1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a generator system, more particularly to a turbine generator system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to
The steam turbine device 2 includes a steam boiler 21, and a turbine rotor 22 provided with a plurality of blades 23 that are connected to a shaft 24. The steam boiler 21 is operable to generate steam for pushing the blades 23 of the turbine rotor 22 so that the shaft 24 rotates to output a mechanical torque.
The synchronous generator 3 includes a generator rotor 31, a rectifier rotor 32, and an excitation rotor 33 for generating a magnetic field. The generator rotor 31 is connected to the shaft 24 of the turbine rotor 22, and is driven by the mechanical torque from the shaft 24 to generate driving electric power having a system frequency.
The output module 4 includes a boost transformer 41 electrically connected to the synchronous generator 3, and a pair of transmission sets 40 electrically connected in parallel between the boost transformer 41 and the electric network 5. Each of the transmission sets 40 includes a transmission cable 43, and a pair of circuit breakers 42 that are electrically connected in series through the transmission cable 43. The boost transformer 41 is operable to boost the driving electric power from the synchronous generator 3 so as to generate output electric power to be provided to the electric network 5. In each of the transmission sets 40, the circuit breakers 42 are configured to detect whether the transmission cable 43 has a single-phase to ground fault, to automatically switch from a conducting state to a non-conducting state so as to operate the turbine generator system 1 in a single-pole tripping state when the single-phase to ground fault is detected, and to automatically switch from the non-conducting state to the conducting state so as to resume operation of the turbine generator system 1 in the normal state after the single-phase to ground fault is eliminated.
However, when one of the transmission cables 43 has a single-phase to ground fault, the circuit breakers 42 that are connected to the faulty one of the transmission cables 43 will switch to the non-conducting state resulting in a substantial negative-sequence current flowing into the synchronous generator 3. As a result, the negative-sequence current imposes electromagnetic torque disturbance having a frequency that is twice the system frequency on the blades 23 of the turbine rotor 22 to result in supersynchronous resonance on the blades 23. Such supersynchronous resonance causes torsional vibration on the blades 23 and may even result in breaking of the blades 23.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a turbine generator system capable of reducing vibration of blades of a turbine rotor thereof.
Accordingly, a turbine generator system of this invention is operable to provide electric power to an electric network connected thereto, and comprises a turbine generator apparatus and an output module.
The turbine generator apparatus includes a turbine device and a generator. The turbine device includes a turbine rotor provided with a plurality of blades and rotatable to output a mechanical torque. The generator is coupled to the turbine rotor, and is to be driven by the mechanical torque from the turbine rotor to generate driving electric power having a system frequency. The output module is electrically connected to the turbine generator apparatus for converting the driving electric power into output electric power to be provided to the electric network. The generator includes a mechanical filter that is operable, when the turbine generator system has a fault, to resonate in a specified frequency that is based on the system frequency to make the blades of the turbine rotor less sensitive to electromagnetic torque disturbance attributed to the fault.
According to another aspect, a turbine generator apparatus of this invention comprises a turbine device and a generator.
The turbine device includes a turbine rotor provided with a plurality of blades and rotatable to output a mechanical torque. The generator is coupled to the turbine rotor, and is to be driven by the mechanical torque from the turbine rotor to generate driving electric power having a system frequency. The generator includes a mechanical filter that is operable, when a turbine generator system provided with the turbine generator apparatus has a fault, to resonate in a specified frequency that is based on the system frequency to make the blades of the turbine rotor less sensitive to electromagnetic torque disturbance attributed to the fault.
According to yet another aspect, a synchronous generator of this invention is to be coupled to a turbine device that includes a turbine rotor provided with a plurality of blades and rotatable to output a mechanical torque. The synchronous generator comprises a generator rotor and a mechanical filter.
The generator rotor is to be connected to the turbine rotor, and is to be driven by the mechanical torque from the turbine rotor to generate driving electric power having a system frequency. The mechanical filter is connected to the generator rotor and is operable, when a turbine generator system provided with the turbine device and the synchronous generator has a fault, to resonate in a specified frequency that is based on the system frequency to make the blades of the turbine rotor less sensitive to electromagnetic torque disturbance attributed to the fault.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:
a shows electromagnetic disturbing torque and torsional vibration in a turbine generator system without the mechanical filter when the turbine generator system resumes operation in a normal state from a single-pole tripping state;
b shows electromagnetic disturbing torque and torsional vibration in the turbine generator system provided with the mechanical filter according to this invention when the turbine generator system resumes operation in a normal state from the single-pole tripping state;
a shows peak-to-peak torques of rotor blades when the turbine generator system without the mechanical filter resumes operation in the normal state;
b shows peak-to-peak torques of rotor blades when the turbine generator system provided with the mechanical filter according to this invention resumes operation in the normal state;
a shows a relationship between resonant frequencies of the mechanical filter and the peak-to-peak torques of the rotor blades; and
b shows a relationship between the resonant frequencies of the mechanical filter and peak-to-peak torques of various shafts of the turbine generator apparatus of the turbine generator system.
