Effect of Inlet Steam Temperature on the HP Section Efficiency of a Steam Turbine

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yiping Fu ◽  
Thomas Winterberger
Keyword(s):  
Steam Turbine ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Pressure Ratio ◽  
Control Valve ◽  
Combined Cycle ◽  
Steam Turbines ◽  
Steam Temperature ◽  
Load Range ◽  
Lp Turbine ◽  
The Relationship

Steam turbines for modern fossil and combined cycle power plants typically utilize a reheat cycle with High Pressure (HP), Intermediate Pressure (IP), and Low Pressure (LP) turbine sections. For an HP turbine section operating entirely in the superheat region, section efficiency can be calculated based on pressure and temperature measurements at the inlet and exhaust. For this case HP section efficiency is normally assumed to be a constant value over a load range if inlet control valve position and section pressure ratio remain constant. It has been observed that changes in inlet steam temperature impact HP section efficiency. K.C. Cotton stated that ‘the effect of throttle temperature on HP turbine efficiency is significant’ in his book ‘Evaluating and Improving Steam Turbine Performance’ (2nd Edition, 1998). The information and conclusions provided by K.C. Cotton are based on test results for large fossil units calculated with 1967 ASME steam tables. Since the time of Mr. Cotton’s observations, turbine configurations have evolved, more accurate 1997 ASME steam tables have been released, and our ability to quickly analyze large quantities of data has greatly increased. This paper studies the relationship between inlet steam temperature and HP section efficiency based on both 1967 and 1997 ASME steam tables and recent test data, which is analyzed computationally to reveal patterns and trends. With the efficiencies of various inlet pressure class HP section turbines being calculated with both 1967 and 1997 ASME steam tables, a comparison reveals different characteristics in the relationship between inlet steam temperature and HP section efficiency. Recommendations are made on how the results may be used to improve accuracy when testing and trending HP section performance.

Repowering and Retrofitting

2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Pickard
Keyword(s):  
Steam Turbine ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Free Market ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Project Planning ◽  
Combined Cycle ◽  
Steam Turbines ◽  
Planning Stage ◽  
Reheat Steam ◽  
Plant Optimization

At the start of this new century, environmental regulations and free-market economics are becoming the key drivers for the electricity generating industry. Advances in Gas Turbine (GT) technology, allied with integration and refinement of Heat Recovery Steam Generators (HRSG) and Steam Turbine (ST) plant, have made Combined Cycle installations the most efficient of the new power station types. This potential can also be realized, to equal effect, by adding GT’s and HRSG’s to existing conventional steam power plants in a so-called ‘repowering’ process. This paper presents the economical and environmental considerations of retrofitting the steam turbine within repowering schemes. Changing the thermal cycle parameters of the plant, for example by deletion of the feed heating steambleeds or by modified live and reheat steam conditions to suit the combined cycle process, can result in off-design operation of the existing steam turbine. Retrofitting the steam turbine to match the combined cycle unit can significantly increase the overall cycle efficiency compared to repowering without the ST upgrade. The paper illustrates that repowering, including ST retrofitting, when considered as a whole at the project planning stage, has the potential for greater gain by allowing proper plant optimization. Much of the repowering in the past has been carried out without due regard to the benefits of re-matching the steam turbine. Retrospective ST upgrade of such cases can still give benefit to the plant owner, especially when it is realized that most repowering to date has retained an unmodified steam turbine (that first went into operation some decades before). The old equipment will have suffered deterioration due to aging and the steam path will be to an archaic design of poor efficiency. Retrofitting older generation plant with modern leading-edge steam-path technology has the potential for realizing those substantial advances made over the last 20 to 30 years. Some examples, given in the paper, of successfully retrofitted steam turbines applied in repowered plants will show, by specific solution, the optimization of the economics and benefit to the environment of the converted plant as a whole.

