Air-Cooled Condenser State Transition Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing control methods for air-cooled condensers in electric power generation plants face challenges in efficiently and securely managing state transitions, leading to potential overloads, demagnetization issues, and slow response times, which can impact system performance and cause blockages in steam and gas turbines.
Innovation Solution
A control method utilizing a processing unit with a reference generator, subtractor node, state management module, and drive module to adjust the operating conditions of fans in the condenser based on pressure error calculations, ensuring rapid and efficient state transitions while avoiding transformer overloads and motor demagnetization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If fans are switched on or speed is increased rapidly to respond quickly to steam pressure increases, then the response time of the condenser is reduced, but transformer overloads and motor demagnetization occur
Solution Approach 1:
The control method performs preliminary checks before switching on fans or changing speed. The processing unit verifies that transformers are not overloaded and motors are properly demagnetized before allowing fan activation or speed changes, preventing harmful effects while enabling rapid response when conditions are safe
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors transformer load and motor status, using feedback signals to determine when it is safe to activate fans or change speed. The control method adjusts fan operation based on real-time feedback about system conditions, ensuring rapid response only when it will not cause overloads or demagnetization
2Power
If fans are operated at high power to maintain cooling capacity, then the condenser can handle increased steam flow, but the risk of transformer overload and motor demagnetization increases
Solution Approach 1:
Before allowing high-power fan operation, the control method performs preliminary verification that transformers have sufficient capacity and motors are in safe conditions. This prevents harmful effects while still enabling high cooling capacity when system conditions permit
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses continuous feedback from transformers and motors to dynamically adjust fan power levels. High power operation is permitted only when feedback indicates sufficient system capacity, automatically reducing power when limits are approached to prevent overloads and demagnetization
3Speed
If the number of fans is increased to offset steam pressure increases, then the condenser response is rapid, but the complexity of state transition management increases
Solution Approach 1:
The processing unit automatically manages the complexity of state transitions by autonomously determining when and how to activate or adjust fans based on steam pressure measurements. The system self-regulates fan operation without requiring complex external control, simplifying state transition management while maintaining rapid response
Solution Approach 2:
The control method uses feedback from steam pressure measurements to automatically adjust fan operation. The processing unit continuously monitors pressure and autonomously determines the appropriate number of fans to activate, reducing the complexity of state transition management while ensuring rapid response to pressure changes
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method enables efficient and secure state transition management of the air-cooled condenser, reducing the risk of overloads and ensuring quick response times, thereby maintaining system performance and preventing blockages in steam and gas turbines.
Implementation Method 1
An air-cooled condenser typically comprises a plurality of tube bundle lines, in which the steam flows, and a plurality of fans, organized as a matrix in rows and columns and arranged so as to cool the steam flowing through the tube bundles
Implementation Method 2
The major fraction (about 90%) of the steam is condensed into tube bundles by fans belonging to primary modules
Implementation Method 3
The condensate will then be taken from the collection tank thorugh extraction pumps
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 5~6
AI summary
Being described is a method for controlling an air condenser of an electric power generation plant, comprising a plurality of fans (FIJ) and a control device (10), for selecting a state (SK, SK') of the condenser among a plurality of available states (S1, ..., SP), defined by sets of speed values (R1, ..., RQ) of the fans (FIJ). The method allows the selection of a new state (SK') in response to a request to modify a selected current state (SK) and change the speed (R1, ..., RQ) of at least one fan (FIJ) according to the new selected state (SK'). In order to change the speed (R1, ..., RQ), the fan (FIJ) is stopped and restarted at a new speed value, after a rest time (TR) interval.