U.S. patent application number 10/522063 was filed with the patent office on 2006-05-18 for rankine cycle system.
This patent application is currently assigned to HONDA GIKEN KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA. Invention is credited to Shigeru Ibaraki, Akihisa Sato.
Application Number | 20060101821 10/522063 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 31184577 |
Filed Date | 2006-05-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060101821 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Sato; Akihisa ; et
al. |
May 18, 2006 |
Rankine cycle system
Abstract
A Rankine cycle system is provided in which, in order to make a
pressure (P) of a gas-phase working medium at the inlet of an
expander (13) coincide with a target pressure (P.sub.O), a
feedforward value (N.sub.FF) is calculated on the basis of the
target pressure (P.sub.O) and a flow rate (Q) of the gas-phase
working medium at the outlet of an evaporator (12), a feedback
value (N.sub.FB) is calculated by multiplying a deviation
(.DELTA.P) of the pressure (P) of the gas-phase working medium at
the inlet of the expander (13) from the target pressure (P.sub.O)
by a feedback gain (kp) calculated on the basis of the flow rate
(Q) of the gas-phase working medium, and the rotational speed of
the expander (13) is controlled on the basis of the result of
addition/subtraction of the feedforward value (N.sub.FF) and the
feedback value (N.sub.FB). It is thereby possible to control the
pressure of the gas-phase working medium at the inlet of the
expander at the target pressure with high precision without
changing the amount of liquid-phase working medium supplied to the
evaporator.
Inventors: |
Sato; Akihisa; (SAITAMA,
JP) ; Ibaraki; Shigeru; (Saitama, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BIRCH STEWART KOLASCH & BIRCH
PO BOX 747
FALLS CHURCH
VA
22040-0747
US
|
Assignee: |
HONDA GIKEN KOGYO KABUSHIKI
KAISHA
1-1, MINAMI AOYAMA 2-CHOME, MINATO-KU
TOKYO
JP
107-8566
|
Family ID: |
31184577 |
Appl. No.: |
10/522063 |
Filed: |
July 22, 2003 |
PCT Filed: |
July 22, 2003 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/JP03/09222 |
371 Date: |
September 19, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
60/645 ;
60/670 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F01K 23/065 20130101;
F01K 23/101 20130101; F01K 13/02 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
060/645 ;
060/670 |
International
Class: |
F01K 13/00 20060101
F01K013/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jul 25, 2002 |
JP |
2002-216425 |
Claims
1. A Rankine cycle system comprising an evaporator (12) for heating
a liquid-phase working medium with exhaust gas of an engine (11) so
as to generate a gas-phase working medium, and a displacement type
expander (13) for converting the thermal energy of the gas-phase
working medium generated in the evaporator (12) into mechanical
energy; characterized in that, in order to make the pressure of the
gas-phase working medium at the inlet of the expander (13) coincide
with a target pressure, the system comprises control means (20) for
calculating a feedforward value (N.sub.FF) on the basis of the
target pressure and the flow rate of the gas-phase working medium
at the outlet of the evaporator (12), calculating a feedback value
(N.sub.FB) by multiplying a deviation of the pressure of the
gas-phase working medium at the inlet of the expander (13) from the
target pressure by a feedback gain (kp) calculated on the basis of
the flow rate of the gas-phase working medium, and controlling the
rotational speed of the expander (13) on the basis of the result of
addition/subtraction of the feedforward value (N.sub.FF) and the
feedback value (N.sub.FB).
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a Rankine cycle system that
includes an evaporator for heating a liquid-phase working medium
with exhaust gas of an engine so as to generate a gas-phase working
medium, and a displacement type expander for converting the thermal
energy of the gas-phase working medium generated in the evaporator
into mechanical energy.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2000-345835
discloses a waste heat recovery system for driving a turbine by
heating coolant vapor of a cooling system of an engine with waste
heat of the engine, in which the thermal efficiency is enhanced by
optimally controlling the pressure or temperature of a cooling path
according to engine running conditions. Specifically, the value for
a target pressure of the cooling path is lowered as the engine
rotational speed and the engine load increase, and the amount
discharged from a coolant circulation pump, etc. is controlled so
that the actual pressure coincides with the target pressure.
