Turbo machinery speed monitor
This invention relates to a speed monitor apparatus for monitoring speed and acceleration of rotating turbine equipment (turbomachinery) and for operating an overspeed trip to shut down the equipment in the event that the speed or acceleration exceed predetermined thresholds. The invention provides a speed monitor module having an output switch comprising a plurality of armature clamped relays such that first armatures form a first electrical path only when both first armatures are open or when both first armatures are closed and second armatures provide a second electrical path when either or both second armatures are open or closed such that the second electrical path is discontinuous when either first armature is stuck in an open or closed position causing either second armature to remain floating between an open and closed position.
1. A turbine speed monitor module comprising:
a sensor for generating a sensor signal in dependence upon rotational speed of a turbine
a module arranged to receive said sensor signal and arranged in operation to generate a trip signal in dependence thereupon; and
a trip output switch arranged to receive said trip signal and to generate a signal to cause said turbine to shut down in dependence upon said trip signal;
wherein said module is arranged to generate a plurality of trip signals and said trip output switch comprises:
a plurality of armature clamped relays each relay being driven by an associated trip signal,
wherein a first armature of a pair is connected to a first armature of another pair and a second armature of said pair is connected to a second armature of said another pair and said first armatures form a first electrical path only when both first armatures are open or when both first armatures are closed and said second armatures provide a second electrical path when either or both second armatures are open or closed such that the second electrical path is discontinuous when either first armature is stuck in an open or closed position causing either second armature to remain floating between an open and closed position.
2. A turbine monitor module according to claim 1 , in which there are four armature clamped pairs of relays driven by four associated trip signals and in which first armatures are connected in two parallel paths each parallel path comprising two first armatures in series.
3. A turbine monitor module according to claim 1 , in which said trip output switch is triplicated and in which it is arranged that the turbine is shut down only in the event of a majority of the three trip output switches indicating that a shutdown is required.
4. A turbine monitor module according to claim 1 , in which said module comprises three identical module slices and an output switch and the said plurality of trip signals are generated by the output switch, the output switch being arranged to receive an output signal from each one of the module slices, and in which the output switch comprises a plurality of two out of three voters, each voter receiving a signal from each slice and generating a trip signal therefrom.
5. A turbine monitor module according to claim 4 , in which each module slice comprises:
an input conditioner arranged to receive an analogue sensor signal and to generate a digital signal therefrom;
a trip controller arranged to receive said digital signal and to generate an overspeed or overacceleration signal therefrom; and
an output controller arranged to receive said overspeed or overacceleration signal and to generate said output signal therefrom.
6. A turbine monitor module according to claim 5 , wherein each module slice comprises three input conditioners connected to three trip controllers and the output controller is arranged to receive an overspeed or an overacceleration trip signal from each one of said trip controllers, and in which said output signal is generated according to a two out of three voting arrangement.
7. A turbine monitor module according to claim 6 , further comprising a further output controller arranged to receive an overspeed or an overacceleration trip signal from each trip controller, and arranged to generate a further output signal according to a two out of three voting arrangement.