U.S. patent number RE30,280 [Application Number 05/835,569] was granted by the patent office on 1980-05-20 for modular operating centers and methods of building same for use in electric power generating plants and other industrial and commercial plants, processes and systems.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Westinghouse Electric Corp.. Invention is credited to Paul A. Berman, Roy E. Crews, Theodore C. Giras.
United States Patent |
RE30,280 |
Berman , et al. |
May 20, 1980 |
Modular operating centers and methods of building same for use in
electric power generating plants and other industrial and
commercial plants, processes and systems
Abstract
Modular operating centers for use in electric power generating
plants and other industrial and commercial plants, processes and
systems are constructed by using a novel prefabricated modular
technique. This technique includes loading a plurality of
transportable room-size building modules with control system
equipment at a factory site. Typically, the control system
equipment includes sophisticated and complex electrical and
electronics data processing and control equipment. The control
system equipment is installed and bolted down in the different
building modules and the equipment in each module is inter-wired at
the factory site. Temporary inter-module connections are
established between the control system equipment in different ones
of the building modules and such equipment, as a whole, is then
thoroughly tested and adjusted under simulated use conditions.
Thereafter, the loaded and tested building modules are separated
and separately transported to the industrial or commercial
installation site. At the installation site, the building modules
are joined together to form an integral weatherproof building
structure and the inter-module control system equipment connections
are re-established to provide a tested and substantially
ready-to-go control center for the plant, process or system in
question. A novel feature of this technique is that structural
building modules are used as the shipping containers for
transporting complex electrical and electronics equipment to the
final installation site.
Inventors: |
Berman; Paul A. (Plymouth
Meeting, PA), Giras; Theodore C. (Pittsburgh, PA), Crews;
Roy E. (Allison Park, PA) |
Assignee: |
Westinghouse Electric Corp.
(Pittsburgh, PA)
|
Family
ID: |
23580107 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/835,569 |
Filed: |
September 22, 1977 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
Reissue of: |
399582 |
Sep 21, 1973 |
03925679 |
Dec 9, 1975 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
290/1R;
52/745.02; 52/745.03; 52/79.12 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04B
1/3483 (20130101); E04H 5/02 (20130101); F01K
13/00 (20130101); E04H 2005/005 (20130101); Y10S
52/04 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
E04B
1/348 (20060101); F01K 13/00 (20060101); E04H
5/02 (20060101); E04H 5/00 (20060101); B65D
085/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;290/1,52,40
;52/79,122,745,643 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Schaefer; Robert K.
Assistant Examiner: Redman; John W.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Possessky; E. F.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method of building an operating center for a plant designed to
produce goods or services, the steps of said method comprising:
loading each of a plurality of transportable room-size building
modules with predetermined electrical control system equipment
units at a factory site, such building modules constituting
structural parts of a unitary operating center building and such
control system equipment units constituting parts of a system for
use in monitoring and/or controlling the operation of the
production plant;
establishing at the factory site predetermined intramodule
connections among the control equipment units within each building
module;
establishing at the factory site predetermined intermodule
connections among the control system equipment units in different
ones of the building modules;
establishing at the factory site predetermined connections to the
control system equipment units for ultimate attachment from one or
more of the modules to the production plant at predetermined plant
points;
employing a plurality of conductors to establish the intramodule
connections;
employing a plurality of cables having a plurality of conductors to
establish the intermodule and plant connections through cable
connection points;
testing the control system equipment at the factory site, such
testing including the combined testing of the control system
equipment interconnected by the intermodule cable connections;
preparing the loaded building modules for transportation to the
plant installation site including disconnecting the intermodule and
any test connections at the cable connection points;
transporting the modules to the plant site;
and installing the modules and establishing the cable connections
from the modules to the plant points and reestablishing the
intermodules cable connection. .[.2. A method of building an
operating center in accordance with claim 1 and further
including:
forming each building module as a transportable, room-size,
three-dimensional, rectangular, metal frame structure;
and securing permanent closure means to and closing the roof and
floor and some but not all sides of the frame structure, any side
not so closed being one that will abut another module in forming a
complete operating center building..]. .[.3. A method of building
an operating center in accordance with claim 2 wherein the
preparing of the loaded building modules for transportation to the
installation site includes the securing of temporary closure means
to the sides of the building modules not closed by permanent
closure means thereby enabling the building module to be its own
shipping container for the housed control equipment..]. .[.4. A
method of building an operating center for a production plant as
set forth in claim 1 and further including:
housing the control equipment units in cabinets and securing the
cabinets to a floor of the operating center in cabinet rows which
cross through the interfacing sides of adjacent building
modules..]. .[.5. A method of building an operating center for a
production plant as set forth in claim 4 and further including:
providing walkways between the cabinet rows and providing
intramodule connections between cabinets in different rows through
cables housed in cables trays which are supported to extend over
and between adjacent
cabinet rows..]. 6. A method of building an operating center as set
forth in claim 4 and further including: disposing a connector panel
in at least one cabinet row near the module side interface to
provide intermodule
cable connection points. 7. A method of building an operating
center for a production plant as set forth in claim 1 and further
including:
housing the control equipment units in cabinets and arranging the
cabinets in rows with digital units, analog units and operator
control units
arranged in respective groupings. 8. A method of building an
operating center as set forth in claim 7 and further including:
generally organizing the cabinet units so that each of most of the
units contains equipment associated with a major plant component
placed under control or monitor
operation. 9. A method of building an operating center in
accordance with claim 1 and further including:
employing an electronic simulator to simulate the plant
operation;
applying output test signals from the simulator to the equipment
units;
and applying signals from the equipment units to the simulator. 10.
A method of building an operating center in accordance with claim 9
and further including:
applying test signals from the control equipment units to the
simulator through the module plant cable connections. .[.11. A
method of building an operating center for a production plant as
set forth in claim 1 and further including:
providing each building module with vertical sidewall beams prior
to assembly with each other and removing predetermined ones of said
beams from the interfacing sides of assembled modules..]. .[.12. A
method of building an operating center in accordance with claim 1
wherein each loaded building module is separately transported to
the installation site by lifting same onto a truck trailer and
hauling the loaded trailer to the installation site by a tractor
type truck unit..]. .[.13. A method of building an operating center
in accordance with claim 1 wherein the installing of the loaded
building modules at the installation site includes joining the
building modules together to form an integral
weatherproofed building structure..]. 14. A method of building an
electrical operating center as set forth in claim 1 wherein the
plant is an electrical power generating plant
which employs steam to drive at least one prime mover and the plant
cables provide for operating center connections to the plant
equipment including
prime mover equipment and steam generation equipment. 15. A method
of building an operating center for an electric power plant as set
forth in claim 14 wherein the power plant is a combined cycle plant
having at least
one gas turbine and one steam turbine and a steam generator. 16. A
method of building an electrical operating center for a power plant
in accordance with claim 14 wherein the electrical control system
equipment includes programmable digital computer equipment for
monitoring and/or controlling the operation of the plant power
generating equipment. .[.17. A method of building
an electrical operating center for a power plant in accordance with
claim 14 and further including:
forming each building module as a transportable, room-size, three
dimensional, rectangular, metal frame structure;
and securing permanent closure means to and closing the roof and
floor and some but not all sides of the frame structure, any side
not so closed being one that will abut another module in forming a
complete operating center building..]. .[.18. A method of building
an electrical operating center for a power plant in accordance with
claim 14 and further including:
securing of temporary closure means to the sides of the building
modules not closed by permanent closure means thereby enabling the
building module to be its own shipping container for the housed
control equipment..].
.[. . A method of building an electrical operating center for a
power plant in accordance with claim 14 and further including:
housing the control equipment units in cabinets and securing the
cabinets to a floor of the operating center in cabinet rows which
cross through the interfacing sides of adjacent building
modules..]. .[.20. A method of building an electrical operating
center for a power plant in accordance with claim 19 and further
including:
providing walkways between the cabinet rows and providing
intramodule connections between cabinets in different rows through
cables housed in cable trays which are supported to extend over and
between adjacent
cabinet rows..]. 21. A method of building of electrical operating
center for a power plant in accordance with claim 19 and further
including:
disposing a connector panel in at least one cabinet row near the
module
side interface to provide intermodule cable connection points. 22.
A method of building an electrical operating center for a power
plane in accordance with claim 14 and further including:
housing the control equipment units in cabinets and arranging the
cabinets in rows with digital units, analog units and operator
control units
arranged in respective groupings. 23. A method of building an
electrical operating center for a power plant in accordance with
claim 22 and further including:
generally organizing the cabinet units so that each of most of the
units contains equipment associated with a major plant component
placed under
control or monitor operation. 24. A method of building an
electrical operating center for a power plant in accordance with
claim 14 and further including:
employing an electronic simulator to simulate the plant
operation;
applying output test signals from the simulator to the equipment
units;
and applying signals from the equipment units to the simulator. 25.
A method of building an electrical operating center for a power
plant in accordance with claim 24 and further including:
applying test signals from the control equipment units to the
simulator through the module plant cable connections. .[.26. A
method of building an electrical operating center for a power plant
in accordance with claim 24 and further including:
securing of temporary closure means to the sides of the building
modules not closed by permanent closure means thereby enabling the
building module to be its own shipping container for the housed
control equipment;
housing the control equipment units in cabinets and securing the
cabinets to a floor of the operating center in cabinet rows which
cross through the interfacing sides of adjacent building
modules..]. .[.27. A method of building an electrical operating
center for a power plant in accordance with claim 24 and further
including:
providing walkways between the cabinet rows and providing
intramodule connections between cabinets in different rows through
cables housed in cable trays which are supported to extend over and
between adjacent cabinet rows..]. .[.28. A method of building an
electrical operating center for a power plant in accordance with
claim 24 and further including:
joining the building modules together to form an integral
weatherproofed building structure at the power plant site, and
connecting power plant cables from the module plant connecting
points to the plant equipment
including the plant prime mover and steam generation equipment..].
