u/abcdzyxwt

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My client operates a small 3.5 MW steam turbine manufactured in the 1980s and is currently upgrading their control systems. Turbine is connected with the compressor.

One of the proposed upgrades is to use the pressure drop across the turbine as an indication of turbine load. This would require installing pressure sensors at the turbine inlet, which, in turn, would involve drilling pressure taps into the turbine casing. Since this can be both costly and technically challenging, we are evaluating whether this approach is justified.

My questions are:

How common is it to use differential pressure across a steam turbine as a load measurement?

What are the general recommendations for locating inlet pressure taps and pressure sensor arrangements?

Are there alternative pressure measurement locations or methods that are generally considered more suitable for estimating turbine load?

Any experience or recommendations would be greatly appreciated

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My client operates a small 3.5 MW steam turbine manufactured in the 1980s and is currently upgrading their control systems. Turbine is connected with the compressor.

One of the proposed upgrades is to use the pressure drop across the turbine as an indication of turbine load. This would require installing pressure sensors at the turbine inlet, which, in turn, would involve drilling pressure taps into the turbine casing. Since this can be both costly and technically challenging, we are evaluating whether this approach is justified.

My questions are:

How common is it to use differential pressure across a steam turbine as a load measurement?

What are the general recommendations for locating inlet pressure taps and pressure sensor arrangements?

Are there alternative pressure measurement locations or methods that are generally considered more suitable for estimating turbine load?

Any experience or recommendations would be greatly appreciated