[0003] In a Rankine cycle system equipped with a displacement type
expander, as shown in FIG. 4, if the steam pressure at the inlet of
the expander coincides with a target steam pressure (optimum steam
pressure), the steam pressure at the outlet of the expander becomes
a pressure that is commensurate with the expansion ratio of the
expander, but if the steam pressure at the inlet is too high, there
is the problem that the steam discharged from the outlet of the
expander has surplus energy remaining and the energy is wastefully
discarded. On the other hand, if the steam pressure at the inlet is
too low, there is the problem that the pressure of the steam
discharged from the outlet of the expander becomes negative and the
expander carries out negative work, thus degrading the
efficiency.
[0004] Although it is important to make the steam pressure supplied
to the expander coincide with a target steam pressure in this way,
if an attempt is made to make the steam pressure coincide with the
target steam pressure by changing the amount of water supplied to
the evaporator, there is the problem that the steam temperature
might change accordingly. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, the
efficiency of the evaporator and the efficiency of the expander of
a Rankine cycle system depend on the steam temperature; in order to
maximize the total efficiency of the two it is necessary to control
the steam temperature at an optimum steam temperature, and if the
steam temperature deviates from the optimum steam temperature as a
result of the amount of water supplied being changed so as to make
the steam pressure coincide with the target steam pressure, there
is the problem that the total efficiency of the evaporator and the
expander might be degraded.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The present invention has been accomplished under the
above-mentioned circumstances, and it is an object thereof to
control with high precision the pressure of a gas-phase working
medium at the inlet of an expander in a Rankine cycle system at a
target pressure without changing the amount of liquid-phase working
medium supplied to an evaporator.
[0006] In order to attain this object, in accordance with an aspect
of the present invention, there is proposed a Rankine cycle system
that includes an evaporator for heating a liquid-phase working
medium with exhaust gas of an engine so as to generate a gas-phase
working medium, and a displacement type expander for converting the
thermal energy of the gas-phase working medium generated in the
evaporator into mechanical energy, characterized in that, in order
to make the pressure of the gas-phase working medium at the inlet
of the expander coincide with a target pressure, the system
includes control means for calculating a feedforward value on the
basis of the target pressure and the flow rate of the gas-phase
working medium at the outlet of the evaporator, calculating a
feedback value by multiplying a deviation of the pressure of the
gas-phase working medium at the inlet of the expander from the
target pressure by a feedback gain calculated on the basis of the
flow rate of the gas-phase working medium, and controlling the
rotational speed of the expander on the basis of the result of
addition/subtraction of the feedforward value and the feedback
value.
[0007] In accordance with this arrangement, since the feedforward
value is calculated on the basis of the flow rate of the gas-phase
working medium at the outlet of the evaporator and the target
pressure of the gas-phase working medium at the inlet of the
expander, the feedback value is calculated by multiplying the
deviation of the pressure of the gas-phase working medium at the
inlet of the expander from the target pressure by the feedback gain
calculated on the basis of the flow rate of the gas-phase working
medium, and the rotational speed of the expander is controlled on
the basis of the result of addition/subtraction of the feedforward
value and the feedback value, it is possible to compensate for
gas-phase working medium flow rate-dependent differences in the
characteristics of change in the pressure of the gas-phase working
medium when the rotational speed of the expander changes, and make
the pressure of the gas-phase working medium at the inlet of the
expander coincide with the target pressure with good responsiveness
and high precision without changing the amount of liquid-phase
working medium supplied to the evaporator.
