CONTROL SYSTEMS IN LARGE COMBINED CYCLE POWER STATIONS

C. E. Libby

The concept of a Centralised Control Room is readily accepted

as an essential requirement for running modern power plant.
The operator is provided with all the necessary plant
information and controls to run the station from a logically
laid out desk. For optimum performance, safety and plant
availability a fast response between detecting a plant's
condition and controlling it is essential. Modern Control
Schemes offer flexible control and automation along with the
ability to handle and present large amounts of information
within very short response times. However all systems have
their limitations and care must still be taken when applying
such technology.
The GEC ALSTHOM group has built up the necessary
expertise over many years, both on high reliability design and
project management of large turn key power plant projects.
This ensures a totally integrated power plant package is
provided. Mainly using the example of GEC ALSTHOM's standard
Vega 209f design the aim of this presentation is to explain
the philosophy used in selecting control and instrumentation
for a large Combined Cycle Power Plant.
The Veaa 209f standard Combined Cvcle
The Vega 209f offers a standard yet flexible design
platform which can be adapted to suit a particular client's
site and requirements. Like most Combined Cycle Plant the Vega
209f offers short delivery at relatively low investment with
higher efficiencies and lower running costs than a
conventional power plant. The modular design of the Vega plant
reduces installation time even further and development of the
larger gas turbine has led to greater efficiencies.
Reliability, availability, safety and maintainability have all
been considered in all areas of plant design, including C&I.
The Vega 209f Combined Cycle plant is a combination of
two frame 9f Gas Turbines and a single Steam Turbine, each
with it's own, interchangeable, generator ( see figure 1 ) .
The exhaust heat of each gas turbine feeds it's own separate
Heat Recovery Steam Generator ( HRSG ) . The combined output of
the two HRSGs feed the steam turbine. The large Gas Turbines
enable a fairly compact plant with an output of around 650 MW.
Considerable Control and coordination is required to run the
diverse and relatively complex plant. The large plant size
implies a Distributed Control Scheme ( DCS ) rather than PLCs
and discreet closed loop controllers. By incorporating a
Distributed Control System, information, automation and
flexible control can enable the Combined Cycle to be operated
at it's most efficient.
C. E. Libby is with GEC ALSTHOM PPD, Manchester

Authorized licensed use limited to: Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand. Downloaded on February 15,2023 at 06:16:08 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
 Main Plant control Areas
The main plant areas requiring control are as follows:-
Gas Turbine and Generator:
Each gas turbine is of the frame 9f type; it's generated
output is approximately 220 MW at an ambient inlet air
temperature of 8OC. The gas turbine is normally operated with
natural fuel gas. As an alternative distillate fuel oil can be
used. The fuel type is either selected by the operator in the
Central Control Room ( CCR ) or with automatic changeover on
loss of fuel supply. The generator is driven at 3000 rpm and
is hydrogen cooled. It's normal output voltage is 15.5 KV.

-1-1.1-1-1

I-
-1
I

/.I.. ' u . l * ,

.D .".,/.

General Arrangement of Vega 209f Plant figure 1

The level of automation for the gas turbine is very high.
Gas Turbines have traditionally been developed for Open Cycle,
or 'stand alone' operation. The control and protection system
( Speedtronic ) is therefore self contained and separate to
the DCS control. However, the difference in equipment is
transparent to the operator since the DCS handles all
communications, offering a standard interface. The cubicle,
normally sited local to the plant, is for both the gas turbine
and it's associated generator. From this cubicle the Gas
Turbine can be started, ignition achieved, run up,
synchronised, load selected and run down within acceptable
thermal stress limits. It also protects the Gas
Turbine/Generator against overspeed, over temperature, high
rotor vibration, fire, loss of flame, loss of lub-oil
pressure, combustion and exhaust thermocouple temperatures
abnormal, compressor surge, high lub-oil header temp, low
hydraulic supply pressure and processor fault.