Referring to
The turbine device 13 is, for example, a steam turbine, and includes a steam boiler 131 and a turbine rotor 132 provided with a plurality of blades 133 that are connected to a shaft 134. The steam boiler 21 is operable to generate steam for pushing the blades 133 of the turbine rotor 132 so that the shaft 134 rotates to output a mechanical torque.
The generator 14 is a synchronous generator in this embodiment, and is to be driven by the mechanical torque from the turbine rotor 132 to generate driving electric power having a system frequency. The generator 14 includes a generator rotor 141, a mechanical filter 142, a rectifier rotor 143, and an excitation rotor 144. The rectifier rotor 193 is connected to the mechanical filter 142, and is configured to convert alternating current power into direct current power. The excitation rotor 144 is connected to the rectifier rotor 143 for receiving the direct current power therefrom to generate a magnetic field. The generator rotor 141 is connected between the shaft 134 of the turbine rotor 132 and the mechanical filter 142, and is configured to use the magnetic field generated by the excitation rotor 144 to generate alternating current power serving as the driving electric power and as an input to the rectifier rotor 143.
The mechanical filter 142 is configured to have a specified natural frequency that is approximately twice the system frequency, and is operable between a non-resonating mode and a resonating mode. When the turbine generator system 10 operates in a normal state, the mechanical filter 142 is configured to operate in the non-resonating mode in which the mechanical filter 142 does not resonate. Thus, inertia attributed to the mechanical filter 142 in the non-resonating mode is negligible, and has no effect on normal operation of the turbine generator system 10. When the turbine generator system 10 has a fault, the mechanical filter 142 is configured to operate in the resonating mode in which the mechanical filter 142 resonates in a specified frequency that is approximately twice the system frequency, and provides inertia to the generator rotor 141. The inertia thus generated is sufficient to make the blades 133 of the turbine rotor 132 less sensitive to electromagnetic torque disturbance attributed to the fault of the turbine generator system 10 so as to reduce supersynchronous (SPSR) resonance on the blades 133.
The output module 12 is electrically connected to the turbine generator apparatus 11 for receiving the driving electric power therefrom and for converting the driving electric power into output electric power to be provided to the electric network 50. The output module 12 includes a boost transformer 121 and a pair of transmission sets 122. The boost transformer 121 is electrically connected to the generator rotor 141 of the generator 14 for receiving the driving electric power therefrom, and is operable to boost the driving electric power so as to generate the output electric power. The transmission sets 122 are electrically connected in parallel between the boost transformer 121 and the electric network 50 for providing the output electric power to the electric network 50.
Each of the transmission sets 122 includes a transmission cable 132 and a pair of circuit breakers 124 that are electrically connected in series through the transmission cable 123 and that are switchable between a conducting state and a non-conducting state. The turbine generator system 10 operates in the normal state when the circuit breakers 124 are in the conducting state, and operates in a single-pole tripping state when the circuit breakers 124 of one of the transmission sets 122 are in the non-conducting state. The circuit breakers 124 of each of the transmission sets 122 are configured to detect whether the transmission cable 123 of a corresponding one of the transmission sets 122 has a single-phase to ground fault. When the single-phase to ground fault is detected, the mechanical filter 142 operates in the resonating mode, and the circuit breakers 124 electrically connected to one of the transmission cables 123 that has the fault are operable to automatically switch from the conducting state to the non-conducting state so as to operate the turbine generator system 10 in the single-pole tripping state. Further, after the single-phase to ground fault is eliminated, the mechanical filter 142 resumes to operate in the non-resonating mode, and the circuit breakers 124 are operable to automatically switch from the non-conducting state to the conducting state so as to resume operation of the turbine generator system 10 in the normal state.
Accordingly, the mechanical filter 142 can be designed as a parallel resonant circuit for providing a very large impedance, combining with the impedance ZGEN provided by the generator rotor 141, when electromagnetic torque disturbance with a frequency that is twice the system frequency attributed to the single-phase to ground fault is imposed on the turbine generator system 10. The combination of the impedance provided by the generator rotor 141 and the mechanical filter 142 makes the blades 133 of the turbine rotor 132 less sensitive to the electromagnetic torque disturbance. Thus, in the equivalent circuit model, voltage drop under the frequency that is twice the system frequency on the blades 133 is reduced. Namely, the SPSR resonance and torsional vibration on the blades 133 are reduced.
