Patent ID: 8453450
Filing Date: 2013-06-04
Classification: F01K

Abstract:
1. A steam plant comprising: a steam circuit; a superheater in the steam circuit defining a boundary between a superheated steam region and an unsuperheated steam region; a branch diverging from the superheated steam region of the steam circuit, the branch including: a first preheat line connected at a first end to an unsuperheated steam region and at a second end, to a first end region of the branch; and a second preheat line connected at a first end, to a second end region of the branch, upstream of the branch valve, distal and opposite the first end region and at a second end, to a point of the steam circuit that in operation has a lower pressure than the unsuperheated region to which the first preheat line is connected, so as to enable sequential steam flow through the first preheat line, the branch and the second preheat line respectively when the branch valve is closed; wherein the first end region is an upstream region of the branch and the second end region is a downstream region of the branch; and the steam plant further comprising a high pressure steam turbine and a low pressure steam turbine, wherein the second end of the second preheat line is connected upstream of the low pressure steam turbine.