Abstract
In the near future the Consolidated Edison’s generating stations will be faced with routine week-end 24 and 48-hr shutdowns of large, single-unit, high-pressure, high-temperature turbines and boilers. As a result of week-end load drop and the opening of the new Astoria Station— with heat rates approximately 20 per cent better than those of existing plants—the annual number of starts from cold on high-pressure boilers will increase greatly. It is with this prospective situation in mind together with a conviction that quick-starting from cold of large high-pressure boilers, when properly handled, is less rigorous on the expanding boiler structure than present 5 to 6-hr starts, that this investigation was carried out. By means of test results this paper demonstrates that safe operating procedures can be developed to bring 1,000,000 lb of steam per hr, high-pressure, high-temperature boilers equipped with high-pressure-drop superheaters from a cold condition to on-the-line in 1 to 2 hr. The paper explains some of the operational techniques and fundamental concepts relative to such accelerated starts. It also presents data on the handling of both the topping and condensing turbines in connection with cold boiler starts.