29. A method of building an operating center for an electric power
plant as set forth in claim 24 wherein the power plant is a
combined cycle plant having
at least one gas turbine and one steam turbine and a steam
generator. 30. Apparatus for a prefabricated operating center for
an industrial plant, process or system comprising:
a plurality of transportable room-size building modules each
including a three-dimensional, rectangular metal frame structure
and being adapted to be transported to and jointed together at an
industrial installation site to form a unitary operating center
building;
electrical control system equipment items for use in monitoring
and/or controlling the operation of a plant designed to produce
goods or services, some of which control system equipment items are
installed in one of the building modules and other of which control
system equipment items are installed in another of the building
modules before shipment to the installation site;
a plurality of conductors for establishing predetermined
connections between equipment items in the same module;
a plurality of cables having plural conductors for establishing
predetermined connections between equipment items in different
modules and between equipment items and the plant equipment;
and
connection means for connecting and disconnecting intermodule and
module-plant cable connections to enable factory site testing of
the control equipment items while cable connections are established
and to enable separation of the modules for shipment to the plant
site,
and means for applying plant simulation test signals to the control
system items at the factory site, said test means being detached
from said modules prior to module shipment. .[.31. Apparatus for an
operating center as set forth in claim 30 wherein permanent closure
means is secured to and closes the roof and floor and some but not
all sides of the frame structure, any side not so closed being one
that will abut another module in forming the complete operating
center building, and temporary closure means secured to the open
module sides when the modules are separated for
shipment..]. 32. Apparatus for an operating center as set forth in
claim 25 wherein the control equipment units are housed in cabinets
secured to the module flooring and arranged in rows which cross
through the interfacing sides of adjacent building modules. .[.33.
Apparatus for an operating center as set forth in claim 32 wherein
walkways are provided between the cabinet rows and cable trays are
supported over the cabinets to support cables carrying conductors
for connections between equipment
items in different cabinet rows..]. 34. A prefabricated operating
center as set forth in claim 30 wherein the plant is an electric
power generating plant which employs steam to drive at least one
prime mover and the plant cables provide for operating center
connections to the plant equipment
including prime mover equipment and steam generation equipment. 35.
An electric power generating plant comprising:
electric generator equipment for producing electricity;
turbine equipment for driving the generator equipment;
at least one steam generator for producing motive steam for at
least some of said turbine equipment;
a plurality of transportable room-size building modules installed
at the plant site to form a unitary control center building;
control system equipment for monitoring and controlling the
operation of at least the generator and turbine equipment, such
control system equipment being installed within the building
modules before shipment of the building modules to the plant
site;
connector cables for connecting the control system equipment to the
generator and turbine equipment;
connector cables for making predetermined connections between
control system equipment items in different building modules;
and means for applying plant simulation test signals to the control
system items at the factory site, said test means being detached
from said
modules prior to module shipment. 36. Apparatus for a power plant
as set forth in claim 35 wherein the plant is a combined cycle
plant having at least one gas turbine and one steam turbine and
steam generator equipment and the plant cables further provide
predetermined connections from the control equipment items to the
stem generator equipment.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to operating centers for monitoring and/or
controlling the operation of plants, processes and systems of an
industrial or commercial nature and to methods of building such
operating centers. Though not limited thereto, the present
invention is particularly useful in connection with electric power
generating plants and stations.
Various industrial and commercial plants, processes and systems
employ operating centers which are equipped with various
instruments and mechanisms for monitoring or controlling the
operation of the plant, process or system or a major portion
thereof. Where control functions are involved, such functions may
be automatic, semi-automatic or manual in nature. Typically, the
operating center receives a relatively large number of signals and
messages indicating various conditions at various points in the
plant, process or system. These signals and messages are processed
at the operating center and the intelligence gained therefrom is
used to evaluate and, where appropriate, to modify or alter the
operation of the plant, process or system or, in the case of some
types of systems, the status or condition of objects which are
influenced or affected by the system. Typically, such operating
centers employ rather complex electrical and electronics equipment
for processing the incoming signals and transmitting the
appropriate information and instructions to other parts of the
plant, process or system. For the more sophisticated applications,
such control equipment frequently includes various digital data
processing and digital computer equipment.
Examples of plants, processes and systems which may employ
operating centers of the foregoing type are: electrical power
generating plants, chemical plants, oil refineries, sewage
treatment plants, electrical power transmission systems, pipeline
transportation systems, railroad systems, aircraft traffic control
systems, telephone systems, radio communications systems, data
processing systems and weather forecasting systems. These examples
represent only a few of the more common situations in which
operating centers are employed and the foregoing is not intended to
be a complete listing of all such situations.
In the past, operating centers which employ complex electrical and
electronics equipment have typically been constructed by first
erecting at the industrial or commercial installtion site a
suitable building structure for housing the electrical and
electronics equipment. After the operating center building is
erected, the various cabinets, panels and other units which contain
the electrical and electronics equipment are transported to the
installation site and installed in the operating center building.
After the various cabinets, panels and other units are properly
mounted and bolted down, they are then inter-wired and
interconnected with one another to form a complete set of control
system equipment within the operating center building. The control
system equipment is thereafter tested to determine that all the
proper interconnections have been made and that the equipment is
operating as desired. Any necessary adjustments or calibrations of
the equipment are made at this time.
With complex electrical and electronics equipment, a considerable
amount of inter-wiring and testing is normally required. As a
consequence, the on-site installation time is rather lengthy and a
considerable amount of labor and effort is expended at the
installation site. Also, where the operating center is installed at
a rather remote location or in a relatively harsh environment, the
installation and testing is frequently done under less than ideal
conditions.
In contrast thereto, the present invention employs prefabrication
and modular construction techniques which reduces the on-site
installation time and cost to a minimum. Such techniques enable the
extensive inter-wiring and testing of the control system equipment
to be done under more ideal and efficient conditions at a properly
equipped and properly staffed manufacturing location or factory
site. Such techniques enable the realization of prepackaged and
pretested modular operating centers which can be installed and made
ready to go in much less time and which much less expenditure of
labor at the installation site.
The present invention is of particular significance in connection
with the construction of large scale electric power generating
plants of the kind used by electric utility companies for
generating the electricity supplied to their various residential,
commercial and industrial customers. Such power plants typically
have a power generating capacity on the order of several hundred
megawatts or more. In the past, it has typically taken somewhere on
the order of four or five years of more from the time a utility
company decides to build a new non-nuclear steam type power plant
until the time the plant is completed and operating to produce
electricity. This represents a rather substantial lead time. And it
is even longer for the case of nuclear type power plants.
Applicants, however, are involved in the planning and
implementation of a new pre-packaged modular approach to the
construction of utility company power plants which will, in most
cases, reduce this lead time to one-third or less of its previous
value. This approach offers substantial reductions in construction
costs. It also offers a faster solution to the present day problem
of increasing energy shortages.
A significant factor in reducing the power plant construction time
and cost results from the use of the present invention to reduce
the time and cost involved in constructing, equipping, and putting
into operation the operating center or control center which
controls or runs the plant. In most cases, the operating center,
complete with pre-installed and pre-tested control system
equipment, can be delivered within about 12 months after order
acceptance and it is possible, as far as the control system is
concerned, to have the plant on line and producing electricity
within 6 weeks after installation of the operating center building.
Thus, the present invention contributes very substantially to the
solution of a real and pressing problem in the electric utility
industry.
Prefabricated and modular construction techniques have been
heretofore used in various fields of endeavor, particularly in the
residential housing field where such techniques have been used in
the construction of residential dwellings and apartment buildings.
Some very general aspects of these prior techniques are employed in
connection with the present invention. Consequently, it is helpful
by way of background information to consider some of the more
pertinent prior art patents relating to the prefabricated and
modular construction of building structures.
One of the earlier patents in this area is U.S. Pat. No. 1,995,573
granted to S. G. Matthews on Mar. 26, 1935 for a "Portable Building
Unit." The Matthews patent describes the use of portable room-size
building modules in constructing multi-unit single-story and
multi-unit multi-story residential type building structures.
Another prior art patent is U.S. Pat. No. 2,795,014 granted to M.
J. Kelly on June 11, 1957 for a "Complete Factory Produced
Dwelling." The Kelly patent describes the construction of a one
story residential dwelling by means of three factory produced
transportable building modules which are hauled to the installation
site and joined together to form the complete dwelling.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,103,709 granted to H. C. Bolt on Sept. 17, 1963 for
"Building Structures" describes a collapsible type building unit
which is hauled to the installation site in a collapsed condition.
At the installation site, the unit is opened up and erected to form
a room-size building structure. Several such erected structures can
be joined together in a side-by-side fashion to provide an overall
structure having a relatively large floor area.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,256,652 granted to C. Van Der Lely on June 21, 1966
for a "Building of Assembled Box-Shaped Elements" describes the use
of a number of room-size box-shaped modules which are joined
together at the installation site to form a residential type
dwelling.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,461,633 granted to R. L. Ziegelman et al on Aug.
19, 1969 for a "Prefabricated Building Structure" describes the use
of a plurality of room-size box-shaped building modules which are
joined together at the installation site to form a complete
building structure. Certain general aspects of the Ziegelman
construction are employed in connection with the preferred
embodiment of the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,540,173 granted to S. Jonnides on Nov. 17, 1970 for
"Expandable, Transportable, Prefabricated Containerized Buildings"
describes the use of box-shaped building modules wherein a first
module includes a plurality of hinged panels which may be unfolded
at the installation site to form a second module of the same size
as the first module.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,609,929 granted to R. B. Brown et al on Oct. 5,
1971 for a "Prefabricated Building" describes the use of a
plurality of C-shaped half modules or half boxes which can be
transported to the installation site and joined together in various
configurations to form multi-story residential type buildings.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,643,389 granted to W. S. Sheppley, Jr. on Feb. 22,
1972 for a "Modular Electrical Enclosure" describes the
construction of a data processing center using a modular frame type
of construction. Such data processing center is designed to house
complex electrical and electronics data processing equipment.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,680,273 granted to F. E. Bigelow, Jr. on Aug. 1,
1972 for "Assembly of Collapsed Buildings for Shipping" describes
the use of collapsible type room-size units which are opened up and
joined together at the installation site to form a complete
residential type structure. The customary residential type
electrical wiring is installed in the wall panels of the individual
units prior to shipment to the installation site.