[0008] A controller 20 of embodiments corresponds to the control
means of the present invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] FIG. 1 to FIG. 12 show a first embodiment of the present
invention;
[0010] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a Rankine cycle system and a
control system therefor,
[0011] FIG. 2 is a map for looking up a target steam pressure from
a steam energy and a target steam temperature,
[0012] FIG. 3 is a graph showing the relationship between optimum
steam temperature and maximum total efficiency of an evaporator and
an expander,
[0013] FIG. 4 is a graph showing the relationship between the
pressure at the inlet and the pressure at the outlet of the
expander,
[0014] FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B are graphs showing changes in steam
pressure when the rotational speed of the expander is changed
stepwise,
[0015] FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B are diagrams showing convergence of the
steam pressure when the feedback gain is fixed,
[0016] FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B are diagrams showing convergence of the
steam pressure when the feedback gain is variable,
[0017] FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a steam pressure control main
routine,
[0018] FIG. 9 is a flowchart of a subroutine of step S3 of the main
routine,
[0019] FIG. 10 is a flowchart of a subroutine of step S4 of the
main routine,
[0020] FIG. 11 is a map for looking up a feedforward value N.sub.FF
for the rotational speed of the expander from a steam flow rate Q
and a target steam pressure P.sub.O, and
[0021] FIG. 12 is a table for looking up a feedback gain kp from
the steam flow rate Q.
[0022] FIG. 13 to FIG. 16 show a second embodiment of the present
invention;
[0023] FIG. 13 is a block diagram of a Rankine cycle system and a
control system therefor,
[0024] FIG. 14 is a flowchart of a steam pressure control main
routine,
[0025] FIG. 15 is a flowchart of a subroutine of step S34 of the
main routine, and
[0026] FIG. 16 is a map for looking up a steam specific volume V
from a steam pressure P and a steam temperature T.
[0027] FIG. 17 to FIG. 20 show a third embodiment of the present
invention;
[0028] FIG. 17 is a block diagram of a Rankine cycle system and a
control system therefor,
[0029] FIG. 18 is a flowchart of a steam pressure control main
routine,
[0030] FIG. 19 is a flowchart of a subroutine of step S53 of the
main routine, and
[0031] FIG. 20 is a flowchart of a subroutine of step S54 of the
main routine.
[0032] FIG. 21 to FIG. 25 show a fourth embodiment of the present
invention;
[0033] FIG. 21 is a block diagram of a Rankine cycle system and a
control system therefor,
[0034] FIG. 22 is a flowchart of a steam pressure control main
routine,
[0035] FIG. 23 is a flowchart of a subroutine of step S72 of the
main routine,
[0036] FIG. 24 is a flowchart of a subroutine of step S73 of the
main routine, and
[0037] FIG. 25 is a flowchart of a subroutine of step S74 of the
main routine.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
[0038] FIG. 1 to FIG. 12 show a first embodiment of the present
invention.
[0039] As shown in FIG. 1, a Rankine cycle system for recovering
the thermal energy of exhaust gas of a vehicle engine 11 is formed
from an evaporator 12 for heating a liquid-phase working medium
(water) with the exhaust gas of the engine 11 and generating a high
temperature, high pressure gas-phase working medium (steam), a
displacement type expander 13 for converting the thermal energy of
the high temperature, high pressure steam generated in the
evaporator 12 into mechanical energy, a condenser 14 for cooling
the steam discharged from the expander 13 and condensing it into
water, a tank 15 for storing water discharged from the condenser
14, a water supply pump 16 for drawing up water out of the tank 15,
and an injector 17 for injecting water drawn up by the water supply
pump 16 into the evaporator 12, the above being arranged in a
closed circuit.
[0040] A motor/generator 18 connected to the expander 13 is
disposed between the engine 11 and driven wheels; the
motor/generator 18 can be made to function as a motor so as to
assist the output of the engine 11, and when the vehicle is being
decelerated the motor/generator 18 can be made to function as a
generator so as to recover the kinetic energy of the vehicle as
electrical energy. The motor/generator 18 may be connected to the
expander 13 alone, and then exhibits only the function of
generating electrical energy. In the present invention, the
rotational speed of the expander 13 is controlled by regulating the
load (amount of electric power generated) of the motor/generator 18
so as to regulate the load imposed on the expander 13 by the
motor/generator 18. Input into a controller 20 are a signal from a
steam flow rate sensor 21 for detecting a steam flow rate at the
outlet of the evaporator 12, and a signal from a steam pressure
sensor 22 for detecting a steam pressure at the inlet of the
expander 13.
