Research on the Interference Fit of GV Seat Under the Service Load

The governor valve is a very important component in steam turbine, which can change the power output of the steam turbine by controlling the amount of the inlet steam. The service conditions of governor valve is very complicated, which should suffer high temperatures, high pressure, erosion, water induction and so on. As we all know the fatigue and creep can significantly reduce valve life. However, the damage due to governor valve seat interference fits is also very important for the units’ safety operation. A compromised interference fit can lead to significant valve leakage and possibly catastrophic seat failure. This article bases on a real case from a STP’s SC unit, which is operating in the South Asia market. Simulating the behavior of the valve seat under service conditions by numerical method, to find out the root cause of the interference fit failure and the operational advice for the unit running.