With the exception of the Sheppley, Jr. patent, none of these prior
art prefabricated building construction patents describe a building
structure which was specifically intended for use in housing
complex electrical and electronics equipment. While the Sheppley,
Jr. patent does describe such a building structure, the modular
technique described therein does not eliminate the need for the
tedious and time consuming on-site installation and inter-wiring of
the individual electrical and electronics equipment units in the
building structure.
Another class of prior art which appears to be relevant to the
present invention is represented by the apparatus described in a
magazine article entitled "Megawatts On Wheels" and written by
Messrs. C. E. Thompson, C. R. Boland and E. Burnstein. This
technical article appeared in the March 1971 issue of Combustion at
pages 24-30 thereof. This technical article describes a mobile
electrical power generating plant which employs a pair of truck
type tractor-trailer units. One trailer unit houses a gas turbine
and electrical generator, while the other trailer unit houses the
control panel, circuit breakers, voltage regulators, fuel controls
and the like for the turbine and generator. This mobile power plant
is intended primarily for emergency use. The trailers are hauled to
the point of need and are deployed and connected up to the
transmission lines of the diabled power system. Cables are run
between the two trailer units to connect the gas turbine and
generator in the first trailer to the control panel and other
equipment in the second trailer. Thereafter, the gas turbine is
started and the mobile power station supplies the needed electric
power to the disabled power system.
A somewhat different type of mobile electrical equipment unit is
described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,652,806 granted to N. Nakagami et al
on Mar. 28, 1972 for "Transportable Telephone Exchange Apparatus."
The Nakagami et al patent describes a mobile telephone exchange
which is housed in a truck trailer and which may be hauled to a
disaster area or other area to provide a temporary telephone
exchange.
The "Megawatts on Wheels" article and the Nakagami et al patent
show that certain types of electrical and electronics systems have
been heretofore arranged to be transported by truck trailers. This
form of transportation can also be used in connection with the
present invention. More particularly, the building modules used in
the preferred embodiment of the present invention are designed so
that they can, if desired, be transported by truck trailers. This
technical article and this prior art patent, however, do not relate
to the problem of constructing stationary type operating centers of
control centers intended for long term use at a fixed location and,
hence, fail to suggest the herein described novel solution to such
problem.
The issued patents and the technical article discussed above were
found during the course of a prior art investigation of reasonable
scope and effort. They represent what applicants presently consider
to be the best of the prior art presently known to them. No
representation is made or intended, however, that better prior art
does not exist. Nor is any representation made or intended that the
foregoing interpretations are the only interpretations that can be
places on these patents and this technical article.
As used in the present specification and claims, the term
"operating center" is intended to include: (1) control center
having only control apparatus for controlling the operation of the
plant, process or system; (2) data monitoring and data logging
centers having only data display, data read-out and recording type
apparatus for providing visual, graphical and/or printed
information concerning the operation of the plant, process or
system; and (3) centers having both control and monitoring
apparatus for providing both types of functions. Also for purposes
of the present specification and claims, the term "control system
equipment" is intended to include any of the various types of
apparatus commonly associated with control systems and, as such,
includes either control apparatus or monitoring apparatus or
both.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
For a better understanding of the present invention, together with
other and further advantages and features thereof, reference is had
to the following description taken in connection with the
accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 illustrates in a diagrammatic manner the general features of
a method of building an operating center in accordance with the
present invention;
FIG. 2 shows a typical industrial installation site employing an
operating center constructed in accordance with the present
invention, the illustrated installation site being an electric
power generating plant;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged partially cut away perspective view of the
operating center building shown in FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the metal frame structure for one
of the building modules used in constructing the operating center
building of FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along
section line 5--5 of FIG. 3 and showing major structural portions
of the FIG. 3 operating center building in a cross-sectional
manner;
FIG. 6 is a floor plan of the operating center building of FIG. 3
showing the various electrical equipment units installed
therein;
FIG. 7 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the operating
center building taken along section line 7--7 of FIG. 6 after
installation of the electrical equipment units;
FIG. 8 illustrates a preferred manner in which the pre-loaded
building modules may be installed at the industrial or commercial
installation site;
FIG. 9 is an enlarged elevational view showing in greater detail a
preferred manner of lifting one of the building modules by means of
a novel detachable lifting frame structure;
FIG. 10 is a top view of the building module of FIG. 9 and the
lifting fram structure which is temporarily attached thereto for
lifting purposes;
FIG. 11 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the building module
and lifting frame structure taken along section line 11--11 of FIG.
10;
FIG. 12 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along
section line 12--12 of FIGS. 10 and 11 and showing in greater
detail a portion of the lifting frame structure and its manner of
attachment to the building module; and
FIGS. 13-15 illustrate some of the alternative forms of operating
centers which may be constructed using the principles of the
present invention.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED METHOD
Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown in a generalized schematic
manner a method of building an operating center in accordance with
the present invention. FIG. 1 shows the case where the operating
center is used for controlling an electric power generating plant.
As indicated, this is a particularly significant application of the
present invention. It should be borne in mine, however, that the
present invention is also applicable to the building of operating
centers and electronics centers for a variety of other plants,
processes and systems of an industrial or commercial nature. Also,
the overall size and shape of the ultimate operating center
building shown in FIG. 1 is intended only as an example. As will be
seen hereinafter, the teachings of the present invention can be
used to construct operating center buildings of various sizes and
shapes. Also, while FIG. 1 shows the case where three building
modules are used to form a complete building, it should be
understood that the number of modules can be varies to suit the
particular application at hand. If a bigger building is needed,
more modules are used. If a smaller building is sufficient, fewer
modules are used.
As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of transportable room-size building
modules 20, 21 and 22 are located at a factory site 23. The
building modules 20, 21 and 11 constitute structural parts of a
unitary operating center building. Their construction is such that
when joined together they form a complete integral weatherproof
building structure. As will be described further herein, each of
the building modules 20, 21 and 22 includes a rectangular metal
frame structure and permanent closure panels secured to and closing
each side of the module that will not abut another module in
forming the complete operating center building. Each building
module is preferably of room-size dimensions such that it can house
the desired control system equipment and so that, in addition
thereto, a human being can readily move about therein. The
dimensions of each module preferably are also such that it can be
transported by a truck-type motor vehicle if desired. Each of the
building modules 20, 21 and 22 may have, for example, an overall
length of 40 feet, an overall width of 12 feet and an overall
height of 10 feet (excluding support legs, if any).
The building modules 20, 21 and 22 may be constructed at the
factory site 23 or, in the alternative, may be constructed as some
other location and transported to the factory site 23. In either
case, the three building modules 20, 21 and 22 are temporarily
positioned adjacent one another at the factory site 23 in much the
same manner in which they will ultimately be joined together at the
industiral or commercial installation site. If desired, they may be
temporarily physically fastened to one another and the joints
therebetween temporarily weatherproofed.
Also located at the factory site 23 is various operating equipment
represented by a number of discrete or separate equipment units 24.
Such units 24 may be manufactured at the factory site 23 or may be
manufactured elsewhere and transported to the factory site or some
of the units 24 may be manufactured at the factory site 23 and some
elsewhere. In the present embodiment, this operating equipment 24
takes the form of electrical and electronics type control system
equipment. As such, each of the units 24 may take the form of, for
example, a cabinet structure or a rack structure which houses or
holds various electrical and electronics components such as
electronic circuits, electrical instruments and devices, printed
circuit card frames and cards, digital computer hardware, digital
data handling devices, data recording and display devices, alarm
devices and the like.
At the factory site 23, the electrical equipment units 24 are
loaded in the building modules 20, 21 and 22, some of the
electrical equipment units 24 being installed in the building
module 20, some in the building module 21 and the remainder in the
building module 22. Each of the equipment units 24 is preferably
bolted down or otherwise secured within its particular building
module so that it will remain at a fixed location therein. The
electrical equipment units 24 installed in the building module 20
are thereafter interwired with one another, as are the electrical
equipment units 24 installed in the building module 21 and the
units 24 installed in the building module 22. Thus, the control
system equipment 24 in each building module is placed as nearly as
possible in its ultimate use condition from a mounting and
inter-wiring standpoint.
At the factory site 23, inter-module electrical connections are
also established between the control system equipment units 24 in
different ones of the building modules 20, 21 and 22. This is
accomplished by means of electrical cables having quick
connect/disconnect type connectors at the ends thereof. These
inter-module connections are such that the control system equipment
24, as a whole, is completely interconnected in its ultimate use
condition.
The control system equipment 24 installed in the building modules
20, 21 and 22 is then thoroughly tested at the factory site 23.
This testing includes the combined testing of the equipment
interconnected by the inter-module connections. More particularly,
the installed control equipment 24 is preferably connected to a
test facility located in a building 25 at the factory site 23 and
the control system equipment 24 as a whole is systems tested under
simultated use conditions. All major and, it desired, minor control
equipment adjustments are preferably made during the course of such
testing at the factory site 23.
The control system equipment 24 is connected to the test facility
in building 25 by means of electrical cables 26 which preferably
duplicate in number and function the cables that will eventually
run from the operating center building to the other parts of the
plant, process or system at the ultimate installation site. Such
cables 26 are connected to one or more control cable connector
panels within one of the building modules 20, 21 and 22, which
connector panels will be used at the industrial or commercial
installation site to connect the control system equipment 24 to the
remainder of the plant, process or system.
The test facility within the building 25 includes suitable
electrical circuits and devices for performing various static and
continuity type tests on the control system equipment 24. For
example, the test facility in building 25 includes means for
placing on various cable conductors 26 signals representing alarm
conditions in the actual plant, process or system. A determination
is then made to see of the appropriate alarms are actuated within
the control system equipment 24.