212

Authorized licensed use limited to: Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand. Downloaded on February 15,2023 at 06:16:08 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
 High reliability and availability is achieved by a three
channel system, and an overseeing communications processor.
The Speedtronic system interfaces to the DCS via serial
communications and/or hardwired inputs. Trip interfacing is
achieved by either direct connection to the control valve
hydraulics' or via the three channels.
Optional Blast Stacks can be added between the Gas
Turbine Exhaust and the Heat Recovery Boiler to enable open
cycle operation. This is not normally offered because of the
extra cost and slight efficiency loss, the build time is not
significantly shorter and the station should be operated in
closed cycle for maximum performance.
Heat Recovery Steam Generator ( HRSG ) :
The Vega 209f Combine Cycle Plant uses an unfired three
pressure reheat boiler to achieve high thermal recovery. Each
HRSG has therefore three drums. Each pressure stage comprises
of one economiser, one evaporator and one superheater. Each
pressure stage has circulating pumps taking water from the
drum to the evaporators. LP/IP sections of the boiler are fed
by 3 X 50% common Boiler Feed Pumps ( BFPs ) , ie 50% with
respect to total system flow ( where 2 X HRSGs = 100% of total
system flow ) . The HP drum is fed by 3 X 50% BFPs. The
condensate preheater is installed in the exhaust of the HRSG.
All control and interlocking for the HRSG drives is performed
in the DCS.
Steam Turbine and Generator:
The Steam Turbine consists of one combined HP/IP casing
and one LP cylinder. The three pressure stages have separate
stop and governor valves controlled by the Steam Turbine
Governor. HP steam is supplied to the HP cylinder from the
combined output of the two boiler HP Superheaters. HP exhaust
is then fed back to the reheat sections of the HRSGs. IP Steam
is supplied via the reheat section of the boiler which is fed
from the HP exhaust and the IP Superheater combined. LP steam
is supplied from both the IP exhaust and the combined output
of the LP superheaters. The Steam Turbine generator operates
only to recover the gas turbines' exhaust heat. It therefore
operates in sliding pressure mode on the HP and IP stages. The
LP section however always operates in constant pressure mode.
For distillate oil firing the steam turbine has a bled
steam extraction line to supply the injection steam necessary
for NOx control.
The steam turbine control and protection is provided by
standalone packages and the DCS system. The following
proprietary packages are provided:-
Steam Turbine Governor -
The ST Governor is an high
integrity programmable turbine control system using multiple
microprocessors to control the HP, IP and LP steam admission
valves. It provides for pre-start checks, run up ( speed ) and
loading within -stress limits, limiting the speed and
acceleration rates of the steam turbine. The governor is
interfaced via a serial link to the DCS for Coordinated Load

Authorized licensed use limited to: Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand. Downloaded on February 15,2023 at 06:16:08 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
 Control. The operator interface is via a dedicated VDU and
hardwired controls situated on the unit control desk.
steam Turbine and Generator Protection There are -
two classes of turbine trip; Class 1 is used for trips which
require instantaneous tripping of the turbine and generator
circuit breaker, and Class 2, for the electrically less urgent
trips, to trip the turbine only, the opening of the circuit
breaker being interlocked via the low forward power relay.
Trips derived from electrically-initiated signals, ie low
pressure, are triplicated and voted on in a 2 out of 3
configuration.
Steam Turbine Dynamic Supervisory Measures the -
eccentricity, differential expansion, absolute expansion,
vibration, thrust bearing wear, rotor speed and control valve
position.
Steam Bypass System
Each HRSG is provided with one HP, one IP, and one LP
steam bypass in order to facilitate start up and steam turbine
protection. Depending on the operating phase the HP, IP and LP
Steam Pressure, ie main steam pressure, is adjusted by
controlling the steam bypass in antiphase with the steam
turbine control valves.
Examples of further areas of steam and water plant for which
the DCS is responsible for controlling are as follows:-
Drum Level,
Condenser and Deaerator Water Level Control,
Deaerator Temperature control,
Superheat and Reheat steam Temperature Control,
Condensate preheater protection.
Balance of plant Controls
These are very similar to conventional plant, the main
control being implemented in, or providing information to, the
DCS. Because of independency of design, duplicate common
service systems may exist between the Gas and Steam Turbines,
eg Lub. Oil.
Load Coordination
The Gas Turbines can operate in power control or droop
mode which is selected by the operator. The DCS coordinates
the individual Speedtronic controllers. In the first case, the
power supplied to the network corresponds to the set point
value selected by the operator; in the second case the power
supplied is a function of the frequency variation of the grid
network, as per the droop factor of the gas turbine generator.
The Gas Turbines normally operate in block mode, ie at the
same output with any load changes being shared equally,
although they can be operated independently. The Steam Turbine
output will always lag the Gas Turbine. This is primarily due
to the thermal inertia and the boiler response. The control
system takes this delay into account when coordinating the
load changes to ensure that the correct target is achieved
without over or under shooting. The load change of the Gas
Turbines is limited to protect the Steam Turbine from thermal
stress.

