Modelling of Steam Turbine and 

its Governing System
Dr M S R Murty
GENERATOR CONTROLS
 SV SV : stop valve
Steam CV contr. valve
CV valve
ST : steam
turbine
G : generator

GOVERNING Grid
SYSTEM

ST
G
Reference

Speed

Power

Fig. 1 STEAM TURBINE GOVERNING SCHEME

SET 
S
POINT P
+ - GOVERNOR TURBINE
+ ROTOR E
E
INERTIA D
Valve 
Mechanical
Position 
Power

Fig 2 GOVERNING SYSTEM FUNCTIONAL BLOCK DIAGRAM
 Governing Control system
• Speed Sensing :Mechanical (Fly ball type), 
Hydraulic (Pump), Electric (toothed  Wheel 
pick up)
• MW Transducer for Power
• Processing : Hydro‐mechanical, Electro‐
hydraulic, Digital Electro‐hydraulic
• Amplification: Hydraulic amplifiers in various 
stages
• Actuation: Hydraulic Servomotor
TG Unit Operating Modes:
Isolated : S Open : Speed changes when gov valve is adjusted
Interconnected : S Closed or grid connected: Speed is unaffected
 TG Unit On Grid: Load Control
• TG Speed/Frequency 
does not effect grid 
frequency Infinite Inertia Bus
GRID
• After synchronization, 
change in valve opening 
cannot change TG unit 
speed but changes only 
Power Output
 Control Requirements
• Start‐up: To control machine speed for
proper synchronization
• Normal Operation: To Control MW and To
participate in the control of system frequency
• Emergency: Load Rejection/Circuit Breaker
Opening
To restore speed deviation quickly without
much transient overspeed
 Governing system: Technology
• Mechanical Hydraulic Control (MHC)
• Electro‐ Hydraulic Control (EHC)
Sensing, Processing, primary amplification 
using electronic circuitry
Transistor version (BHEL/ KWU Siemens 
Iskamatic modules)
• Digital Electro‐ Hydraulic Control (DEHC)
Microprocessor based
 Processing
• Decides how valve position should be changed 
when  speed changes 
• Objective : Minimum upsets in the system
• Speed Controller, Load Controller : structure 
and tuning decide transient performance
• Droop characteristic ( 4 % or 5%): important 
governing parameter 
 Electronic Controller Features
• Separation of Speed Control and Load (Power) 
Control functions with separate processing 
philosophy
• Speed Controller: Proportional‐ Derivative 
action: Anticipatory Control
• Load Controller: Proportional‐ Integral action
• Interaction with ATRS and TSE
 Simple Speed governing system
SETPOINT Command

/Gate
PROCESSING
AMPLIFICATION AND ACTUATION

Gate
Oil
SENSING
Servomotor
 Steam
ELECTR
Speed ONIC HYDRAULIC
E
& Control
PART H PART
MW Valve

Electro-hydraulic
Converter

ST
· Sensing · Hydraulic
Amplification G
· Processing
· Primary · Actuation of Valve
Amplification (Servomotor)

Fig 3 ELECTRO – HYDRAULIC GOVERNOR SCHEME

 SPEED
Spee + CONTROLLER
d
(PDP)
Ref. –
SELECTION
VALVE
Speed LOGIC
OPENING
(MIN – MAX)
COMMAN
LOAD D
Load
CONTROLLER
Ref.
+ (PI)
–

Load
Fig 4 SPEED CONTROLLER AND LOAD CONTROLLER IN EHG
 Droop Characteristic
Speed  Valve  Steam Flow  Turbine 
Change Opening  Change Power  
Change Change
= (Load)
Speed Or 
Frequency

52 Hz 104 %

50 Hz 100 %

0 50 100
Load %
 52
Frequency
(Hz) 4% Drop

50

0% 50% 100% Load

Fig 6 REGULATION OR DROOP CHARACTERSTIC

 Unstable

Spee
d
(%) Oscillatory
(Hunting)

Time
(Sec)
Fig 7 TYPICAL SPEED HUNTING TRANSIENT
 Valve
Opening

Speed /
frequency

Dead band or insensitive

Fig. 8zone
DEAD BAND
CHARACTERISTIC
STEAM TURBINE SCHEME WITH HP AND IP 
CONTROLS

Steam
HPCV
HPT

IPT
LPT

IPCV
Condenser
RH Reheate
r
Transfer Function of Steam Volume

Steam Steam
inflow Vessel Steam
outflow

Steam
pressure

Wi 1 Wo
----------
(1 + TV. s)
Functional block diagram of turbine 
governing system
 TURBINE CONTROLLER

Speed
Ref SPEED
speed CONTROLLER
SELECTION E To Hyd.
LOGIC H Amplifier
Load Ref LOAD
Load CONTROLLER

Speed Controller: Proportional Derivative

KSVS
Ks(1+VsTs.S)
droop (1 + Ts . S) KS

Load Controller : Proportional Integral

KPL + 1
TILS
Feed forward provision
29
Output
(Y)