The test facility in building 25 further preferably includes
electrical and electronic circuits and devices which electrically
simulate the actual plant, process or system to be controlled.
These test circuits respond to signals from the control system
equipment 24 to send back to such control system equipment 24
signals representing the plant conditions that would be encountered
as a result of the previous and present settings of the control
system equipment 24. This enables a dynamic testing to be performed
on the control system equipment 24. Such dynamic testing may vary
in scope. For example, it may be either total or partial, that is,
the dynamic responses for either the total plant or only a selected
portion of the plant may be tested.
For maximum efficiency and flexibility, the test facility in
building 25 preferably includes a programmable digital computer
which is properly programmed to process the incoming and control
signals and to automatically send back the appropriate plant
condition signals for simulating to as great a degree as possible
the dynamic operation of the actual plant, process or system being
controlled. The program that is used to run this test facility
digital computer is basically a computer model of the plant,
process or system to be controlled, defined in terms of the input
and output signals seen by the control system equipment 24. All
sequencing functions are modeled, as well as the dynamics of the
plant, process or system condition sensor devices. In other words,
all sensor outputs are modeled and actions are taken for all
control or actuating signals from the control system equipment 24.
Failure of sensors and actuators are also simulated.
After the control system equipment 24 installed in the building
modules 20, 21 and 22 has been thoroughly tested and adjusted and
any malfunctions corrected, the loaded building modules are
prepared for transportation to the industrial or commercial
installation site. Such preparation for transportation includes
disconnecting the inter-module electrical equipment connections
between the different building modules 20, 21 and 22 and, if
temporarily fastened together, the physical unfastening of the
building modules 20, 21 and 22 from one another. Temporary closure
means in the form of, for example plywood panels, are then secured
in place so as to close off the open sides of the building modules
20, 21 and 22, such open sides being the ones that will abut an
adjacent module in forming the complete building structure.
Thereafter, the loaded building modules 20, 21 and 22 are
transported to the industrial or commercial installation site
which, in the FIG. 1 embodiment, is represented by installation
site 27. The loaded building modules may be transported by means of
truck-type tractor-trailer motor vehicles, railroad flat cars,
river barges or, in the case of overseas installation sites, by
oceangoing freighters and the like. Where appropriate, more than
one form of transportation may be used during the course of the
journey to the installation site. For the case of transportation by
tractor-trailer motor vehicles, for example, each of the loaded
building modules 20, 21 and 22 is loaded onto the trailer of a
different tractor-trailer unit. For the illustrated case of three
building modules, the three tractor-trailer units would then haul
the three building modules over the public highways and other
roadways to the final installation site.
At the installation site 27, the loading building modules 20, 21
and 22 are installed so as to form at least part of the structure
of a complete building. In the illustrated embodiment, the three
building modules 20, 21 and 22 are joined together to form a
complete operating center building 28. This may be accomplished,
for example, by lifting the loaded building modules, one at a time,
from their respective truck trailers and lowering them into place
in a side-by-side relationship on a previously prepared foundation
structure. The temporary closure panels are then removed and the
three building modules 20, 21 and 22 bolted together to form an
integral building structure. The joints between the building
modules 20, 21 and 22 are weatherproofed to provide a completely
weatherproof structure. The intermodule cable connections between
the control system equipment 24 in the different building modules
are then reestablished to provide a complete substantially
ready-to-go operating center for the plant, process or system
located at the installation site 27.
In the described embodiment, the plant, process or system at the
installation site 27 takes the form of an electric power generating
plant 30. The control system equipment 24 in the operating center
building 28 is connected to the turbines, generators, steam
generating units and other apparatus employed in the power plant 30
by means of electrical cables 31, which may, for example, be buried
under ground. After a brief final checkout procedure, the operating
center 28 is then ready to commence operating control of the
electric power generating plant 30.
As a result of the prepackaging and pretesting of the control
system equipment 24, the operating center 28 is installed and made
ready to go at the plant site 27 in considerably less time and with
considerably less expenditure of plant site labor than would
otherwise be the case. Because of the many variables involved, it
is difficult to give a figure for the cost savings which will apply
in every case. For the three-module electric power plant operating
center being considered, the total cost of the on-site and
ready-to-go operating center will, in the average case, be on the
order of one-half the total cost of the an equivalent operating
center constructed in accordance with prior practices.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED APPARATUS EMBODIMENT
Referring to FIG. 2, there is shown in greater detail the
industrial installation site 27 of FIG. 1 and the electric power
generating plant 30 located thereon. The power generating plant 30
is a combined cycle plant employing both gas and steam turbines.
More particularly, the power generating plant 30 includes a first
gas turbine 32 which drives a first electric generator 33. Air
enters the gas turbine 32 through air intake ducts 34. The hot
exhaust gas from turbine 32 is passed through a first heat recovery
steam generator 35 and emitted into the atmosphere by way of steam
generator stack outlets 36. The power plant 30 also includes a
second gas turbine 37 which drives a second electric generator 38.
Air enters the gas turbine 37 by way of air intake ducts 39. The
hot exhaust gas from the turbine 37 is passed through a second heat
recovery steam generator 40 and emitted into the atmosphere by way
of steam generator stack outlets 41.
Located within each of the steam generators 35 and 40 are sets of
boiler tubes which are used to convert water into superheated
steam. This superheated steam is supplied to a steam turbine 42
which drives a third electric generator 43. Spent steam from the
steam turbine 42 is converted back into water by a condenser 44 and
such water or condensate is thereafter returned to the steam
generators 35 and 40 to be converted into steam again. For
simplicity of illustration, the steam piping and water piping
running between the steam generators 35 and 40 and the steam
turbine 42 and condenser 44 have been omitted.
Circuit breakers 45 and other switchgear and power transformers
(not shown) are used for connecting the electric generators 33, 38
and 43 to the electrical power transmission system (not shown)
being supplied by the power plant 30. The electrical conductor
system interconnecting generators 33, 38 and 43, circuit breakers
45, transformer 46 and the transmission system has been omitted for
the sake of simplicity.
The power plant operating center building 28 is located at the
right rear corner of the installation site 27 in the view of the
FIG. 2. A large number of underground electrical cables (not shown)
run between the operating center building 28 and various condition
sensor devices and actuator mechanisms associated with gas turbines
32 and 37, steam turbine 42, electric generators 33, 38 and 43,
steam generators 35 and 40 and the various other items of apparatus
making up the power generating plant 30. The condition sensors
produce signals representative of quantities such as gas turbine
combuster shell pressure, gas turbine exhaust temperature, steam
and condensate temperatures, pressure and flow rates, steam turbine
inlet temperature and pressure, steam generator and condenser fluid
levels, electric generator output voltages, currents, r.p.m. and
power and various other operating conditions associated with the
power generating apparatus. The actuator mechanisms control devices
like fuel valves, steam valves, condensate valves, water pumps, oil
lube pumps, generator starting motors, standby water heaters and
various other operating mechanisms associated with the different
parts of the power plant apparatus.
The installation site 27 occupies approximately one acrte of land
area. The overall height of the tallest units, namely, the steam
generators 35 and 40, is approximately 52 feet or some five
stories.
Referring now to FIGS. 3-5, there is shown in greater detail the
preferred physical construction of the operating center building
28. As indicated in FIG. 3, the three building modules 20, 21 and
22 are joined together in an abutting side-by-side manner to form
the complete unitary operating center building 28. Each of the
building modules 20, 21 and 22 includes a transportable room-size
three-dimensional, rectangular, metal frame structure. The frame
structures for the three building modules 20, 21 and 22 are of
substantially identical construction. The frame structure for one
of these building modules is shown in FIG. 4 and identified, as a
whole, by reference numeral 50.
The frame structure 50 of FIG. 4 includes a pair of upper
longitudinal beams 51 and a pair of lower longitudinal beams 52
connected between four vertical beams 53 which make up the four
corner columns of the frame structure 50. A pair of upper
transverse beams 54 and a pair of lower transverse beams 55 are
connected between the vertical corner beams 53 and extend at right
angles to the longitudinal beams 51 and 52 to complete the
perimeter of the three-dimensional frame structure 50. Intermediate
vertical beams 56 are secured to and extend between the upper and
lower longitudinal beams 51 and 52. All of the foregoing beams
51-56 are preferably fabricated from elongated hollow steel tubes
of rectangular cross-section.
Upper transverse steel I-beams 57 run between the upper
longitudinal beams 51 intermediate the end transverse beams 54.
Lower transverse steel I-beams 58 extend between the lower
longitudinal beams 52 intermediate the end transverse beams 55. The
joints between all of the foregoing beams 51-58 are formed by
welding so as to provide a frame structure 50 which is extremely
strong and rigid.
A short downwardly extending leg member 59 is welded to the
underside of the lower longitudinal beams 52 below each of the
intermediate vertical beams 56. A metal foot plate or bearing plate
60 is welded to the bottom of each of the leg members 59 as well as
to the bottom of each of the vertical corener beams 53. In use, the
frame is supported in place on the plate 60.
In a preferred lifting arrangement, a series of nine upwardly
extending lifting nuts 61 are welded to the top side of each of the
upper longitudinal beams 51. Such lifting nuts 61 are spaced apart
along the length of each such upper longitudinal beam 51 as shown.
As indicated in FIG. 5, each of these lifting nuts 61 is of a
hollow cylindrical construction and each is internally threaded for
purposes of receiving a lifting bolt (not shown) which will be
considered in greater detail hereinafter. Such lifting nuts 61 are
used for lifting and manipulating the building module.
The frame structure 50 in the present example has a length of 40
feet, a width of 12 feet and a height of 9 feet 10 inches as
measured from the top surface of upper longitudinal beam 51 to the
bottom surface of the corresponding lower longitudinal beam 52.
Among other things, these dimensions satisfy the various
governmental regulations for load sizes that can be transported
over public highways.
