TECH CORNER

CONTROL SYSTEMS

Operation of a single-
extraction steam
turbine-driven
centrifugal compressor
Different controllers, proper parameters necessary Conversely, the train controllers should
unload it before the turbine stop sequence
to achieve full control. By Nabil Abu-Khader is initiated. During that stop sequence, the
UIC should keep the recycle or blow-off

S
team turbines are often used at a single-extraction steam turbine-driven valve fully open and the PIC’s output should
refineries and petrochemical plants centrifugal compressor. track the turbine’s actual speed. The train’s
because the processes often controllers should also immediately unload it
produce excess heat, used to produce drive Steam turbine integrated control if the SIC’s emergency shutdown response is
steam. In these cases, turbine speed often system triggered.
becomes an effective method of throughput To fully control a single-extraction steam When the SIC enters shutdown, it
control because the speed can easily be turbine application, four different controllers places the XIC in shutdown too. The SIC’s
governed by steam flow. are typically used: proportional-integral-derivative (PID) loop is
In a typical steam turbine application, ■ SIC (Speed-Indicating Controller), usually in control of the position of the steam
it is necessary to regulate the rotational ■ XIC (eXtraction Indicating Controller), control valve during normal operation, except
speed of the steam turbine while ensuring ■ UIC (User-defined Indicating Controller during startup and shutdown sequences
that other turbine operating parameters, [Antisurge]), and or when in limit. It modulates the steam
such as inlet steam pressure, do not ■ PIC (Performance Indicating Controller). valve to maintain a proper turbine speed for
exceed safe limits. In addition, it is the current operating state and conditions
necessary to provide startup and shutdown The SIC generally defines reference maintaining certain process variables, such
sequencing, overspeed protection and speeds including valid speed range, normal as pressure.
critical speed(s) avoidance. Compressor operating range and critical speed ranges for The SIC’s normal operating range is
Controls Corp. (CCC) has developed various smooth sequencing and operation. It must between the minimum and maximum
application software solutions called also coordinate its actions with the XIC, the governor speeds. For example, at any given
control applications or controllers to drive, UIC and the PIC to provide integrated control discharge pressure, the flow through a
protect and sequence the entire train. In and protection of the train. compressor is a function of its rotational
this article, we will demonstrate how an When starting such a unit, the UIC should speed. A constant discharge pressure can
integrated control system runs keep the recycle or blow-off valve fully open, be maintained, despite varying process
the PIC should track the actual speed from flow demands, by implementing pressure-
NABIL ABU-KHADER is the
THE AUTHOR

the SIC, while the XIC is normally disabled to-speed cascade control. The pressure
regional training manager and and idle. The compressor controllers should control loop varies the setpoint of a speed
senior turbomachinery training not initiate their loading sequence until control loop, which in turn manipulates
specialist for Compressor Controls after the turbine has been warmed up and the steam flow. As a result, the turbine
Corp. (CCC). accelerated to an appropriate speed. develops exactly enough power to operate
Once the XIC is idle and the SIC is at whatever speed is necessary to achieve
running, extraction control can be enabled. that goal.

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CONTROL SYSTEMS

Single-extraction control scheme is offset by the decreased low-pressure calculated as per Eq. 2:
In any application using a single- or double- section power. Thus, this action will not ME = – (J2 / J1) (2)

