THERMAL STRESS AND SALT

AES VCM MONG DUONG 2

MAY 2019
• Agenda
I. Thermal Stress Introduction
II. Starting and Loading Instruction(SALT)
III. Some common errors
 I. Thermal Stress introduction
• Thermal stress occur sudden temperature changes

Stress is defined as the force in a material divided by its cross sectional area.
Thermal Stress introduction
 Thermal Stress introduction
• There are three factor to control the thermal
stress
- Temperature difference
- Manner of application of heat
- Rate of temperature
 Thermal Stress introduction
• Steel bar is heated to a temperature
that results in an elongation equal to
"d", and the growth is not restrained,
there is no compressive stress.
• If another steel bar is heated to the
same temperature but held to its
original size, it develops a compressive
stress of the same magnitude as the
metal placed in the press because it is
not allowed to elongate the distance
"d".
• Both of these examples of stress are
termed compressive because the test
blocks are shorter in their stressed state
than in their unrestrained states.
 Rotor stress in cold start
During a cold start, the
rotor surface temp is the
hottest temp, while the
bore temp is the coolest.
This means that the outer
surface is under
compressive stress, and
the bore is under tensile
stress. Since tensile stress
essentially a stretching of
the metal, cracks in the
bore will be pulled apart
during this period
Rotor stress in hot start
 Cyclic Life Expenditure
• A “cycle” is defined as any startup and
shutdown or any two directional load change
or other variation which produces a change in
the first-stage shell or the reheat bowl metal
temperature greater than 42°C (75°F).
 Bore stress counter
• 1. HP turbine
HP turbine bore stress + HP turbine bore
centrifugal> HP turbine rotor allowable stress
• 2. IP turbine
IP turbine bore stress + IP turbine bore
centrifugal> IP turbine rotor allowable stress
 Cyclic Life Expenditure
Range Lifetime rare per cyclic 1st HP TBN temp
cyclic
Low 0.01 % 10000 > 371 oC

Medium 0.02 % 5000 204 oC <t < 371 oC

High 0.05 % 2000 < 204 oC

Normally, Cold start is high, Warm start is Medium, Hot start is Low range
 Cyclic life charts
Cyclic life charts have been developed to allow companies to choose the
number of heating/cooling cycles before cracks develop, if certain guidelines
are followed. The more conservative the curve is, with slower, smaller
temperature changes in the ramp rates, the longer the expected rotor life
will be before cracking occurs
Cyclic life charts
 FATT

• Fracture Appearance Transition Temperature:

is temp at which the ductility of change.
- Below this temp: the material is brittle and
tend break
- Above this temp: Crack grow slowly.
* What is FATT of HP, IP, OX
II. Starting and Loading Instruction
• During the starting of most turbines following:

1. Thermal Stress and Distortion

2. Vibration
3. Rotor and Shell Differential Expansion
 Rotor Pre-warming
PREWARMING HP
ROTOR BY SHELL
PRESSURIZATION
AT 4 kg/cm2.
WARMING
PERIOD SHOULD
BE TIME FOR
FIRST STAGE
SHELL METAL
TEMPERATURE TO
REACH 149 DEG
C(SHOWN ON
CURVES), PLUS
HOLD TIME
 Reheat section warming
While the high pressure section is
pressurized and being pre-
warmed, the reheat section is also
being warmed. The major
consideration when warming the
Main reheat section is reducing
the vacuum to maintain a
backpressure of 5 inches Hg (127
mm Hg) with the steam seals in
service. A minimum 130 F (54.4°C)
on all reheat thermocouples is
required before pre-warming is
considered complete.
 Expected Temp
The final expected
temperature is found by
a vertical line drawn
from the point of the
intended final load that
is found on the bottom
scale of the chart until it
intersects the desired HP
or RH curve. Then a
horizontal line is drawn
from the intersection of
the vertical line and the
curve, over to the left
scale where it will
indicate the final load
temperature.
 Determine ramp rate
In the MD2, at full load the
expected first stage metal
temp is 530°C. The
expected reheat temp is
565°C. When the original
pre-roll first stage metal
temp is subtracted from
the expected first stage
metal temp at full load, the
following is produced: 530-
149 =381 oC change. If the
same is done for the
reheat metal, the following
results: 565-54 = 511 oC
 Determine ramp rate
The ramp rate for
the high pressure
is approximately
130 oC per hour.
Performing the
same for the
reheat 90oC per
hour is
determined. The
more conservative
90 oC per hour
will be used
 Determine first stage temp