For instance, the natural frequency of the mechanical filter 142 for a turbine generator system 10 with four poles and a system frequency of 60 Hz can be obtained based upon the following Equation (1).
In Equation (1), fosc is the natural frequency of the mechanical filter 142, KGEN-MF is stiffness coefficient of the mechanical shaft (GEN-MF) of the mechanical filter 142 that is connected to the generator rotor 141, and HFW is an inertia constant of the flywheel (fw) of the mechanical filter 142.
Preferably, the natural frequency of the mechanical filter 142 should not be exactly twice the system frequency, i.e., 120 Hz in this case. Since the mechanical filter 142 is a parallel resonant circuit equal to an open circuit in the equivalent circuit model, the mechanical filter 142 resonates in a parallel resonant frequency of 120 Hz if the natural frequency thereof is exactly equal to 120 Hz. The torque of the mechanical shafts (GEN-MF) of the mechanical filter 142 will have a maximum value when the mechanical filter 142 resonates in the parallel resonant frequency. As a result, the mechanical shafts (GEN-MF) may break due to overstress. Therefore, the natural frequency of the mechanical filter 142 should be appropriately shifted from 120 Hz to avoid breaking of the mechanical shafts (GEN-MF).
In the case of the turbine generator system 10 with four poles and a system frequency of 60 Hz, the stiffness coefficient (KGEN-MF) of the mechanical shaft (GEN-MF) is designed as 325.2832 MW/MVA-rad, and the inertia constant (HPW) of the flywheel (fw) is designed as 0.0505 seconds (MW-second/MVA), that is approximately equal to 1/23 of an inertia constant of the generator 14. Thus, the natural frequency of the mechanical filter 142 will be 124 Hz based upon Equation (1).
Regarding the turbine device 13 in
Regarding the generator 14 in
a shows transient responses of the electromagnetic disturbing torque (E/M torque) of the generator 14 without the mechanical filter 142 when the turbine generator system 10 resumes operation in the normal state from the single-pole tripping state.
a further shows, during resumed operation of the turbine generator system 10 without the mechanical filter 142 in the normal state, the transient responses of the torsional vibration (T (B1R)) of the set of blades (B1R) of the rear section (LP1R) of the first low-pressure stage steam turbine (LP1), the transient responses of the torsional vibration (T(B2F)) of the set of blades (B2F) of the front section (LP2F) of the second low-pressure stage steam turbine (LP2), and the transient responses of the torsional vibration (T(GEN-REC)) between the generator rotor 141 and the rectifier rotor 143. Similarly, further shown in
From the transient responses of the torsional vibration (T(B1R)) of the set of blades (B1R) of the rear section (LP1R) of the first low-pressure stage steam turbine (LP1) in
It can be seen from
a shows a relationship between peak-to-peak torques of the sets of blades (B1F, B1R, B2F, B2R) and reclosing time during resumed operation of the turbine generator system 10 without the mechanical filter in the normal state. It can be seen that the peak-to-peak torques increased with the reclosing time.
a shows a relationship between the peak-to-peak torques of the sets of blades (B1F, B1R, B2F, B2R) and resonant frequencies of the mechanical filter 142. It can be appreciated that the peak-to-peak torques of the sets of blades (B1F, B1R, B2F, B2R) may be varied with different resonant frequencies of the mechanical filter 142.
Since a structure of the blades 133 is quite complicated, it is difficult to improve structural strength of the blades 133 so that the structure of the blades 133 is relatively weaker. In addition, the cost for changing a natural frequency of the blades 133 to avoid the SPSR resonance is relatively high. However, it is relatively easier to enhance the structural strength of the shaft between the generator rotor 141 and the rectifier rotor 143 so that this shaft can be manufactured to have greater structural strength. Therefore, the mechanical filter 142 is provided between the generator rotor 141 and the rectifier rotor 143 for bearing the vibration. Thus, the relatively stronger mechanical shafts (GEN-MF) of the mechanical filter 142 vibrate so as to share and reduce the vibration on the blades 133.
In summary, by virtue of the mechanical filter 142 of this invention, the SPSR resonance on the blades 133 may be alleviated, and the vibration of the blades 133 may be reduced. Thus, the blades 133 may be protected from fatigue damage.
While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.