Gas turbine system and control apparatus and method thereof

A gas turbine system can estimate an amount of compressed air supplied to a combustor and limit a fuel amount according to the estimated compressed air amount. A control apparatus of the system includes a sensing unit to measure the turbine rotor speed; a compressed air amount estimation unit to estimate a change rate MR of an amount of compressed air produced by the compressor and supplied to the combustor, based on the measured turbine rotor speed; and a fuel amount control unit to control a fuel amount FC supplied to the combustor, based on the estimated change rate MR. The control apparatus can preemptively control the fuel amount in response to variations in the compressed air amount by a momentarily changing turbine rotor speed and can limit the turbine inlet temperature to below the maximum allowable temperature, to protect the turbine and/or combustor against fluctuations in compressed air amount.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2017-0052386, filed on Apr. 24, 2017, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to a gas turbine system and a control apparatus and method thereof, and more particularly, to a gas turbine system which can estimate an amount of compressed air to be supplied to a combustor in response to a momentary change in system frequency and can limit a fuel amount according to the estimation, thereby stably performing temperature control, and an apparatus and method of controlling the system.

Description of the Related Art

In general, an engine or apparatus including a turbine such as a gas turbine or steam turbine is a power generation system for converting thermal energy of gas or fluid into a rotational force as mechanical energy, and includes a rotor axially rotated by gas or fluid and a stator supporting and surrounding the rotor.

A gas turbine which is used in a power station or the like in order to produce electricity may include a compressor, a combustor and a turbine. The compressor compresses air and supplies high-pressure air to the combustor, the combustor produces combustion gas, and the turbine is driven by the combustion gas discharged from the combustor.

In general, the compressor of the gas turbine is coupled to a shaft of the turbine and is axially rotated with the turbine. While being axially rotated, the compressor sucks air from the outside and compresses the air. The compressed air is supplied to the combustor, which combusts the compressed air by mixing fuel with the compressed air. Thus, the combustor produces high-temperature, high-pressure combustion gas and supplies it to the turbine. The high-temperature, high-pressure combustion gas supplied to the turbine rotates rotor blades of the turbine, thereby rotating the rotor of the turbine.

In general, since the rotation of the turbine rotor is tied to the frequency of the system, the rotational speed (expressed in revolutions per minute, or rpm) of the rotor is changed according to a change of the system frequency. When the system frequency is significantly lowered in such a system, the rotor speed is reduced, and the amount of compressed air produced by the compressor connected to the same shaft is also reduced.

When the amount of compressed air produced by the compressor is reduced, the amount of compressed air supplied to the combustor is inevitably reduced, and the combustor should perform combustion using a smaller amount of compressed air. Thus, a turbine inlet temperature may suddenly rise. In general, the rise of the turbine inlet temperature in the gas turbine system operated at the maximum allowable turbine inlet temperature may have an adverse influence on components of the turbine and/or the combustor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a gas turbine system and a control apparatus and method thereof, which can preemptively control a fuel amount in response to a change of a compressed air amount by a momentary change in system frequency.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a control apparatus of a gas turbine system which includes a compressor configured to produce compressed air by sucking and compressing external air, a combustor configured to produce high-temperature high-pressure combustion gas by combusting the compressed air and fuel, and a turbine including a rotor rotated by the combustion gas produced through the combustor, wherein the compressor and the turbine are coaxially connected and a speed of the turbine rotor is proportional to a system frequency. The control apparatus may include a sensing unit configured to measure the turbine rotor speed; a compressed air amount estimation unit configured to estimate a change rate MRof an amount of compressed air which is produced by the compressor and supplied to the combustor, based on the measured turbine rotor speed; and a fuel amount control unit configured to control a fuel amount FCsupplied to the combustor, based on the estimated change rate MR.

The change rate MRof the compressed air amount may be estimated according to

MR=NCNN-1,
where NCdenotes the measured turbine rotor speed, and NNdenotes the turbine rotor speed when the system frequency is a rated frequency.

The sensing unit may be further configured to measure at least one parameter of an inlet temperature of the compressor and a position of an inlet guide vane for inducing air to the compressor, and the compressed air amount estimation unit may be further configured to correct the estimated change rate MRaccording to the measured parameter.

The sensing unit may be further configured to measure the amount of compressed air which is produced by the compressor and supplied to the combustor, and the compressed air amount estimation unit may be further configured to correct the estimated change rate MR, based on the measured compressed air amount. The compressed air amount may be measured using at least one parameter of an inlet temperature of the compressor, a position of an inlet guide vane for inducing air to the compressor, and the turbine rotor speed, and the compressed air amount estimation unit may be further configured to store the compressed air amount in a database and to correct the estimated change rate MR, based on data stored in the database.

