System and method for preventing an emergency over-speed condition in a rotating machine

A method for preventing an emergency over-speed condition in a rotating machine, the method comprising:

• receiving a design speed limit of a rotating component of the rotating machine;
• calculating one or more overshoot values of the rotating component based on a trip overshoot model of the rotating machine, wherein the trip overshoot model comprises a grey model combining a black box model based on experimental data with a white box model based on physical laws, and wherein the trip overshoot model of the rotating machine is based on a predicted behavior of the rotating machine after tripping the rotating machine, the predicted behavior determined by at least a fuel volume remaining in the rotating machine, an inertia of the rotating component, a response time of a fuel valve, and a component efficiency of the rotating machine;
• determining a boundary of a non-trip operating (NTO) space by subtracting the one or more overshoot values from the design speed limit of the rotating component;
• receiving a speed and an acceleration of the rotating component;
• determining whether at least one of the speed or the acceleration of the rotating component exceeds the NTO space in a speed-acceleration plane comprising a first axis representing speed and a second axis representing acceleration, wherein the NTO space is based on the trip overshoot model;
• and
• tripping the rotating machine in response to determining that the at least one of the speed or the acceleration of the rotating component exceeds the NTO space.

A system for preventing an emergency over-speed condition in a rotating machine, the system comprising:

• at least one processor;
• at least one memory;
• an operating space module stored in the at least one memory and executable by the at least one processor, the operating space module configured to receive a design speed limit of a rotating component of the rotating machine, calculate one or more overshoot values of the rotating component based on a trip overshoot model of the rotating machine, and determine a boundary of a non-trip operating (NTO) space by subtracting the one or more overshoot values from the design speed limit of the rotating component, wherein the trip overshoot model comprises a grey model combining a black box model based on experimental data with a white box model based on physical laws, and wherein the trip overshoot model is based on a predicted behavior of the rotating machine after tripping the rotating machine, the predicted behavior determined by at least a fuel volume remaining in the rotating machine;
• a communication module stored in the at least one memory and executable by the at least one processor, the communication module configured to receive a speed and an acceleration of the rotating component;
• a determination module stored in the at least one memory and executable by the at least one processor, the determination module communicatively coupled to the communication module and configured to determine whether at least one of the speed or the acceleration of the rotating component exceeds the NTO space in a speed-acceleration plane comprising a first axis representing speed and a second axis representing acceleration, wherein the NTO space is based on the trip overshoot model;
• and
• a notification module stored in the at least one memory and executable by the at least one processor, the notification module communicatively coupled to the determination module and configured to trip the rotating machine in response to determining that the at least one of the speed or the acceleration of the rotating component exceeds the NTO space.