[0041] The controller 20 includes target steam pressure setting
means 23 for setting a target steam pressure, which is a target
value for the steam pressure at the inlet of the expander 13. As
shown in FIG. 2, the target steam pressure setting means 23 looks
up the target steam pressure on the basis of a target steam
temperature and a steam energy (steam flow rate). The steam
temperature at the outlet of the evaporator 12 is controlled by
regulating the amount of water supplied from the injector 17 or the
water supply pump 16 to the evaporator 12 so that the steam
temperature coincides with the temperature at which the total
efficiency of the evaporator 12 and the expander 13 becomes a
maximum (that is, an optimum steam temperature). That is, as shown
in FIG. 3, the efficiency of the evaporator 12 and the efficiency
of the expander 13 change depending on the steam temperature; when
the steam temperature increases, the efficiency of the evaporator
12 decreases and the efficiency of the expander 13 increases,
whereas when the steam temperature decreases, the efficiency of the
evaporator 12 increases and the efficiency of the expander 13
decreases. There is therefore an optimum steam temperature at which
the total efficiency, which is the result of addition of the two,
becomes a maximum, and the steam temperature at the outlet of the
evaporator 12 is controlled so as to be at the optimum steam
temperature.
[0042] The reason why the steam pressure at the inlet of the
expander 13 is controlled at the target steam pressure is as
follows. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, if the steam pressure at the
inlet of the expander 13 coincides with the target steam pressure,
the steam pressure at the outlet of the expander 13 is a pressure
that is commensurate with an expansion ratio of the expander 13,
but if the inlet steam pressure is too high, since the steam
discharged from the outlet of the expander 13 has surplus energy
remaining, there is the problem that the energy is wastefully
discarded. On the other hand, if the inlet steam pressure is too
low, the pressure of the steam discharged from the outlet of the
expander 13 becomes negative, and there is the problem that the
expander 13 carries out negative work, thus degrading the
efficiency.
[0043] In order to control the steam pressure at the inlet of the
expander 13 so that it is at the target steam pressure while
maintaining the steam temperature at the outlet of the evaporator
12 at the optimum steam temperature, that is, without changing the
amount of water supplied to the evaporator 12, the load imposed on
the expander 13 by the motor/generator 18 may be regulated so as to
control the rotational speed of the expander 13. As shown in FIG.
5A and FIG. 5B, when the rotational speed of the expander 13 is
decreased, the steam pressure increases, whereas when the
rotational speed of the expander 13 is increased, the steam
pressure decreases. However, the responsiveness with which the
steam pressure changes depends on the steam flow rate; when the
steam flow rate is low, the responsiveness is low, and at least 100
seconds is needed for the steam pressure to reach a steady state,
whereas when the steam flow rate is high, the responsiveness is
high, and it takes no more than 10 seconds for the steam pressure
to reach the steady state.
[0044] If a Ti value is controlled so as to coincide with a target
amount of water supplied by detecting a difference in pressure
before and after the injector 17, or if the rotational speed of the
water supply pump 16 is controlled by detecting a discharge
pressure from the water supply pump 16, even when the rotational
speed of the expander 13 changes, it is possible to maintain the
amount of water supplied to the evaporator 12 constant, thereby
enabling the steam temperature at the outlet of the evaporator 11
to be maintained at the optimum steam temperature.
[0045] When the steam pressure is feedback-controlled at a target
steam pressure, as shown in FIG. 6A it is assumed that a feedback
gain kp (proportional term) is constant; as shown in FIG. 6B, if
the feedback gain kp is set so that an appropriate responsiveness
can be obtained when the steam flow rate is high, sufficient
responsiveness cannot be obtained when the steam flow rate is low.
