Systems and methods for controlling drum levels using flow

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10954824-B2
Application number	US-201615383859-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2016
Priority date	Dec 19, 2016
Publication date	Mar 23, 2021
Grant date	Mar 23, 2021

Abstract

A method includes determining, via a processor, a commanded fluid flow rate of a fluid entering or exiting the drum of an industrial system, wherein the commanded fluid flow rate comprises a rate of fluid entering the drum of the industrial system, exiting the drum of the industrial system, or a combination thereof. The method additionally includes determining, via the processor, a measured flow rate of the fluid. The method further includes determining, via the processor, a variable multiplier based at least in part on the commanded fluid flow rate and the measured flow rate; and deriving, via the processor, a multiplied flow rate command for the industrial system by applying the variable multiplier to the commanded fluid flow rate.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
determining, via a processor included in a control system, a commanded fluid flow rate into or out of a drum of an industrial system, wherein the commanded fluid flow rate comprises a rate of fluid entering the drum of the industrial system, exiting the drum of the industrial system, or a combination thereof, and wherein the rate of fluid comprises a volume of fluid per unit of time;
determining, via the processor, a measured flow rate change of the fluid, wherein the measured flow rate change comprises a measured change in volume of fluid per unit of time, and wherein the measured flow rate change is a measured value resulting from the rate of fluid comprising the volume of fluid per unit of time entering or exiting of the drum of the industrial system as controlled via the commanded fluid flow rate;
determining, via the processor, a variable multiplier based at least in part on the commanded fluid flow rate and the measured flow rate change;
deriving, via the processor, a multiplied flow rate command for the industrial system by applying the variable multiplier to the commanded fluid flow rate; and
transmitting, via the processor, a signal to the industrial system to control the rate of fluid entering the drum of the industrial system, exiting the drum of the industrial system, or the combination thereof, based at least in part on the multiplied flow rate command, wherein the signal is configured to actuate an actuator to maintain the drum at a constant fluid level.

2. The method of claim 1 , comprising, deriving, via, the processor, the constant fluid level by analyzing a drum size, a drum geometry, a drum wall thickness, a drum material, applying fluid dynamics, or a combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein deriving, via the processor, the constant fluid level comprises analyzing the drum size, the drum geometry, the drum wall thickness, the drum materials, the fluid dynamics, or the combination thereof, to minimize or eliminate drum swelling, drum shrinkage, or a combination thereof, of the drum.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the industrial system comprises a heat recovery steam generation (HRSG) system having the drum.

5. A system comprising:
a controller configured to operatively couple to an industrial system having a drum, wherein the controller comprises a processor, wherein the processor is configured to:
determine a commanded fluid flow rate of the drum of the industrial system, wherein the commanded fluid flow rate comprises a rate of fluid entering the drum of the industrial system, exiting the drum of the industrial system, or a combination thereof, and wherein the rate of fluid comprises a volume of fluid per unit of time;
determine a measured flow rate change of the fluid, wherein the measured flow rate change comprises a measured change in volume of fluid per unit of time, and wherein the measured flow rate change is a measured value resulting from the rate of fluid comprising the volume of fluid per unit of time entering or exiting of the drum of the industrial system as controlled via the commanded fluid flow rate;
determine a variable multiplier based at least in part on the commanded fluid flow rate and the measured flow rate change; and
derive a multiplied flow rate command for the industrial system by applying the variable multiplier to the commanded fluid flow rate, wherein the processor is configured to transmit a signal to the industrial system to control the rate of fluid entering the drum of the industrial system, exiting the drum of the industrial system, or the combination thereof, based at least in part on the multiplied flow rate command, and wherein the signal is configured to actuate an actuator to maintain the drum at a constant fluid level.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the processor is configured to derive the constant fluid level by analyzing a drum size, a drum geometry, a drum wall thickness, a drum material, applying fluid dynamics, or a combination thereof.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the processor is configured to derive the constant fluid level to minimize or eliminate drum swelling, drum shrinkage, or a combination thereof, of the drum.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the processor is configured to derive the constant fluid level to minimize or eliminate drum swelling, drum shrinkage, or a combination thereof, of the drum, taking into account a startup of the industrial system.

9. The system of claim 5 , wherein the processor is configured to determine the commanded fluid flow rate based at least in part on receiving or deriving a stepped flow rate.

10. The system of claim 5 , wherein the processor is configured to determine the commanded fluid flow rate based at least in part on receiving or deriving a ramped flow rate.

11. The system of claim 5 , wherein the industrial system comprises a heat recovery steam generation (HRSG) system having the drum.

12. One or more tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable media comprising instructions configured to cause a processor to:
determine a commanded fluid flow rate of a drum of an industrial system, wherein the commanded fluid flow rate comprises a rate of fluid entering the drum of the industrial system, exiting the drum of the industrial system, or a combination thereof, and wherein the rate of fluid comprises a volume of fluid per unit of time;
determine a measured flow rate change of the fluid, wherein the measured flow rate change comprises a measured change in volume of fluid per unit of time, and wherein the measured flow rate change is a measured value resulting from the rate of fluid comprising the volume of fluid per unit of time entering or exiting of the drum of the industrial system as controlled via the commanded fluid flow rate;
determine a variable multiplier based at least in part on the commanded fluid flow rate and the measured flow rate change;
derive a multiplied flow rate command for the industrial system by applying the variable multiplier to the commanded fluid flow rate; and
transmit a signal to the industrial system to control the rate of fluid entering the drum of the industrial system, exiting the drum of the industrial system, or the combination thereof, based at least in part on the multiplied flow rate command, wherein the signal is configured to actuate an actuator to maintain the drum at a constant fluid level.

13. The one or more machine-readable media of claim 12 , wherein the instructions configured to cause the processor to derive the constant fluid level comprise instructions configured to cause the processor to analyze a drum size, a drum geometry, a drum wall thickness, a drum material, apply fluid dynamics, or a combination thereof.

14. The one or more machine-readable media of claim 12 , wherein the instructions to determine the measured flow rate comprises instructions to cause the processor to determine an average measured flow rate.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Laskowski Benjamin David
• Seely William Forrester

Classifications

• F05D2220/32

  in gas turbines · CPC title

• F05D2220/72

  a steam turbine · CPC title

• F02C6/18

  using the waste heat of gas-turbine plants outside the plants themselves, e.g. gas-turbine power heat plants (using waste heat as source of energy for refrigeration plants F25B27/02; using the waste heat of a gasturbine for steam generation or in a steam cycle see F01K23/10) · CPC title

• F22B1/1815

  using the exhaust gases of gas-turbines · CPC title

• Y02E20/16

  Combined cycle power plant [CCPP], or combined cycle gas turbine [CCGT] · CPC title