The fuel amount control unit may set the fuel amount FCsupplied to the combustor according to a calculation of FC=FN(1+MR), where FNdenotes the amount of fuel supplied to the combustor when the system frequency was the rated frequency, and MRdenotes the change rate of the compressed air amount.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a gas turbine system for power generation may include a compressor configured to produce compressed air by sucking and compressing external air; a combustor configured to produce high-temperature high-pressure combustion gas by combusting the compressed air and fuel; a turbine including a rotor rotated by the combustion gas produced through the combustor; and the above control apparatus configured to control an amount of fuel supplied to the combustor.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a control method of a gas turbine system which includes a compressor configured to produce compressed air by sucking and compressing external air, a combustor configured to produce high-temperature high-pressure combustion gas by combusting the compressed air and fuel, and a turbine including a rotor rotated by the combustion gas produced through the combustor, wherein the compressor and the turbine are coaxially connected and a speed of the turbine rotor is proportional to a system frequency. The control method may include measuring the turbine rotor speed; estimating a change rate MRof an amount of compressed air supplied to the combustor depending on a change in the measured turbine rotor speed; and controlling an amount of fuel supplied to the combustor according to the estimated change rate MR. Here, controlling may include setting the fuel amount FCsupplied to the combustor according to a calculation of FC=FN(1+MR), where FNdenotes the amount of fuel supplied to the combustor when the system frequency was the rated frequency, and MRdenotes the change rate of the compressed air amount.

The control method may further include measuring at least one parameter of an inlet temperature of the compressor and a position of an inlet guide vane for inducing air to the compressor, and correcting the estimated change rate MRaccording to the measured parameter. Alternatively, the control method may further include measuring the amount of compressed air which is produced by the compressor and supplied to the combustor, and correcting the estimated change rate MR, based on the measured compressed air amount. Here, the compressed air amount may be measured using at least one parameter of an inlet temperature of the compressor, a position of an inlet guide vane for inducing air to the compressor, and the turbine rotor speed, and the method may further storing the compressed air amount in a database, and correcting the estimated change rate MR, based on data stored in the database.

DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

In order to clearly describe the present invention, elements irrelevant to the descriptions will be omitted. Throughout the specification, the same or like components are represented by the same reference numerals.

In this specification, when an element is referred to as being “connected” to another element, it may not only indicate that the former element is “directly connected” to the latter element, but also indicate that the former element is “electrically connected” to the latter element with another element interposed therebetween. Moreover, when an element is referred to as “including” a component, it may indicate that the element does not exclude another component but can further include another component, unless referred to the contrary.

When an element is referred to as being disposed “over” another element, it may indicate that the former element is disposed immediately over the latter element or another element is interposed therebetween. However, when an element is referred to as being disposed “immediately over” another element, it may indicate that no elements are interposed therebetween.

The terms such as first, second and third are used to describe various parts, components, regions, layers and/or sections, but are not limited thereto. Those terms are only used to distinguish a part, component, region, layer or section from another part, component, region, layer or section. Therefore, a first part, component, region, layer or section in the following descriptions may be referred to as a second part, component, region, layer or section without departing the scope of the present invention.

The technical terms used in this specification are only used to describe a specific embodiment, but not intended to limit the present invention. The terms of a singular form used herein may include plural forms unless referred to the contrary. The meaning of the term “including” used in this specification specifies a characteristic, region, integer, step, operation, element and/or component, and does not exclude the presence or addition of another characteristic, region, integer, step, operation, element and/or component.

The terms such as “under” and “above”, indicating spatial relations, may be used to more easily describe the relation between one part and another part in the drawings. Such terms are intended to include not only meanings intended in the drawings, but also other meanings or operations of an apparatus in use. For example, when an apparatus in a drawing is turned over, certain parts which have been described as being disposed “under” other parts may be described as being disposed “over” the other parts. Therefore, the exemplary term “under” may include both directions of over and under. The apparatus may be rotated at an angle of 90° or another angle, and the terms indicating spatial relations may be analyzed according to the rotation.

Although not defined differently, all terms including the technical terms and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as those understood by a person skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. The terms defined in a generally used dictionary may be additionally analyzed as meanings which coincide with the related technical documents and the contents disclosed in this specification, and not analyzed as ideal or formal meanings unless they are not defined.

Hereafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, such that the present invention can be easily carried out by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. However, the present invention can be embodied in various manners, and is not be limited to the embodiments described herein.

FIG. 1illustrates a gas turbine system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring toFIG. 1, the gas turbine system may include a compressor10, a turbine20, a combustor30, a single shaft40, a power generator50, and a control apparatus100.

