System and method for transferring the operation of a turbine-power

Abstract

A system and method of operating a turbine power plant utilizing a digital computer to transfer automatically between a single valve mode and sequential valve mode of operation and vice versa without disturbing the load or steam flow demand to the turbine, is disclosed. Selecting the other mode of valve operation when operating automatically in one valve mode results in the generation of physical representations corresponding to the desired flow through each of the valve means in such other mode at the operating load or flow level. The flow in the one mode and the desired flow in the other mode is used to generate a representation based on flow change for each valve means. A number of increments of valve flow change for each valve means is determined in accordance with the largest valve flow change and a predetermined limit. The size of each incremental change is determined in accordance with the respective valve flow change. The position of the appropriate valves are changed simultaneously at periodic time intervals to change the flow at each interval corresponding to its respective incremental flow change until the turbine is operated in the selected mode. A change in total steam flow demand of the turbine during such transfer suspends the transfer and changes the steam flow of the valves equally in accordance with such change. If the position of the valves does not permit an equal allocation of the total change, such change is allocated to the extent of such valves capability and the remaining change is allocated equally among the remaining valves. The transfer is resumed subsequent to effecting the total flow change.