Patent ID: 7421854

Claim:
A method of automatically starting a steam turbine driven chiller system in response to entry of a single command by an operator, the method comprising the steps of: executing a steam turbine start sequence; executing a steam turbine slow roll mode operation, wherein executing a steam turbine slow roll operation comprises: calculating a slow roll time period for the slow roll mode operation, wherein the slow roll time period is dependent upon a number of stages of the steam turbine and an inlet steam temperature to the steam turbine; and evacuating the steam turbine exhaust to a desired vacuum in response to the slow roll time period expiring; executing a steam turbine acceleration process to accelerate the steam turbine to an operational speed; and wherein the steps of executing a steam turbine start sequence, executing a steam turbine slow roll mode operation, and executing a steam turbine acceleration process are completed by a control program without additional action by an operator.