As indicated in FIG. 3, each of the building modules 20, 21 and 22
includes permanent closure structure secured to and closing some
but not all roof, floor and wall sides of the frame structure, any
side not so closed being one that will abut another module in
forming the complete control center building 28. In the present
embodiment, each of the building modules 20, 21 and 22 is provided
with a floor structure and a roof structure with the floor
structures and roof structures for the different building modules
being of very nearly the same construction. The wall structures, on
the other hand, vary somewhat from module to module. In particular,
the three sides of the outer building module 20 which do not abut
or face the center building module 21 are closed by solid opaque
wall panels 62 which are mounted within the openings or bays
defined by the longitudinal, vertical and transverse beams 51-56,
with the exception that the wall structure for the left-hand end of
the building module 20 includes a double door 63.
The middle building module 21 does not have any permanent closure
panels or wall panels on the two long sides thereof as these sides
abut or face the outer building modules 20 and 22. The wall
structure at the right-hand end of building module 21 includes
glass window panels 64 and 65 and a door 66 which are mounted
within the opening defined by the vertical beams 53 and the
transverse beams 54 and 55. The wall structure at the left-hand end
of building module 21 includes one of the solid wall panels 62 and
a double door 67.
The wall structure for the remaining building module 22 is similar
to that for the building module 20, the wall structure at the
left-hand end of building module 22 including one of the solid wall
panels 62 and a double door 68. The other two closed sides of the
building module 22 are closed by solid opaque wall panels 62.
Referring now to FIG. 5, there will now be considered in greater
detail the manner of fabrication of the floor, roof and wall
structures for the building modules. For point of reference, FIG. 5
is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along section line 5--5
of FIG. 3. As such, it shows a cross section of the outer building
module 22 and part of a cross section of the middle building module
21. Nevertheless, since the same general manner of construction is
used for all three building modules 20, 21 and 22, it will be
understood that the description of FIG. 5 is also applicable to the
other building modules 20 and 21.
Considering first the wall structure, a typical one of the solid
panels 62 is shown in cross section in FIG. 5. As there seen, the
wall panel 62 is comprised of a thin-walled hollow metal enclosure
70 filled with thermal insulation material 71 which may be, for
example, a urathane foam material. Mounting brackets 72 are secured
to the upper and lower longitudinal beams 51 and 52 and the wall
panel 62 is fastened to such mounting brackets 72. Caulking
material 73 provides a weatherproof seal between the edges of the
wall panel 62 and the adjoining frame structure beams, such as the
upper and lower longitudinal beams 51 and 52 shown in FIG. 5.
Similar caulking material is located in the joints between adjacent
ones of the wall panels 62.
As indicated in FIG. 5 for the building module 22, each of the
building modules 20, 21 and 22 include a floor structure 74. Such
floor structure 74 includes a series of steel floor plates 75 which
are laid across the lower transverse I-beams 58 and tack welded
thereto to form a solid floor covering. A layer of plywood 76 is
laid over the steel plates 75 and a layer of vinyl asbestos floor
tile 77 is bonded to the top side of the plywood 76 to provide the
uppermost floor surface. After the building modules, in this case
the building modules 21 and 22, are joined together, pieces of
plywood 78 are laid on top of the abutting longitudinal beams 52 so
as to match up with the plywood layers 76 in the adjacent modules.
A layer of vinyl asbestos floor tile 79 is bonded to the upper
surface of the plywood 78 to complete the floor covering in the
space where the modules meet.
The roof structure for the building module 22 is indicated at 80 in
FIG. 5. The roof structures for the other building modules 20 and
21 are of similar construction. The roof structure 80 includes
elongated boards 81 (for example, two-by-fours) which extend along
and are fastened to the top surfaces of the upper longitudinal and
transverse beams 51 and 54 to form a perimeter frame of the roof
structure 80. Additional elongated boards 82 are fastened atop the
first boards 81. Appropriate vertically extending holes are drilled
through the boards 81 and 82 for allowing the lifting nuts 61 to
extend upwardly therethrough as shown.
Corrugated-type steel decking plates 83 are laid across and welded
to the tops of the upper transverse I-beams 57 to completely close
off the area within the confines of the outermost upper horizontal
beams 51 and 54. Two layers 84 and 85 of rigid thermal insulation
material are laid across and cover the corrugated steel decking 83.
A layer 86 of tar or asphalt material is then poured and spread
over the top of the insulation material 85 and the exposed upper
surfaces of the perimeter boards 82 to provide a completely
weatherproof covering for the top of the building module 22. Care
is taken to prevent any of the tar or asphalt material from flowing
into the threaded passages within the lifting nuts 61 during the
initial construction of the building modules.
Overlapping metal flashing pieces 87 and 88 are fastened to the
outer surfaces of perimeter boards 81 and the upper surfaces of
perimeter boards 82 to cover same and to complete the weatherproof
seal on the three sides of building module 22 which do not abut the
adjacent building module 21. On the side abutting the module 21,
metal flashing 89 is used. Flashing 89 includes an
upwardly-extending lip 90 for use in providing a weatherproof seal
with the adjacent building module 21. After the building modules
have been joined together at the installation site, caulking
material 91 is placed between the upwardly extending metal flashing
lips 90 running the length of the abutting sides of the two modules
21 and 22. An elongated and inverted U-shaped cap member 92 is then
placed down over and secured to the upwardly extending lips 90 to
complete the weatherproof seal between abutting building modules 21
and 22.
A typical manner of joining together abutting building modules is
also shown in FIG. 5. More particularly, after the building modules
21 and 22 have been set in place in a side-by-side manner on the
foundation structure, the two building modules 21 and 22 are bolted
together by means of bolts 94 and nuts 95. Bolts 94 pass through
the adjoining upper and lower longitudinal beams 51 and 52 by way
of appropriate holes or passageways drilled through the sides
thereof. As indicated in FIG. 3, the upper longitudinal beams 51
are bolted together by two such bolts 94, one being located near
the left-hand end of the building modules 21 and 22 and the other
being located near the right-hand end of the building modules 21
and 22. Similarly, the lower longitudinal beams 52 are bolted
together by means of a first bolt 94 (not visible) located near the
left-hand end and a second bolt 94 (not visible) located near the
right-hand end. Additional nuts and bolts may be used if desired,
but the four indicated have been found to be sufficient.
As indicated in FIG. 3, a suspended ceiling 96 is hung below the
upper transverse I-beams 57. The space between the suspended
ceiling 96 and the underside of the I-beams 57 is approximately 8
inches in the present embodiment. This suspended ceiling 96 is not
shown in FIG. 5 for sake of simplicity.
Referring to FIG. 6, there is shown a floor plan of the operating
center building 28 of FIG. 3 as it appears with the control system
equipment installed therein. The control system equipment shown in
FIG. 6 is designed for use in controlling the electric power
generating plant 30 shown in FIG. 2.
FIG. 7 is an elevational-type cross-sectional view of the operating
center building 28 taken along a section line corresponding to
section line 7--7 of FIG. 6. Such view is taken with the control
system equipment installed in the operating center building 28.
FIG. 7 will be referred to from time to time in connection with the
description of FIG. 6.
The control system equipment shown in FIG. 6 includes the following
units:
______________________________________ Unit Number Description
______________________________________ 101 Digital Control
Input/Output Equipment for Steam Turbine 42 and Plant Auxiliaries.
102 Digital Control Input/Output Equipment for Gas Turbine 32 and
Heat Recovery Steam Generator 35. 103 Digital Control Input/Output
Equipment for Gas Turbine 37 and Heat Recovery Steam Generator 40.
104 Digital Computer Number 1 (Central Processing Unit). 105
Programmer Console. 106 Digital Computer Number 2 (Central
Processing Unit). 107 Digital Information Input/ Output Equipment.
108 Digital Information Input/ Output Equipment. 109 Control Cable
Connector Panel. 110 Control Cable Connector Panel. 112 Analog
Control Equipment for Steam Turbine 42. 113 Analog Control
Equipment for Condenser 44. 114 Analog Logic Equipment for Heat
Recovery Steam Generator 35. 115 Analog Control Equipment for Heat
Recovery Steam Generator 35. 116 Analog Control Equipment for Gas
Turbine 32. 117 Analog Test Panel. 118 Analog Test Panel. 119
Analog Control Equipment for Gas Turbine 37. 120 Analog Logic
Equipment for Heat Recovery Steam Generator 40. 121 Analog Control
Equipment for Heat Recovery Steam Generator 40. 122 Operator
Control Panel for Plant Electrics and Auxiliaries. 123 Operator
Control Panel for Steam Turbine 42. 124 Operator Control Panel for
Coordinated Plant Control. 125 Operator Control Panel for Gas
Turbine 32 and Heat Recovery Steam Generator 35. 126 Operator
Control Panel for Gas Turbine 37 and Heat Recovery Steam Generator
40. 127 Monitor Equipment for Steam Turbine 42. 128 Direct-Current
Power Supply Cabinet For Control System Equipment. 129
Direct-Current Power Supply Cabinet For Control System Equipment.
130 Monitor Equipment for Gas Turbine 32. 131 Monitor Equipment for
Gas Turbine 37. 132 Protective Relay Cabinet For Electrical Power
Generator 33. 133 Protective Relay Cabinet for Electrical Power
Generator 38. 134 Protective Relay Cabinet for Electrical Power
Generator 43. 135 Voltage Regulator Cabinet for Electrical Power
Generator 33. 136 Voltage Regulator Cabinet for Electrical Power
Generator 38. 137 Voltage Regulator Cabinet for Electrical Power
Generator 43. 138 Logging Typewriter Cabinet 139 Utility Cable
Connector Panel. 140 Power Cable Connector Panel. 141 Gas Turbine
Start-Up Sequencer. 142 Inverter Cabinet. 143 Inverter Cabinet. 144
Inverter Cabinet. ______________________________________
As indicated in FIG. 6, the operating center building 28 further
includes various floor-to-ceiling interior wall panels or interior
partitions 145, some of which serve to define a lavatory area or
bathroom 146. Lavatory 146 includes a wash basin 147, a toilet 148,
and a stall shower 149. The operating center building 28 also
includes a set of storage lockers 150, a kitchenette unit 151 and a
storage closet 152. Kitchenette 151 includes a stove, refrigerator
and sink. These facilities are provided for the convenience and
well being of the plant operating personnel. The kitchenette unit
151 is particularly handy where the plant is located in a
relatively remote area.
