan RT Room thermostat
FSG PS Photo sensor
A1 RB Reverse burning sensor
A2 B Boiler temperature sensor
CS WH Water heater temperature sensor
CA SA2 Auxiliary input 2
SF Screw for fuel PT
SB Internal screw AT
PH Heating installation pump OD
PWH Hot water heater pump SA1
IGN Ignition heater NA1
FC Fan for cleaning HES
EXPLOITATION INSTRUCTIONS
Press the F button to switch the work mode or to turn off the burner:
Check sign
By pressing “▲” or “▼” buttons, move up or down the check sign „√“, which indicates the mode you
are going to select. The following pressing the F button switches to the selected mode.
Work modes:
• Standby – Turn off the burner. If it was working by the moment of switching to this mode, the
fire will be automatically extinguished. In the work mode field will be shown „Standby”.
• Auto – Automatic mode. By selecting this mode the burner automatically starts and during the
work process keeps the set temperature. In the work mode field will be shown „Auto”.
• Programme – This mode has additional programming periods of the day when boiler's work is
allowed. In this mode the burner starts and regulates the set temperature only during the time
intervals allowed by the timer. In the work mode field appears a timer and the time of the
next turning on or off, depending which is next. For example means a turning off
is coming next at 22:00h .
If the clock is not set (its indication blinks) then pressing the F button switches to the time setting
screen (Set Time) instead of mode menu.
By selecting this mode, a choice for the external installation, which is going to be heated by the boiler,
appears:
• CH Priority – only the building heating installation works. The circulation pump turns on
when the temperature of the water in the boiler gets higher than the set temperature in the menu
CH Setup. The pump works until the temperature of the water gets lower than the set
temperature. When the room thermostat activates due to reaching the set temperature, the pump
keeps working, but the burner's power starts to decrease with one power level down on time
intervals set from the menu Burning Shutdown. At the end it goes through Suspend mode too
before it turns off. If the room thermostat goes back to its normal condition before the burner is
off, it will continue its work according to the temperature of the water in the boiler. If the room
thermostat is active for longer period (the time for Burning Shutdown + Suspend time has run
out) the burner turns off and will be ignited again after the thermostat gets back to its normal
condition.
• DHW Priority – the domestic hot water heater (DHW) has a priority in heating. The pump of
the water heater's installation turns on when all of the following conditions are implemented:
• The temperature of the water in the boiler is above 35oC
• The difference between the temperature of the water in the boiler and in the water heater
is above 5oC
• The temperature of the water in the water heater is lower than the temperature set in the
menu DHW Setup, line Set Temp.
After reaching the set temperature, the circulation pump turns off and then turns back on again
when the temperature of the water in the water heater gets lower than the difference Set Temp
– Hysteresis in the menu DHW Setup. When the water heater reaches the set temperature, if
the room thermostat is activated from the menu Addons Acctivation, the central heating
installation's pump turns on. In this case, if the room thermostat activates because of reaching
the set temperature and if the temperature of the water in the water heater is higher than Set
Temp – Hysteresis, the burner switches to Suspend mode. After the set time for Suspend
mode runs out, the burner turns off. It turns on again when the temperature of the water in the
boiler gets lower than the set temperature minus the temperature difference set for the second
power level in the menu Burn Level. The conditions for the circulation pumps of the water
heater or the heating installation should be implemented, as well.
• For a normal heat exchange, the set temperature of the boiler must be at least 5
degrees higher than the set temperature of the water heater!
• If the room thermostat is not activated in the menu Addons Activation, the temperature
in the rooms is considered as not reached and the central heating circulation pump
While the burner is working, the “heating installation” field shows one of the following symbols:
• both the building's central heating installation and the hot water heater's installation work
While in automatic mode, the only purpose of the controller is reaching and maintaining the set
temperature in the boiler. Besides, the controller takes care of the periodical cleaning procedures for
the burner. The frequency of these procedures can be set by Auto Clean Setup menu.
If you decide that there is no need for the boiler to work twenty four hours, you can use the options for
limitation of the work time in this mode. By choosing the Programme mode a screen with time
intervals appears:
After confirming your choice by pressing the F button, a screen for choosing the external installation
appears. It is the same as in Auto mode. While working in this mode, on the upper left side of the
screen appears the time of the next operation which would be turning on (On) or turning off (Off) the
burner:
Programme mode
At 22:00h the burner
turns off
To turn off the controller press F and choose Standby. The screen will take the following view:
Work mode of the heated
external installation
After that an extinguishing the fire and cleaning the burner procedures start automatically.
The complete extinguishing the fire and cleaning the burner takes time. It is normal if the burner’s and
the boiler’s aggregates continue working after selecting this mode.
