Patent ID: 8843240

Claim:
A method for loading a steam turbine, the method comprising: receiving a turbine loading factor; receiving a current steam turbine exhaust temperature; determining, by a controller, a steam flow ramping rate parameter and a steam temperature ramping rate parameter based at least in part on the turbine loading factor and the current steam turbine exhaust temperature, wherein the steam flow ramping rate parameter and the steam temperature ramping rate parameter are determined based at least in part on an inverse relationship between the steam flow ramping rate parameter and the steam temperature ramping rate parameter, wherein determining the steam flow ramping rate parameter and the steam temperature ramping rate parameter comprises defining a function that generates a ramp rate split factor (X) that increases along a positive slope as the current steam turbine exhaust temperature increases between two predefined temperatures, wherein the steam flow ramping rate parameter and the steam temperature ramping rate parameter are determined based on the ramp rate split factor (X); and controlling at least one of: (a) steam flow to the steam turbine based at least in part on the steam flow ramping rate parameter; or (b) steam temperature to the steam turbine based at least in part on the steam temperature ramping rate parameter.