Authorized licensed use limited to: Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand. Downloaded on February 15,2023 at 06:16:08 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
 Combined Cycle Start Up
This is achieved using the Distributed Control Scheme,
which, under sequence control, coordinates the Speedtronic and
Steam Turbine Governor. At any stage the operator can take
manual control. The following steps form the main part of the
Start up sequence, these areas can be further divided into
sub-groups:
The necessary auxiliaries for the power module are
started ie CW Pumps, Feed Pumps, Hydraulic Pumps, HRSG
circulating pumps etc.
Deaerator, Condenser and Drum levels are filled to their
start-up levels.
Gas Turbine is set on barring at 200 rpm.
After pre-start checks the Speedtronic is used to run up
the first gas turbine, and loaded to approximately 20% of it's
own output. This enables the HRSG to reach the correct Steam
Turbine starting conditions.
Steam Pressures and Temperatures are achieved allowing
Gland Steam Sealing, Condenser Vacuum and Deaerator heating.
Condenser Vacuum enables the Bypass to become
operational, allowing the Gas Turbines load to be increased.
The HP Cylinder is warmed under vacuum. The second Gas Turbine
may be started.
The HRSG is stabilised, ie heat soak, and develops the
correct steam conditions for steam turbine start up. The Steam
Turbine auxiliaries are started.
The run up and shut down of the Steam Turbine can be
completely automatic. The turbine is always protected against
thermal stress and sufficient stabilisation periods are set
before the turbine can be fully loaded. Synchronisation is
also automatic. Speed is increased by opening the governor
valves and closing the bypass valves. The turbine operates in
sliding pressure mode ( IP and HP ) . At loads around 20% the
LP Cylinder bypass valves are closed and the vessel operated
at fixed pressure.
Full loading of the steam turbine is achieved by running
up the second gas turbine. Care must be taken to balance the
HRSGs, using the steam bypass, before opening the steam header
stop valves.

Control & Instrumentation PhilosoDhv

This section is concerned with the philosophy behind the
design of a control scheme for a Vega 209f power train.
The commonality of plant, including instrumentation,
tight project management, specification and liaison with
customer are all necessary factors in producing a consistent
and integrated power plant. Safety and availability are
critical factors in designing the overall control scheme.
The predominant feature of the C&X system is the
Distributed Control System ( DCS ) shown in figure 2, which
marshals and coordinates all the 1/0 necessary for operating
the Combined Cycle Plant. The Vega 209f philosophy is to have
a centralised control centre using VDUs and Keyboards, ie a
'soft desk'. Hard wired controls are limited to trips and

Authorized licensed use limited to: Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand. Downloaded on February 15,2023 at 06:16:08 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
 proprietary package control. Once the plant has been prepared
locally, ie following commissioning or prolonged outage, by
local manually operated controls, all necessary plant control
is provided from the VDUs and Keyboards, ie for run up,

e-
synchronisation, loading and load changing, run back, barring
and shutdown.
m
.bi f. m
'"n Fbm

@ . < _.)_.I - *UT,=.

i=
-.-
T=
L

-
-.
- W

3 E;*-- I.
I
c-

-.- _.-
, & e
I--

Typical arrangement of a DCS System. figure 2

The standard design is to provide the Operator with 4

VDUs and 2 Keyboards/Track ball etc. ( for Power Train
control ) , this is shown in figure 3, and the Supervisor with
2 VDUs and 1 keyboard ( Balance of Plant ) . The VDUs are full
colour graphics screens which normally show plant area mimics
in the form of P&IDs or Logic diagrams. Real time data is
superimposed to show the plant condition. Colour changes,
flashing and reverse video are used to highlight information,
ie warnings, alarms, change of state etc., along with text
messages such as position in a sequence, alarm and status
information etc. Standard bar charts, trend graphs, controller
symbols and alarm and event summary lists are provided as part
of a standard DCS package. In normal operation each VDU is
assigned to different plant areas with one dedicated to
listing any alarms. However any plant information can be shown
on any VDU. Plant control is via the keyboards, trackball,
touch screen etc. , again any keyboard can be used to control
any plant item. Printers are provided for alarm listing and
copying screen information.
The DCS provides a standard range of proven hardware and
software suitable for all levels of control and information in
large power stations. The system can be freely configured to
suit the particular application. The structure of the DCS Will

Authorized licensed use limited to: Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand. Downloaded on February 15,2023 at 06:16:08 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
 reflect the plant's functional groups ( figure 2 ) , a single
process controller may therefore control a number of drives
TYPICAL V E G A 209F DESK L : " i l l i

