What is the difference in Turbine Control Modes such as Auto, Manual and LDC?

 

BrownBag,

What kind of turbine (manufacturer, type of turbine, size of turbine, application (generator drive; compressor drive), number of extractions (steam turbine), condensing or back-pressure (steam turbine), etc.?

 

CSA,

The Turbine is a steam turbine generator and I believe the manufacturer is Hitachi. This particular turbine is able to generate around 300 MW.

I'm am by no means an expert or confidently knowledgable in turbines, but would like to have a basic idea of what the differences in these modes are.

Thanks

 

Any information would be greatly appreciated!

 

In the simplest explanation the difference between those turbine modes would be "who" has the control of the increase/decrease load "push buttons."

for example:

in manual, the increase/decrease will be perform from the turbine supplied operator interface/control panel.

in auto, the control has been given to some controller other than the manual selection by the operator. This now becomes dependent on the plant design as this could be considered coordinated control with the boiler, where the operator inputs his load demands into this controller and it now changes boiler parameters and turbine load demand.

in LDC, the acronym could be load dispatch or long distance control, where the increase decrease push buttons are operated by an entity not at the plant, but a remote grid monitoring facility. IF they actually are using the turbine for their means of making changes for system frequency control, then the boiler must follow the the turbine demands either by quickly observant operators or by a boiler management control system.

 

Thanks JFB that helped.