Development of Hardware and Software for Turbine Control Emulator

Abstract

The Helium Refrigerator/Liquefier (HRL) desire turbines as expansion machines to produce refrigerate effect which is further helps for production of liquid helium. Cryogenic turbines are considerably smaller in size equal to those for room temperature applications, but rotation speed is high, about few lakhs of rpm and they have contactless gas bearings or magnetic bearings. Gas bearing can be of aerostatic and aerodynamic type. Due to this high speed of rotation, for safe and controlled operation of turbines, consequence of flow dynamics for associated pipe and valves on turbine speed are important before using these turbines in the helium plant, it is necessary to simulate the performance for producing cooling effects using software tools. For non- identical normal and off- normal operations, speed will be contrasting and hence the flow parametric quantity for bearing gas flow should be manage via control valves through building a logic. These turbines will also have gas compression cycle whose pressure also needs to be auto controlled. This project work involves the design of a control loops and hence development of logic for different operational scenarios of turbine test facility. To operate the test facility in the cryogenic temperatures environment, a number of specific cryogenic temperature, pressure, flow sensors, speedometers are required. Project includes the development and understanding the plant cycle, process flow chart (PFC) Operational sequence of different components with rate of opening/closing of valves will be established for safe operation during nominal and off- nominal operations in the test stand. It also includes the study of safety interlock for the reliable failsafe operation of turbine test facility.