extraction or induction turbine, the SIC affect the speed. Where J1 and J2 are the turbine shaft
can be combined with one or more XICs ■ If less extraction steam is needed, V1 is power provided by V1 and V2 respectively.
to provide coordinated control of speed or reduced and V2 is raised. Again, the ratio This decoupling coefficient is typically a
load, and the extraction pressure or flow. of the movements is such that the power negative value due to the opposite control
The SIC is typically used to control the produced by the turbine does not change. response direction that the V1 valve should
high-pressure steam valve (V1) while the XIC Remember that closing V2 will extract more make to compensate for a change in
is used to control the low-pressure steam flow to the LP steam header and opening it extraction control steam flow demand.
valve (V2). A single-extraction turbine’s load will extract less. Defining the correct decoupling coefficients
map quantifies the relationships between For proper SIC and XIC interactions, is key for control system stability.
its power output and steam flow rates for a it is necessary to have loop decoupling
specified set of inlet, exhaust and extraction continuously enabled on both sides: Gas compression station simulation
header conditions. Any point on such a ■ The XIC’s decoupling coefficient for the A single-extraction, steam turbine-driven
map corresponds to a unique set of V1 and speed control response, Ms can be centrifugal compressor train is shown in
V2 positions, steam flow rates and turbine calculated as per Eq. 1: Figure 1. A speed controller (SC-1) regulates
power outputs. For multi-section machines, Ms = W1 / W2 (1)
the rotational speed of the turbine while
the control valves are usually numbered (V1, Where W1 and W2 are the maximum mass an extraction controller (EX-1) regulates
V2, etc.) flow through V1 and V2 respectively. This the extraction flow from the high-pressure
decoupling coefficient is typically a positive turbine. The train is governed by a
Speed and extraction control value due to the same control response performance controller (PF-1) controlling
decoupling direction that the V2 valve should make to downstream knockout drum pressure
Loop decoupling can minimize the effect of compensate for a change in speed control (measured by PT-103) while the anti-surge
each controller’s actions on the other. During steam flow demand. controller (AS-1) protects the compressor
each scan cycle, a controller calculates ■ SIC’s decoupling coefficient for the from surge. A logic was custom designed
a control response by applying gains to extraction control response, ME can be to sequence the steam turbine startup and
the change in the loop decoupling control
variable received from each decoupled
companion controller. The loop decoupling
response is added to the selected control
response of the receiving controller.
As an example, assume V1 is manipulated
to control the speed and V2 to regulate the
extraction pressure:
■ If more power is needed, the SIC will FIGURE 1
increase V1 to allow more steam to flow Single-extraction,
through the high-pressure section and the steam turbine-
XIC will increase V2 to allow the same rise in driven centrifugal
the low-pressure section flow. Because the compressor train.
increase in each flow is the same, this action
does not affect the extraction pressure.
■ If less power is needed, both valves are
closed to a certain amount to achieve the
desired reduction without affecting the
extraction pressure.
■ If more extraction flow is needed, the SIC
will increase V1 to allow more steam through
the high-pressure section, while the XIC FIGURE2
reduces V2 to allow less steam through the The steam turbine is
low-pressure section. The ratio of the two at minimum governor
movements is such that the added power and the compressor
developed by the high-pressure section is unloaded.

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CONTROL SYSTEMS

pressurize the gas compression station.

Its current status shows that the train is in
shutdown.
TRAIN START: Initially, the SC-1 is in “Local”,
the EX-1 is disabled, PF-1 is in “Tracking”, FIGURE
and the AS-1 is in “Shutdown”, hence the The compressor
compressor is unloaded. The SC-1 must be is loaded.
“Reset” before giving the “Start” command.
This should cause the SC-1 state to change
from “Shutdown” to “Ready” when all start
permissives are satisfied and no emergency
shutdown signals are present. Figure 2
shows the steam turbine after passing
through the startup sequence (open-loop
control). The SC-1 opened V1 (FCV-001) to
17% running the steam turbine at minimum
governor speed of 4525 rpm. At this point, FIGURE
The SC-1 enters its closed-loop control and Reducing process
can be put in “Remote” to receive its setpoint demand extraction
from the PF-1. is disabled.
COMPRESSOR LOADING: Let us load the
compressor and adjust the setpoint for the
downstream knockout drum at 660 psig Accordingly, the PF-1 will lower its output to 75% as an increase in process demand.
[45.5 barg] (via PF-1). During loading, the (remote setpoint to the SC-1) causing the The knockout drum pressure PT-103 will
AS-1 will ramp the anti-surge valve (FCV-107) SC-1 to close V1 from 48% to 40% to maintain drop causing the PF-1 to increase its remote
close and the SC-1 will further ramp V1 open the new process conditions shown in setpoint to the SC-1. This will cause V1 to
from 17% to 48% to satisfy the new process Figure 4. further open from 44% to 48% to increase the
goal as shown in Figure 3. During closed-loop ENABLING EXTRACTION: To maintain the low- train’s speed and build up the knockout drum
control, the SC-1 will manipulate V1 so the pressure steam header at a specific pressure pressure back to 660 psig (45.5 barg). As a
train’s speed is between minimum (4525 (initially at 215 psig [14.8 barg]), we can result of increasing the train’s speed, low-
rpm) and maximum (6500 rpm) governor enable the XIC. Doing so will cause the XIC to pressure header pressure will also increase
speeds. ramp close V2 (FCV-002) from 100% to 84%, which will request the EX-1 to ramp V2 open
DECREASE IN PROCESS DEMAND WHILE while the SC-1 will ramp open V1 from 40% to maintain low-pressure header pressure at
EXTRACTION IS DISABLED: Let us step to 44%, maintaining the load requirements its setpoint of 215 psig (14.8 barg) as shown
downstream valve FCV-105 close from 75% to shown in Figure 5. in Figure 6. As noticed, the EX-1 will not be
65% as a decrease in process demand. This INCREASING THE PROCESS DEMAND WHILE able to further maintain low-pressure header
will increase the knockout drum pressure EXTRACTION IS ENABLED: Let us step the pressure since V2 was forced to fully open.
above its setpoint (660 psig [45.5 barg]). FCV-105 downstream valve open from 65% Note that V1 and V2 worked in the same

