UNIT START-UP OPERATIONS

KTPS-800MW

(This piece of work is intended to create better insight of the existing procedures. This is
for informative use only. The assertions for the procedures were purely based on my
experience and the technical information available to me. I undertook lot of review for
preparing the document and I humbly accept and appreciate corrections/suggestions/reviews
from the readers)

SK MEHARAJ, Assistant Engineer/ME

BOE, Energy Manager (EA33342/21)
 AUXILIARY BOILER STARTUP
1. Open Deaerator makeup manual valve at location. Start filling Deaerator through
condenser makeup pump.
2. Give set point of Deaerator level and put control valve in Auto.
3. Close lower drum drains in UCB and also at location.
4. Close MS stop valve and open start up vents.
5. At Location
 Open drum vents, SH vents.
 Open SH drains and MS line drains.
 Open MS stop valve drains, CBD full open
 Open Aux. Boiler to APRDS interconnection valve (near MRS-A).
 Open main header valve of LDO line and main header valve of service
airline.
 Close isolation valves of main Gun and Aux. Gun.
 Open atomizing air line of main Gun and Aux. Gun.
 Open scavenging valves of both guns for at least 5mins.
 Open flame scanner air valve.
 Open all APRDS drains at APRDS station.
6. Ensure feed water path is through at feed water station.
7. Keep control valve at minimum position and take BFP into service.
8. Fill the drum by controlling feed water flow in manual or put feed control valve in
Auto by giving set point to the drum level.
9. Take one FD fan into service with minimum suction damper position (5%) and
check discharge dampers are opening in auto.
10. Adjust the air flow to minimum 30% by opening suction dampers.
11. Take LDO pump into service. Adjust the re-circulation valve till 10 kg/cm2
pressure.
12. Purge the boiler.
13. Close scavenging valves before taking gun into service.
14. Select Aux. Gun first for light up. Open its manual isolation valve and also open
its respective atomizing air valve at location.
15. Give burner start command and take feedback of gun advance and flame condition
at location.
16. Slowly increase the firing rate by adjusting air-fuel ratio (16:1).
17. At 2 kg/cm2 pressure,
 Close drum vents, SH vents.
18. At 4.5 kg/cm2 pressure,
 Close SH drains and MS line drains.
 Close MS stop valve drains
 Open MS bypass valve
 Close APRDS drains
19. At 7 kg/cm2 pressure,
 Open MS stop valve and close MS bypass valve.
20. At 10 kg/cm2 pressure, close startup vents (check proper steam flow is established
to APRDS before closing startup vents.)
21. As the boiler is a positive draught type boiler, furnace pressure raises with boiler
 loading. Check Furnace pressure from Single Line Diagram of air-fuel page.
22. Take another FD fan into service.
23. Increase the fuel flow and air flow as per steam requirement at APRDS.
24. When steam demand reaches to2.5TPH, change the aux. gun to main gun.
(Maximum of 60TPH steam demand for maximum oil flow of 5TPH)
25. Close CBD position as per chemist instructions.
26. Gun change over procedure,
 Trip the boiler
 Close Aux. gun manual isolation valve at location
 Open main gun manual isolation valve at location and also open its
respective atomizing air valve at location.
 Select main gun and give burner start command and take feedback of gun
advance and flame condition at location.
27. When APRDS is charging with MS line, gradually decrease the boiler loading to
avoid lifting of MS safety valve.
 Main Boiler Startup
Assumptions
a) Suction valve open and discharge valve open or auto open.
b) Boiler chemically cleaned
c) Safety valves are set
d) All equipments are available and no pending LCs.
e) All lines or paths are through
f) All interlocks are satisfied
g) All HPSU skids in operation

Cooling system
1. All lube oil pumps of respective equipments into service.
2. CW pumps in service.
3. ACW pumps in service.
4. TGDMCW, SGDMCW in service.
5. Vaccum re-circulation pumps in service.
6. Primary water pump in service.
7. Generator Seal oil system in service.

