IP Library Granted Patent US 6,851,266
Granted Patent B2
US 6,851,266 · App. 10/676,037 · Granted Feb 8, 2005

Method for maintaining a combined-cycle power station at readiness

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 6,851,266
App. No.
10/676,037
Granted
Feb 8, 2005
Kind
B2
Abstract

In a method for maintaining a combined-cycle power station at readiness, an supplemental firing ( 44 ) with a fresh air supply fan ( 46 ) and, preferably, the feed and supply pumps ( 21, 23, 31, 38 ) are operated continuously or intermittently when the combined-cycle power station is not in use, in order to maintain specific states and media flows in the two-phase circuit of the combined-cycle power station. In one embodiment of the invention, the media in the two-phase circuit are prevented from freezing by means of the supplemental firing. Furthermore, media states which prevent air from entering while the power station is not in use and which thus prevent corrosion damage can also be maintained. In addition to this protective maintenance of readiness, the supplemental firing is also used when the combined-cycle power station is not in use, in order to produce and maintain conditions which allow the combined-cycle power station to be started and loaded quickly.

Claims (32)

1. A method for maintaining a combined-cycle power station ready for start-up, the combined-cycle power station including at least one gas turbo group, at least one heat recovery steam generator for flowing exhaust gas from the gas turbo group therethrough and producing steam thereby, and at least one steam turbine which is driven by the steam from the heat recovery steam generator, with at least one supplemental firing and at least one fresh air supply fan being arranged for the heat recovery steam generator, the method comprising:

operating the supplemental firing during stand-still periods of the power station, continuously or intermittently, in order to set, to maintain, or to set and maintain predetermined states and media flows in a two-phase circuit including the heat recovery steam generator and the steam turbine.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

operating at least one of feedpumps or supply pumps of the two-phase circuit, continuously or intermittently, during standstill periods of the power station.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

maintaining the temperature of the medium which is carried in the two-phase circuit above the freezing point of said medium by operating supplemental firing.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

producing steam by operating the supplemental firing; and

operating the supplemental firing to produce sufficient steam suitable for operating sealing steam and sealing vacuum systems of the two-phase circuit.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

operating the supplemental firing to maintain boiler parameters at a sufficient level to ensure overpressure in the steam systems.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

operating the supplemental firing to maintain media contained in the cooling systems for the power station above the freezing point of said media.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

operating the supplemental firing to generate a heating fluid flow; and

applying said heating fluid flow to maintain the temperature of components of the two-phase circuit above a predefined minimum temperature.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7 , further comprising:

controlling the temperature of a live steam port of the steam turbine.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

operating the supplemental firing to maintain the temperature of tanks in the two-phase circuit above a predefined minimum temperature.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

operating the supplemental firing to generate at least one of a flow of steam, a flow of heating liquid or both sufficient for producing a degassed feed water supply.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

operating the supplemental firing to produce a steam flow sufficient for operating an evacuation ejector of a condenser of the two-phase circuit.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

operating the supplemental firing for producing sufficient steam for at least one of steam cooling and steam injection of the gas turbo group.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

preheating a lubricant of at least one of the steam turbine and the gas turbo group with the supplemental firing.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

operating the fresh air supply fan for purging the heat recovery steam generator and a chimney, in order to further increase the power station startup speed.

15. The method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the boiler parameters comprise a parameter selected from the group consisting of pressures, temperatures, and combinations thereof.

16. The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the heating fluid flow comprises at least one of a hot water flow and a steam flow.

Assignments (3)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Aug 17, 2016
From: ALSTOM TECHNOLOGY LTD
To: GENERAL ELECTRIC TECHNOLOGY GMBH
Reel/Frame 039714/0578 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 9, 2004
From: ALSTOM (SWITZERLAND) LTD.
To: ALSTOM TECHNOLOGY LTD.
Reel/Frame 014247/0585 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 3, 2003
From: LIEBIG, ERHARD
To: ALSTOM (SWITZERLAND) LTD.
Reel/Frame 014175/0455 →