New procedure speeds cold start, protects turbine

09/01/1995
New procedure speeds cold start, protects turbine
System dispatch from today`s power plants must
consider availability of purchase power (buy or sell),
fuel prices, and unit availability and efficiency. To
gain the best combination of these factors, steam
units must be capable of quick removal and return to
service.
However, unit startups are expensive, time
consuming and operationally demanding. For
example, excessive thermal stresses can be
catastrophic to a unit. With those factors in mind,
Jacksonville Electric Authority (JEA) developed the
"valve open start" procedure.
This simple new cold start concept meets
manufacturer criteria for unit protection. The critical
requirement is to have only superheated (dry) steam
introduced to the turbine in a manner that minimizes
temperature mismatch, i.gif., the difference between
steam and turbine metal temperatures. Turbine
manufacturers are most concerned with mismatch,
rotor rupture and position, and blade ductility in their
technical procedures for startup.
Operators tried to meet these requirements in the
past by producing superheated steam at high
pressure and high temperature with the turbine
throttle valves closed. Only after reaching steam
conditions of 700-1,000 psig and 750 F were the
throttle valves used for gradual admission of steam
to the high pressure (HP) turbine. Bearing vibration
often reached "alarm" limits as the turbine

accelerated through critical speeds and "rotor long"

(where the rotor expands much faster than the
casing) conditions were normal. This was especially
true if speed holds were required in the 3,000-rpm
range.
Valve open start (Figure 1) calls for a new way of
thinking (a paradigm shift)--that superheated steam
can be produced in a vacuum at low temperatures.
The condenser pulls a vacuum throughout the steam
system if main steam throttling valves are left open.
Superheated steam produced at low temperature
may be used to warm the turbine while boiler
temperature and pressure increases.
Valve open start at Unit 3
Experience at JEA`s Northside Unit 3, which has a
518-MW Westinghouse turbine and a Riley Stoker
drum boiler (3,548,000 pounds per hour), illustrates
what happens during starting with open valves.
Initially, turbine metal temperature is ambient
(approximately 90-100 F). Steam is applied to the
steam seals. Circulator pumps activate and a vacuum
of approximately 28 inHg is produced in the
condenser. Because the main steam throttle valves
are wide open before firing begins, saturated steam
is generated in the boiler drum under 15 inHg
vacuum at approximately 178 F.
Steam absorbs more heat energy as it progresses
through the superheater. At the same time, the
pressure drops because steam is moving toward the
condenser, which has a greater vacuum. As the
temperature increases and pressure drops, the steam
becomes more superheated.
Steam temperature is near 200 F when it reaches the
throttle valve inlets. The entering steam has almost

60 F of superheat because the saturation point of

steam is approximately 150 F at the 22 inHg vacuum
present. The turbine manufacturer specifies 100 F
superheat, but its procedure calls for throttling across
partially opened valves. There usually is a 50-75 F
drop in superheat when throttling leaves a traditional
startup with a safe 25 F superheat, but if the valves
are wide open there is very little throttling. Therefore,
if there is 60 F superheat without throttling, there is
more superheat than on a traditional startup.
After the new procedure was used on Unit 3 for two
years, an October 1994 steam audit found no ill
effect from water damage. This indicates that the
first steam to go through the turbine before the
turbine rolls is superheated steam.
Anywhere from 20 to 45 minutes after firing up a
furnace, the turbine starts rolling off turning gear
with an acceleration rate of 25-50 rpm per minute
and a near-perfect temperature match. Note that
turbine manufacturers haven`t endorsed this type of
startup because the turbine valves are back seated.
Manufacturers emphasize that they do not want the
boiler controlling their turbine.
This procedure does not totally exclude the turbine
controls. The control system (P-2000 DEH) constantly
tracks speed and an operator can put it back into
primary control at any time. The computer is used to
synchronize turbine speed for generator breaker
closure.
Lower temperature mismatch
JEA`s staff sees a major advantage in the valve open
start. As shown in Figure 2, there is much less
temperature mismatch when introducing 210 F
steam instead of bleeding 700 F steam to a turbine

sitting at ambient temperatures. Manufacturers

require mismatches of less than 100 F on startups,
which is not practical on cold startups. The wide open
valve start produces a much better match. As steam
progresses through the system, main steam and
turbine drains are left open and the condenser is at
28 inHg of vacuum. Any moisture formed in the
headers drains to the condenser.
Normal considerations are made for turbine
lubricating oil temperature. The oil should be above
70 F for turning gear operation, 80 F to roll the
turbine, 90 F to exceed 1,000 rpm, and 100 F before
exceeding 3,000 rpm.
Failure of oil temperature to track rpms is one of the
major causes of terminating the valve open start.
The valve open start must be terminated and cannot
be resumed if steam admitted to the turbine is
throttled at any time. This event then would require
converting to a conventional start procedure.
Unit 3`s system now meets the turbine mismatch
criteria, but there are other standard criteria on the
turbine. These include holds for rotor temperature
versus speed, temperature versus ramp rates, and
reheat temperature. There is uncertainty on why
some criteria were originally established. JEA`s staff
agrees with William A. Sanders of Turbo-Technic
Services Inc. His approach is that the basis of the
criteria is first for superheat, second for ductility of
turbine blades, third for prevention of rotor rupture,
and fourth for prevention of rotor expansion or
contraction (rotor position).
The valve open start addresses all of these concerns
in the procedure. When the turbine goes above 3,000
rpm, it is held until the temperature rises sufficiently