PDP Output
PI
(Y)

Speed Controller Load Controller

t
 Parameters influencing the performance

• Rotor Inertia
• Droop
• Speed /Load Controller  parameters
• Dead band
• Valve characteristics
• IP Turbine control
• Pressure control modes
 Governor Regulation or Droop
• 4 % Droop : 4 % Speed Change will cause 100 
% change in Power Output ( Gain : 25)
• Droop is necessary for
i) Sharing of load
ii) Ensuring closed loop stability : Lower value of 
droop increases gain and makes the system 
oscillatory
 Governing System Response
• Response times are important : delay in 
correction can cause transient speed rise high 
and trip the turbine
• Stability of governing system depends on 
processing algorithm ( PI, PID , PDP etc.,) and 
on system parameters & time constants 
Performance specifications: Load Rejection

• Rejection to zero load from any load
• Speed shall be returned to the set point as 
may be modified by speed droop or regulation
• No more than one under speed deviation 
exceeding 5 % 
• No more than one over speed deviation 
exceeding 5 % after initial over speed 
deviation
 Performance specifications: Sustained 
conditions
• Steady state governing speed band: Not more 
than 0.3 % ( at no load or any load). Also 
called speed stability index.
• Steady state governing load band: Not more 
than 0.4 % ( at 5 % speed droop) Also called 
power stability index.
 Stability Index: Degree of stability
• Judged by the magnitude of sustained 
oscillations of speed and power output from 
the turbine that are produced by the governor 
system
• Stability index illustrates the regulating 
performance for the governor and turbine
• Governor Deadband illustrates the 
performance for the governor alone 
 Load Rejection 
• Governing System Performance can be judged 
by full load rejection behavior : Transient 
Speed Rise (TSR), hunting
• Emergency Governor should not get activated
• Influencing parameters : Rotor Acceleration 
Time ( Ta), Droop, Speed Controller gains, 
Incremental droop
 LOAD REJECTION RESPONSE 

Load

100%
TSR 0%
Speed
(6 ‐ 10%)
(%)
t

5% Droop 

100%

Time(sec)
 Interaction  with Boiler Controls

DESH

SH1 SH2
150 at a    
540ºC
Spray
Drum Level DRUM

control Q
Q GOVERNOR
Temperature
3
Control H IP
G
T T
Fuel P
. Flue 
FW . Gas
WW . Air
COND

BOILER
RH
Master Pressure
Control
 STEAM
HPCV

LPT
HPT

G
SPEED
LOAD GOV,
Extraction SYSTEM LPCV
Steam
Pressure CONDENSER

TO PROCESS

EXTRACTION TURBINE CONTROL SCHEME

 Typical Steam and Power System
Headers

Stream VHP HP MP LP
Generators PRDS

UBs

G
Steam G
Turbine
HRSGs

Process Process Process Process

G 107/ 510 45/ 400 20/ 340 5.5/ 220

GAS TURBINE
Kg/Cm2 o C
Steam and Power system Dynamics

Steam Power
System System
Fuel
System

Upsets in one system can influence the other

Modelling and Simulation
 Instantaneous  response
• Assume sudden Load Reduction and instantaneous change in 
generation

Power Frequency
p.u 1.0 Load, PL

50 Hz
.8
Generation Pg

Time (Sec.) Time (Sec.)
 Rotor Inertia
• At steady state :
Turbine Torque (Pm) = Load Torque( (Pel)
• During transient :
Speed = ∫((Pm – Pel) / Ta ) dt                                         
• Ta = Acceleration time or inertia constant 
(function of moment of inertia) 
Typical values: Ta = 9 ‐ 12 sec 
Acceleration/ Deceleration

Deviation area is indicative of
acceleration/ deceleration
Pg

PL →  me
 Delay due to the cumulative effects of 
Governor, hydraulic passages,turbine
Pg

PL →  me n or f

Frequency or Speed Settling Speed higher 

variation
Due to the above :

→t

Governor Response 
Hydraulic relays time constant
○ ○ ○ Xsm
Xp
Inflow(Qi) α ΔXp
Qi = volumetric      
displacement of oil
= Ap . dxsm/dt
KpΔXp = Ap sxsm
Δ Xp 1
ΔXsm
‐ Tsm .S

b
Lever gain
 HP TURBINE TIME CONSTSANT
T4  =            Steam mass inside turbine
Mass flow through HP turbine   → Kg / Sec 207.4 
Volume x Density
= 0.844 (m3) (1 / 0.02337) = 36.114

T4  = 36.114 / 207.4 = 0.17 Sec.

VHP includes  : ‐ Volume in inlet portion up to 1st stage.

‐ all piping connections
‐ blading
IP Turbine    :  0.27 Sec
LP Turbine   :  0.47 Sec
TReheaterr :  10 to 20 Sec.
NALCO
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