(2c) Start-up Procedures for Large Steam Turbines

Abstract

With increased global demand for ethylene continuing the economic benefits of mega-ethylene plants with capacities greater than 1.5 Million Ton per Year are being applied on a more frequent basis.  As the scale of production has increased, so have the operating conditions experienced by critical rotating equipment, in particular the steam turbine drivers. As a major consumer of the total plant energy the steam turbines must be designed to optimize performance while maintaining flexibility for diverse operating conditions, specifically process start up with limited SHP steam availability and possible future overload conditions. Increases in live steam pressures and temperatures to improve cycle efficiency have led to design challenges and improvements for the steam turbines in critical service.  This paper details some of the complexities of design required to balance performance and capital and operating expenditures while maintaining utmost reliability for steam turbines in super high pressure service and the advancements in procedures and technologies that have made these possible.