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AssigneeWestinghouse Electric Corp.
InventorsDonald J. Jones, Guy E. Davis
Estimating the term…
An electric power plant including a steam generator and a steam turbine is operated by a control system including two redundant digital computers. Switching circuitry is provided for coupling one of the computers through interface equipment to the steam generator and the turbine and a generator according to programmed computer control. A data link is established between the computers to transfer manual/automatic status and other needed data from the control computer to the standby computer. A system is provided for detecting when certain hardware and software malfunctions have occurred and for responsively transferring control to the standby computer. The standby computer is tracked to the control computer so that control computer transfer can be made reliably without disturbing the electric power generation process. The turbine control includes a speed control loop which is implemented with computer operations. Startup control is also implemented in startup control loops for the steam generator by means of computer operations. Computer transfers are executed smoothly in the startup control mode at substantially any stage of the startup process.
A control system for an electric power plant having at least one steam turbine and a steam generator, said control system comprising multiple digital computers including at least a first digital computer and a second digital computer, means for generating input signals representating predetermined process variables associated with said steam generator, means for generating input signals representing turbine speed and other predetermined process variables associated with said steam turbine, means for coupling the input signals to both of said computers, each of said computers including means for sequentially controlling its programmed operation and substantially identical means for generating control outputs for operating at least predetermined startup valves of said steam generator and throttle and governor valves of said steam turbine as a function of the input signals, means for sensing predetermined control system malfunctions, said control output generating means including a speed control for operating said turbine valves in response to a speed reference and a representation of the actual speed during turbine acceleration to synchronous speed, said control output generating means further including a steam generator startup valve control for operating the steam generator startup valves to control at least working fluid pressure at a predetermined process point, means for coupling the outputs of one of said computers to operate the steam generator startup valves and the 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 control outputs in the other computer substantially equal to those from said one computer, and means for smoothly executing a transfer in the control of the steam generator startup valves and the speed loop control of the turbine from said one computer to said other computer when said sensing means detects a control system malfunction during steam generator or turbine startup.
A plant for generating electric power comprising at least a steam generator and a steam turbine and a control system, a plurality of throttle and governor valves for directing steam from said steam generator to said turbine, control system including multiple digital computers 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 generator, means for generating input signals representing turbine speed and other predetermined process variables associated with said steam turbine, means for coupling the input signals to both of said computers, each of said computers including means for sequentially controlling its programmed operation and substantially identical means for generating control outputs for operating at least predetermined startup valves of said steam generator and throttle and governor valves of said steam turbine as a function of the input signals, means for sensing predetermined control system malfunctions, said control output generating means including a speed control for operating said turbine valves in response to a speed reference and a representation of the actual speed during turbine acceleration to synchronous speed, said control output generating means further including a steam generator startup valve control for operating the steam generator startup valves to control at least working fluid pressure at a predetermined process point, means for coupling the outputs of one of said computers to operate the steam generator startup valves and the 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 control outputs in the other computer substantially equal to those from said one computer, and means for smoothly executing a transfer in the control of the steam generator startup valves and the speed loop control of the turbine from said one computer to said other computer when said sensing means detects a control system malfunction during steam generator or turbine startup.
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 multiple digital computers including at least a first digital computer and a second digital computer, means for generating input signals representing at least turbine speed and turbine rotor related temperature and other predetermined process variables associated with said steam turbine, means for coupling the input signals to both of said computers, each of said computers including means for generating a speed reference as a function of turbine rotor steam calculated from the rotor related temperature, each of said computers including means for sequentially controlling its programmed operation and 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, means for sensing predetermined control system malfunctions, said control output generating means including a speed control for operating said turbine valves in response to the speed reference and a representation of actual speed during turbine acceleration to synchronous speed, means for coupling the turbine valve control 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 turbine valve control outputs in the other computer substantially equal to those from said one computer, said conforming means including an intercomputer data link for periodically transmitting to said other computer at least data employed by said one computer in generating the speed reference as a function of the rotor related temperature, and means for smoothly executing a transfer in the control of the steam turbine valves from the control outputs of said one computer to the control outputs of said other computer when said sensing means detects a control system malfunction during turbine startup.
A control system for a boiler comprising multiple digital computers including at least a first digital computer and a second digital computer, means for generating input signals representing predetermined process variables associated with said boiler, means for coupling the input signals to both of said computers, each of said computers including means for sequentially controlling its programmed operation and substantially identical means for generating control outputs for operating startup valves and other controllable elements of said boiler 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 boiler startup valves and other boiler 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 control outputs in the other computer substantially equal to those from said one computer, and means for executing a transfer in the control of the boiler from said one computer to said other computer substantially without disturbing the boiler process when said sensing means detects a control system malfunction during boiler startup.
A control system for a steam turbine having a plurality of throttle and governor valves and operative to drive an electric generator, said system comprising multiple digital computers including at least a first digital computer and a second digital computer, means for generating input signals representing at least turbine speed and turbine rotor related temperature and other predetermined process variables associated with said steam turbine, means for coupling the input signals to both of said computers, each of said computers including means for generating a speed reference as a function of turbine rotor steam calculated from the rotor related temperature, each of said computers including means for sequentially controlling its programmed operation and 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, means for sensing predetermined control system malfunctions, said control output genrating means including a speed control for operating said turbine valves in response to the speed reference and a representation of actual speed during turbine acceleration to synchronous speed, means for coupling the turbine valve control 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 turbine valve control outputs in the other computer substantially equal to those from said one computer, said conforming means including an intercomputer data link for periodically transmitting to said other computer at least data employed by said one computer in generating the speed reference as a function of the rotor related temperature, and means for smoothly executing a transfer in the control of the steam turbine valves from the control outputs of said one computer to the control outputs of said other computer when said sensing means detects a control system malfunction during turbine startup.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.