IP Library Granted Patent US 10,865,655
Granted Patent B2
US 10,865,655 · App. 15/899,088 · Granted Dec 15, 2020

Trip manifold assembly for turbine systems

Inventors: Troy Gilchrist Wojick (Broomfield, CO); Ricardo Stack (Schenectady, NY); Joe Lisowski (Covington, PA); Chris Bradford (Bellingham, MA)
Assignee: General Electric Company
F01D21/18Y10T137/87917
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,865,655
App. No.
15/899,088
Granted
Dec 15, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system includes a trip manifold assembly (TMA). The TMA includes a plurality of block valves configured to receive a flow of fluid from a hydraulic power unit (HPU), and a plurality of solenoid valves configured to admit the flow of fluid to actuate the plurality of block valves, a plurality of dump valves, and a plurality of relay valves of the TMA. The plurality of solenoid valves is configured to admit a respective portion of the flow of fluid. The plurality of dump valves is configured to depressurize a trip header of the TMA as an output to operate a plurality of stop valves coupled to a turbine system. The TMA is configured to regulate the flow of fluid to control the operation of the plurality of stop valves as a mechanism to interrupt an operation of the turbine system.

Claims (31)

1. A system, comprising:

a trip manifold assembly (TMA), comprising:

a plurality of block valves configured to receive a flow of fluid from a hydraulic power unit (HPU), wherein the plurality of block valves are arranged so as to provide for at least three parallel output flow streams exiting the plurality of block valves; and

a plurality of solenoid valves configured to admit the flow of fluid to actuate at least the plurality of block valves and a plurality of dump valves of the TMA, wherein each solenoid valve of the plurality of solenoid valves is configured to admit a respective portion of the flow of fluid, wherein the plurality of block valves are arranged in three groups of two block valves per group so that each group of the three groups enables a redundant flow control over a different one of the three parallel output flow streams exiting the respective group of block valves such that when the TMA depressurizes via the plurality of dump valves, all of the three parallel output flow streams close even in the event that one of the two block valves in each group of block valves is not operational, wherein each solenoid valve of the plurality of solenoid valves is configured to actuate two block valves in different groups of the three groups of block valves, and wherein the plurality of dump valves is configured to depressurize a trip header of the TMA;

wherein the TMA is configured to regulate the flow of fluid to control the operation of a plurality of stop valves as a mechanism to interrupt an operation of the turbine system.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of solenoid valves is configured to admit the flow of fluid in parallel, and wherein the TMA depressurizes due to a trip condition.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the TMA is configured to operate at a pressure of at least one of less than approximately 200 pounds per square inch gauge (psig), less than approximately 100 psig, less than approximately 90 psig, less than approximately 85 psig, less than approximately 80 psig, less than approximately 75 psig, less than approximately 70 psig, less than approximately 65 psig, or less than approximately 60 psig.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the TMA is configured to operate at a pressure greater than approximately 800 pounds per square inch gauge (psig), greater than approximately 1000 psig, greater than approximately 2000 psig, greater than approximately 2100 psig, greater than approximately 2200 psig, greater than approximately 2300 psig, or greater than approximately 2400 psig.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the TMA is configurable to operate in a block and bleed (BB) configuration, in which the plurality of block valves is configured to substantially block a fluid supply path during the interruption of the operation of the turbine system.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of dump valves are arranged in three groups of two dump valves, the two dump valves disposed in series with each other, per group, wherein each solenoid valve of the plurality of solenoid valves is configured to actuate two dump valves in different groups of the three groups of dump valves, so that each group of the three groups enables a redundant flow control over a different one of three parallel TMA output flow streams such that when the TMA depressurizes at least one stream of the three parallel TMA output flow streams depressurizes, and wherein the plurality of dump valves are closed while the TMA is pressurized and are opened to depressurize the TMA.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the TMA is configured to reduce a response time in which the turbine system is interrupted.

8. The system of claim 1 , comprising the turbine system, a generator system, or a combination thereof, communicatively coupled to the TMA.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the TMA is configured to operate according to a triple modular redundant (TMR) functionality, wherein the TMA is configured to regulate the flow of fluid to control the operation of the turbine system, the generator system, or the combination thereof, via only the first solenoid valve and a second solenoid valve of the plurality of solenoid valves, or via the first solenoid valve, the second solenoid valve, and a third solenoid valve of the plurality of solenoid valves.