Filling Process
o Maintain hot well level through condensate makeup valves.
o Ensure Air vents of HP/ LP heaters, feed water (at APRDS location), BFP
suction strainers, BP suction,MDBFP,TDBFPs open condition.
o Ensure Economiser air vents open.
o Take one CEP with min. recirculation open and start filling Deaerator.
o Close LP heater air vents when stream of water is observed
o Close air vents of MDBFP, TDBFPs till stream of water is observed.
o Close Economiser inlet header drain and also close Furnace inlet header drain.
o Open Deaerator pegging valve for initial heating from APRDS (charged with
Aux. Boiler). Heat the water in Deaerator storage tank till 90oC before feeding
to the Boiler.
o Charge the 30% feed line at feed control station by opening FDV-7, FDV-8,
FDV-9 and closing FDV-10(main line).
o Take FDV-8 control valve position to 30% for static water filling.
o Close air vent of feed water, BFP suction strainers, BP suction, HP heaters till
full stream of water is observed.
o Take MDBFP into service with minimum scoop position (5%-10%) and
recirculation valve open position.
o Adjust the MDBFP hydraulic scoop and control valve FDV-8 position for
controlling the flow (maintain <10% of BMCR flow till separator high level).
o After ensuring complete stream of water, close the economiser air vents.
o With SST level high, HWL-1 valve opens
(All the drains are directly or indirectly connected to the trench which is surrounded to the
service building. It is a good and easy practice to inspect around the trench of service
building to ensure no drain is left opened)
Before light-up
1. Once APRDS is charged through aux. Boiler, start heating HFO. Take HFO
pump in service (14kg/m2). Observe HFO header temperature is increasing if
not open manual re-circulation at location.
After reaching header temperature above 100◦C open HOTV and close the
same manual re circulation valve at location till the flow (re circulation) shows
3000kg/hr.
2. Take LDO pump into service with 14kg/m2 set point and above 10kg/m2 at
boiler.
3. Maintain service air pressure minimum 5.5kg/m2 for atomization.
4. Take APH-A and APH-B into service.
5. Take one FD fan and one ID fan into service and maintain air flow above
30 % (>893T/hr)
6. Take Scanner fan into service.
7. Complete the scavenging process of all the guns.
8. Ensure wind-box auxiliary air dampers are open or modulating and burner tilt
at horizontal position.
8. SCAPH inlet and outlet damper gates are opened and bypass damper are
closed.
9. Open ASS-10 valve (near coal feeder-D) to allow auxiliary steam to SCAPH
station.
10. Boiler side: SH drains open, SH vents open, startup vents open, separator
vents open, furnace riser vent open)
11. Turbine side: All unit flash tank drains open, all Mal drains to flash tank-A
open, CRH pot drain open.
12. SH and RH spray block valves close.
13. Check Open positions of Separator vents, SH vents, Furnace raiser vent,
Reheater vents.
14. Check Open positions of MS drains, SH drains.
15. Check Open positions of all Turbine drains related to unit flash tank and flash
tank-A.