The circulation pumps could work if the condition for them to be on are implemented even if the
burner is off. This allows the rest of the heat energy of the water in the boiler to be used.
When the controller’s screen is in base position, by pressing the ▲ (+) or ▼(-) you enter in a mode for
changing the temperature. Confirm the settings by pressing the ↵ (Enter) button or automatically by
pressing no buttons for 6 seconds.
If there is a water heater installation , controlled by this controller, to assure the normal heat
exchange process to the water in the water heater, the set temperature here must be at least 5 degrees
higher than the temperature in the menu DHW Setup, line Set Temp.
While on main screen, by pressing the Enter button the additional information in the lower left side
changes:
set temperature
current date
Description of the
problem/problems
When a sign „Е“ for a registered problem is presented, you have to check what the problem is by
pressing the Enter button. The possible messages are listed above.
WORKING METHOD
The burner can work either in continuous automatic mode (Auto) or in mode with timers. When it is
in a timer mode, the burner works only during the intervals of the day set by the user. While working,
the burner goes through several stages: cleaning, igniting, burning, extinguishing, cleaning again and
initial state.
Every ignition begins with a cleaning cycle, which is indicated by the symbol for a fan in the upper
right corner of the screen (field work phase). The purpose is to clean all leftovers of the previous
burning. At first, for a certain time, set in the Cleaning on Start menu, only the primary fan works and
after that the additional cleaning fan turns on, if there is any and if it is activated from the Hardware
Setup menu. After that the burner goes to igniting phase.
The igniting is indicated by the symbol in the upper right corner of the screen (field work phase).
A portion of pellets, which is going to be ignited by the electrical heater and the fan, is loaded. When
the flame sensor indicates the pellets are burning, a symbol appears in the flame indicator field and
the burner goes to burning phase. If the pellets do not ignite before the set time is up, a new portion of
pellets is loaded and a new attempt for ignition is made. After as many retries as set in the menu
General Setup, if there still is no fire, the burner stops and a message Ignition fail appears.
The logic on igniting is as follows:
1. At first the heater turns on and works without air fan for as long as it is set in the menu Cycle
Setup, line Heater. The purpose is to heat up faster. Should watch out for the heater not to get
overheated and damaged, if the time for turning on the cooling is too long!
2. At the same time, while turning on the heater, a dose of pellets is fed for so long as it is set in
the menu: General Setup , line Feed.
3. After the time for the heater, working without air fan, runs out, there are two more steps on
which the air fan turns on. The idea is that the air fan works less intensive at first, so that it
doesn't extinguish the fire, but only keeps the needed oxygen level. After the fire is steady, the
fan's speed can be increased for full igniting of all the pellets.
4. If the photo sensor detects enough light, which can be set from the menu IR Level Setup, line
, the ignition cycle breaks off and the burner goes to work mode. Two parameters are used for
recognizing the light level – light level, measured by the photo sensor and time the illumination
is over this level.
When turning off, no matter manually or by a timer, the burner goes to extinguishing phase. This is
indicated by the symbol in the upper right corner of the screen. The fuel loading stops and the fan
runs on low speed for preventing a back fire to the container with pellets, while the rest of the pellets
burn out. When the sensor indicates that there is no fire, the burner goes to cleaning phase and after
that in initial state.
The controller can be set for up to 4 automatic intermediate cleanings for twenty four hours. At the
time set for automatic cleaning the burner turns off, cleans and then starts automatically.
USER SETTINGS
To enter settings mode press and hold the F button for 1.5 seconds. User settings are always available
no matter in what mode the burner is working at the moment.
When the controller is in settings mode, the buttons have the following functions:
• The Enter button switches to the next editable field, if any
• ▲ and ▼ buttons increase or decrease the current value. If you hold the button, the value
automatically changes in the relevant direction. If the setting requests a choice from a list of
options the button ▲ selects the previous option and the button▼ the next, if any.
• The F button forwards to the next setting screen and if any of the parameters has been changed,
it confirms the new values. If this was the last setting screen the controller goes back to the
main screen.
• If no buttons have been pressed for awhile, the controller shows the main screen and ignores
the changes made on the current screen.
Contrast
Language
FACTORY SETTINGS
Factory settings are used for adapting the controller to the specifics of the burner, the pellets which are
going to be used and the boiler installation. To enter factory settings mode press and hold the F and the
Enter buttons together for 3 seconds. Information about the hardware and the software version of the
controller appears on the screen:
Cleaning on Start – set the work time for the main (Fan) and the additional (Cleaner) air fan for
the cleaning cycle before ignition
Cleaning after extinction caused by Back Burning alarm – Cleaning on BB – sets the work time
for the main (Fan) and the additional (Cleaner) air fan for the cleaning cycle if a back burning alarm
has been registered.