The compressor10may perform a function of producing high-pressure compressed air by sucking and compressing external air. The compressed air may be transferred to the combustor30.

The combustor30may inject fuel into the compressed air transferred from the compressor10and combust the fuel-air mixture to generate high-pressure, high-temperature combustion gas for output to the turbine20. The high-pressure, high-temperature combustion gas supplied to the turbine20rotates rotor blades of the turbine, thereby rotating a rotor of the turbine20. The temperature and pressure of the combustion gas supplied to the turbine20are lowered while the combustion gas drives the rotor blades of the turbine. Then, the combustion gas is discharged as exhaust gas to the atmosphere.

Since the turbine20and the compressor10are fixed to one shaft40, while the rotor of the turbine20is rotated as described above, the compressor10is also rotated to compress air.

The power generator50may generate power using the rotation of the rotor of the turbine20.

In the gas turbine system as described above, a method for regulating the rotational speed of the rotor of the turbine20may be divided into a load limit control method and a governor free control method. The load limit control method refers to a method that fixes the rotational speed of the rotor of the turbine20at a constant speed, and the governor free control method refers to a method that automatically controls the rotational speed of the rotor of the turbine20according to a frequency change of a power system. In general, a system frequency for stable operation of the entire power system needs to be retained at the rated frequency (60 Hz in the case of Korea). Therefore, in consideration of facility protection, operators of gas turbine systems prefer the load limit control method, which can prevent a sudden fluctuation of the gas turbine system. However, the “power market operation rule” applicable to power generation companies, as set by the Korea Power Exchange that oversees stable operations of the country's entire power system, obliges member companies to “actively cooperate to retain the system frequency through governor free operation.” Thus, gas turbine systems are generally operated according to the governor free control method.

When the gas turbine system is operated according to the governor free control method, the rotor of the turbine20is rotated at a rotational speed proportional to the system frequency. Furthermore, since the turbine20and the compressor10are connected to each other through one shaft40, the compressor10generates compressed air in proportion to the rotational speed of the rotor of the turbine20, as typically expressed in revolutions per minute, i.e., rpm units, and hereinafter referred to as rotor speed.

In such an environment, the gas turbine system may generate a smaller amount of power than a load. In this case, when the system frequency is decreased, the rotor speed is reduced in proportion to the decrease of the system frequency. As a result, the amount of compressed air produced by the compressor10is reduced in proportion to the reduction in rotor speed. Then, the amount of compressed air supplied to the combustor30may be reduced. Unless the amount of fuel mixed in the combustor30is controlled, the turbine inlet temperature may rise due to the reduction in amount of compressed air.

On the other hand, when the system frequency is increased, the rotor speed is increased in proportion to the increase of the system frequency. As a result, the amount of compressed air produced by the compressor10is increased in proportion to the increase in rotor speed. Then, the amount of compressed air supplied to the combustor30may be increased. Unless the amount of fuel mixed in the combustor30is controlled, the turbine inlet temperature may drop due to the increase in amount of compressed air. The drop of the turbine inlet temperature may lower the efficiency of the gas turbine system.

In order to prevent such a problem, the control apparatus100of the gas turbine system according to the embodiment of the present invention can estimate the amount of compressed air supplied to the combustor, and control the amount of fuel supplied to the combustor based on the estimated compressed air amount.

FIG. 2shows a control apparatus100according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring toFIG. 2, the control apparatus100may include a sensing unit110, a compressed air amount estimation unit120, and a fuel amount control unit130.

The sensing unit110may measure a rotor speed of the turbine20, expressed in rpm units. In addition, the sensing unit110may measure an amount of compressed air supplied to the combustor30, an inlet temperature of the compressor10, and the position of an inlet guide vane (IGV) for inducing air to the compressor10.

The compressed air amount estimation unit120estimates the amount of compressed air supplied to the combustor30based on the rotor speed of the turbine20, as acquired by the sensing unit110. More specifically, with reference to the below Equation 1, the compressed air amount estimation unit120may measure a rotor speed NNof the turbine20and store the measured value (NN) in a database readable by the control apparatus100. A compressed air amount MNsupplied to the combustor30, when the system frequency is the rated frequency of 60 Hz. At this time, the compressed air amount supplied to the combustor30may be changed depending on the inlet temperature of the compressor10and the position of the inlet guide vane.

When the rotor speed of the turbine20changes to a value of NCdue to a change of the system frequency, the compressed air amount supplied to the combustor30may be estimated as an amount MC, as expressed by Equation 1 below.