Boiler light up
1. Ensure purge permissive are satisfied and then purge the boiler. Give LFO burner
start command 1&3 or 2&4 pair guns at AB elevation and check flame intensity.
Also ensure flame condition at location.
2. Once draft and LFO header pressure is normal, give start command to 2nd pair of
guns and checks flame intensity then ensure flame condition at location.
3. Adjust air-fuel ratio and maintain appropriate %O2.
4. Start APH soot blowing with aux. Steam or through air (open air valve at location).
(It is extremely important to have APH soot blowing system in service when firing is
carried with oil to avoid APH firing).
5. Set the MEFCV minimum position (28% to 32%) and take BCWP pump into
service.
6. Maintain SST level with feed water flow (MBFP)
 Keep HWL-1 and HWL-2 valves in auto mode
(It is extremely important that minimum WW flow be maintained at all times when firing
the boiler to present tube damage due to overheating.
If WW flow falls below the low set point, all fuel must be automatically dropped with a
maximum time delay of 10sec.)
7. Start one PA fan and open cold air gates (5%) path for all the mills for coal nozzle
cooling.
8. For cold start ups , the fuel start up sequence is
AB(LDO)→CD(HFO)→EF(HFO)→AB(HFO)
9. At 2kg/cm2 of MS pressure,
 Close Separator vents,
 Close SH vents.
 Close furnace raiser vent
I. (Air resists the heat 1500 times than that of steel. Its thermal conductivity is very
poor which decreases the heat transfer rate and results in short term failure of
tube.
2
II. We know that air exists at 1.03kg/cm2, closing air vents at 2kg/cm ensures that
air is completely removed from the system.)
10. Slowly increase firing rate as per Boiler startup curve.
11. At 5kg/cm2 of MS pressure,
 Close all SH drains
(The condensate formed in the tubes is mainly due to following 2 reasons:
1. Formation of condensate due to previous shut down.
2. Formation of condensate due to initial start up steam.
Any blockage or restriction to the steam flow will cause heating of tube and results in
short term tube failure)
12. Arrange opening of Bypass system as per procedure (check below in Turbine
operations).
 Open LP Bypass system as per procedure (check Bypass system steps).
 Open HP Bypass valve minimum of 2% in order to warm up the MS pipe lines,
CRH/HRH pipe lines and RH coils.
(Make sure LP Bypass system is opened before opening HP Bypass valve).
13. At 7kg/cm2 of MS pressure,
 Open MS bypass valves (left 2Nos. and right 2Nos.)
 Close MS drains after opening MS bypass valves.
14. At 10kg/cm2 of MS pressure,
1. Open MS stop valves and then close MS bypass valves.
2. When steam passes through HPBP, ensure no hammering at 0-mtr. If
hammering observed, reduce the opening percentage.
(Sudden opening of HPBP during start-up must be avoided)
15. At 5kg/cm2 of CRH pressure,
 Close Reheater vents.(Ensure steam path through LPBP before closing)
16. Increase firing rate 5%→7%→10% so on.
17. At 10% of firing rate,
 If HP Bypass is not opened (minimum of 2%) at 10% of firing rate, then the
Boiler trips on Reheater protection.
18. Take warm fuel (H.F.O) into service at CD elevation. Minimum 5kg/cm2 of steam
is required for atomization.
19. Increase the HP Bypass valve position, which allows the steam to warm up RH
coils, MS stop valves, HP control valves, IP control valves as the steam passes
through RH drain and LP bypass system.
16. Slowly increase the firing rate to 20%.
 Close RH outlet drain valve when CRH pressure reaches 5kg/cm2.
 Close startup vents so that complete steam flow is established through HP/LP
Bypass system.
 CRH pot drain crack open position.
 Adjust HP Bypass valve position to maintain unit startup pressure of
100kg/cm2.
17. Take warm fuel (H.F.O) at EF elevation if startup pressure and temperature is not
sufficient.
18. Change over from LDO to HFO at AB elevation.
19. From the real time practice, minimum 23% of corrected fuel rate, 500TPH MS
flow is required to achieve start-up conditions.
20. Take 2nd set of ID and FD fans into service.
21. Ensure no water comes through CRH pot drain. If water is observed at CRH pot
drain, increase the HP bypass valve position to increase CRH temperature.
22. After synchronization,
 Take mills one after the other into service as per pressure requirement.
nd
 Take 2 set of PA fan into service.
23. Increase the loading of 2nd set of fans manually until equal currents with their
respective fans and put them in Auto.
24. Increase coal flow as per load demand.
25. Remove the Elevation oil guns when its corresponding coal feeders demand is
more than 50%.
26. Ensure all guns are out of service at 60% of load 480MW.
27. Adjust all feed rates equally and put it in AUTO or in CMC control.
 Main Turbine Startup

Seal steam charging

Main turbine seal steam charging
1. As APRDS is charged from Aux. boiler, arrange warm-up of seal steam header. Open
ASV-36 valve in APRDS and open seal steam header manual drain valve at 8.5m.
(Ensure close of main supply valve and by-pass valve before opening ASV-36 valve at
location. Never open main supply valve or by-pass valve until steam properties are reached).
2. Observe the temperature raise at incoming seal steam to header. Wait until minimum
temperature (280oC) is achieved at seal steam header.
3. Close the vaccum breakers and take vaccum pumps 1or2 and 3or4 into service.
Observe the increase in condenser vaccum till 0.7 bar.
4. Start one Gland steam exhaust fan.
5. Once the seal steam temperature is achieved, charge the seal steam header by opening
of the seal steam supply Bypass valve.
6. Open main seal steam supply valve manually till header pressure of 30mbar and put
the controller in auto with set point of 35mbar.

TDBFPs seal steam charging

7. Simultaneously arrange the gland steam of TDBFPs.
(Ensure close of main supply valve and by-pass valve before opening ASV-41 valve.
Never open main supply valve or by-pass valve until required steam properties are reached).
8. Keep TDBFPs drain valve in AUTO open. Wait until minimum temperature (280oC)
is achieved to the incoming steam.
9. Close the vaccum breakers and take vaccum pumps 1or2 and 3or4 into service.
Observe the increase in condenser vaccum till from 0.7 bar.
10. Charge the Gland steam by opening supply bypass valve and dump bypass valve
first.
11. After reaching 80-100mmwc pressure, open the main isolation valve and dump
isolation valve.
12. Raise the % demand manually in PID controller till 300mmwc and put in auto.
13. Close the supply Bypass valve and dump bypass valve.
14. Observe the increase in condenser vaccum till from 0.7 bar to 0.3bar.