Located at the right-hand end of the middle building module 21 is
an entrance foyer 143, the inner boundaries of which are defined in
part by the power supply cabinet 129, interior wall panels 145 and
the covered backs of the gas turbine monitor cabinets 130 and
131.
A desk 154 is located on the dividing line between building modules
21 and 22 near the center thereof. During transportation of the
building modules from the factory site to the installation site,
this desk 154 is moved into and transported within the building
module 21. The desk 154 is provided with a chair 155.
The programmer's console 105 located near the middle of building
module 20 is also provided with a chair 156. Fire protection
equipment 157 is installed in the vicinity of the outer left-hand
corners of building modules 20 and 22.
After the building modules 20, 21 and 22 reach the installation
site 27, certain ones of the frame structure intermediate vertical
beams 56 are removed to improve the interior layout. The locations
of the vertical beams 56 which are removed are indiciated by
reference numerals 56a in FIG. 6. They are located along the
dividing line between building modules 21 and 22, just to the left
of the desk 154. Thus, vertical beams 56 are present at locations
56a during the factory assembly and testing and during
transportation of the building modules 21 and 22 to the
installation site, and they are removed during the installation of
the building modules 21 and 22 at the installation site. They are
needed to provide the necessary structural strength when the loaded
building modules 21 and 22 are being lifted. In this regard, the
final loaded weights of the building modules 20, 21 and 22 are
approximately 41,000 pounds, 35,000 pounds and 45,000 pounds,
respectively. The vertical beams 56 at locations 56a are removed
during the installation of the building modules at the plant site
to provide a more spacious and open work area.
With some minor exceptions, the equipment in each of the units
101-144 is housed in its own individual cabinet or rack structure.
Since, in most cases, each unit is dedicated to a particular
control or operating function or to the control of a particular
portion of the plant power generating apparatus, this segregation
facilitates both the initial construction and installation and the
later servicing and maintenance of the control system equipment. At
the factory site 23, these equipment cabinets or structures are
moved into the building modules 20, 21 and 22 by way of the
double-type loading doors 63, 67 and 68. They are then set in place
in their proper locations within the building modules 20, 21 and
22. They are thereafter bolted down to the floor structures 74
(FIG. 5) of the building modules 20, 21 and 22 by means of bolts
which pass downwardly through the vinyl asbestos floor tile 77, the
plywood flooring material 76 and the steel floor plates 75 forming
the floor structure 74. In a few cases, the equipment for two
different units is housed in the same cabinet.
An elevational view of the cabinets for equipment units 122-129 is
shown in FIG. 7. FIG. 7 also shows part of the open backside of the
cabinet for equipment unit 112. In use, such backside of the unit
112 is uncovered. This is true also for a number of the other
equipment cabinets. Among other things, it facilitates servicing of
the equipment. Various printed circuit cards and other electronic
components 190 are mounted within the cabinet of unit 112. The same
is true of a majority of the other cabinets.
The control system equipment units 101-144 are inter-wired and
interconnected by means of electrical cables which, in the present
embodiment, are laid along the tops of the cabinets which house
such equipment. Where it is necessary to connect the electrical
equipment in one of the rows with electrical equipment in another
of the rows, then the necessary connecting cables are preferably
laid in overhead raceways in the form of overhead cable trays which
span the walkway aisles and other open areas between equipment
cabinets. Such cable trays are supported by the tops of the
equipment cabinets at the ends of the spans.
The overhead cable trays are shown in broken line in FIG. 6 and are
identified by reference numerals 160-184, inclusive. Cable tray
160, for example, spans the aisle or walkway between equipment
cabinets 103 and 114. The ends of such cable tray 160 extend a
short distance over the tops of the cabinets 103 and 114. One end
of the cable tray 160 is bolted to the top of the cabinet 103 while
the outer end is bolted to the top of cabinet 114. Support brackets
185-188 are used to provide intermediate support for some of the
longer cable tray spans which have to run a relatively long
distance between equipment cabinets. These support brackets 185-188
are attached to and suspended from the roof structures 80 of the
appropriate building modules 20, 21 and 22.
Some of the overhead cable trays and overhead connecting cables are
shown in FIG. 7. Thus, by way of example, connecting cables 191 run
from the operator control panel units 122-126 to the cable
connector panel 110, the latter being used in connecting the
control center equipment to the remainder of the power plant. These
connecting cables 191 run across the tops of the equipment cabinets
127-129 and then by way of cable trays 183, 182 and 181 (FIG. 6) to
the cable connector panel cabinet 110. Transversely extending
overhead cable trays 166 and 174 are also visible in FIG. 7. These
cable trays 166 and 174 carry various connecting cables 192 and
193, respectively.
The control system equipment in the equipment units 101-144 is
completely inter-wired and interconnected at the factory site 23.
The connections between equipment in different ones of the building
modules 20, 21 and 22 are made by means of inter-mdoule
equipment-connecting cables having quick connect/disconnect
connectors at the end terminals thereof. These cable connectors
mate with corresponding cabinet connectors of the opposite sex
which are, typically, mounted on the backsides of the appropriate
equipment unit cabinets. After the control system equipment has
been thoroughly tested at the factory site, each of these
intermodule connecting cables is disconnected at one end thereof
and pulled back into the building module housing the equipment to
which the other end of such intermodule cable is connected. This
enables the building modules 20, 21 and 22 to be separated from one
another and separately transported to the industrial or commercial
installation site.
After the building modules 20, 21 and 22 are installed at the
installation site 27, the pulled-back portions of these
inter-module connecting cables are then returned to their original
building modules and reconnected to their respective control
equipment units. This procedure enables the control system
equipment, as a whole, to be quickly returned to a ready-to-go
operating condition.
In the process of pulling back the inter-module connecting cables
preparatory to shipment, the overhead cable trays 161, 163, 165,
168, 173, 174 and 181 which cross the boundaries between building
modules 20, 21 and 22 are unfastened from the equipment cabinets at
the two ends thereof and stowed for shipment inside individual ones
of the building modules 20, 21 and 22. These cable trays are
subsequently returned to their inuse positions at the installation
site 27.
The control cable connector panel units 109 and 110 are used to
connect the control system equipment within the building modules
20, 21 and 22 to the remainder of the electric power generating
plant 30. More particulaly, all of the signal input and signal
output terminals of the control equipment and monitoring equipment
within the building modules 20, 21 and 22 which are intended to
receive signals from or to send signals to the remainder of the
plant 30 are connected to the control cable connector panels 109
and 110. Similarly, the underground control signal cables 31 (FIG.
1) which run from the operating center building 28 to the gas
turbines, steam turbine, steam generators and other equipment
making up the power plant 30 are also connected to connector panels
109 and 110. Connector panels 109 and 110 provide connections
between, that is, interconnected, the individual building module
signal conductors with the appropriate ones of the individual
signal conductors in the underground plant cables 31. Connector
panels 109 and 110 thus provide the interface between the control
system equipment in the operating center building 28 and the
various condition sensing devices and actuating devices located
throughout the remainder of the plant 30.
By way of example only, the various underground cables 31 by may
include a total of somewhere on the order of 300 individual signal
conductors. The use of the connector panels 109 and 110 enables the
rapid and orderly connection of these signal conductors to the
operating center equipment. It considerably simplifies the task of
the technicians at the plant site who have to make the
interconnections. The use of such connector panels 109 and 110,
together with the fact that all of the underground cables 31 will
run to a fixed and known point at the plant site, means that the
cables 31 can be laid out and installed at the plant site before
the arrival of the building modules 20, 21 and 22. This enables a
more efficient scheduling and usage of the plant site labor
personnel.
The use and location of the connector panels 109 and 110, together
with the layout and location of the control and monitoring
equipment within the building modules 20, 21 and 22 also affords
substantial economies in the connecting and inter-wiring of such
equipment, both with itself and with the plant equipment outside
the building 28. With reference to FIG. 6, the control system
equipment is laid out in three adjacent rows which extend or run in
the lengthwise direction with the building modules 20 and 21. The
first row includes units 101-108, the second row includes units
121-121 and the third row includes units 122-129. The connector
panels 109 and 110 are positioned in a location which is close to
and convenient to the same end of all three of these rows. Thus,
the control system connecting cables can, for the most part, run
directly along the tops of the equipment cabinets and to the
connector panels 109 and 110. Also, the connector panels 109 and
110 are located in the building module, namely, the building module
20, having the control system equipment requiring the greater
number of connecting cables. This minimizes the number of
connecting cables which need to be disconnected in order to
separately transport the building modules from the factory site to
the plant site.
Connections between the protective relay cabinets 132, 133 and 134
and the voltage regulator cabinets 135, 136 and 137 and the
corresponding electrical generators 33, 38 and 43 are completed by
way of the power cable connector panel unit 140. Within the control
center building 28, units 132-137 are connected by way of cabling
to the power cable connector panel 140. External to the control
center building 28 are various cables 194 which are connected to
the power cable connector panel 140 and which run to the electrical
generators 33, 38 and 43 for providing the desired protection and
voltage regulation for same.
Alternating-current power for operating the lighting fixtures and
other utilities within the building modules 20, 21 and 22 is
supplied to a utility connector panel 139. Direct-current power for
use in connection with the control system equipment is also
supplied through the utility connector panel 139. The appropriate
alternating-current and direct-current power cables running to the
control center building 28 are indicated at 195. The
alternating-current power is obtained from the plant electrical
system, while the direct-current power is obtained from a plant
battery bank.
