Westinghouse Electric Corporation

Caldon, Inc.

Steven J Johnson

Robert C Miller

Donald Roy Augenstein

Herbert Estrada

Calvin R Hastings

Morton H Binstock

Charles L Groves, Jr

Louis P Stern

Leaman B Podolsky

Robert C Lehmer

John J Topolosky

Thomas E Smith

An apparatus for determining the viscosity of a fluid in a container (such as a pipe). The apparatus comprises a mechanism for transmitting a signal into a fluid in a container. The transmitting mechanism contacts the container and provides the signal to the fluid in the container. The apparatus comprises a mechanism for receiving the signal after the signal has passed through the fluid. The receiving mechanism contacts the container and receives the signal from the fluid in the container. The apparatus comprises a mechanism for determining the fluid in the container from the signal after the signal has passed through the fluid and determining the fluid viscosity from the amplitude and sound velocity. The determining mechanism is connected to the receiving mechanism. The method comprises the steps of transmitting a signal into fluid. Then there is the step of receiving the signal after it has passed through the fluid. Next there is the step of determining the attenuation of the signal as the signal has passed through the fluid. Then there is the step of finding the viscosity of the fluid in the container from the attenuation of the signal and transit time.

Method and apparatus for determining the viscosity of a fluid in a container

An automatic control is provided for fast restarts of a hot power plant. Boiler fuel demand is increased to reach a target load based on measured turbine metal temperature and throttle pressure. Fine tuning of the fuel demand is performed to achieve an actual match between the turbine and steam temperatures. Turbine bypass valves are operated during boiler firing the control steam pressure to a programmed pressure setpoint. Boiler firing rate is high limited by total boiler outlet steam to avoid flow overheating and bypass valve position is low limited in accordance with steam flow and throttle pressure to avoid excessively low steam flow. Reheater controls are operated to match intermediate turbine temperature and reheat steam temperature.

Automatic restart control for a power plant boiler

An efficient valve position controller adapted for use in a steam turbine power plant for efficiently positioning a plurality of steam admission valves to substantially effect a desired power generation level is disclosed. The power plant includes a boiler for generating steam to the turbine at a boiler throttle pressure that is governed by a pressure set point; a valve control means which is governed by a reference signal corresponding to the desired power generation level to position the plurality of steam admission valves in a state according to a predetermined valve positioning pattern based on the value of the reference signal; and an electrical generator driven by the steam turbine to generate electrical energy. A plurality of values of the reference signal are predetermined as being related to efficient valve position states for regulating steam admission to the turbine. The controller adjusts the pressure set point at a desired rate and in a direction as determined by the difference between a selected one of the predetermined values and a present value of the reference signal. Accordingly, the reference signal is modulated as a function of the pressure set point adjustment until the reference signal is substantially equal to the selected value at which time the reference signal is governing the valves substantially at an efficient valve position state and further pressure set point adjustment is inhibited. In addition, when the reference signal becomes equal to a predetermined threshold value which is indicative of the steam admission valves being substantially wide open, the pressure set point is adjusted to a preset value.

Efficient valve position controller for use in a steam turbine power

A system for intelligently governing the selection of one of a boiler follow or turbine follow mode of control of a steam turbine power plant is disclosed. Boiler and turbine master controllers are concurrently operative in one of the boiler follow and turbine follow modes for controlling the firing rate of the plant boiler or positioning the steam admission valves of the steam turbine, respectively. Each of the boiler and turbine master controllers are operative to respectively generate a first and second plurality of signals which are representative of plant control status. A selecting means is disposed as an integral part of the plant controls for switching between the turbine follow and boiler follow control modes. Accordingly, the disclosed system intelligently governs the selecting means to switch the plant control to the boiler follow mode in accordance with a first set of predetermined plant control conditions and to switch the plant control to the turbine follow mode in accordance with a second set of predetermined plant control conditions wherein the first and second sets of predetermined plant control conditions are established from the first and second plurality of signals.

System for intelligently selecting the mode of control of a power plant

A system which integrates the controls of a steam turbine power plant for minimizing power plant energy losses substantially caused by steam flow valve throttling is disclosed. The steam turbine power plant includes boiler pressure controls for controlling the boiler throttle pressure of a steam producing boiler and turbine-generator controls for positioning a plurality of turbine steam admission values to regulate the steam flow conducted through a steam turbine which governs the electrical energy generated by an electrical generator at a desired power generation level. The turbine-generator controls predetermines a plurality of valve position states to establish a predetermined valve grouping sequential positioning pattern for the steam admission valves to regulate steam flow through the steam turbine across the range of power generation, each predetermined state substantially corresponding to a minimum of valve throttling losses. The steam admission valves may be positioned at a present valve position state, which is other than one of the predetermined states, as a result of a change in desired power generation level. The disclosed system responds to this condition by governing the boiler pressure controls to adjust the boiler throttle pressure at a desired rate and in a direction to cause steam admission valves to be repositioned according to the sequential positioning pattern to a selected one of the predetermined efficient valve position states. The repositioning of the steam admission valves is performed by maintaining the generated energy substantially at the new desired power generation level.

System for minimizing valve throttling losses in a steam turbine power

A system for indicating optimum positioning of steam inlet valves to minimize steam throttling losses during operation of a turbine power plant in the sequential valve mode is disclosed.

Optimum sequential valve position indication system for turbine power

A turbine control system incorporating a speed monitoring system for generating an actual turbine speed measurement for control of turbine speed and load is disclosed. The speed monitoring system employs two identical speed channels each of both analog and digital form and a third channel of only analog form. The two identical speed channels of digital form and the third channel of analog form are coupled to a programmed digital computer based process controller for use in controlling turbine speed and load. The two identical speed channels of analog form and the third channel are coupled to an overspeed protection controller for use in preventing turbine overspeed. Within each controller, an identical channel is selected without preference to be used as the actual turbine speed measurement. A transfer between identical speed channels will only be performed if a malfunction is detected in that identical channel utilized as the actual turbine speed measurement. This transfer will be performed without affecting the operation of the turbine as controlled by either of the two controllers. The malfunction of any two of the input channel forms to a respective controller disables only the speed control function of that controller.

Power plant speed channel selection system

A method and system for the real-time simulation of the dynamic operation of a nuclear power plant in which a secondary system for operating the steam turbine includes reheaters for increasing the steam temperature and pressure between the low and high pressure turbine stages, an electrohydraulic controller for operating the turbine at required speed, a condenser for condensing turbine exhaust steam, a condensate and feedwater system for pumping condensed steam back to the secondary side of a steam generator, a gland steam system for preventing leakage from and to the atmosphere, and a cooling system for the main generator, utilizes apparatus that includes a digital computer for calculating output data corresponding to physical values for the operation of the plant in accordance with input data. A control console includes automatic and manually operable devices corresponding to plant control devices for varying the input data, and indicating devices responsive to the output data for monitoring the operation of the plant.

Growing community of inventors

McCandless Township, PA, United States of America

Steven J Johnson