POWER PLANT INSTRUMENTATION (TWO MARKS)

UNIT-IV TURBINE AND CONDENSER MONITORING AND CONTROL

1. What are accelerometers (or) List the uses of acclerometers.

Accelerometers are the preferred motion sensors for most vibration monitoring applications.
They are useful for measuring low to very high frequencies and are available in a wide variety of
general purpose and applicatons specific designs. The piezolectric accelrometer is unmatched for
frequency and amplitude range. The piezoelectric sensor is versatile, reliable and the most
popular vibraton sensor for machinery monitoring.

Single- and multi-axis models are available to detect magnitude and direction of the acceleration
as a vector quantity, and can be used to sense orientation, acceleration, vibration shock, and
falling. Micromachined accelerometers are increasingly present in portable electronic devices
and video game controllers, to detect the position of the device or provide for game input.

2. List the types of accelerometer.

• Null-balance

• Srain gauge

• Resonance

• Magnetic induction

• Optical

• DC Response

• High Temperature

• Low Frequency

3. Define Water Stream - Critical Point.

The level where vapor and liquid are indistinguishable.

When water and stream reach the level of absolute pressure 3206.2 psia (221.2 bar) and a
corresponding saturation temperature 705.40°F (374.15°C), the vapor and liquid and
indistinguishable. This level is called the Critical Point.

For states abuve the critical point the stream is supercritical. Supercritical is not the same as
superheated- which is saturated steam at lower pressure and temperature heated abouve the
saturation temperature.
4. Define Crirical Temperature.

Gases can be converted to liquids by compressing the gas at a suitable temperature.

The criritcal temperature of a substance is the temperature at and abouve which vapour of the
substance cannot be liquefied, no matter how much pressure is applied.

Every substance has a critical temperature. Some examples are shown below.

Substance Critical temperature (°C)

NH3 132

O2 -119

CO2 31.2

H2O 374

5. Define Critical Pressure.

The critical pressure of a substance is the pressure required to liquefy a gas at its critical
temperature. The critical preaaure is the vapour pressure at the critical temperature.

Some examples are shown below.

Substance Critical temperature (°C)

NH3 111.5

O2 49.7

CO2 73.0

H2O 217.7

6. What are steam and water turbines?

Steam turbine is a mechanical device that extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam, and
converts it into rotary motion. It has almost completely replaced the reciprocating piston steam
engine primarily because of its greater thermal efficiency and higher power-to-weight ratio.
Because the turbine generates rotary motion, it is particularly suited to be used to drive an
electrical generator – about 80% of all electricity generation in the world is by use of steam
turbines. The steam turbine is a form of heat engine that derives much of its improvement in
 thermodynamic efficiency through the use of multiple stages in the expansion of the steam,
which results in a closer approach to the ideal reversible process.

Water turbine is a rotary engine that takes energy from moving water. Water turbines were
developed in the nineteenth century and were widely used for industrial power prior to electrical
grids. Now they are mostly used for electric power generation. They harness a clean and
renewable energy source.

7. Define Vibration.

Vibration refers to mechanical oscillations about an equilibrium point. The oscillations may be
periodic such as the motion of a pendulum or random such as the movement of a tire on a gravel
road.

Vibration is occasionally “desirable”. For example the motion of a tuning fork, the reed in a
woodwind instrument or harmonica, or the cone of a loudspeaker is desirable vibration,
necessary for the correct functioning of the various devices.

More often, vibration is undesirable, wasting energy and creating unwanted sound-noise. For
example, the vibrational motions of engines, electric motors, or any mechanical device in
operation in the rotating parts, uneven friction, the meshing of gear teeth, etc.

8. What is the need for vibration monitoring in turbine?

Vibration monitoring is effective in reducing overall operating costs of industrial plants.

Monitoring vibration levles over time allows the plant engineer to predict problems before
serious damage occurs.

Machinery damage and costly production delays can be prevented.

When pending problems are discovered early, the plant engineer has the opportunity to schedule
maintenance and reduce downtime in a cost effective manner.

Vibration analysis is used as a tool to determine machine condition and the specific cause and
location of machinery problems. This expedites repairs and minimizes costs.

