# US 10,480,780 B2 · Method and apparatus for commissioning power plants

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- Number: US 10,480,780 B2
- Document ID: US10480780B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/194,886
- Filed: 2014-03-03
- Published: 2014-06-26
- Granted: 2019-11-19
- Earliest claimed: 2007-03-27
- Assignees: Boyle Energy Services & Technology, Inc.
- Applicants: Christopher J. Bloch
- Inventors: Christopher J. Bloch
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10480780B2

## CPC

- F22B 37/486: {Devices for removing water, minerals or sludge from boilers (F22B37/483, F22B37/50, F22B37/52 and F22B37/54 take precedence)}
- B08B 3/02: Cleaning by the force of jets or sprays
- F16L 57/06: against wear (F16L57/04 takes precedence)
- F22B 37/52: Washing-out devices
- F26B 5/04: by evaporation or sublimation of moisture under reduced pressure, e.g. in a vacuum {(F26B11/049 and F26B17/128 take precedence)}
- B08B 2230/01: Cleaning with steam
- Y10T 137/4245: Cleaning or steam sterilizing
- Y10T 137/7043: Guards and shields
- F22B: METHODS OF STEAM GENERATION; STEAM BOILERS
- B08B: CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL
- F16L: PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F26B: DRYING SOLID MATERIALS OR OBJECTS BY REMOVING LIQUID THEREFROM (drying devices for combines A01D41/133; racks for drying fruit or vegetables A01F25/12; drying foodstuffs A23; drying hair A45D20/00; body-drying implements A47K10/00; drying household articles A47L; drying gases or vapours B01D; chemical or physical processes for dewatering or like separating liquids from solids B01D43/00; centrifugal apparatus B04; drying ceramics C04B33/30; drying yarns or fabrics in association with some other form of treatment D06C; drying frames for laundry without heating or positive air circulation, domestic laundry-or spin-driers, wringing or hot pressing laundry D06F; furnaces, kilns, ovens F27)
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

An apparatus and method for commissioning steam turbine generator power plants to advance the cleanliness of the complete steam cycle by the conditioned discharge of steam to the plant surface condenser.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A process for commissioning steam flushing of steam generation equipment and piping, of a steam power plant, to make it operational for steady state operation, the steam power plant including a boiler generating steam, turbine and condenser components, and interconnecting piping to form a power cycle steam power plant as a closed steam circuit, the process comprising,
Wherein during the commissioning, bypassing the turbine component by diverting steam through a bypass pipe, wherein said steam is thereby flushed through at least portions of the steam circuit to cleanse one or more of piping portions and equipment components, wherein the diverted flushing steam is drawn from the plant boiler through a temporary pipe and routed to the condenser component and a portion of condensate liquid is drawn from the condenser component and is injected as droplets into the steam flow at multiple piping locations upstream of the condenser component for removing particulate and non-particulate contamination from the flush steam prior to the entry of said flush steam to the condenser component; testing the flush steam for the presence of both particulate and non-particulate contamination prior to the entry of said diverted flushing steam to the condenser component; and terminating the entry of said diverted flush steam to the condenser component to prevent damage to the condenser component by the entry of said steam to the condenser component, and wherein the injected liquid comprises basic chemicals added thereto prior to injection to chemically treat the flushing steam and piping surface to enhance removal of contamination from the steam circuit.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein the injected condensate droplets are of a pH value of at least 10.0 (highly basic) to react effectively with non-particulate contamination in piping surfaces and other surfaces of the steam circuit through which the steam flushing is maintained and entrain it into the flush steam as solid products of reaction with the chemistry components.

### Claim 3

A process for commissioning a combined cycle power plant with a primary main power plant portion and with a heat recovery cycle portion comprising steam generation equipment, a turbine, a condenser, and piping for the steam flushing of steam generation equipment and piping, in a closed steam cycle multiple stage process to wash particulate and non-particulate contamination from the steam flush comprising:
(a) operating the heat recovery cycle portion with its turbine bypassed through a temporary bypass pipe and introducing condensate from the condenser into a flush steam flow at multiple spaced condensate injection points, in droplet form and in an amount sufficient to generate a mixed phase flow of steam and liquid condensate droplets,
(b) reducing back pressure at the condenser to increase steam velocity in the bypass pipe to allow the liquid droplets in the mixed phase flow to contact both particulate and non-particulate contamination entrained in the exhaust steam, under turbulent conditions and
(c) separating liquid droplets and entrained particulate contamination from the exhaust steam in a separation section;
and wherein the main power plant portion and heat recovery steam plant portion are operated during commissioning substantially at base load and tuned during steam flushing of the heat recovery steam power plant.