Steam Turbine Control Made Easy with Voith’s New TurCon DTc

Safety is the top priority when operating a steam turbine, and reliable control of the steam turbine is also important. Voith's (Germany) range of digital steam turbine controllers has been extended with the new TurCon DTc. This compact model can be set-up quickly and easily to perform all standard control functions on mechanical driven machines and generators. The new controller is "pre-engineered" and suitable for steam turbines of all power classes. 

Fast, simple, and cost-effective system integration with the best possible reliability, process quality, productivity, and safety are the typical customer specifications for modern steam turbine controllers. Decision-makers of OEMs or engineering contractors and modernizers looking to minimize costs prefer to use controllers that dispense with elaborate installation processes and offer a high degree of flexibility. Operators of steam turbines expect a reliable product that uses proven control algorithms to ensure high process quality and productivity. 

With the TurCon DTc, Voith is offering a new, compact steam turbine controller in its established product range that ideally meets these specific requirements. Because the controller is "pre-engineered," the customer only has to set the selected parameters, which keeps installation work to a minimum. There is no need to buy additional special software; data can be displayed at any time via the control panel or via the connected control system. 

The TurCon DTc consists of two rugged assemblies, an intuitive 7 in. TFT-LCD touchscreen control panel with integrated CPU, and a remote I/O unit. The controller can be integrated into existing Industry 4.0 environments via a standardized Ethernet interface with Modbus TCP or OPC. An optional control panel or PC can be connected via the LAN interface, for example, as part of a commissioning process or remote monitoring scenario. 

The option of simultaneously controlling a maximum of 4 HP and 2 LP control valves is another special feature of the TurCon DTc. This means that there is no need to adjust the valves mechanically using a camshaft or via a separate valve coordinator (split range). 

Other key elements ensuring reliability and availability include the three frequency inputs with a 2-out-of-3 voting for the speed sensors. The fault-tolerant speed measuring equipment offers high reliability and availability. An integrated simulation mode allows commissioning personnel to check whether the parameter settings are actually correct and improve them if necessary prior to hot commissioning. This minimizes the risk of damage due to incorrect parameters. 

The TurCon DTc archives the last 1,000 status, warning and alarm messages with a time stamp, allowing process flows and malfunctions to be easily identified and traced. As a result, fast, targeted optimizations are possible. 

"The TurCon DTc is a steam turbine controller to suit all needs," explains Willi Zinnecker, head of Electric Drive Systems at Voith in Crailsheim, Germany. "The controller comes "pre-engineered" with software. This allows customers looking for an "off-the-shelf" controller at an attractive price to perform all standard control functions including simple speed control, demanding frequency control and complex extraction pressure control. As a result, customers are able to enhance their plant availability, product quality, and last but not least, productivity."