In contrast, as shown in FIG. 7A, by using a feedback gain kp
obtained by looking it up in a gain table in which the steam flow
rate is a parameter, as shown in FIG. 7B, an appropriate
responsiveness can be obtained regardless of whether the steam flow
rate is high or low.
[0046] That is, the gist of the present invention is that, when the
rotational speed of the expander 13 is feedback-controlled so that
the steam pressure at the inlet of the expander 13 coincides with a
target steam pressure, the feedback gain is changed according to
the steam flow rate. Specific details thereof are explained below
with reference to the block diagram of FIG. 1 and the flowcharts of
FIG. 8 to FIG. 10.
[0047] Firstly, in step S1 of the flowchart of FIG. 8 the steam
flow rate sensor 21 detects a steam flow rate Q at the outlet of
the evaporator 12, in step S2 the steam pressure sensor 22 detects
a steam pressure P at the inlet of the expander 13, and in step S3
a feedforward value N.sub.FF for the rotational speed of the
expander 13 is then calculated. That is, in step S11 of the
flowchart of FIG. 9 the feedforward value N.sub.FF for the
rotational speed of the expander 13 is looked up from the map of
FIG. 11 using as parameters the steam flow rate Q and the target
steam pressure P.sub.O. As is clear from FIG. 11, the lower the
steam flow rate Q and the greater the target steam pressure
P.sub.O, the smaller the feedforward value N.sub.FF, and the higher
the steam flow rate Q and the smaller the target steam pressure
P.sub.O, the larger the feedforward value N.sub.FF.
[0048] Returning to the flowchart of FIG. 8, in step S4 a feedback
value N.sub.FB for the rotational speed of the expander 13 is
calculated. That is, in step S21 of the flowchart of FIG. 10 a
deviation .DELTA.P=|P-P.sub.O| of the steam pressure P at the inlet
of the expander 13 detected by the steam pressure sensor 22 from
the target steam pressure P.sub.O set by the target steam pressure
setting means 23 is calculated, and in the subsequent step S22 the
gain kp is looked up by applying the steam flow rate Q detected by
the steam flow rate sensor 21 to the table of FIG. 12. As is clear
from the table of FIG. 12, the gain kp decreases as the steam flow
rate Q increases. In step S23 the gain kp is then multiplied by the
deviation .DELTA.P, thus calculating the feedback value N.sub.FB
for the rotational speed of the expander 13.
[0049] Returning to the flowchart of FIG. 8, if in step S5 the
steam pressure P is equal to or greater than the target steam
pressure P.sub.O, then in step S6 the feedback value N.sub.FB is
added to the feedforward value N.sub.FF for the rotational speed of
the expander 13, thus calculating a rotational speed command value
N for the expander 13, and if in step S5 the steam pressure P is
less than the target steam pressure P.sub.O, then in step S7 the
feedback value N.sub.FB is subtracted from the feedforward value
N.sub.FF for the rotational speed of the expander 13, thus
calculating the rotational speed command value N for the expander
13. In this way, by controlling on the basis of the rotational
speed command value N the rotational speed of the motor/generator
18, that is, the rotational speed of the expander 13, it is
possible to make the steam pressure P at the inlet of the expander
13 converge to the target steam pressure P.sub.O with good
responsiveness and high precision, thereby solving the problems of
the steam discharged from the outlet of the expander 13 having
surplus energy remaining, and the pressure of the steam discharged
from the outlet of the expander 13 becoming negative and the
expander 13 carrying out negative work, thus degrading the
efficiency.
[0050] FIG. 13 to FIG. 16 show a second embodiment of the present
invention.
[0051] As shown in FIG. 13, the second embodiment does not include
the steam flow rate sensor 21 of the first embodiment (see FIG. 1),
but instead includes a water supply amount sensor 24 on the inlet
side of an evaporator 12, and a steam temperature sensor 25 on the
inlet side of an expander 13. Whereas in the first embodiment the
steam flow rate Q is directly detected by the steam flow rate
sensor 21, in the second embodiment a steam flow rate Q is
calculated from a steam pressure P detected by a steam pressure
sensor 22, a water supply mass flow rate Gw detected by the water
supply amount sensor 24, and a steam temperature T detected by the
steam temperature sensor 25, and the other arrangements and
operations are the same as those of the first embodiment.
