Turbine Protections & Turbine

Cycle Emergencies
 Operation Philosophy
• Achieving and maintaining the required output of the
unit
• Maintaining plant conditions at their optimum
efficiency
• Inspection for plant deterioration by studying the
operation trends of main equipments and their
auxiliaries (condition monitoring). The maintenance
logs can be generated from this information.
• Testing of stand-by plant auxiliaries, protective
devices, alarms and automatic cut-in feature.
• Changing over of auxiliaries depending on their
running hours.
• Generation of shift logs, event logs, post trip logs etc.
• Readiness to respond to abnormal conditions.
 Barring (Turning) Gear
When shutting down hot machine or before turbine
start up the turbine must be put on turning gear. When
a hot turbine is shut down; due to its heavy weight,
high temperature and uneven cooling the turbine rotor
will have permanent deformation. The main function
of turning gear is to promote even cooling of the rotor
and cylinders when turbine is shut down. The turning
speed may vary from 3 to 200 rpm. The high speed
turning gear also enables to bring the turbine off TG
with minimum steam admission while rolling the
turbine.
 Critical Speed
When shaft or rotor, revolving in bearings, speeds up to where
centrifugal force tending to whip it sideways just balances the
elastic stiffness tending to keep it straight, the slightest
mechanical builds up a whirling motion, which may be of
destructive amplitude. The rotor then is revolving at critical
speed. This phenomenon is due to resonance frequency when
the rotation speed corresponds to the natural frequencies of
lateral vibration of the rotor. The operation engineer should be
aware of the critical speed of the machine and ensure that the
speed is not held near critical speed and speed rise should be
kept uniform without any interruption. A typical critical speed
range may be from 900 to 2600 rpm.
 Thermal constraints
Basic principle: Establishment of normal temperature gradients
from inlet to outlet and the free development of all the thermal
expansions. To limit the stresses in thick metal sections, the starting
process requires controlled heating of main steam
leads,valves,steam admission areas, and turbine components. The
rate of rise of turbine speed and load is controlled by the heating
process to a degree dependent on the temperature of the metal parts.
Thermal stresses in the thickest of the metal sections currently in
use will be acceptable if the rate change of surface metal
temperature are below 150-200 deg C/hour. Turbine stress evaluator
checks the wall temperature differentials and controls steam
admission.
Soaking of turbine : Depending on the type of the start turbine is
soaked at some particular speed for predetermined time interval.
During soaking turbine speed is held constant and steam parameters
kept steady care being taken to see that soaking speed is not near
critical speed. Soaking helps in bringing differential expansion
within specified limits and also gives time to check other
turbovisory parameters.
 Turbine protections
1. LOW VACUUM
( Hyd trip > 0.3 bar, electrical trip > 0.3bar)
2. HIGH AXIAL SHIFT
( 1.0 mm)
3. OVERSPEEDING OF TURBINE
( Mechanical Trip3330 rpm, electrical trip >3330 rpm)
4. MAIN OIL TANK LEVEL LL( fire protection 2)
( 1030 mm from top)
5. C. F. TANK LEVEL LL( fire protection 1)
( -115 mm )
6. LOW LUBE PRESSURE( A 4.8 bar,T 2.2 bar)
7. CONTROL OIL PRESSURE( T 3.5 bar)
8.TURBINE REMOTE PUSH BUTTON TRIP
9.FIRE PROTECTION 1 & 2(PUSH BUTTON)
10.BOILER TRIP LEADING TO TURBINE TRIP
11.GENERATOR TRIP LEADING TO TURBINE TRIP
 Turbine protections
 TURBINE ADVISORY TRIP
1. HIGH SHAFT VIBRATION / ECCENTRICITY
( A 120mic,T 200 mic)
2. HIGH BEARING VIBRATION
( A 35 mic,T 45mic)
3. HIGH BEARING METAL TEMPERATURE
( A 90C,T 120C)
4. HIGH DIFFERENTIAL EXPANSION
(HP -3/5mm,IP -2/7mm,LP -3/30mm)
5. HIGH/LOW MAIN STEAM TEMPERATURE
6.HIGH DRUM LEVEL
 Turbine Critical Parameters

• Absolute bearing vibrations

• Absolute shaft vibrations
• Axial shaft position of the rotor
• Differential expansion
• Absolute expansion
• Control valve position
Turbine Protection Logic
Governing & Protection Oils

O ils.JPG
Turbine Protection System
Governing Rack Front View
 Turbine Trip Gear

Remote Trip Solenoid Valves

Main Trip Valves

Turbine Control Desk
 Turbine Emergencies
• Any deviation from specified normal operation
defines the emergency operation condition for a
turbine. Emergency occurs due to abrupt change of
important parameters to unacceptable values, which
may lead to temporary or permanent damage to the
equipment.
In case of severe emergency, generally the turbine is
tripped abruptly either through lockout relay or
manually.
Following are the emergency conditions under which
the set should be tripped irrespective of the
protection systems to act.
 Emergency Conditions

