Steam Turbine Failure South Africa

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Shannow

Shannow

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Spent the last 10 years (up until last month) as a turbine engineer on some 500 and 700MW units.

The energies involved are tremendous...200 Tonnes of steel spinning at 3,000 RPM, on a layer of oil the thickness of ATF.

Have seen some pretty impressive failures in my time, but always contained.

Here's one in South Africa, that proves a couple of rules about rotational kinetic energy, and centripetal forces...when "stuff" happens, it happens quickly.

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Politics/Eskom-makes-R3bn-boo-boo-20110327
 
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Originally Posted By: CATERHAM
"the dude with his finger on the emergency button wasn't at his post"

Isn't that always the case when ---- happens!


Operator in the control room has a trip button (electrical), and the guy at the governor (who would be running with a 10 second 3,000-4,500 RPM acceleration in front of him) would have to pull a hydraulic lever...I doubt that they could have reacted quickly enough anyway.
 
Originally Posted By: Johnny
Would not want to be in that building when that happened.


Good thing in a no load failure during testing is that the half a tonne per second of 2,600psi 1000F steam at full load doesn't get added to the party...still wouldn't like to be there.

Originally Posted By: Johnny
What are you doing now?


My first ever non technical job, managing the crew who manage the plant that keep the Power Stations fed, watered, and nappied...
 
Why is it everytime I hear about rotational mass, centrifuges, turbine failures and what not, all everybody seems to mention is centripetal forces, never centrifugal forces?

I was starting to think I had them the wrong way round, had to check the definitions just now.
 
That's a distinct possibility that passed through my head as I was postin'. Then again, they say that about all inertial/apparent forces.

Kinda impressive piece of work from somethin' rumoured to not even exist, wouldn't you say?
smile.gif
 
Yep, the pieces of turbine wanted to follow a straight path. Centripetal forces failed, and the assemblies continued on in their straight lines...through anything in their way.
 
We had one like this occur in the States around 20 years ago. I think it was in Nevada. I'll see If I can locate pics. The amount of kinetic energy in one of these things is enough to launch the Space Shuttle.
 
I've seen jet engines come apart - similar results, smaller scale, higher RPM...ugly...

Actually witnessed the air turbine starter on an F-14 come apart - little thing, maybe 8" long, bolted into the accessory gearbox to crank the engine - holes in the side of the fuselage, shrapnel...I was in the jet next to it, with canopy closed and engines running -the "BANG" was still loud enough to make me jump!
 
Originally Posted By: Pablo
Originally Posted By: Shannow
'cause there ain't no such thing as centrifugal "force"


That's what we learned in 8th grade.

Am I missing something? No pictures?


What? About the centrifugal force or that it doesn't exist?
smile.gif


By way of logical consequence, the centripetal force doesn't exist either. They're both fantasies.
grin2.gif


Why do people be hatin' on apparent forces so much? Call them "fictitious", non existent and what not.
 
Originally Posted By: maersk
What? About the centrifugal force or that it doesn't exist?
smile.gif


By way of logical consequence, the centripetal force doesn't exist either. They're both fantasies.
grin2.gif


Why do people be hatin' on apparent forces so much? Call them "fictitious", non existent and what not.


Lots of people believe in things that don't exist, like "real" synthetic motor oil, for instance.
 
Originally Posted By: Shannow
Spent the last 10 years (up until last month) as a turbine engineer on some 500 and 700MW units.

The energies involved are tremendous...200 Tonnes of steel spinning at 3,000 RPM, on a layer of oil the thickness of ATF.

Have seen some pretty impressive failures in my time, but always contained.

Here's one in South Africa, that proves a couple of rules about rotational kinetic energy, and centripetal forces...when "stuff" happens, it happens quickly.

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Politics/Eskom-makes-R3bn-boo-boo-20110327

Pics here.

http://nolstuijt.wordpress.com/2011/03/15/duvha-powerstation-turbine-blowup-sa/

So what does the 500,000hp generator look like at the end of these things? Or I guess they link a bunch of smaller ones together? Do they use a generator as a motor to overspeed the turbine without steam?
My Dad does some work at GE large motors in Peterborough which seems to get into fairly big stuff, but not 500MW... If I recall they don't spin many large, but relatively small, motors that fast.
 
"A witness said that absolute chaos ensued. One man, who had been showering at the time, ran outside naked."

This was probably the guy that should have been at the control station to activate the emergency shut down.
 
Originally Posted By: Johnny
"A witness said that absolute chaos ensued. One man, who had been showering at the time, ran outside naked."

This was probably the guy that should have been at the control station to activate the emergency shut down.


Questions going thru his mind a few minutes prior to the fateful incident: "Hmmm, I wonder if I can I fit a shower in before the turbine stress test or not?"
 
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