Know about Basics of Governing System

By-A.K.GHOSH
Super Specialist

NEED OF GOVERNING SYSTEM

Speed of steam turbine is dependent on the quantity of steam entry to the turbine.
Therefore, to have control over speed we must have a device which can control the
quantity of steam entry. This device / system is generally called “ Governing System”
and every turbine contains this essentially. Output control of a turbine involves
changing of main steam flow, which can be achieved either by varying the flow area
in the blading or by varying the main steam pressure ahead of the blading. It would
be ideal to vary the flow area in each stage ( say, by blade pitch adjustment),which
is not practicable in steam turbines and leaves the designer with the necessity of
varying the admission area in the first stage ( nozzle group control for constant
pressure operation). This imparts first stage ( governing or control stage ) a special
role and operating characteristics that differ from those of other stages. Varying the
main steam pressure at the inlet of the blading in the alternative method is achieved
by throttling action of the control valves or by varying the pressure of the steam
supplied by boiler. It is possible to adopt combination of these control methods.

Electric power is required to be produced at fairly constant frequency from

utility turbo sets and also the turbo set is required to be protected from
various emergencies such as over speeding, low vacuum, thrust bearing
failure, lub oil failure etc. These tasks are accomplished through turbine
governing system.

Steam turbine develops a mechanical torque at a particular speed out of the

thermal energy supplied to it. The torque in turn is balanced with the torque
converted into electrical energy, mechanical and windage loses. At any
instant, if load requirement changes, it results into a change of the speed of
the turbo set. The torque relationship can be expressed with following
equation:

M(T) = M(G) + M (losses) + (IT + IG) .dw/dt

When dw/dt beomes zero at steady state, M(T) =M(G) +M(losses)

 In order to maintain the turbine speed fairly constant, torque developed by
the turbine is adjusted to suit new load requirement by regulating steam flow
with the help of governing system.

Governing Methods

To control load, the turbine can be either

NOZZLE CONTROLLED
or
THROTTLE CONTROLLED
with the unit in both cases operating at constant pressure or variable pressure or a
combination of two
THROTTLE GOVERNING

In throttle controlled turbines, steam flow is controlled by opening and closing of all the
control valves simultaneously to the extent required by load and admitting the steam to
the group of nozzles located on the entire periphery.
NOZZLE GOVERNING
In nozzle controlled turbines, steam flow is controlled by sequential opening or closing of
control valves allowing steam to flow to associated nozzle groups

TYPES of GOVERNING SYSTEM

The governing system can be one of the following types:
• MECHANICAL
• HYDRO-MECHANICAL
• HYDRAULIC
• ELECTRO-HYDRAULIC
MECHANICAL
• In mechanical governing system, speed transducer is mechanical centrifugal
type speed governor, which actuates control valves through mechanical
linkages.
Now-a-days purely mechanical governing systems are not used for utility turbines

HYDRO-MECHANICAL
In hydro-mechanical governing system , speed transducer is usually mechanical centrifugal
type speed governor.
It is connected to hydraulic system either hydraulically or mechanically.
In hydraulic system, signal is amplified so that control valve servomotors can be
actuated.
ELECTRO-HYDRAULIC
This system provides very good combination of electrical measuring & signal processing
and hydraulic controls.
It offers many advantages over other three types of governing systems and is
popular in large steam turbine units due to growing automation of turbine and generator
sets
CONSTANT PRESSURE /
VARIABLE PRESSURE MODE

In constant pressure mode, the steam pressure upstream of control valves are kept constant
at all the loads.
In variable ( sliding ) pressure mode the control valves remain fully open and the
steam pressure upstream of control valves varies proportionally with load over a
definite load range.

STEADY STATE REGULATION

For effective predetermined load sharing , DROOP in speed with respect to load is provided
in all steam turbines.
STEADY STATE REGULATION ( also called PROPORTIONAL BAND, SPEED DROOP etc.) is
defined as the ratio of SPEED DROP from no load to full load to the nominal speed.
DEAD BAND

Due to inherent inertia of the components of governing elements and friction present in
governing system, certain motion of governing system is lost before corrective signal
can actuate the control valves.
The lost of the motion is called DEAD BAND of the system and is expressed as
percentage of rated speed.
Often this DEAD BAND is also known as suppressed (using electronic circuit ) zone of droop
control ie in this zone load will not vary in case of frequency/speed change. One
should not confuse with applicability of the definition.
How to measure the “ Steady State Speed Regulation Percentage” of
Governing System at stationary condition of turbine and also to adjust the
percentage value ?

Generally percentage regulation for Hydraulic Governor is set at Shop and not required to be
touched at site. In case of extreme requirement the same can be measured and adjusted at
stationary condition of turbine by following the simple method described as below:

Keep the speeder gear in top position and the starting device in bottom most position. Give
Primary Oil Pressure (through a temporary source of clean oil, best is to take from lub oil
header through a needle valve for better control of building pressure at bottom of bellow ) up
to say 2.8 kg/cm2 ( equivalent to rated speed 3000 rpm ) and bring SD to 100% (at topmost)
and gradually compress speeder gear spring till AUX SOP comes to 4.45 kg/cm2. Increase
the POP till Secondary Oil Pressure comes down to 1.5 kg. Note down POP ( 3.13 kg/cm2 ).
Now, % regulation can be calculated as: POP 2.80 KG. (P1) at AUX SOP 4.45 KG.
And 3.13 KG (P2) at AUX SOP 1.5 KG

% OF REGULATION=( √ P2/P1—1). 100 = 5.72%

To decrease the % regulation speeder gear spring to be weakened (by taking out spring
cup) and to increase the regulation spring cup to be taken in.