Coordinated Control of Gas and Steam Turbines for Efficient Fast Start-Up of Combined Cycle Power Plants

2016 ◽  
Vol 139 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasuhiro Yoshida ◽  
Kazunori Yamanaka ◽  
Atsushi Yamashita ◽  
Norihiro Iyanaga ◽  
Takuya Yoshida
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Stress ◽  
Steam Turbine ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Thermal Stresses ◽  
Control Method ◽  
Coordinated Control ◽  
Combined Cycle ◽  
Steam Turbines ◽  
Start Up

In the fast start-up for combined cycle power plants (CCPP), the thermal stresses of the steam turbine rotor are generally controlled by the steam temperatures or flow rates by using gas turbines (GTs), steam turbines, and desuperheaters to avoid exceeding the thermal stress limits. However, this thermal stress sensitivity to steam temperatures and flow rates depends on the start-up sequence due to the relatively large time constants of the heat transfer response in the plant components. In this paper, a coordinated control method of gas turbines and steam turbine is proposed for thermal stress control, which takes into account the large time constants of the heat transfer response. The start-up processes are simulated in order to assess the effect of the coordinated control method. The simulation results of the plant start-ups after several different cool-down times show that the thermal stresses are stably controlled without exceeding the limits. In addition, the steam turbine start-up times are reduced by 22–28% compared with those of the cases where only steam turbine control is applied.

Repowering Considerations for Converting Existing Power Plants to Combined Cycle Power Plants

2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anup Singh ◽  
Don Kopecky
Keyword(s):  
Steam Turbine ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Combined Cycle ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Entire System ◽  
Steam Turbines ◽  
Good Shape ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Overall Performance ◽  
Cost Studies

Most of the recent combined cycle plants have been designed and constructed as Greenfield Plants. These new plants have been designed mostly as Merchant Plants, owned and operated by Independent Power Producers. There is about 260,000 MW of conventional coal-fired and gas-fired capacity in the USA that is more than 30 years old. About 30,000 MW of conventional gas-fired capacity exists in the area of The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) with relatively poor heat rates in comparison to modern combined cycle plants. These plants are good candidates for HRSG repowering. In addition, there are several coal-fired units in the 200 MW range with steam turbines in relatively good shape or in a condition that can be refurbished and used in repowering. The installed cost of repowered (also called Brownfield) capacity is about 20%–40% less than for comparable Greenfield capacity. There are also other advantages to repowering. Since the site is already existing, it is easier to get the various environmental and construction permits. The efficiency of the repowered units will be significantly higher than the existing units in their current status thus increasing the overall performance of the entire system. The paper will discuss various considerations required for repowering, including steam turbine refurbishment, demolition/relocation of existing equipment, recent cost studies, and various considerations for equipment such as HRSGs.

Experimental Investigation Into Thermal Behaviour of Steam Turbine Components: Part 1—Temperature Measurements With Optical Probes

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. F. Mohr ◽  
P. Ruffino
Keyword(s):  
Steam Turbine ◽  
Combined Cycle ◽  
Temperature Measurements ◽  
Steam Turbines ◽  
Steam Temperature ◽  
Standard Temperature ◽  
Pressure Steam ◽  
Rotor Surface ◽  
Base Load

The first-in-time application of intensity pyrometry to measure in-situ the hot rotor surface temperature of a standard, combined cycle, intermediate pressure steam turbine is presented. The data cover a cold-start and cooling from base load. The pyrometric temperatures are compared to standard temperature measurements on static turbine parts and an upstream steam temperature measured on a thermo well. It is reported, how the applicability of pyrometry in steam turbines was assessed. Details are given about a newly developed USC autoclave, which was used to measure steam transmittance, and about the measurement of the emissivity of the rotor metal. Further the steps taken towards a steam-pyrometer are shown; how it was developed, validated in terms of its precision and lifetime in hot steam environment, and how its integration to a standard turbine was prepared.

Investigation of Unsteady Pressure Fluctuations in a Simplified Steam Turbine Control Valve

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Windemuth ◽  
Martin Lange ◽  
Ronald Mailach
Keyword(s):  
Steam Turbine ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Pressure Fluctuations ◽  
Control Valve ◽  
Steam Turbines ◽  
Unsteady Forces ◽  
Part Load ◽  
Large Pressure ◽  
Head Surface ◽  
Flow Through