According to Equation 1, when the rotor speed decreases, the compressed air amount estimation unit120may estimate that the compressed air amount MCsupplied to the combustor30will decrease. On the other hand, when the rotor speed increases, the compressed air amount estimation unit120may estimate that the compressed air amount MCsupplied to the combustor30will increase.

A change rate MRof the decreasing or increasing compressed air amount, i.e., a positive or negative rate of change, may be calculated through Equation 2 below.

A change rate MRof the compressed air amount that is greater than zero indicates that the compressed air amount increases. Conversely a change rate MRof the compressed air amount that is less than zero indicates that the compressed air amount decreases. The change rate may be verified based on the compressed air amount measured by the sensing unit110, and can be corrected when the calculated change rate represents an error.

The change rate MRof the compressed air amount may be changed by the inlet temperature of the compressor10and/or the position of the inlet guide vane. Therefore, the compressed air amount estimation unit120may correct the change rate MRof the compressed air amount according to the inlet temperature of the compressor10and/or the position of the inlet guide vane, which may both be measured by the sensing unit110.

In addition, the compressed air amount estimation unit120may use at least one parameter of the inlet temperature of the compressor10, the position of the inlet guide vane, and the rotor speed of the turbine20, to ascertain the amount of compressed air for a specific parameter. In doing so, the amount of compressed air being produced by the compressor10and supplied to the combustor30is ascertained by the compressed air amount estimation unit120through a simulation or through a measurement performed by the sensing unit110. Then, the compressed air amount estimation unit120may store, in a database (not shown), information or a value indicative of the ascertained amount of compressed air. The control apparatus100may read a compressed air amount for a current parameter from the database based on the data stored in the database, and verify and correct the change rate MRof the compressed air amount, which is estimated by the compressed air amount estimation unit120.

Based on the estimated change rate MRof the decreasing or increasing compressed air amount, the fuel amount control unit130may control a fuel amount FCsupplied to the combustor30, setting the controlled amount to an amount as calculated by Equation 3 below.
FC=FN(1+MR)  [Equation 3]

In Equation 3, FNrepresents the amount of fuel which is supplied to the combustor30when the system frequency is the rated frequency.

Equation 3 shows that the amount of fuel supplied to the combustor30increases when the change rate MRof the compressed air amount is greater than zero, and decreases when the change rate MRof the compressed air amount is less than zero.

The control apparatus100of the gas turbine system according to the embodiment of the present invention can predict a change of the compressed air amount supplied to the combustor30in advance, based on the rotor speed of the turbine20, and can increase or decrease the amount of fuel supplied to the combustor30as necessary, thereby preventing an increase of the turbine inlet temperature and/or preventing a reduction in efficiency of the gas turbine system.

FIG. 3shows a method for controlling an amount of fuel supplied to the combustor of the control apparatus100according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring toFIG. 3, the control apparatus100may first measure a rotor speed of the turbine20in order to estimate a change in amount of compressed air supplied to the combustor, at step S510. Based on the measured rotor speed of the turbine20, the control apparatus100may estimate a change rate of the compressed air amount supplied to the combustor, at step S520. As described with reference to Equation 2, when the change rate of the compressed air amount is greater than zero, it may indicate that the change rate increases. On the other hand, when the change rate of the compressed air amount is less than zero, it may indicate that the change rate decreases. According to the change rate estimated by the compressed air amount estimation unit120of the control apparatus100, the fuel amount control unit130of the control apparatus100may control the amount of fuel supplied to the combustor30, at step S530. That is, the fuel amount control unit130of the control apparatus100may increase or decrease the amount of fuel supplied to the combustor30according to the change rate of the compressed air amount estimated by the compressed air amount estimation unit120.

The control apparatus and method according to the embodiments of the present invention can estimate a change of the compressed air amount supplied to the combustor30in advance according to a change of the system frequency, and preemptively deal with the change of the compressed air amount, thereby performing temperature control for preventing an increase of the turbine inlet temperature, which may occur due to a control process in the related art. The related art control process is performed through steps of a compressed air amount decrease, followed by a turbine inlet temperature rise, followed by an exhaust gas temperature rise, followed by a fuel amount reduction.

According to the embodiments of the present invention, the control apparatus and method can preemptively control the fuel amount in response to a variation of the compressed air amount by a change in turbine rotor speed (as tied to the system frequency) and can limit the turbine inlet temperature to less than the maximum allowable temperature, such that the variation of the compressed air amount does not have an adverse influence on the turbine and/or combustor. The control apparatus and method can also preemptively control the fuel amount in response to a variation of the compressed air amount by a change in turbine rotor speed, thereby preventing a reduction in efficiency of the gas turbine system.