System for initializing a backup computer in a multiple computer electric power plant and turbine control system to provide turbine and plant operation with reduced time for backup computer availability

A steam turbine system operative to receive motive steam and drive an electric generator and produce electric power, said turbine comprising a plurality of turbine sections, a plurality of throttle and governor valves for directing steam through said turbine sections, and a control system including at least a first digital computer and a second digital computer, means for generating input signals representing predetermined process variables associated with said steam turbine including speed and load, means for coupling the input signals to both of said computers, each of said computers having means for controlling its sequential programmed operation and including substantially identical means for generating control outputs for operating said throttle and governor valves of said steam turbine as a function of the input signals, said control output generating means including means for generating a speed or load reference, means for generating a speed or load demand from the speed or load reference and the actual speed or load, means responsive to the speed or load demand for generating the control outputs for the valves and substantially satisfying the speed or load reference, means for sensing predetermined control system malfunctions, means for coupling the outputs of one of said computers to operate said steam turbine valves, means for substantially conforming the structure of the other computer to the structure of said one computer in real time including means for generating predetermined turbine control outputs in the other computer substantially equal to corresponding ones from said one computer, means for data linking said computers, each of said computers including means for initializing itself after a stoppage including means for transferring the status of predetermined initialization variables over said data link means from one of said computers in control to the other computer being initialized, and means for executing a transfer in the control of the steam turbine from said one computer to said other computer substantially without disturbing the power generation when said sensing means detects a control system malfunction and after said other computer is initialized.

A method for operating an electric power plant having at least a steam generator and a steam turbine having throttle and governor valves and a control system which includes at least two digital computers, the steps of said method comprising generating input signals representing predetermined process variables associated with said steam generator, generating input signals representing predetermined process variables associated with said steam turbine, coupling the input signals to both of said computers, operating said computers with substantially identical programs to generate control outputs for operating controllable elements of said steam generator and the throttle and governor valves of said steam turbine, coupling the outputs of one of said computers to operate the steam generator controllable elements and turbine valves, sensing predetermined control system malfunctions, in the controlling system and registering the same in the one computer, substantially conforming the structure of the other computer to that of the one computer in real time including generating control outputs in the other computer substantially equal to those from said one computer, linking predetermined initializing data from one of the computer in control to the other computer when the other computer is being started, and executing a transfer in the control of the steam generator and the turbine from said one computer to said other computer substantially without disturbing the power generation when a control system malfunction is detected and after the other computer is initialized.

A control system for a steam turbine having a plurality of turbine sections and a plurality of throttle and governor valves for directing steam through said turbine sections, said control system comprising at least a first digital computer and a second digital computer, means for generating input signals representing predetermined process variables associated with said steam turbine including speed and load, means for coupling the input signals to both of said computers, each of said computers having means for controlling its sequential programmed operation and including substantially identical means for generating control outputs for operating said throttle and governor valves of said steam turbine as a function of the input signals, said control output generating means including means for generating a speed or load reference, means for generating a speed or load demand from the speed or load reference and the actual speed or load, means responsive to the speed or load demand for generating the control outputs for the valves and substantially satisfying the speed or load reference, means for sensing predetermined control system malfunctions, means for coupling the outputs of one of said computers to operate said steam turbine valves, means for substantially conforming the structure of the other computer to the structure of said one computer in real time including means for generating predetermined turbine control outputs in the other computer substantially equal to corresponding ones from said one computer, meams for data linking said computers, each of said computers including means for initializing itself after a stoppage including means for transferring the status of predetermined initialization variables over said data link means from one of said computers in control to the other computer being initialized, and means for executing a transfer in the control of the steam turbine from said one computer to said other computer substantially without disturbing the power generation when said sensing means detects a control system malfunction and after said other computer is initialized.

A control system for a steam generator in an electric power plant, said control system comprising at least a first digital computer and a second digital computer, means for generating input signals representing predetermined process variables associated with said steam generator, means for coupling the input signals to both of said computers, each of said computers having means for controlling its sequential programmed operation and including substantially identical means for generating control outputs for operating controllable elements of said steam generator as a function of the input signals, means for sensing predetermined control system malfunctions, means for coupling the outputs of one of said computers to operate the steam generator controllable elements, means for substantially conforming the structure of the other computer to the structure of said one computer in real time including means for generating predetermined control outputs in the other computer, substantially equal to corresponding ones from said one computer, and said control output generating means including a plurality of controls for respective predetermined steam generator controlled variables which affect the production of steam for the plant by said steam generator, means for data linking said computer, each of said computers including means for initializing itself after a stoppage including means for transferring the status of predetermined initialization variables over said data link means from one of said computers in control to the other computer being initialized, and means for executing a transfer in the control of the steam generator from said one computer to said one computer to said other computer substantially without disturbing the power generation when said sensing means detects a control system malfunction and after said other computer is initialized.