9. What are the factors to be considered for choosing vibration sensors?

• Vibration level

• Frequency range

• Temperature range

• Corrosive chemicals
 • Atmosphere combustible

• Acoustic or electromagnetic fields

• Electrostatic discharge

• Grounding

• Sensor size and weight constraints

10. What is balancing a turbine?

Balancing is the process of attempting to improve the mass distribution of a rotor, so that it
totates in its bearing without uncompensated centrifugal forces. This is usually done by adding
compensating masses to the rotor at prescribed locations. It can also be done by removing fixed
quantities of material for example drilling.

11. List the losses in steam turbines.

• Losses in regulating valves

• Nozzle friction loss

• Blade friction loss

• Disc friction loss

• Partial admission loss

• Gland leakage loss

• Residual velocity loss

• Carry-over loss

• External losses.

12. What are the possible causes of excessive vibration or noise in a turbine?

• Misalignment

• Worn bearings

• Worn coupling to driven machine

• Unbalanced coupling to driven machine

 • Unbalanced wheel

• Piping strain

• Bent shaft

13. What is hydrogen-cooled turbo generator?

This generation is of the two-pole type, using radial hydrogen cooling for the rotor winding and
indirect hydrogen cooling of the stator windling.

14. Mention the various cooling methods for Turbo generator.

• Open or once through system

• Closed system

• Water cooling

• Air cooling

• Mixed system

15. Classify Instrumentation systems for vibrating monitoring.

Instrumentation systems for vibration monitoring can be broadly classified in to three levels
based upon the following:

• Their speed of operation

• How early they can detect faults

• How accurately the ultimate failure can be predicted.

16. What are the requirements for a vibration monitoring instruments?

• High-operational reliability

• Long-term stability

• Immunity to adverse environmental conditons

• Irregularities which can cause false alarms

• Capable of operating in humid and dust free condiotn

• Ruggedness
 • Work at high temperature

17. How is turbine casing movement measured?

 Eccentricity detectors

• During turning gear operation

• During run-up to speed and at normal speed.

 Diffential expansion detectors

18. How are steam turbines classified?

They can be classified with respect to the

 Action of steam:

• Impulse

• Reaction

• Impulse and reaction combined

 Number of step reductions involved:

• Single stage

• Multi stage

 Revolving vanes seperated by stationary reversing vanes

 Direction of steam flow:

• Axial

• Radial

• Mixed

• Tangential

• Helical

• Re-entry

 Inlet steam pressure:

 • High pressure

• Medium pressure

• Low pressure

 Final pressure:

• Condensing

• Non-condensing

 Source of steam:

• Extraction

• Accumulator

19. What are the transducers used for shaft vibration measurement?

 Reative displacement transducers

• Eddy curent transducers

• Proximity probes

 Seismic transducers

• Velocity pick-up transducers

• Piezo-electric accelerometers

While relative displacement transducers are the best for some specific shaft monitoring
applications, seismic transducers which measure absolute vibration.

20. What are the monitoring parameters in vibration measurement?

• Acceleration

• Velocity

• Displacement
PART-B Questions

1. Why should the pressure of steam be raised in the boiler and turbine? (AU/Dec-2007)

2. Discuss in brief on the turbine – boiler monitoring and control sehemes. (AU/Dec-2007)

3. Write in brief about the cooling system. (AU/Dec-2007)

4. Write in brief about the shell temperature monitoring and control. (AU/Dec-2006)
(AU/Dec-2007)

5. Explain with suitable diagrams two non contact type speed measurement methods.
(AU/Dec-2006)

6. How is steam temperature monitored in power plant? (AU/Dec-2006)

7. Why does steam pressure change and how it is controlled in steam plant? (AU/Dec-2006)
(AU/June-2006)

8. List the various parameters need for turbine supervisory control system. Also explain the
technique for the measurements of the parameters. (AU/Dec-2008)

9. Why is vibration measurement essential in turbine control? Also explain the method
vibration measurement in steam turbine. (AU/May-2008) (AU/Dec-2008)

10. Explain the lubricant oil temperature control scheme in brief. (AU/June-2006)

11. How are speed and vibration monitored in power plants? (AU/June-2007)

12. Explain various methods of measuring steam pressure. (AU/June-2007)

13. Discuss the various parameters to be monitored for smooth running of turbine? Also explain
the operation of differential expansion dectector. (AU/Dec-2008)

14. Why temperature needs to be measured at various stages of turbine? Aslo mention the
method of monitoring and control of temperature in turbine. (AU/Dec-2008)

15. Write notes on steam pressure control. (AU/June-2006)

16. Write short notes on stean temperature and pressure monitoring in power plants. (AU/May-
2008)