August 1, 2009

Preventing Turbine Water Damage: TDP-1 Updated

Larry A. Kielasa, DTE Energy; Ram Narula, Bechtel Power Corp.; and John C. Boyle, FM Global

Recommendation for Integrated Control Systems

In the ASME standard an ICS is defined as a control system featuring multiple processors, input/output modules, and memory storage interconnected through a communication network and equipped with redundant power supplies. Normally, a DCS or redundant programmable logic controllers will meet this requirement.

The minimum ICS features to meet the reliability and redundancy needs addressed in this recommended practice are:

• Dual processors.

• Uninterruptible power supply.

• I/Os associated with redundant plant equipment and instruments should not be connected to the same I/O cards.

• Outputs that fail to known position during processor or internal communication failure.

More to Come

The committee is now working on TDP-2 for nuclear power plants. Look for it in the near future.

—Larry A. Kielasa, PE recently retired from DTE Energy and was the vice chair of the ASME Water Induction Prevention Committee that prepared TDP-1-2006. Ram Narula (rnarula@bechtel.com) is a Bechtel fellow, vice president, and chief technology officer for Bechtel Power. He chaired the committee. John C. Boyle, PE (john.boyle@fmglobal.com) is a senior engineering technical specialist for FM Global.