[0052] The operation of the second embodiment is explained with
reference to flowcharts; firstly, in step S31 of the flowchart of
FIG. 14 the steam temperature sensor 25 detects the steam
temperature T at the inlet of the expander 13, in step S32 the
steam pressure sensor 22 detects the steam pressure P at the inlet
of the expander 13, and in step S33 the water supply amount sensor
24 detects the water supply mass flow rate Gw to the evaporator
12.
[0053] In the subsequent step S34, the steam flow rate Q to the
expander 13 is calculated without using the steam flow rate sensor
21. That is, in step S41 of the flowchart of FIG. 15 a steam
specific volume V is looked up in the map of FIG. 16 using the
steam temperature T and the steam pressure P as parameters. As is
clear from FIG. 16, the smaller the steam pressure P and the higher
the steam temperature T, the greater the steam specific volume V.
In the subsequent step S42 the steam flow rate Q is calculated by
multiplying the specific volume V by the water supply mass flow
rate Gw detected by the water supply amount sensor 24.
[0054] When the steam flow rate Q is calculated as above, the
procedure moves to steps S35 to S39 of the flowchart of FIG. 14.
Since these steps are exactly the same as steps S3 to S7 of the
flowchart of FIG. 8 (the first embodiment), explanation thereof is
omitted so as to avoid duplication. In this way, in accordance with
this second embodiment, it is possible to eliminate the steam flow
rate sensor 21.
[0055] FIG. 17 to FIG. 20 show a third embodiment of the present
invention.
[0056] As shown in FIG. 17, the third embodiment does not include
the water supply amount sensor 24 of the second embodiment (see
FIG. 13), but instead a controller 20 is equipped with a
temperature control section 26. Whereas in the second embodiment
the water supply amount sensor 24 detects the water supply mass
flow rate Gw, in the third embodiment a steam mass flow rate Gs,
which corresponds to the water supply mass flow rate Gw, is
calculated from a water supply mass flow rate command G.sub.O
output by the temperature control section 26, and the other
arrangements and operations are the same as those of the second
embodiment.
[0057] The operation of the third embodiment is explained with
reference to the flowchart; firstly, in step S51 of the flowchart
of FIG. 18 a steam temperature sensor 25 detects a steam
temperature T at the inlet of an expander 13, in step S52 a steam
pressure sensor 22 detects a steam pressure P at the inlet of the
expander 13 and, furthermore, in step S53 a steam mass flow rate Gs
is calculated.
[0058] That is, in step S61 of the flowchart of FIG. 19 the water
supply mass flow rate command G.sub.O output by the temperature
control section 26 for controlling the steam temperature T by
controlling the amount of water supplied by an injector 17 or a
water supply pump 16 is read in, and in step S62 the water supply
mass flow rate command G.sub.O is subjected to delay filter
processing so as to calculate the steam mass flow rate Gs. This
delay filter processing is for compensating for a time delay from
the output of the water supply mass flow rate command G.sub.O by
the temperature control section 26 to the actual generation of
steam by the evaporator 12.
[0059] In the subsequent step S54 of the flowchart of FIG. 18, a
steam flow rate Q is calculated. A subroutine of this step S54 is
shown in FIG. 20; the flowchart of FIG. 20 is substantially the
same as the flowchart of FIG. 15 of the second embodiment, and the
water supply mass flow rate Gw of the second embodiment is replaced
by the substantially identical steam mass flow rate Gs.
[0060] When the steam flow rate Q is calculated as above, the
procedure moves to steps S55 to S59 of the flowchart of FIG. 18.
Since these steps are exactly the same as steps S3 to S7 of the
flowchart of FIG. 8 (the first embodiment), explanation thereof is
omitted so as to avoid duplication. In this way, in accordance with
this third embodiment, it is possible to eliminate the water supply
amount sensor 24.