Bypass system
15. After opening of MS stop valves at 10kg/cm2, arrange the bypass system.
16. Open LP Bypass stop valves by increasing the demand till 30 % in control PID
(manually).
17. Open LPBP control valves by giving set point in manual set point such that
minimum 25% of LPBP is opened till CRH reaches12kg/cm2
(Till synchronization, control valves follow fixed set point (manual set point) and after
synchronization control valves follows variable set point.)
18. Once CRH reaches 12kg/cm2, give LPBP fixed or manual set point as 12kg/cm2 till
synchronization.
19. Open HP Bypass valve greater than 2% in order to warm up the MS pipe lines,
CRH/HRH pipe lines and RH coils.
 (Always make sure LP Bypass system is opened before opening HP Bypass valve).
20. At 20-25% BMCR firing rate,
 Adjust HP bypass valve opening/closing to meet start up pressure 100kg/cm2.
 Changeover APRDS from Auxiliary Boiler to Main steam line of minimum
30kg/cm2 pressure and 350oC temperature is required.
(While changeover pressure drop must be avoided as atomizing steam is in service
for HFO and temperature drop must be avoided as seal steam in service for
turbines).

Steam Admission to Turbine

21. Observe temperature rise in X- criteria parameters. (X1, X2, X3 for opening of stop
valves. X4, X5, X6 for opening of control valves, X7 for speeding up to 3000rpm.
X8 for loading or synchronization.)
22. The degree of heat soak is been checked by X-criteria parameters and it indicates
that the turbine steam conditions are ready for Rolling and synchronize.
23. Purity of steam need to be checked before opening of control valves.
24. Before admission of steam, Turbine and Generator has to be reset.
25. Give turbine auto start command or SGC start command in DCS system.
26. Observe the steps of SGC or ATRS turbine sequence.
27. If the sequence is stopped, check the feedback and act on the required parameter and
then continue with the next step.
28. At step-11, issue the release on the basis of steam purity of stop valve and control
valve respectively.
29. The control valves operate or limited by speed controller. Give speed set point of
turbine warm-up speed 980rpm.
30. MS temperatures have to be maintained in order to avoid entry of wet steam into the
turbine.
31. At warm-up speed observe Turbo-supervisory parameters of casing differential
temperatures, HP differential expansion, Overall expansion, vaccum, vibrations, and
axial shift.
32. Ensure Turbo-supervisory parameters are maintained as per turbine startup given by
the manufacturer.
33. Take clearance from Turbine wing, and then accelerate the speed to nominal speed
3000rpm at step-23.
34. Before synchronization,
 Keep Auto-synchronizer into manual mode and take clearance from Electrical
wing for Generator synchronization (step-30).
 Check the voltage regulator (AVR) and excitation system healthiness.
35. Continue the ATRS auto sequence step-30 to activate the synchronization of the
generator. Ensure load limiter percentage is greater than speed limiter so that
EHTC change over from speed controller to load controller synchronization.
36. After synchronization,
 Close HP/LP bypass system
(Do not rush to close HPBP valves after trip as there is large amount of steam energy
throttled by governing control valves and they open only as per the EHTC demand.)
 Close turbine drains to flash tanks
37. Take 2nd CEP into service.
38. Check Generator slot core, exciter air and hydrogen cold gas temperatures.
39. Ensure the Hydrogen pressure in Generator casing is more than 4.7kg/cm2 and at full
load 5kg/cm2.
40. Raise the HP bypass pressure set point to full load conditions (252kg/cm2) to
prevent opening of HP bypass valves.
41. Charge LP heaters at 25-30% of load.
42. Keep TD-BFPs in rolling with APRDS steam with 6kg/cm2 set point. (TDBFP turbine
rolling procedure)

43. At 30% load (240MW),

 Open FDV-10 (100% feed line) and Close FDV-7, 8, 9 (30% feed line).
(When feed demand is crossing 30%, it is necessary to change over the 30%
feed line to 100% feed line).
 Keep TD-BFPs on rolling.
(live steam requirement at rolling speed 1000rpm is 4kg/cm2, 7T/hr
live steam requirement at rolling speed 1500rpm is 5kg/cm2, 8T/hr )

44. At 40% load(320MW),

 Put HP heaters in service at 40-50% of load (320MW-400MW).
 1st TD-BFP ON with re-circulation open.
 Deaerator heating is transferred from APRDS to 5th extraction steam.
 Open SH block block and place SH steam temperature controls in Auto mode.
 Changeover of APRDS from MS to CRH.
◦
(While change over, CRH temperature has to be nearly 320 C.)