General Setup - - set the number of ignition attempts (Retries) and the work time of the auger
for initial feed (Feed).
Ignition cycle setup - Cycle Setup – adjust the work time of the heater before the fan turns on
and the following two work modes of the fan, which include speed and duration.
Work time on lower power until the fire flares up – Burning Startup – Right after ignition, the
burner doesn't work on its full power to prevent extinction of the unsteady fire. It works first on its two
lower power levels indicated by and . From this menu you can set the work time for each of
these two power levels
Burn Level – set limits for power regulation. Set the difference between the set temperature and the
boiler temperature for each level.
If the temperature difference
is more than 10 degrees, the
burner works on its 3rd level
If the temperature difference is If the temperature difference is
between 0 and 5 degrees, the between 5 and 10 degrees, the
burner works on its 1st level burner works on its 2nd level
3rd level - Setup – adjust the work mode for 3rd power level (maximum power). Set the active
time of the auger when loading a portion of pellets, the cycle time before loading a new portion of
pellets and the speed of the fan.
This screen means the following: on 3rd power level, on every 30 seconds (Cycle), the auger loads
pellets for 5 seconds (Feed). The fan works on 100% of its power (Fan).
2nd level - Setup - adjust the work mode for 2nd power level. Set the active time of the auger
when loading a portion of pellets, the cycle time before loading a new portion of pellets and the speed
of the fan.
1st level - Setup - adjust the work mode for 1st power level. Set the active time of the auger when
loading a portion of pellets, the cycle time before loading a new portion of pellets and the speed of the
fan.
Suspend – adjust the Suspend mode. Set the active time of the auger when loading a portion of
pellets, the cycle time before loading a new portion of pellets and the speed of the fan. Settings here
are the same as above.
Smooth extinction of the fire – Burning Shutdown – When the room thermostat activates due to
reaching the set temperature while the controller is working in CH Priority mode, the burner
smoothly decreases the power level and if the room thermostat remains active, it shuts down. The
burner goes through each power level and works on it for as long as it is set in the menu below:
If the burner is working on
this power level, in 60 seconds
it will switch to the lower one
Suspend Time – adjust the maximum duration for maintaining the fire. If there is no need for
increasing the power for longer than the time set in this setting, the burner turns off.
Intermediate cleaning – Interm. Cleaning – This cleaning method uses a periodical increasing the
power of the blower, without extinguishing the fire before that. The setting parameters are: Cycle – the
period between two cleaning cycles, Fan – duration of the cleaning procedure (first line) and power
level of the air fan and of the exhaust fan during this procedure (second line). The output for the
cleaning motor (FC) might be supplied, too, during these intermediate cleanings.
On every 60 minutes
the main fan's power
will be increased
If the box is checked,
the cleaning fan (FC output) It works for 30 seconds
will work, too
on 75% of its power
Automatic clean up - Auto Clean Setup – adjust the number of intermediate automatic cleanings
for twenty four hours (Clean Count) and the start time of one of them (Start) (the rest of the cleanings
are evenly distributed for the next twenty four hours).
Hardware Setup – gives the opportunity to deactivate the internal auger motor (Burner Feeder) and
the additional cleaning fan (Cleaner Motor), if the burner does not have these options. If Tstat NO is
checked, the room thermostat will be with normally opened sockets.
Burner feeder active time set - Burner Feeder – adjust the internal auger motor's (if any) active
time. It turns on at the same time with the main feed screw motor. The active time of the burner feeder
depends on the percents of the active time of the feed screw motor and the additional constant time.
For example, if the feed screw motor works for 5 seconds for each cycle, the percentage setting is
150% and the additional constant time is 5 seconds, then the internal auger motor will start spinning at
the same time with the feed screw motor and will stop in 7.5+5=12.5 seconds. The point of this
settings is to provide enough time for the pellets to move from one end of the burner feeder to the
other.
Activating additional peripheral devices – Addons Activation – this setting activates the additional
outputs for central heating circulation pump CH Pump and domestic water heater circulation pump
DHW Pump. Thermostat activates the option to work with a room thermostat.
Flame sensor settings - IR Level Setup – adjusts the limits of the flame sensor for recognizing
ignition and extinction and the minimum time for keeping these rates to confirm the condition. Each
row’s format is: <illumination level>/<time for keeping this level>
Maximum temperature - Set Temperature – adjust the upper limit of the range for the boiler’s
temperature
Test turning on of the rest of the outputs – Test Outputs – When a row is checked, power is
supplied to this output for test purposes.