[0061] FIG. 21 to FIG. 25 show a fourth embodiment of the present
invention.
[0062] As shown in FIG. 21, the fourth embodiment does not include
the steam temperature sensor 25 of the third embodiment (see FIG.
13), but instead a temperature control section 26 of a controller
20 outputs a steam temperature command T.sub.O in addition to a
water supply mass flow rate command G.sub.O. A target steam
pressure P.sub.O and a steam temperature T obtained by subjecting
the steam temperature command T.sub.O to delay processing using a
delay filter 2 are input into a specific volume map. A steam
specific volume V looked up therein is multiplied by a steam mass
flow rate Gs to calculate a steam flow rate Q. Furthermore, instead
of the map of the first to the third embodiments for looking up the
feedforward value N.sub.FF for the rotational speed of the expander
13 using the steam flow rate Q and the target steam pressure
P.sub.O as parameters, a table for looking up a feedforward value
N.sub.FF for the rotational speed of an expander 13 using the steam
flow rate Q alone as a parameter is provided, and the other
arrangements and operations are the same as those of the third
embodiment.
[0063] The steam specific volume V is shown by replacing the `steam
pressure P` of the abscissa in FIG. 16 with the `target steam
pressure P.sub.O`.
[0064] The operation of the fourth embodiment is explained with
reference to flowcharts; firstly, in step S71 of the flowchart of
FIG. 22 a steam pressure sensor 22 detects a steam pressure P at
the inlet of the expander 13, and in step S72 the steam mass flow
rate Gs is calculated. The flowchart of FIG. 23, which is a
subroutine of step S72, is substantially the same as the flowchart
of FIG. 19 of the third embodiment except that a time constant
.tau. is defined as a first time constant .tau.1 in order to
differentiate it from a second time constant .tau.2, which will be
described later.
[0065] In the subsequent step S73 of the flowchart of FIG. 22, the
steam flow rate Q is calculated. A subroutine of this step S73 is
shown in FIG. 24; in step S91 of the flowchart of FIG. 24 the steam
temperature command T.sub.O output by the temperature control
section 26 is subjected to delay processing using the delay filter
2 so as to calculate the steam temperature T.sub.O and in step S92
the steam temperature T and the target steam pressure P.sub.O
output by target steam pressure setting means 23 are applied to the
specific volume map so as to look up the steam specific volume V.
In step S93 the steam mass flow rate Gs output by a delay filter 1
is multiplied by the steam specific volume V so as to calculate the
steam flow rate Q.
[0066] Subsequently, in step S74 of the flowchart of FIG. 22, that
is, in step S101 of the flowchart of FIG. 25, the steam flow rate Q
is applied to an expander rotational speed table so as to look up a
feedforward value N.sub.FF for the rotational speed of the expander
13. Unlike the first to the third embodiments this expander
rotational speed table does not use the target steam pressure
P.sub.O as a parameter, but during the process of calculating the
steam flow rate Q the target steam pressure P.sub.O is applied to
the specific volume map, and as a result the target steam pressure
P.sub.O is taken into consideration. In this way, the calculated
feedforward value N.sub.FF for the rotational speed of the expander
13 looked up using the steam flow rate Q is proportional to the
steam flow rate Q regardless of the steam temperature and the steam
pressure; in practice it might not be precisely proportional to the
steam flow rate Q due to the influence of steam leakage, etc., and
such an error is compensated for by feedback control of the
rotational speed of the expander 13.
[0067] Since the last steps S75 to S78 of the flowchart of FIG. 22
are exactly the same as steps S4 to S7 of the flowchart of FIG. 8
(the first embodiment), explanation thereof is omitted so as to
avoid duplication. In this way, in accordance with this fourth
embodiment, it is possible to eliminate the steam temperature
sensor 25.
[0068] Although embodiments of the present invention are explained
in detail above, the present invention can be modified in a variety
of ways without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.
[0069] For example, the working medium is not limited to water
(steam), and another appropriate working medium may be
employed.
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