PLC for Gas Turbine controls

[vmac100]

hi guys,
i will like to get some information as to PLC that can be used to control a RUSTON TB5400 Gas Turbine.thanks

 

[ScottyUK]

A former colleague was using Siemens S7 plcs in a redundant configuration. I have little information, other than it was quite successful.

 

[niallnz]

Which PLC to use depends some what on wheather you are sequencing the operation of the turbine or you actually intend to govern the speed and control the load.

If you are sequencing the turbine then praticlly any PLC will do as you are only concerned with start/stop permisives etc. Your limitations are I/O and HMI functionality.

If you are also doing the governing then you will need a PLC with high speed counter inputs for speed detection, fast settling time analog outputs to control the fuel valve position, a PID function with an up date rate of less than 5 milli-sec. You will also need thermo-couple inputs for temperature control/limiting etc. As for programming find some one who has done it before as things happen fast on gas turines. Solar Gas Turbines use Rockwell Control Logix PLC's.

If you are looking for a complete turbine control retro-fit solution then Woodward Governor do excellent turbine control systems and have probably done a number of Rushton TB5400's before.

 

[ScottyUK]

Hi niallnz,

As a user of DCS-based turbine control systems, as opposed to PLC, can I add a couple of points to those you have highlighted:

You need a good event capture or Historian to log what is going on on the turbine.

You should consider redundancy in the processors

You will need a lot of I/O. Think in terms of several hundred points, more if you use duplex sensors for critical areas (bladepath thermocouples, P2C pressure transmitters, etc)

Emerson's (formerly Westinghouse) WDPF and Ovation systems are exceptional for turbine control. The Woodward system is inferior in almost every important respect - reliability, performance, useability, event capture. But it is much cheaper, and on a small turbine the cost of a high-end system may be difficult to justify.

 

[tgmax]

Check out Siemens Westinghouse modular turbine control system called TCS7.

 

[snafu51]

Triconex has an excellent platform for turbine control.

http://triconex.com/