Startup method for large steam turbines

1. A method of controlling a startup of a steam turbine receiving steam from a steam generator and having a rotor linked to a power generator and a steam turbine controller controlling at least the position of a steam inlet valve located in a steam conduit between the steam generator and the steam turbine to control the mass flow into the steam turbine, the method comprising:

selecting, before beginning of the startup, a predefined set of startup sequences of setpoints based on a status of the steam turbine at the beginning of the startup and/or a startup mode chosen by the operator wherein the set of startup sequences of setpoints includes parameters not controlled by the steam turbine controller and parameters controlled by the steam turbine controller;

using the steam turbine controller to control the parameters controlled by the steam turbine controller so as to progress the steam turbine from setpoint to setpoint in accordance with the predefined set of startup sequences until reaching a release point, wherein each release point is associated with a respective setpoint and indicates a time at which the steam turbine is expected to reach the respective setpoint; and

delaying, at the release point, moving to the next setpoint until actual/measured setpoint values agree with predefined setpoint values at the release point for the parameters not controlled by the steam turbine controller.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the number of release points is at least 10 times smaller than the number of setpoints.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the number of release points during the startup is less than 30.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predefined set of startup sequences of setpoints include sequences of values selected from one or more of sequences of values representing steam temperature, steam pressure, load on the rotor and rotor speed.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the steam temperature and/or steam pressure are parameters not directly controlled by the steam turbine controller.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein a current startup time is generated by the system using a time difference between a current setpoint of the predefined set of startup sequences of setpoints to which the steam turbine progressed and the end of the predefined set of startup sequences of setpoints.

7. The method of claim 1 , further using a stress controller to monitor stresses in the steam turbine and letting the steam turbine controller isolate the output of stress controller from changing the progressing of the steam turbine from setpoint to setpoint in accordance with the predefined set of startup sequences unless stresses are above a predefined critical value.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising using a stress controller to monitor stresses in the steam turbine and between subsequent release points letting an output of stress controller change the progressing of the steam turbine from setpoint to setpoint in accordance with the predefined set of startup sequences only if the stresses are above a predefined critical value.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predefined set of startup sequences of setpoints based on a status of the steam turbine are stored in numerical form in a memory linked with the steam turbine controller or calculated using the status of the steam turbine at a beginning of the startup and/or the startup mode as input to generate the predefined set of startup sequences of setpoints in accordance with defined rules.