Control technology provided to power plant

Exelon selected Emerson's Ovation technology to upgrade the turbine and balance-of-plant controls at their Baltimore power plant.

By Emerson Process Management August 28, 2013

As part of a $30 million project to update the plant, Exelon Generation selected Emerson to replace its outdated turbine and balance-of-plant controls with its Ovation technology at the Westport 5 Generating Station in Baltimore, Maryland. Emerson completed the project within a compressed schedule of roughly six months. This timeframe – half the time a project of this scope would typically take to complete – was necessary in order for the unit to be available by June 1, 2012, to meet peak summer demand.

As part of this turnkey project Emerson also installed eight gas-fuel modulation valves, 16 gas-fuel stop valves and eight gas-fuel vent valves. Replacing these valve trains was a key component of the upgrade, as performance of the gas valve trains is critical for maintaining frequency and optimal operation of the unit. Emerson engineered and designed unique logic for load sharing eight engines on one combustion turbine generator. The blending of each turbine’s controls quickly stabilizes plant operation to maintain 60 Hz frequency. In addition to improved availability achieved by being able to quickly and consistently reach full load, the Ovation system also contributes to tighter exhaust temperature control, which helps prolong equipment life and contributes to safer operation of the unit. 

Emerson Process Management

www.emersonprocess.com 

– Edited by CFE Media. See more Control Engineering PID and Advanced Control stories.