Steam Turbine Casing Flange Heating via Internal Bypass
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Steam turbine power generation facilities face challenges in shortening start-up time due to thermal elongation differences between revolving and stationary bodies, and existing solutions can deteriorate efficiency by requiring enhanced energy for heating/cooling.
Innovation Solution
The facility includes a boiler, high-pressure, intermediate-pressure, and low-pressure turbines with heating sections and valves to manage steam flow, allowing steam to be reused for heating casing flanges, thereby overcoming thermal elongation differences without energy enhancement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If external steam is supplied to heat the flange section to overcome thermal elongation difference, then start-up time is shortened, but energy consumption increases and efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses its own internally generated steam to heat the flange section, making the system self-sufficient. The steam is diverted from the normal turbine flow path through a bypass line, eliminating the need for external steam supply and avoiding additional energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The steam generated by the power generation system serves dual purposes: it drives the turbine for power generation and simultaneously heats the flange section to overcome thermal elongation. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate external heating systems.
2Speed
If external energy is enhanced to supply heating/cooling medium to the flange section, then thermal elongation difference is overcome faster, but facility efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system utilizes its own waste heat and steam for heating the flange section, converting what would be wasted energy into a useful function. This self-service approach accelerates thermal elongation compensation without requiring external energy enhancement that would reduce overall facility efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the normally wasted steam from the turbine system into a beneficial heating source for the flange section. By diverting steam through the bypass line to the heating section, the system transforms potential waste into a resource that accelerates thermal elongation compensation while maintaining or improving overall efficiency.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach effectively shortens start-up time while maintaining efficiency by utilizing internally generated steam for heating, avoiding the need for external energy sources.
Implementation Method 1
the thermal elongation difference between the revolving body (or rotor) and the stationary body (or casing)
Data Source
AI summary
A steam turbine power generation facility and an operation method of such facility not only overcome the thermal elongation difference between a revolving body and a stationary body of a turbine so as to shorten start-up time but also suppress the efficiency of such facility from deterioration. The steam turbine power generation facility includes a boiler to generate steam; a high-pressure turbine into which the steam generated by the boiler flows; an intermediate-pressure turbine into which steam worked at the high-pressure turbine flows; and a low-pressure turbine into which steam worked at the intermediate-pressure turbine flows, in which the high-pressure turbine and the intermediate-pressure turbine are respectively provided with a heating section which is formed by communicating through the high-pressure turbine and the intermediate-pressure turbine, and further includes a pipe to make the steam worked at the high-pressure turbine flow into the heating section.