on the blades. Turbine blade ductility is protected by

raising the intermediate pressure (IP) blade
temperature above 250 F before the unit is taken to
line speed. Incidentally, IP blade temperature can be
measured best in the cross-over to the low pressure
(LP) turbine.
The relatively long and thin blades in the IP should
exceed 250 F by the time the crossover steam is up
to 250 F. By the time blade temperature rises, the
calculated rotor bore temperature also is above the
minimum. A new turbine rotor`s temperature should
be above 125 F and an older rotor could be 50 F
higher. Therefore, the JEA staff is conservative and
requires a rotor temperature above 175 F before
taking the unit up. That temperature is less than the
250-300 F specified by the manufacturer.
The staff uses Westinghouse calculations for rotor
surface metal temperature and the rotor bore
temperature. JEA finds that, at the slow acceleration
rate (25-50 rpm per minute), the rotor bore
temperature lags the rotor surface metal
temperature by 7 F. Therefore, when the blade
ductility is met, the rotor rupture is automatically
resolved and not a major concern.
Rotor position always is correct when there is no
temperature mismatch in rotor versus shell
differentials. Rotor long is a concern during
traditional startups, especially during speed hold
requirements in the 3,000-rpm range. The valve open
start procedure produces zero differential expansion
in the HP/IP turbine section and in the dual LP turbine
sections.
Because the turbine metal and lubricating oil
temperature requirements are satisfied at this point,

the turbine can accelerate beyond 3,000 rpm. In the

3,000-3,300-rpm range, control transfers to the
turbine P-2000 computer. The computer controls the
speed and holds for ramping temperature and
pressure prior to synchronizing the turbine at line
speed and closing the generator breaker.
The manufacturer requires that heat soak be
complete before the turbine reaches sync speed, but
JEA disagrees. Sanders states that the turbine soak
should be completed before exceeding 50-percent
load. Plant operators never exceed 250 MW on the
518-MW unit before Westinghouse calculations for
heat soak time are acknowledged by the computer.
Boiler firing rate
The initial boiler firing rate limit of 2 F/minute (120
F/hr) is well below the manufacturer`s lim it of 150
F/hr for the boiler and turbine. The firing rate is not
exceeded during the pressure and temperature ramp
prior to breaker closing, nor during the initial load in
crease from 25 MW to 150 MW. The main stream limit
of 500 F/hr will not be exceeded with the drum
temperature rate of change held to 2 F/minute and
the load rate held to 2 MW/minute. The valve open
start firing rate had been controlled manually, but
was automated in January 1995. Automatic firing
should further decrease start time.
After coming on line, it is slightly more difficult to
control drum level at lower pressure, but operators
have become proficient at it. Initial loading is
generally about 17 MW. The load increases to 25 MW
when the turbine megawatt control loop is placed in
service. As soon as the boiler drum level is stable,
operators increase load to 50 MW (minimum stable
load) to make the unit available for service. Normal

loading proceeds and the turbine soaks are

completed before going above half load. That ends
the startup.
Even though the actual firing rate is slower than in a
traditional start, overall on-line time is reduced. The
unit has been on line in as little as five hours. Before
firing the boiler, two of the four circulators, one of the
two condensate pumps and the polishers are started.
Slightly more than three hours is required from firing
the boiler to going on line. The other circulators are
put in during those three hours. Total time required is
five or six hours. To allow some contingency, the
published time used for dispatch is eight hours to
minimum stable load.
There was no change in rotor position during the first
valve open startup on Unit 3, and vibration points
usually experienced during a traditional startup were
almost undetectable. These are reasons why four
operating units in three different power plants now
use the procedure, including the 275-MW G.gif.
turbine on Northside Unit 1. This unit has a Babcock
& Wilcox (B&W) universal pressure boiler, oncethrough without a drum (1.8 million lb/hr). The boiler
was modified with a separator to start as a drum
type boiler, and then convert to once-through
operations at approximately 95 MW. The startup
works well on this unit.
Kennedy Unit 10, a 134-MW Allis-Chalmers turbine
with a B&W boiler (1 million lb/hr) accelerates slowly
after firing off. Temperatures come up quickly and
the firing time has been reduced by four hours.
The main feature of valve open start is its simplicity.
It brings the whole unit up together. Superheat is
assured and there is little mismatch between the

rolling steam temperature and metal temperature.

"Rotor long" no longer is a problem. In addition, less
transient vibration is experienced. These cold starts
are faster than many hot starts where traditional
throttling is needed because of the temperature
mismatch.
JEA dramatically reduced the time and fuel required
to start four steam generating units using the new
procedure. Fuel savings for all four units is projected
to be $148,000 in 1995. This assumes that there will
be 112 cold starts. z
Reference
Sanders, William P., Turbine Steam Path Engineering
for Operations and Maintenance Staff, Turbo-Technic
Services Inc., 1988.
Authors
Richard E. Mallard is the deputy director of
operations for the three power plants wholly owned
by Jacksonville Electric Authority, Jacksonville, Fla. He
has more than 32 years experience in power plant
operations, maintenance and management.
Cedric A. Jordan is an instrument and control
technician working for Jacksonville Electric Authority.
He is retired from the U.S. Marine Corp. as an
aviation instrument technician. He has 18 years
experience on gas and steam turbine controls