10. A system, comprising:

a plurality of stop valves coupled to a turbine system;

a hydraulic power unit (HPU) configured to deliver a flow of fluid to the plurality of stop valves to regulate the turbine system; and

a trip manifold assembly (TMA) communicatively coupled to the plurality of stop valves and the HPU, comprising:

a plurality of block valves configured to receive the flow of fluid from the HPU, wherein the plurality of block valves are disposed so as to provide for a plurality of parallel output flow streams exiting the plurality of block valves;

a plurality of parallel solenoid valves configured to admit the flow of fluid to actuate the plurality of block valves, a plurality of dump valves, and a plurality of relay valves of the TMA, wherein the plurality of relay valves is respectively coupled to each of the plurality of solenoid valves, wherein the plurality of dump valves is respectively coupled to each of the plurality of solenoid valves and each of the plurality of relay valves, wherein the dump valves are actuated by the relay valves, and wherein the plurality of dump valves is configured to depressurize a trip header of the TMA as an output to operate the plurality of stop valves to interrupt an operation of the turbine system.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of block valves are arranged in a plurality of groups of two block valves per group so that each group of the plurality of groups of block valves enables a redundant flow control over a different one of the plurality of parallel output flow streams exiting the respective group of block valves such that when the TMA depressurizes via the plurality of dump valves, all of the parallel output flow streams of the plurality of parallel output flow streams close even in the event that one of the two block valves in each group of block valves is not operational, wherein each solenoid valve of the plurality of solenoid valves is configured to actuate two block valves in different groups of the plurality of groups of block valves.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of block valves, the plurality of solenoid valves, the plurality of dump valves, and the plurality of relay valves are configured to increase flow capacity.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of dump valves are arranged in a plurality of groups of two dump valves disposed in series with each other, per group, so that each group of the plurality of groups of dump valves enables a redundant flow control over a different one of a plurality of parallel TMA output flow streams such that when the TMA depressurizes at least one stream of the plurality of parallel TMA output flow streams depressurizes.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein each solenoid valve of the plurality of solenoid valves is configured to actuate two dump valves in different groups of the plurality of groups of dump valves, and wherein the plurality of dump valves are closed while the TMA is pressurized and are opened to depressurize the TMA.

15. The system of claim 10 , comprising a controller communicatively coupled to the TMA, wherein the controller is configured to generate a signal to activate or deactivate the plurality of solenoid valves to interrupt the operation of the turbine system.

16. The system of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of parallel output flow streams exiting the plurality of block valves comprises three parallel output flow streams, wherein the TMA is configured to operate according to a triple modular redundant (TMR) functionality, wherein the TMA is configured to regulate the flow of fluid to control the operation of the turbine system via only a first solenoid valve and a second solenoid valve of the plurality of solenoid valves, or via the first solenoid valve, the second solenoid valve, and a third solenoid valve of the plurality of solenoid valves.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the TMR functionality is configured to facilitate on-line testing or maintenance of an individual output flow stream of the plurality of parallel output flow streams.

18. A system, comprising:

a trip manifold assembly (TMA), comprising:

a plurality of block valves configured to receive a flow of fluid from a hydraulic power unit (HPU), wherein the plurality of block valves are arranged so as to provide for at least one output flow stream exiting the plurality of block valves; and

a plurality of solenoid valves configured to admit the flow of fluid to actuate the plurality of block valves; wherein the plurality of block valves are arranged so as to provide for at least two or more parallel output flow streams exiting the plurality of block valves; wherein the plurality of block valves are arranged in a plurality of groups of two block valves per group so that each group of the plurality of groups of block valves enables a redundant flow control over a different one of the plurality of parallel output flow streams exiting the respective group of block valves such that when the TMA depressurizes via the plurality of dump valves, all of the parallel output flow streams of the plurality of parallel output flow streams close even in the event that one of the two block valves in each group of block valves is not operational, wherein each solenoid valve of the plurality of solenoid valves is configured to actuate two block valves in different groups of the plurality of groups of block valves;

wherein the TMA is configured to regulate the flow of fluid to control the operation of the plurality of stop valves as a mechanism to interrupt an operation of the turbine system.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 12, 2024
From: BAKER HUGHES HOLDINGS LLC
To: GE INFRASTRUCTURE TECHNOLOGY LLC
Reel/Frame 066725/0215 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Sep 19, 2022
From: BAKER HUGHES, A GE COMPANY, LLC
To: BAKER HUGHES HOLDINGS LLC
Reel/Frame 061468/0540 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 2, 2022
From: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
To: BAKER HUGHES, A GE COMPANY, LLC
Reel/Frame 061044/0582 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 1, 2022
From: WOJCIK, TROY GILCHRIST; STACK, RICARDO; LISOWSKI, JOE; BRADFORD, CHRIS
To: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
Reel/Frame 060680/0652 →