TCL is one of the world’s leading suppliers of control equipment and specialist engineering services for rotating equipment and associated systems.
The company specialises in the design and supply of advanced control systems for all types of rotating equipment, including steam turbines, gas turbines and hydroelectric turbines, as well as diesel and gas engines.
It has designed and installed more than 250 control system projects worldwide for all types of rotating plants. All products and services are designed and manufactured in accordance with ISO 9001:2008, ISO 14001:2004 and OHAS 18001:2007 regulations.
TCL control systems are based around commercial-off-the-shelf hardware, removing the dependency on one supplier for spares and support. The hardware can be selected by the customer to align with already installed systems and spares holdings.
The company employs a team of qualified, experienced and highly motivated specialist personnel whose goal is to provide reliable, cost-effective, high-quality products and services in this challenging market.
Gas turbine and steam turbine control systems
The company offers advanced control systems for gas turbines and steam turbines in electrical generation or mechanical drive applications. The heart of the control system uses the latest micro-processor PLC or DCS hardware such as Allen Bradley ControlLogix 5000, Siemens S7 or Schneider Modicon.
The scope of supply can include governor fuel control, turbine sequence control, overspeed trip, machine monitoring, generator or compressor control and protection.
TCL specialises in control system upgrades of turbines manufactured by the world’s major suppliers, including Siemens, Rolls-Royce, GE, ABB, Solar and Westinghouse.
The company has developed standardised software and hardware control systems for many gas turbines such as GE Frame 3 and 5, RR Avon and Olympus, Ruston TB, TD, Typhoon. These standard products greatly reduce one-off design costs and installation and commissioning time as they have been tried and tested previously.
Off-engine fuel systems for gas turbines
TCL provides:
- Gas fuel systems. A skid-mounted system, comprising valves for gas fuel control and shut-off functions. The gas control valve uses an electric servo motor driving a quarter-turn ball valve. Two high-pressure shut-off valves and one vent valve are fitted, enabling gas shut-off for the ANSI Class V
- Liquid fuel systems. TCL Posiflow system uses a positive displacement pump driven by a variable speed electric motor. Because the Posiflow system uses a rugged gear pump, it is suitable for a wide range of fuel types, from highly volatile naphtha to heave fuel oil
The company has installed the Posiflow system on a wide range of gas turbines worldwide, enabling operators to enjoy vast improvements in reliability and reductions in maintenance costs.
Generator control and protection
TCL provides automatic voltage regulators (AVR) and generator protection equipment for generators from 0.5MW to 250MW. Rotating or static excitation systems are configured in single or dual channel operations. The scope includes design, system configuration and integration into the existing plant, including installation and commissioning.
Company engineers can provide design consultancy services for generator protection studies to determine fault levels and associated protection settings.
Gas turbine soft-start systems
The TCL SmartStart system provides soft-start capabilties for gas turbine DC starter motors from a DC power supply. The system is programmed to ramp-up the current to the starter motor to prevent sudden torque changes associated with switching resistors.
Starter systems are available with 24Vdc or 120Vdc input voltages and a rating of up to 600A output current.
The TCL SmartStart greatly increases the life of the electrical and mechanical components of the gas turbine starter system.
Turbine maintenance and service
TCL provides comprehensive gas and steam turbine overhaul and maintenance solutions. Services include inspection and overhaul, on-site balancing, routine maintenance and fault finding.
The company employs a team of engineers and technicians with a wide range of experiences of many types of gas and steam turbine plants. All repair work on-site is carried out under strictly controlled conditions in line with the necessary industrial procedures.
Facilities include on-site engine repair of aero-derivative gas turbines, avoiding the need to remove and ship the engine to a remote overhaul facility.