Abstract Steam turbines are among the most important systems in commercial and industrial power conversion. As the amount of renewable energies increases, power plants formerly operated at steady state base load are now experiencing increased times at part load conditions. Besides other methods, the use of control valves is a widely spread method for controlling the power output of a steam turbine. In difference to other throttling approaches, the control valve enables fast load gradients as the boiler can be operated at constant conditions and allows a quicker response on variable power requirements. At part load, a significant amount of energy is dissipated across the valve, as the total inlet pressure of the turbine is decreased across the valve. At these conditions, the flow through the valve becomes trans- and supersonic and large pressure fluctuations appear within the downstream part of the valve. As a result, unsteady forces are acting on the valve structure and vibrations can be triggered, leading to mechanical stresses and possible failures of the valve. Besides more complex valve geometries, a spherical valve shape is still often used in smaller and industrial steam turbines. Because of the smooth head contour, the flow is prone to remain attached to the head surface and interact with the flow coming from the opposite side. This behaviour is accompanied by flow instabilities and large pressure fluctuations, leading to unsteady forces and possible couplings with mechanical frequencies. The spherical valve shape was therefore chosen as the experimental test geometry for the investigation of the unsteady flow field and fluid-structure-interactions within a scaled steam turbine control valve. Using numerical methods, the test valve is investigated and the time dependent pressure distribution in the downstream diffuser is evaluated. The evolution of the flow stability will be discussed for different pressure ratios. Pressure signals retrieved from the control valve test rig will be used to compare the numerical results to experimental data.

Investigation of Different Operation Strategies to Provide Balance Energy With an Industrial Combined Heat and Power Plant Using Dynamic Simulation

2016 ◽  
Vol 139 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Steffen Kahlert ◽  
Hartmut Spliethoff
Keyword(s):  
Steam Turbine ◽  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Dynamic Simulation ◽  
Process Model ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Control Valve ◽  
Combined Heat And Power ◽  
Combined Cycle ◽  
Water Steam ◽  
Load Change

Intermittency of renewable electricity generation poses a challenge to thermal power plants. While power plants in the public sector see a decrease in operating hours, the utilization of industrial power plants is mostly unaffected because process steam has to be provided. This study investigates to what extent the load of a combined heat and power (CHP) plant can be reduced while maintaining a reliable process steam supply. A dynamic process model of an industrial combined CHP plant is developed and validated with operational data. The model contains a gas turbine (GT), a single pressure heat recovery system generator (HRSG) with supplementary firing and an extraction condensing steam turbine. Technical limitations of the gas turbine, the supplementary firing, and the steam turbine constrain the load range of the plant. In consideration of these constraints, different operation strategies are performed at variable loads using dynamic simulation. A simulation study shows feasible load changes in 5 min for provision of secondary control reserve (SCR). The load change capability of the combined cycle plant under consideration is mainly restricted by the water–steam cycle. It is shown that both the low pressure control valve (LPCV) of the extraction steam turbine and the high pressure bypass control valve are suitable to ensure the process steam supply during the load change. The controllability of the steam turbine load and the process stability are sufficient as long as the supplementary is not reaching the limits of the operating range.

Numerical and experimental investigation of a low-pressure steam turbine during windage

2009 ◽  
Vol 223 (6) ◽  
pp. 697-708 ◽  
Author(s):  
R Sigg ◽  
C Heinz ◽  
M V Casey ◽  
N Sürken
Keyword(s):  
Flow Field ◽  
Steam Turbine ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Pressure Ratio ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Field Measurements ◽  
Low Pressure ◽  
Output Pressure ◽  
Ansys Cfx ◽  
Lp Turbine

Modern steam power plants must operate safely at extremely low loads, known as windage, in which the low pressure (LP) turbine runs with decreased or even zero flow. Windage is characterized by a strongly unsteady three-dimensional (3D) flow field leading to possible aerodynamic excitations. Extensive flow field measurements were performed in an LP steam turbine test rig during windage, using pneumatic probes in the last stage and a diffuser. The flow field of the whole turbine was also calculated with steady 3D computational fluid dynamics (ANSYS CFX). Good agreement is found between the simulations and the measurements of the flow field, and the characteristic vortex structures behind the last rotor row are captured. The numerically predicted trends of power output, pressure ratio, and temperature of the last turbine blade row closely match the experimental data. The complex vortex flow in the stage is interpreted using both numerical and experimental results.

