Control of power generation system with water level calibration for pressure vessel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11208920-B2
Application number	US-201916433119-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 6, 2019
Priority date	Jun 6, 2019
Publication date	Dec 28, 2021
Grant date	Dec 28, 2021

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure include a method for controlling a power generation system, the method including: calculating, during operation of the power generation system, a target water level within a pressure vessel of the power generation system, the pressure vessel receiving a feedwater input and generating a steam output; calculating a flow rate change of the steam output from the pressure vessel; calibrating the target water level within the pressure vessel based on the output from mass flux through the pressure vessel, the mass flux through the pressure vessel being derived from the at least the feedwater input and the steam output; and adjusting an operating parameter of the power generation system based on the calibrated target water level within the pressure vessel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for controlling a power generation system, the method comprising:
calculating, during operation of the power generation system, a target water level within a pressure vessel of the power generation system, wherein the pressure vessel receives a feedwater input to generate a steam output;
calculating a flow rate change of the steam output from the pressure vessel;
calculating a disturbance threshold based on a projected size of steam bubbles within the pressure vessel;
determining whether the flow rate change of the steam output from the pressure vessel exceeds the disturbance threshold;
when the flow rate change of steam output from the pressure vessel exceeds the disturbance threshold, calibrating the target water level within the pressure vessel based on the flow rate change of the steam output from the pressure vessel and a mass flux through the pressure vessel, wherein the mass flux through the pressure vessel is derived from at least the feedwater input and the steam output; and
adjusting a position of a flow valve to control the feedwater input to the pressure vessel;
adjusting a position of a flow valve coupled to the pressure vessel to adjust a feedwater input into pressure vessel based on the calibrated target water level.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein calculating the disturbance threshold is based on one of a projected unsurfaced steam bubble expansion within the pressure vessel, or a projected unsurfaced steam bubble contraction within the pressure vessel.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the power generation system includes a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG), and the pressure vessel includes a pressure drum of the HRSG.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the operating parameter dampens a predetermined corrective adjustment of a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller for managing transient operation of the power generation system.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein calibrating the target water level within the pressure vessel is further based on a mass flow of exhaust fluid in thermal communication with the steam emitted from the pressure vessel.

6. A system for controlling a power generation system, the system comprising:
a system controller in communication with at least one sensor within the power generation system, the system controller being operable to:
calculate, during operation of the power generation system, a target water level within the pressure vessel of the power generation system, wherein the pressure vessel receives a feedwater input to generate a steam output,
calculate a flow rate change of the steam output from the pressure vessel,
calculate a disturbance threshold based on a projected size of steam bubbles within the pressure vessel,
determine whether the flow rate change of the steam output from the pressure vessel exceeds the disturbance threshold, and
calibrate the target water level within the pressure vessel based on the flow rate change of the steam output from the pressure vessel and a mass flux through the pressure vessel, wherein the mass flux through the pressure vessel is derived from at least the feedwater input and the steam output; and

a flow valve operably coupled to the system controller and a component of the power generation system, wherein the system controller adjusts a position of the flow valve based on the calibrated target water level within the pressure vessel to adjust the feedwater input to the pressure vessel.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the disturbance threshold is based on one of a projected unsurfaced steam bubble expansion within the pressure vessel, or a projected unsurfaced steam bubble contraction within the pressure vessel.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the power generation system includes a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG), and the pressure vessel includes a pressure drum of the HRSG.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein the system controller is further operable to calibrate the target water level within the pressure vessel based on a mass flow of exhaust fluid in thermal communication with the steam output from the pressure vessel.

10. A program product stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium for controlling a power generation system, the non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising program code for causing a computer system to perform actions including:
calculating, during operation of the power generation system, a target water level within a pressure vessel of the power generation system, wherein the pressure vessel receives a feedwater input to generate a steam output;
calculating a flow rate change of the steam output from the pressure vessel;
calculating a disturbance threshold based on a projected size of steam bubbles within the pressure vessel;
determining whether the flow rate change of the steam output from the pressure vessel exceeds the disturbance threshold;
when the flow rate change of steam output from the pressure vessel exceeds the disturbance threshold, calibrating the target water level within the pressure vessel based on the flow rate change of the steam output from the pressure vessel and a mass flux through the pressure vessel, wherein the mass flux through the pressure vessel is derived from at least the feedwater input and the steam output; and
adjusting a position of a flow valve to control the feedwater input to the pressure vessel;
adjusting a position of a flow valve coupled to the pressure vessel to adjust a feedwater input into pressure vessel based on the calibrated target water level.

11. The program product of claim 10 , wherein the program code calculates the disturbance threshold based on one of a projected unsurfaced steam bubble expansion within the pressure vessel, or a projected unsurfaced steam bubble contraction within the pressure vessel.

12. The program product of claim 10 , wherein the power generation system includes a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG), and the pressure vessel includes a pressure drum of the HRSG.

13. The program product of claim 10 , wherein adjusting the operating parameter dampens a predetermined corrective adjustment of a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller for managing transient operation of the power generation system.

14. The program product of claim 10 , wherein calibrating the target water level within the pressure vessel is further based on a mass flow of exhaust fluid in thermal communication with the steam output from the pressure vessel.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Meyer John Lawrence
• Bushey Cody Joe

Classifications

• F05D2210/12

  gaseous, i.e. compressible · CPC title

• Y02E20/16

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

• F01D25/32

  Collecting of condensation water; Drainage {; Removing solid particles} · CPC title

• F05D2270/44

  active, predictive, or anticipative · CPC title

• F01K13/02 Primary

  Controlling, e.g. stopping or starting · CPC title