• Under Frequency (47.5 Hz)

Since the turbine design is based on constant speed
operation, there are some limits on low frequency that the
set can be operated without damage to some of the
components. The operation of low frequency below 6%
from the rated frequency (50 Hz) for certain sustained
period is not allowed as the natural frequency of LP
turbine block falls within this range and may cause high
vibration level particularly in the last stage blading. This
will cause higher stresses at the root of blades, which may
fail.
 Emergency Conditions

• Overspeed (10%)
The turbine governing system is designed to control the
speed on loss of bulk load (through load rejection
relay). However, in case of total isolation of the
machine from the grid or failure of speed
governor/emergency governor may cause speed rise
to dangerous levels of 112%. The maximum speed
limit is 3360 rpm. The machine should not be
allowed to cross this limit in any case. This can be
achieved by manually tripping the turbine by
emergency turbine trip push button.
Frequent overspeeding of turbine may lead to failure
of LP turbine last stage blading
 Emergency Conditions
• Sudden Drop in Steam Temperature Thermal Shock
Sometimes it happens that the boiler output does not match
with the turbine output, which causes fall in steam
temperature. This temperature mismatch, particularly at the
1st stage of HP turbine, occurs due to too fast load change
at the control valves causing decrease in steam temperature
at the greatly reduced flow. This sharp drop in steam
temperature gives serious thermal shocks. The surface
stresses may surpass the yield strength, thereby reducing
the life of turbine (fatigue and creep).
 Emergency Conditions
• Measures to be taken :
• So in case of sharp temperature drop from 535oC to
520oC, start unloading the set by 3 MW/min. and the set
should be unloaded to 100 MW corresponding to 480oC.
Below this temperature turbine should be tripped
immediately.
• To avoid thermal shocks, load or unload the set as per the
recommended curves of the manufacturer.
 Emergency Conditions
• Avoid priming of superheater in boiler as it sharply drops
the temperature.
• Avoid mismatch of temperature beyond recommended
limits during rolling the turbine.
• In case of boiler trip, turbine should be tripped
immediately.
Increase the excess air percentage to increase the final
superheater outlet temperature.
 Emergency Conditions

• Total A.C. failure

In case of total power failure of the grid or the station getting
isolated from the grid, the following emergency operations
should be carried out on turbine side.
Start DC lube oil pump (EOP) to save the bearings if it is not
started on auto.
ii) Remove main ejectors and gland steam cooler from
service and kill the condenser vacuum by opening vacuum
breaker valves or air valve of starting ejector. Stop gland
sealing when machine comes to rest.
 Emergency Conditions
• If the turbine emergency switchgear is charged through
the starting of DG set, start AOP and put the machine on
turning gear. If hydraulic turning gear cannot be
established, rotate the rotor by manual barring.
• See that all the extraction NRVs have closed.
• Monitor bearings babbit metal temperature and bearings
drain oil temperature.
 Emergency Conditions
• High Axial Shift (+/-1 mm)
The increase in axial shift will lead to overloading of the
thrust pads of the thrust bearing and eventual failure. It
also contributes to high bearing vibration and abnormal
differential expansion. Protection has been incorporated
to trip the turbine and break vacuum at a limiting value
of + 1 mm of axial shift.
 Emergency Conditions
• Abrupt change in load
• Sudden drop of steam temperature
• Sudden drop of vacuum
• Sudden closure of extraction NRVs or IVS / IPCVs.
• Sudden closure of HP heaters
• Lube oil failure to thrust bearing
Turbine overload or scaling in the blades
 Emergency Conditions
• Condenser Vacuum Very Low (0.75bar)
In case of condenser vacuum going low limit 0.75 kg/cm2,
hand trip the turbine if not tripped through protection, low
vacuum in condenser may be due to following reasons.
 Partial or complete loss of cooling water
 High condenser level
 Heavy air ingress in condenser
• Loss of gland seal steam
• Malfunction of air ejectors
Fouled condenser tubes i.e. condenser DP high ( > 0.5
kg/cm2 )
 Emergency Conditions

• Exhaust Hood Temperature High

• High Bearing & Shaft Vibration
• High Differential Expansion
• Water Hammering
• Turbine Trip
 Turbine Cycle Emergencies
Hot Well level Hi/Lo.
Condensate Extraction Pump suction strainers chocking.
Boiler Feed Pumps suction strainers chocking.
CEP/BFP tripping.
Air Compressors tripping.
Failure of instrumentation air.