Investigation of Different Operation Strategies to Provide Balance Energy With an Industrial CHP Plant Using Dynamic Simulation

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steffen Kahlert ◽  
Hartmut Spliethoff
Keyword(s):  
Steam Turbine ◽  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Dynamic Simulation ◽  
Process Model ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Thermal Power ◽  
Control Valve ◽  
Combined Cycle ◽  
Water Steam ◽  
Load Change

Intermittency of renewable electricity generation poses a challenge to thermal power plants. While power plants in the public sector see a decrease in operating hours, the utilization of industrial power plants is mostly unaffected because process steam has to be provided. This study investigates to what extent the load of a CHP plant can be reduced while maintaining a reliable process steam supply. A dynamic process model of an industrial combined CHP plant is developed and validated with operational data. The model contains a gas turbine, a single pressure HRSG with supplementary firing and an extraction condensing steam turbine. Technical limitations of the gas turbine, the supplementary firing and the steam turbine constrain the load range of the plant. In consideration of these constraints, different operation strategies are performed at variable loads using dynamic simulation. A simulation study shows feasible load changes in 5 min for provision of secondary control reserve. The load change capability of the combined cycle plant under consideration is mainly restricted by the water-steam cycle. It is shown that both the low pressure control valve of the extraction steam turbine and the high pressure bypass control valve are suitable to ensure the process steam supply during the load change. The controllability of the steam turbine load and the process stability are sufficient as long as the supplementary is not reaching the limits of the operating range.

Performance Charateristics of Advanced Gas Turbine Cogeneration Power Plants

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meherwan P. Boyce
Keyword(s):  
Steam Turbine ◽  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Firing Temperature ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Heat Recovery ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Pressure Ratio ◽  
Combined Cycle ◽  
Air Filter ◽  
Cycle Efficiency

The performance analysis of the new generation of Gas Turbines in combined cycle operation is complex and presents new problems, which have to be addressed. The new units operate at very high turbine firing temperatures. Thus variation in this firing temperature significantly affects the performance and life of the components in the hot section of the turbine. The compressor pressure ratio is high which leads to a very narrow operation margin, thus making the turbine very susceptible to compressor fouling. The turbines are also very sensitive to backpressure exerted on them by the heat recovery steam generators. The pressure drop through the air filter also results in major deterioration of the performance of the turbine. The performance of the combined cycle is also dependent on the steam turbine performance. The steam turbine is dependent on the pressure, temperature, and flow generated in the heat recovery steam generator, which in turn is dependent on the turbine firing temperature, and the air mass flow through the gas turbine. It is obvious that the entire system is very intertwined and that deterioration of one component will lead to off-design operation of other components, which in most cases leads to overall drop in cycle efficiency. Thus, determining component performance and efficiency is the key to determining overall cycle efficiency. Thermodynamic modeling of the plant with individual component analysis is not only extremely important in optimizing the overall performance of the plant but in also determining life cycle considerations.

Mechanical Design of Highly Loaded Large Steam Turbines

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Lu¨ckemeyer ◽  
H. Almstedt ◽  
T.-U. Kern ◽  
H. Kirchner
Keyword(s):  
Steam Turbine ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Mechanical Design ◽  
Ductile Failure ◽  
Combined Cycle ◽  
Material Behavior ◽  
Integral Approach ◽  
Steam Turbines ◽  
Creep Fatigue

There are no internationally recognized standards, such as the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code or European boiler and pipe codes, for the mechanical design of large steam turbine components in combined cycle power plants, steam power plants and nuclear power plants. One reason for this is that the mechanical design of steam turbines is very complex as the steam pressure is only one of many aspects which need to be taken into account. In more than one hundred years of steam turbine history the manufacturers have developed internal mechanical design philosophies based on both experience and research. As the design of steam turbines is pushed to its limits with greater lifetimes, efficiency improvements and higher operating flexibility requested by customers, the validity and accuracy of these design philosophies become more and more important. This paper describes an integral approach for the structural analysis of large steam turbines which combines external design codes, material tests, research on the material behavior in co-operation with universities and experience gained from the existing fleet to derive a substantiated design philosophy. The paper covers the main parameters that need to be taken into account such as pressure, rotational forces and thermal loads and displacements, and identifies the relevant failure mechanisms such as creep fatigue, ductile failure and creep fatigue crack growth. It describes the efforts taken to improve the accuracy for materials already used in power plants today and materials with possible future use such as advanced steels or nickel based alloys.

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