The power supply system for supplying the operating voltages and
currents for the control system equipment within the building
modules 20, 21 and 22 includes inverter units 142, 143 and 144 and
power supply units 128 and 129. Inverters 142, 143 and 144 are
connected to direct-current power terminals in the utility
connnector panel 139. Inverter units 142, 143 and 144 serve to
convert the direct-current voltage supplied to the control center
building 28 into 110-volt alternating-current voltage. This
alternating-current voltage is then supplied to the power supply
circuits in the power supply units 128 and 129. These power supply
circuits serve to convert the alternating-current voltage into the
relatively low-voltage direct-current voltages needed to energize
the computer circuits, control circuits and other circuits located
in units 101-108, 112-127, 130, 131 and 138. The use of the plant
battery bank, inverters 142, 143 and 144 and power supply units 127
and 128 provides a power supply system for the control equipment
which is relatively immune to voltage transients and other
disturbances which may occur in the alternating-current system
driven by the plant electrical generators 33, 38 and 43.
Each of the digital computer units 104 and 106 is a programmable
digital computer central processing unit and, as such, includes a
magnetic core memory, an arithmetic and logic unit and a control
unit. The digital computer units 104 and 106 may be programmed by
way of the programmer's console 105. Digital computer 104 and
digital control input/output units 101, 102 and 103 are capable,
when properly programmed, of providing automatic start-up,
operation and shut-down of the entire electric power generating
plant 30. Digital computer 106 and digital information input/output
units 107 and 108 serve to monitor the operation of the power
generating plant 30 and to supply the appropriate signals to
various indicating meters, digital readout devices and alarm
indicators and, in conjunction with logging typewriter unit 138, to
provide various types of hard copy information printouts. Each of
the computer central processing units 104 and 106 may take the form
of, for example, the PRODAC P-2000 central processor unit currently
manufactured and marketed by Westinghouse Electric Corporation of
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The input/output units 101, 102, 103, 107
and 108 may also take the form of such equipment as used in the
PRODAC P-2000 computer system.
The analog type electronic control circuits contained in analog
units 112-116 and 119-121 provide a complete analog control system
which is capable of operating either the entire plant or selected
parts thereof in the event that the digital control system should
develop a malfunction or in case the plant operator should desire
to operate in the analog mode. Thus, among other things, the analog
control system provides a backup for the digital control
system.
Operator control panels 122-126 provide a master control station
from which the plant operator can monitor, supervise and control
the operation of the entire power generating plant 30, as well as
the control system equipment within the operating center 28. Plant
coordinated control panel 124, for example, enables the operator to
select the operating mode for the control system equipment, that
is, to select whether the control system is to operate in a total
plant coordinated automatic mode, a non-coordinated automatic mode,
a total or partial analog mode or a total or partial manual mode.
Control panels 123, 125 and 126 include various readout indicators,
recorders, control knobs and pushbuttons for individually
supervising the operations of the gas turbines 32 and 37, the steam
generators 35 and 40 and the steam turbine 42 and for establishing
various setpoints and operating conditions for such plant
equipment. In this regard, it is noted that, when operating in the
total plant coordinated automatic mode, most of the setpoints and
operating conditions are established automatically by the digital
computer 104.
As indicated by the foregoing, the building modules 20, 21 and 22
serve to house various sophisticated and complex electronics data
handling and control equipment. In the illustrated embodiment, such
equipment enables a highly automatic, highly efficient and highly
reliable operation of the electric power generating plant 30.
In addition to the construction of the operating center building
28, the modular approach is also applied to the construction and
layout of the control system equipment located within the operating
center building 28. Thus, as seen from FIG. 6, substantially all of
the digital computer equipment is laid out in a first row (units
101-108), substantially all of the analog control equipment is laid
out in a second row (units 112-121) and substantially all of the
operator control panel equipment is laid out in a third row (units
122-126). Within the first row, the digital equipment is subgrouped
according to control and information monitoring functions, the
control equipment (units 101-104) being located on the left and the
information monitoring equipment being located on the right. Where
feasible, such as with the digital control input/output equipment
(units 101-103), the equipment is further subgrouped according to
the major plant components to be controlled. Thus, input/output
unit 101 is associated with the steam turbine and condenser 44,
input/output unit 102 is associated with the gas turbine 32 and
steam generator 35 and input/output unit 103 is associated with the
gas turbine 37 and steam generator 40.
In the second row, the analog control equipment is subgrouped
according to the major plant components to be controlled. Thus,
unit 112 is associated with the steam turbine 42, unit 113 is
associated with the condenser 44, units 114 and 115 are associated
with the steam generator 35, unit 116 is associated with the gas
turbine 32, unit 119 is associated with the gas turbine 37 and
units 120 and 121 are associated with the steam generator 40.
In the third row, the operator control panel equipment 122-126 is
also, for the most part, subgrouped according to the major plant
areas to be controlled. The major exception, more or less, is
control panel unit 124 which relates primarily to the coordinated
control of the total plant. With respect to the remainder of the
control panel units, unit 126 is associated with the gas turbine 37
and steam generator 40, unit 125 is associated with the gas turbine
32 and steam generator 35, unit 123 is associated with the steam
turbine 42 and condenser 44 and unit 122 is associated with the
plant electrics and auxiliaries.
An important advantage of the equipment modularity for the control
system equipment is that failure of any single equipment unit will
not reduce total plant power generating capacity by more than 50
percent. Another advantage is flexibility. If, for example, a power
plant is to be constructed having a greater or lesser number of gas
turbines, then the number of gas turbine associated equipment units
in the operating center is adjusted accordingly. If need be,
additional building modules can be provided to accommodate
additional control equipment units. Further advantages accrue from
economies and savings in time in manufacture, installation and
maintenance of the control equipment.
DESCRIPTION OF THE BUILDING MODULE HANDING AND INSTALLATION
TECHNIQUE
Referring now to FIG. 8, there is shown a presently preferred
method of handling and installing the loaded building modules 20,
21 and 22 at the industrial installation site 27. While FIG. 8 and
the following description relate to the installation site 27, it is
noted that the handling aspects of the method are also applicable
to the handling of the building modules at the factory site 23. Be
that as it may, it is assumed for purposes of FIG. 8 that the three
loaded building modules 20, 21 and 22 were transported to the
installation site 27 by means of three truck-type tractor-trailer
units. At the installation site 27, the building modules 20, 21 and
22 are, one at a time, lifted from their respective truck trailers
and lowered into place in an abutting side-by-side manner on a
previously prepared foundation structure 200. The lifting and
lowering is accomplished by means of a motorized lifting crane 201
having an upwardly extending derrick structure 202 capped by a
crown block 203. A travelling block 204 is movably suspended from
the crown block 203 by lifting cables 205. A lifting hook 206 is
attached to and extends below the underside of the travelling block
204.
Attached to the top side of the building module being handled at
the moment illustrated, namely, the building module 21, is a
detachable lifting frame 207. Lifting frame 207 is suspended from
the crane hook 206 by a lifting sling formed by cables 208. The
ends of cables 208 are attached to the lifting frame 207 and the
mid portions of cables 28 pass through the crane hook 206.
After the building module 21 is lowered into place, the lifting
frame 207 is detached therefrom and attached to the top of the next
building module to be installed, in this case, the building module
20. Thereafter, this next building module 20 is lifted from its
truck trailer and set in place on the foundation structure 200
alongside of the preceding building module 21.
Referring to FIGS. 9-12, there will now be described in greater
detail the construction of the detachable lifting frame 207 and the
manner of fastening same to the top of a typical building module
which, for sake of example, will be assumed to be the building
module 20. As seen in FIG. 10, the lifting frame 207 includes a
pair of longitudinal channel beams 210 and 211 which, in use, are
positioned above the upper longitudinal beams 51 of the building
module frame structure. The lifting frame 207 also includes a pair
of I-beam cross braces 212 and 213 which extend between and are
detachably connected to the longitudinal channel beams 210 and
211.
The manner of connection of the cross braces 212 and 213 to the
longitudinal channel beams 210 and 211 is indicated in detail in
FIG. 12 for the case of the end of the cross brace 212 which is
connected to the channel beam 211. As there indicated, a pair of
L-shaped connector brackets 214 and 215 are welded to the web of
the I-beam cross brace 212 on opposite sides of such web that one
leg of each connector bracket is fastened to the web while the
other leg extends at right angles to and is flush with the end of
the I-beam 212. Connector brackets 214 and 215 are connected to the
longitudinal channel beam 211 by means of bolts 216 which pass
through matching holes in the connector brackets 214 and 215 and
the web of the channel beam 211. Nuts (not shown) are threaded onto
the outer ends of the bolts 216 and tightened down so as to hold
the connector brackets 214 and 215 and, hence, the end of the
I-beam 212 securely against the web of the channel beam 211. The
remainder of the connections between I-beam cross braces 212 and
213 and longitudinal channel beams 210 and 211 are of this same
construction.
Typical holes in the webs of the longitudinal channel beams 210 and
211 for use in receiving the cross brace connector bolts 216 are
indicated at 217 and 218 in FIGS. 9 and 12, respectively. As
indicated in FIG. 9 for the case of channel beam 210, the connector
bolt holes 217 are in the form of extended series of holes which
are spaced longitudinally along the length of the channel beam 210
and which extend over substantial lengths of the channel beam 210
encompassing approximately the end-most thirds of the channel beam
length. The pattern and extent of the cross brace connector bolt
holes 218 in the other channel beam 211 are the same as that for
the channel beam 210 shown in FIG. 9.
The use of multiple sets of connector bolt holes 217 and 218
enables the locations of the cross braces 212 and 213 along the
lengths of the channel beams 210 and 211 to be changed or adjusted
to better accommodate the weight distribution of the load to be
lifted. In particular, the cross braces 212 and 213 are preferably
located so that the longitudinal location of the center of gravity
of the loaded building module will lie directly below the vertical
centerline or line of lift for the crane hook 206, travelling block
204 and lifting cable 205 when the building module is being lifted.
