Gas turbine power plant control apparatus having a multiple backup control system
AssigneeWestinghouse Electric Corp.
InventorsRobert A. Yannone, James J. Shields
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A gas turbine power plant is provided with an industrial gas turbine which drives a generator coupled to a power system through a breaker. The turbine-generator plant is operated by a hybrid control system having digital function capability during sequenced startup, synchronizing, load buildup and steady state load, and shutdown operations. The control system also contains monitoring and protective subsystems which function through all stages of operation, with redundancy and permissive features which maximize turbine availability.
Claims40
A gas turbine electric power plant comprising:
- a. a gas turbine, having compressor, combustion and turbine elements;
- b. a generator coupled to said gas turbine for drive power;
- c. a generator breaker for coupling the generator to a power system;
- d. a fuel system for supplying fuel to said gas turbine combustion element;
- e. a control system having a plurality of control paths, each of which generates a respective control signal, and including at least two control paths which generate respective temperature backup control signals which are functions of the temperature at respective different portions of said gas turbine;
- f. a first of said temperature control paths provding a relatively fast response and a second of said temperature control paths providing a relatively slower response to its respective turbine temperature condition;
- g. each of said temperature control paths containing means for generating setpoint signals, said at least two control paths having respective generated setpoint signals which are independent during a first phase of said turbine operation and common during a second phase of said turbine operation;
- and
- h. means for selecting one of said control signals and operating said fuel system in response thereto.
A gas turbine electric power plant comprising:
- a. a gas turbine, having compressor, combustion and turbine elements;
- b. a generator coupled to said gas turbine for drive power;
- c. a generator breaker for coupling the generator to a power system;
- d. a fuel system for supplying fuel to said gas turbine combustion element;
- e. a control system having a plurality of control paths, each of said paths having an input representing a monitored operating condition of said gas turbine, said system having at least one open loop control path, each of said control paths being adapted to generate a respective control signal;
- f. means for operating said fuel system, and adapted to receive a signal of a given type;
- g. means for selecting one of the generated signals of said control paths, said means being adapted to provide an output signal of the same type as used in said fuel system operating means and including means for connecting said output signal directly to said fuel system operating means;
- and
- h. said control system including means for limiting the output rate of said signal select means so as to limit the actuation rate of said fuel system operating means.
A gas turbine electric power plant comprising:
- a. a gas turbine, having compressor, combustion and turbine elements;
- b. a generator coupled to said gas turbine for drive power;
- c. a generator breaker for coupling the generator to a power system;
- d. a fuel system for supplying fuel to said gas turbine combustion element;
- e. a control system for producing a turbine control signal, comprising a plurality of control paths, each control path having an input representative of a respective turbine operating condition and producing a control signal responsive to said turbine condition, each said control path being continuously closed, and containing a plurality of sensors for producing a signal representative of said condition and means for generating an input signal from said plurality of sensors, said generating means generating an alarm signal while permitting normal turbine operation when the variance of the output of said sensors is detected to be greater than a predetermined amount;
- f. means for operating said fuel system;
- g. means for selecting one of the generated signals of said control paths, and which provides an output signal of the same type as used in said fuel system operating means and connected directly to said fuel system operating means;
- and
- h. said control system including means for limiting the output rate of said signal select means so as to limit the actuation rate of said fuel system operating means.
In a gas turbine electric power plant comprising a gas turbine, having compressor, combustion and turbine elements, a generator coupled to said gas turbine for drive power, a generator breaker for coupling the generator to a power system, a fuel system for supplying fuel to said gas turbine combustion element, and means for operating said fuel system, which means are adapted to receive a control signal of a given type, a control system comprising:
- a. a plurality of control paths, each of said paths having first means for sensing a respective predetermined turbine operating condition and developing a respective input signal representative of such condition, second means for generating a setpoint signal, and third means for generating a control signal which is a predetermined function of said input signal and said setpoint signal;
- b. means for selecting one of the generated signals of said control paths, said selected signal being said operating means control signal;
- c. means for limiting the output rate of said signal select means so as to limit the actuation rate of said operating means;
- d. each of said means comprised in said control system being modular;
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- e. transducer means for causing said output signal to be of the same type as used in said operating means.
A method of operating a gas turbine electric power plant, said plant comprising a gas turbine having compressor, combustion and turbine elements, a generator coupled to said gas turbine for drive power, a generator breaker for coupling the generator to a power system, a fuel system for supplying fuel to said gas turbine combustion element, and means for operating said fuel system, said method comprising:
- a. generating a plurality of control path signals, including at least two temperature backup control signals which are functions of the temperature at respective different portions of said gas turbine;
- b. generating a first of said backup control signals to represent a relatively fast response of its respective temperature turbine condition, and generating a second of said backup control signals to represent a relatively slower response of its respective turbine temperature condition;
- c. the step of generating said control path signals including, for each of said backup control signals, generating a setpoint signal, and generating said backup signals independently and as a function of their respective setpoint signals during a first predetermined portion of said turbine operation, and as a function of a common one of said setpoint signals during a second predetermined portion of said turbine operation;
- and
- d. selecting one of said control signals and operating said fuel system in response thereto.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.