Steam turbine controls and their integration into power plants

The main functions of a modern steam turbine control system are: speed and acceleration control during start-up; initialization of generator excitation; synchronization and application of load; pressure control of various forms: inlet, extraction backpressure, etc.; unloading and securing of the turbine; sequencing of the above functions under constraint of thermal stress overspeed protection during load rejection and emergencies; protection against serious hazards, e.g., loss of oil pressure, high bearing vibration; and testing of valves and vitally important protection functions. It is characteristic of the first group of functions that they must be performed with high control bandwidth, or very high reliability, or both, to ensure long-term satisfactory service of the turbine. It is for these reasons that GE has, from the very beginning of the technology, designed and provided the controls and protection for its units, starting with mechanical and hydraulic devices and progressing to analog electrohydraulic systems introduced in the 1960s, and now continuing with all-digital electrohydraulic systems