The preferred relationship is illustrated in FIG. 9 for the case of
building module 20. In this case, it is assumed that the center of
gravity of the loaded building module 20 is located at a point 220.
The vertical centerline or line of lift for the hook 206,
travelling block 204 and lifting cable 205 is indicated by broken
line 221. As shown in FIG. 9, this crane lifting vertical
centerline 221 passes through the building module center of gravity
220. This is the preferred relationship. It minimizes the chances
of the building module tipping or tilting as it is being lifted or
lowered.
As indicated in FIG. 9, the longitudinal location of the center of
gravity 220 does not coincide with the longitudinal location of the
physical center of the building module 20. This will quite often be
the case because the building modules will frequently not be loaded
in a symmetrical manner from a weight distribution standpoint.
Also, the longitudinal locations of the centers of gravity of the
different building modules which form a complete building will
frequently not be the same because, typically, the control system
equipment loaded into the different building modules will be of
different sizes and shapes and will be located differently. This is
taken into account by the provision of the extended series of cross
brace connector bolt holes 217 and 218 in the webs of the channel
beams 210 and 211. As a consequence, the locations of the cross
braces 212 and 213 can be changed from one building module to the
next so that, in each case, the centerline of lift for the crane
hook 206 may assume a position directly above the longitudinal
center of gravity location of the building module to be lifted.
Thus, connector bolt holes 217 and 218 enable a center of gravity
adjustment with respect to the load to be lifted.
In selecting the location for the cross braces 212 and 213, care
should be taken so that the angles formed between the lifting
cables 208 and the top surfaces of the longitudinal channel beams
210 and 211, such angles being indicated at 222 in FIG. 9, do not
become less than approximately 45.degree. when the load is being
lifted.
As indicated in FIG. 10, the ends of the lifting sling cables 208
are provided with hooks 223 which are adapted to be hooked into
hook receiving holes located in cable attachment plates 224 which
are welded to the I-beam cross braces 212 and 213 near the ends
thereof. A typical one of the cable attachment plates 224 is shown
on an enlarged scale in FIG. 12. The hook receiving or cable
attachment hole in the plate 224 is indicated at 225 in FIG. 12.
The plate 224 is shaped to engage the upper flange, web and part of
the lower flange of the I-beam 212 and is welded thereto along the
entire line of engagement. The cable attachment hole 225 is located
relative to the I-beam cross brace 212 such that a minimum of
torque or twisting force is produced on the cross brace 212 when a
load is being lifted.
The detachable lifting frame 207 is attached to the building module
to be lifted, in the illustrated case the building module 20, by
means of the two sets of nine lifting nuts 61 welded to the top of
the building module frame structure along each of the two sides
thereof. The manner of attachment is best seen in the enlarged
fragmentary view of FIG. 12. As there indicated, the longitudinal
channel beam 211 of the lifting frame 207 runs along the tops of
the lifting nuts 61. As previously indicated, lifting nuts 61 are
welded to the top of the upper longitudinal beam 51 of the building
module frame structure. The channel beam 211 is fastened to the
lifting nuts 61 by means of threaded lifting bolts 226 which pass
downwardly through leveling washers 227 and holes drilled in the
bottom flange of the channel beam 211 and are threaded into the
internally threaded lifting nuts 61. Washers 227 are beveled on the
underside thereof so as to match the bevel or contour of the lower
flange of the channel beam 211. Such leveling washers 227 are
welded in place on such channel beam 211.
The other longitudinal channel beam 210 of lifting frame 207 is
attached to its set of lifting nuts 61 by means of lifting bolts
226 (not shown) in the same manner as indicated in FIG. 12 for the
longitudinal channel beam 211.
All of the elements of the detachable lifting frame 207, namely,
elements 210-216 and 224-227, are preferably made of steel.
In use, the longitudinal channel beam 210 and 211 are bolted in
place atop the building module 20 by locating same above the two
sets of lifting nuts 61, inserting the lifting bolts 226 into the
washers 227 and beam flange holes and threading same into the
lifting nuts 61 to the desired degree of tightness. Thereafter, the
locations of the I-beam cross braces 212 and 213 may be adjusted,
if necessary, by unbolting same (bolts 216) and moving same to the
desired locations, after which they are rebolted to the channel
beams 210 and 211. Sling cable hooks 223 are then hooked to the
cable attachment plates 224, whereafter the sling cables 208 may be
placed in the crane hook 206 for purposes of lifting the building
module 20.
After the three building modules 20, 21 and 22 are set in place in
a side-by-side abutting manner on the foundation structure 200,
neighboring ones of these building modules are bolted together by
means of module connecting bolts 94 (FIG. 5) which pass through the
upper and lower longitudinal beams 51 and 52 which abut one
another, such bolts 94 being held in place by the nuts 95. Caulking
material 91 is then placed in the joints between the roof
structures 80 of the adjacent modules and the cap members 92 are
secured in place astraddle the abutting upwardly extending metal
flashing portions 90. This provides a weatherproof seal between
abutting building modules. Thereafter, the center passages of the
lifting nuts 61 are filled with tar and the exposed top surfaces of
such lifting nuts 61 are covered with tar. At this point, or at
some earlier appropriate point in the installation process, the
temporary closure panels used to close the open sides of the
building modules when transporting same are unfastened and removed
from the building modules. The operating center building 28 is then
ready for use from a structural standpoint.
DESCRIPTION OF ALTERNATIVE ARRANGEMENTS OF PREFERRED MODULE
STRUCTURE
Referring to FIGS. 13-15, there are shown other forms of operating
center buildings which can be constructed using the methods of the
present invention. FIG. 13 shows an operating center building 230
comprised of four room-size building modules 231, 232, 233 and 234.
Building modules 231-233 are located in a side-by-side manner at
ground level, while building module 234 is stacked on top of the
center ground level building module 232.
FIG. 14 shows an operating center building 240 comprised of six
room-size building modules 241-246. Modules 241-245 are located in
a side-by-side manner at ground level, while the remaining module
246 is located in a cantilever manner atop the center ground level
module 243.
FIG. 15 shows a more complex three-story operating center building
250 comprised of seventeen room-size building modules 251-267. The
center tier of modules 254, 261 and 266 are located at right angles
to the remainder of the modules.
The forms of operating center buildings shown in FIGS. 13-15 are
merely suggestive of the many and various possible building
configurations which can be constructed using the methods and
techniques of the present invention.
With certain minor exceptions, each of the building modules
231-234, 241-246 and 251-267 shown in FIGS. 13-15 is of the same
basic construction as that previously considered for the building
modules 20, 21 and 22. Each is comprised of a transportable,
room-size, three-dimensional, rectangular, metal frame structure
and each includes permanent closure means secured to and closing
each side thereof that will not abut another module in forming the
complete control center building.
Minor differences in construction do, of course, occur where one
module is stacked on top of another. Considering, for example, the
case of FIG. 13, no leg members 59 and bearing plates 60 (FIGS.
3-5) would be provided on the second story module 234. Also, the
vertical corner beams 53 would not be extended below the undersides
of beams 52 and 55. Furthermore, the roof structure 80 (elements
80-90 as shown in FIG. 5) would not be provided on the ground level
module 232 which supports the second story module 234. Lifting nuts
61 would still be used on the top side of the ground level module
232 for purposes of lifting and handling same for transportation
and installation. After the module 232 is installed at the
installation site, these lifting nuts 61 may be removed before the
second story module 234 is set into place. Alternatively, the lower
longitudinal beams 52 of the second story module 234 may be
provided with cutouts on the bottom side thereof for receiving the
lifting nuts 61 on the first floor module 232. In such case, the
lifting nuts 61 on module 232 need not be removed. The upper module
234 may be either bolted or welded to the lower module 232. Similar
considerations would apply to the other multistory structures shown
in FIGS. 14 and 15.
The building modules shown in FIGS. 13-15 are loaded with control
system equipment and thoroughly tested at the factory site in the
same general manner as considered for the earlier embodiment of
FIG. 3. Thereafter, the loaded building modules are transported to
the industrial or commercial installation site and installed at
such installation site using the same techniques as previously
considered. In the case of larger size operating center buildings,
such as those shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, one or more of the building
modules or parts thereof may be used to provide living quarters or
office space or both for the operating center personnel.
Operating centers constructed in accordance with the present
invention can be used in a variety of industrial and commercial
applications which require the use of relatively complex electrical
and electronics equipment. As indicated above, the invention is of
particular significance in the construction of utility company type
electric power generating plants. Typical examples of other
industrial and commercial applications were the techniques
described herein may be employed to advantage are: chemical plants,
food processing plants, manufacturing plants, steel mills, paper
mills, oil refineries, sewage treatment plants, electrical power
transmission systems, pipeline transmission systems, railroad
systems, aircraft traffic control systems, telephone systems, radio
communications systems, data processing systems, weather
forecasting systems and the like. For the case of data processing
systems, for example, the techniques of the present invention can
be used to erect a fully-equipped ready-to-operate data processing
center at an industrial or commercial installation site in a
minimum of time and with a minimum of labor at the installation
site.
The present invention affords substantial advantages and economies
in that a very large portion of the equipment installation work,
equipment adjustment work and testing is efficiently and
economically performed at the better equipped and better staffed
factory or manufacturing site. Also, the amount of time required of
relatively expensive labor personnel at the installation site is
considerably reduced and the problems sometimes encountered in
obtaining such labor personnel are minimized. A further advantage
that will sometimes accrue is that, if later events should prove
necessary, an operating center building constructed in accordance
with the present invention can be fairly easily moved to or
relocated at another and different installation site. In a general
sense, all that need be done is to disconnect the building modules
and transport them to the new installation site.
While there have been described what are at present considered to
be preferred embodiments of this invention, it will be obvious to
those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may
be made therein without departing from the invention, and it is,
therefore, intended to cover all such changes and modifications as
fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.
* * * * *