Thermal-strength analysis of a slow closing valve during accelerated startup of a steam turbine

This study assesses the accelerated startup of a steam turbine from the perspective of a slow closing valve. Valves are one of the first components affected by high temperature gradients and are key components on which the power, efficiency and safety of the steam system depends. The authors calibrated the valve model based on experimental data and then performed extended Thermal-FSI analyses relative to the experiment. Key results of the work include the possibility to reduce the startup time of a steam turbine while complying with stress limits and not excessively straining structural components of the valve. The single most important finding is that there is no need to change valves when accelerating the startup of steam turbines.