45. At 50% load(400MW),

 2nd TD-BFP ON with re-circulation open. Load it till its feed flow reaches
500TPH.
 Start De-paralleling of running 1st TDBFP and MD-BFP i.e. loading of 1st
TD-BFP and unloading of MD-BFP.
I. While charging 1st TD BFP, increase the speed of 1st TD-BFP 10-10rpm such
that most of the feed is contributed with 1st TD-BFP (nearly 1000to
1100TPH) and simultaneously decrease the scoop of MD-BFP till its feed
reaches 500TPH.
II. Recirculation valve opens at 450TPH. Opening of Recirculation valve leads to
sudden decrease of feed so maintain 500TPH to avoid opening of recirculation
valve.
 Now 1st TDBFP is contributing most of the feed (1000to 1100TPH). 2nd TD-
BFP and MD-BFP are on minimum feed of 500TPH with both recirculation
close condition.
(Note recirculation valve auto open at 450TPH and auto close at 850 TPH.)

46. Start increasing the load only when above step-42 is completed.

47. At 50% to 60% of load(400MW-480MW),

 Take recirculation valves of MD-BFP and 2nd TD-BFP in manual mode.
  Now load the 2nd TD-BFP till 900 TPH as per steam demand.
 Manual close the recirculation valve of 2nd TD-BFP and manual open
recirculation valve of MD-BFP. (Operation has to be simultaneous to avoid
feed deviation).

48. At 60% load(480MW),

 NO feed contribution from MD-BFP i.e. recirculation open with NRV close.
(Check discharge pressure and header pressure difference for NRV condition)
 Start paralleling of both TD-BFP-1 and TD-BFP -2 and keep them on remote
mode from local mode.

49. Above 60% of load keep unit in CMC mode.

TDBFP TURBINE ROLLING PROCEDURE:
Steam Conditions for TDBFPs
For APRDS ≥ 12kg/cm , 287°C
2

For CRH ≥ 15kg/cm2, 285°C

For IP Ex. ≥ 8kg/cm2, 350°C
Pre-checks
1. Ensure TD-BFP is on barring.
2. Charge turbine gland steam & then connect turbine exhaust to vacuum side.
3. Ensure that TD-BFP turbine ACV, MCV & ESV are in close condition.
4. Ensure that turbine speed set point less than barring speed.
5. Ensure opening of live steam vent valve (EXV-35,36) and drain valve before ESV.
6. Ensure opening of 5th extraction drain valve.
7. Ensure opening of turbine casing drains.
Operations
8. Open Aux. control valve and give set point of 6kg/cm2.
9. Keep rolling with Auxiliary steam with 6kg/cm2.
(Utilize the Auxiliary steam when APRDS source is from Main Steam not from Aux. boiler)
10. Close the live steam vent valve at 2kg/cm2 (EXV-35,36) steam pressure.
11. Reset the TD-BFP in protection page & ensure Auto-opening of trip SOV-1 and SOV-2.
Also ensure opening and closing of Remote-Engaging solenoid valve.
(If opening is not done in auto,
 Manual open the trip SOV-1 and SOV-2.
 Manual open the Remote-Engaging solenoid valve and keep it in Auto then ensure
auto closing)
12. Ensure Trip oil pressure build-up.
13. Give open command to ‘ESV CMD’ for opening of ESVs.
14. After opening of ESVs, speed controller comes in Auto-mode. If not, keep it in Auto
mode.
15. Take speed selection in local mode and increase the speed gradually to 1000rpm.
 Keep TD-BFPs on rolling.
(live steam requirement at rolling speed 1000rpm is 4kg/cm2, 7T/hr
live steam requirement at rolling speed 1500rpm is 5kg/cm2, 8T/hr )
16. Ensure auto closing of turning gear valve & auto cut off JOP at 540rpm.
17. After steam passing through the turbine close the Drain (EXV-26,28) of live steam.
18. Keep the speed at 1000rpm for soaking & wait for casing temperature to reach nearly
100°C.
19. Then raise the speed set point 1500rpm for further soaking to reach above 140°C of
100% casing temperature.
20. Casing drains auto close at above 140°C of 100% casing temperature.
After Unit Synchronized
21. Open 5th Extraction manual valve, when extraction pressure reaches 6kg/cm2
22. When extraction pressure reaches more than 6kg/cm2 live steam source changes from
Aux. steam to Extraction steam.
23. Close the 5th extraction drain valve(EXV-148)
24. Start loading the pump by raising the speed. Check TD-BFP ON feedback at 1800rpm.
25. Suction pressure must be more than 10kg/cm2
26. TD-BFP discharge Auto open at discharge pressure 60kg/cm2
27. Monitor all TSI parameters during speed raising, ensure all parameters within
permissible limits.