FIGURE 5 Enabling extraction. FIGURE 6 Increasing process demand while extraction is enabled.

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CONTROL SYSTEMS

the steam flow through V1 until the unit slows

to its minimum control speed, then shuts it
down as shown in Figure 1.

Summary
To achieve integrated control of a turbine-
FIGURE 7 driven rotating equipment train, various CCC
Increasing controllers were developed. A well-tuned,
extraction single-extraction, steam turbine-driven
demand. centrifugal compressor train should absorb
upsets and changes in process conditions,
direction. The output of the SC-1 is added to the new process conditions. The operator load and extraction demands. Utilizing loop-
the output of the EX-1 based on load demand would typically rectify the FCV-105 position decoupling with appropriate coefficients can
increase. The amount of V2 additional and then reset the surge count to eliminate further minimize process oscillations. Other
opening – for a given V1 opening – depends recycling. application-specific features like process
on the relative loop decoupling coefficient TRAIN STOP: To safely stop the train, first limits, speed priority, extraction priority and
(here positive sign) from the SC-1 to the EX-1. we can disable the XIC (although it is speed on V2 can be applied as needed. This
INCREASING THE EXTRACTION DEMAND: Let not necessary). Next, we can unload the should serve in smoothly running the train
us increase the setpoint for the EX-1 from compressor (AS-1 will fully ramp open FCV- within its desired design boundaries. CT2
215 to 230 psig (14.8 to 15.9 barg). This will 107). We can then put the SC-1 in “Local” so
cause the EX-1 to close V2 from 100% to 85% the PF-1 will track the train’s speed. This will REFERENCES
1
Saul Mirsky, et al., “Development and Design of Antisurge
to increase low-pressure header pressure. result in running the train at its minimum and Performance Control Systems for Centrifugal
Accordingly, the SC-1 will command V1 governor speed as was shown in Figure 2. It Compressors”, Proceedings of the Forty-Second
Turbomachinery Symposium Oct. 1 – 3, 2012, Houston,
to open from 48% to 51% to maintain the is now safe to give the “Stop” command to Texas. 2 Compressor Controls Corporation; UM5400,
knockout drum pressure at 660 psig (45.5 the SC-1. A full stop sequence ramps down UM6431, UM6432 Reference Manuals, Mar. 2019.
barg) as shown in Figure 7. Note that V1 and
V2 worked in opposite directions. The output
of the EX-1 is added to the output of the SC-1
based on the extraction demand increase.
The amount of V1 additional opening – for a
given V2 opening – depends on the relative
loop decoupling coefficient (here negative
sign) from the EX-1 to the SC-1. Utilizing loop
decoupling helped the train to smoothly FIGURE
stabilize satisfying load and extraction The train’s
demands. reaction to
REACTION TO COMPRESSOR SURGE: As the compressor
network resistance increases, the operating surge.
point will move along the performance curve
to the left, eventually reaching a point of
minimum stable flow and maximum pressure
rise. Operating to the left of this surge
limit can induce a potentially destructive
phenomenon known as surge.
A surge event was generated by closing
the FCV-105 downstream valve sharply from
75% to 25% as shown in Figure 8. For a well-
tuned control system, the train recovered
its operation after one surge cycle only as FIGURE
shown in Figure 9. As a result, V1 and V2 System trends after
moved in the closing direction while the FCV- one surge cycle.
107 anti-surge valve opened to 26% to satisfy

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