-
SIOE VIE*

figure 3
and provide both closed and open loop control. It may contain
more than one functional group, depending on the complexity of
the area(s) of control, or receive information from any other
area of the DCS. Each control group is independent of the
system except for the passing of information, ie should
communication be lost or a failure occur elsewhere within the
DCS, the plant area control will still be maintained in a
manner dependant upon the way the system has been configured.
Modifications to the DCS can be categorised into two main
areas; changes to the information system ie modification of
performance calculations, changing logged information,
modifying screen formats, set point adjustment, etc. are made
through the Operator's terminal using privileged access. A
separate Engineer's workstation is provided for configuration,
modification of control parameters, sequence timing etc. Any
changes to either the control or information system are
recorded on the system printers using a self documenting
system, the version of installed software is also updated.
Configuration modifications can be carried out on line.
The Engineering work station is normally sited close to
the equipment, for system diagnostics and maintenance of both
the plant and DCS. Most DCSs offer powerful diagnostics
packages which provide failure details down to card, or even
pin, level. Alarm messages are also provided for the operator
to indicate system disturbance due to an equipment fault.
Using this station the system may be reconfigured, which could
include simulating certain plant conditions or isolating
certain control loops in order to maintain, develop or
commission the system. This must only be carried out by a
competent engineer and special protection, ie coded entry
and/or locked keys are provided. Many manufacturers use a
standard PC to run the engineering software package.

Authorized licensed use limited to: Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand. Downloaded on February 15,2023 at 06:16:08 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
 The control System is designed for minimal operator
intervention by providing an high level of automation,
control, monitoring and information. Extensive use is made of
Sequence Controls where the plant is divided into logical
groups and sub-groups which can be controlled in a sequence of
steps by a single start command. Similarly the plant control
can also be broken down into a series of closed loops which
the DCS will control automatically, ie maintain a set point.
At any stage of a sequence or modulating loop the operator can
take manual control. Any changes made whilst in manual are
shadowed by the control system so that on return there is a
bumpless changeover. Whilst the plant is under manual control
the DCS and Protection packages will still ensure safe
operation.
Other separate hardwired panels in the CCR provide the
operator with further necessary information ie fire alarm
panel, MV and HV mimics. These panels also provide information
to the DCS for Event Logging, etc. Figure 4 show a typical
layout for a single power train central control room.

Key
1 Unit Control Desk
2 Aux. Elec. Mimic Panel
04
3 Station j supervisors desk
4
5
6
7
Fire Control Panel
HV Mimic Panel
Manual Sync. Panel
Video Copier j Printers
U.
8 Summation Metering Panel E 8

591 mm
7 7

Typical Layout of CCR figure 4

C&I Design Factors:

To achieve a consistent C&I philosophy the following
factors are considered during the system design. These will be
discussed in more detail.
Level of Automation
Signal Condition j Validation.
Information requirements.
Redundancy j Availability.
Plant ControljProtection Shutdown Protection -
is
normally separate to the DCS hardware. The DCS performs drive
interlocks. The main plant proprietary protection packages are
as follows:-
Gas Turbine Protection ( Speedtronic M k IV j V )
Steam Turbine Protection
Generator Protection
Sizing of the DCS.
Commonality of instrumentation and control equipment.

Authorized licensed use limited to: Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand. Downloaded on February 15,2023 at 06:16:08 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
 Plant Environment.
Interfaces to proprietary packages.
Geographical Distribution or Centralised Equipment.
Hard Wired Controls.
A/M stations.
Safe Run Down control.
Spare Capacity in cubicles etc.
Maintenance.

Selecting a DCS manufacturer:

The following is a list of factors which should be assessed
when selecting which integrated control scheme should be
superimposed on the Combined Cycle Plant.
Price.
Suitability to the client.
Meets Technical Specification
Experience of the DCS Manufacturer.
Architecture of system.
Scope.
Ruggedness & suitability to environment.
Flexibility / programmability 1 diagnostics packages.
Support.
Present Trends in Combined Cycle Control:
As operating experience grows, even more reliance is
being placed on the DCS for the protection and the running of
the plant. Expectations of what such systems can provide are
steadily increasing too. The list below shows areas which seem
to be requiring increasing attention:-
Remote Control / Load Dispatch
Availability calculations
Incorporation of more proprietary packages into DCS.
Functional & Geographical Distribution
Remote 1/0
Optimisation packages

Summary
*
Modern distributed control schemes offer a practical
solution to Combined Cycle control, however the philosophy in
applying such systems must be understood and clearly defined.
The expertise and experience of the GEC ALSTHOM group ensures
that an integrated control and instrumentation package of high
availability, efficiency and safety is achieved. This is
consistent with the Vega 209f concept.

Acknowledgements:
The author wishes to thank Mr C Henderson and many
members of the,GEC ALSTHOM group for their help in writing
this paper.

Authorized licensed use limited to: Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand. Downloaded on February 15,2023 at 06:16:08 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.