- Use the present main

steam pressure and temp
ahead of the turbine main
stop valve to find the first
stage temp at roll.
- Do not start below 180
oC deg
- Adjust steam conditions
to recommended
mismatch range

Example: rolling at main steam: 400 oC and 40 Kg/cm2

=> First stage temp is 350 oC
Acceleration Rate and 800 rpm

- The next step is to determine

the steam to metal differential.
This is done by subtracting the
pre-roll first stage metal
temperature from the expected
first stage shell steam
temperature, which is
determined from the "First Stage
Shell Steam Temperature" chart

Example: Reheat temp is 354oC, Reheat bowl metal at rolling time is 54 oC

=> Differential: 354-54 = 200oC => Acceleration 100 rpm/min, 800 rpm
soak 30 min
Reverse flow
 2500 rpm and 3000 rpm soak
Prewarming temperature target
First stage Crossover
shell and chamber
reheat bowl upper
Point A 149oC for 60 93oC for 60
min min

If point A is not matching, path is come to

block 8B and 9B
If point A is matching, then the horizontal
line is continued into 8A, 9A. The
intersection of the horizontal line and the
soak line is marker. A vertical line is drawn to
the top scale to determine the hold time. if
the differential is less than 149°C), there is
typically no soak required
 Synchronizing
At the end of the 3000 rpm soak Pre-warming temperature target
period, check the point B
matching. If matching a new First stage Crossover
differential value will be shell and chamber
developed. If point B is not reheat bowl upper
matching , a 7 -10 % load soak is Point B 177oC for 60 177oC for 60
mandatory until all pre-warming min min
target achieved

A new differential value is determine by subtracting using hot rehear temperature

and reheat bowl temperature
Synchronizing
 Loading
- Upon completion of the initial
load soak, the turbine ramp rate is
now determined by the load rate
chart. The load rate chart is actually
the ramp rate developed before
rolling, when the high pressure
cyclic life and/or the reheat cyclic
life curves were evaluated. This
ramp rate should be followed to
the transfer point and beyond to
the target load.
- In the example, the ramp rate
was determined to be 90oC per
hour. This ramp rate must be
followed through the transfer point
to the target load.
 Vibration
• 1. Steam Temperature Variation
• 2. Rapid Exhaust Hood Heating or Cooling
• 3. Hot Turbine Starts with Cold Steam
• 4. Water Carry-over – Water induction from
steam leads
• 5. Faulty Steam Seal System Operation
• 6. Rolling with a Bowed Rotor
Rotor and Shell Differential Expansion
High-temp rotors
usually change
temp faster than
the shells. This is
due to the smaller
mass of the rotors
and more effective
heat transfer.
Excessive
rotor-to-shell temp
differentials can
lead to differential
expansions large
enough to cause
internal rubbing
 III. Some common errors
• 1. Reset turbine: Master reset, diagnostic reset
• 2. H2 pressure high and increase when start the exciter
• 3. Vibration: lube oil temp, critical speed..
• 4. Turning gear: still engaged
• 5. Steam seal header hammering: drain to condenser,
open valve faster, forgot change over to heater 1A/B
• 6. Rotor pre-warming: increasing SV P 10kg/cm2
header ( 9kg/cm2), turbine reset close BVV
• 7. Chest warming: command max 8.5%, open 2%. If
differential is more 111oC can’n bypass
 Some common errors
• 8. Rolling permit: temp, pressure of main steam,
reheat. All drain: turbine group, boiler, water
detector, extraction steam
• 9. synchronizing: Transformer grounding, reset relay,
HVAC/slip 6 rpm, rapid unload off, governor dead
band on
• 10. Turbine steam downward temp trip
• 11: Full arc -> Partial arc
• 12. PSS in auto > 240 Mw
• 13. VPL -> tracking
 Light up Boiler
• 1. Damper in purge is 100%, in reset 30%