US 6,551,068 B2Granted

Process for protecting a turbocompressor from operating in the unstable working range

AssigneeMan Turbomaschinen AG GHH Borsig

InventorWilfried Blotenberg

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Abstract

To protect a turbocompressor (3) with a downstream process from operation in the unstable working range, a machine controller is used, which optionally contains—besides a surge limit controller (15)—an intake pressure controller (11), an end pressure controller (20) and a bypass controller (9). A control matrix is determined from the position of a control unit (fuel gas control valve 6) determining the flow to the process, optionally taking into account additional influencing variables such as the compressor intake pressure and the compressor discharge pressure. The necessary position of the surge limit control valve (13) as well as of the bypass valve (8), of the intake pressure control valve (10) and of the actuating drive (22) for the compressor inlet vanes (21) is determined directly on the basis of the control matrix during a rapid transient change in the working position, and this actuating variable is directly superimposed as a manipulated variable to the surge limit control valve (13), the intake pressure controller (11), the end pressure controller (20) and the bypass controller (9).

Claims40

Dependent claims

A process for protecting a turbocompressor from operation in the unstable working range, said turbocompressor having an inlet and an outlet and means for measuring variables including one or more of pressure and temperature at the inlet and at the outlet as measured variables, said turbocompressor being associated with a downstream process downstream of said turbocompressor, said downstream process having a flow generated by said turbocompressor, said flow being controlled by a turbocompressor gas throughput control valve, the process for protecting a turbocompressor, comprising the steps of:

using a machine controller having a surge limit controller with an associated surge limit control valve;
with the machine controller controlling the adjustment of the surge limit control valve as a function of the measured variables in the turbocompressor inlet and the turbocompressor outlet;
providing a predetermined control matrix for the purpose of controlling the turbocompressor at a target operating state from the position of the turbocompressor gas throughput control valve of the downstream process during turbocompressor operation, the control matrix being stored in the machine controller;
during a rapid transient change in the working point of the turbocompressor, determining the necessary position of the surge limit control valve directly on the basis of the control matrix to generate an actuating variable;
superimposing the actuating variable as a manipulated variable to the output of the surge limit controller of the machine controller.

2 more elements

A process for protecting a turbocompressor from operation in the unstable working range, said turbocompressor having an inlet and an outlet and means for measuring variables including pressure and temperature at the inlet and at the outlet as measured variables, said turbocompressor being associated with a downstream process downstream of said turbocompressor, said downstream process having a gas flow generated by said turbocompressor, said gas flow being controlled by a turbocompressor gas throughput control valve, the process for protecting a turbocompressor comprising the steps of:

using a machine controller having a surge limit controller with an associated surge limit control valve, an intake pressure controller with an associated intake pressure control valve, an end pressure controller with an associated end pressure control valve and a bypass controller with an associated bypass control valve;
with the machine controller controlling the adjustment of the surge limit control valve said intake pressure control valve, said bypass control valve and an actuating drive for turbocompressor inlet vanes of said turbocompressor as a function of the measured variables in the turbocompressor inlet and the turbocompressor outlet;
providing a predetermined control matrix for the purpose of controlling the turbocompressor at a target operating state from turbocompressor inlet and turbocompressor outlet variables and from the position of the turbocompressor gas throughput control valve of the downstream process during turbocompressor operation, the control matrix being stored in the machine controller;
during a rapid transient change in the working point of the turbocompressor, determining the necessary position of the surge limit control valve as well as of the bypass valve, of the intake pressure control valve and of the actuating drive for the turbocompressor inlet vanes directly on the basis of the control matrix to generate an actuating variable;
directly superimposing the actuating variable as a manipulated variable to the surge limit controller, the intake pressure controller, the end pressure controller and the bypass controller of the machine controller.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.