Patent ID: 8789371

Claim:
A power generation apparatus comprising: a dynamoelectric machine; at least one steam turbine operably coupled to the dynamoelectric machine, the at least one steam turbine including a high pressure steam turbine section; a boiler fluidly coupled to the at least one steam turbine; a boiler feedwater pump fluidly coupled to the boiler; a boiler feedwater pump turbine operably coupled to the boiler feedwater pump, the boiler feedwater pump turbine having a low pressure steam inlet and a high pressure steam inlet; a high pressure control valve for controlling admission of high pressure steam to the high pressure steam inlet; a low pressure control valve for controlling admission of low pressure steam to the low pressure steam inlet; a header fluidly connected with the high pressure steam inlet; a main steam header governor valve fluidly connected to the boiler and the high pressure steam turbine section, the main steam header governor valve for controlling an amount of high pressure steam admitted to the high pressure steam turbine; and a control system operably coupled to the high pressure control valve and the low pressure control valve, the control system including operating instructions configured to: close the low pressure control valve and prevent flow of the low pressure steam to the boiler feedwater pump turbine in response to receiving an input corresponding to a request for increased power output from a power grid; and actuate opening of the main steam header governor valve to increase an amount of high pressure steam admitted to the high pressure steam turbine and actuate opening of the low pressure control valve to increase an amount of the high pressure steam from the header flowing through the high pressure steam turbine section in response to receiving an input corresponding to a request for decreased power output from the power grid, after the closing of the low pressure control valve and preventing of the flow of the low pressure steam to the boiler feedwater pump turbine.