Steam turbine power plant and method of operating same

A method of operating a steam power plant of the type including a turbine with high, medium and low pressure cylinders, a reheater connected across the medium and low pressure cylinders and a bypass line connected across the reheater, during rated and steady-state operating conditions, said method comprising the steps of

• dividing the supply of cold steam from the turbine into first and second flow streams;
• directing the first stream to the bypass line;
• directing the second stream to the reheater;
• regulating the first and second flow streams so that from 90%-50% of the supply of cold steam from the turbine flows through the bypass line and from 10%-50% of the supply of cold steam from the turbine flows through the reheater;
• controlling the reheater so that the second stream is heated to a temperature of 650.degree. to 850.degree. C. at a pressure not exceeding 0.1-1.0 Mpa;
• combining and mixing flow streams from the bypass line and reheater into a combined stream, and
• conducting the combined stream to the low pressure cylinder as said supply of reheated steam to the turbine.