Optimization on start-up process of high-pressure rotor for large power steam turbine

This paper combines thermal-structure coupling technique and pattern search optimization algorithm to establish an optimization system for the start-up process of a turbine unit. Firstly, a finite element model for thermal-structure coupling calculation is established to accurately analyze the transient temperature field and thermal stress field, which can obtain the thermal stress distribution during start-up process. Afterwards, a program of optimization on rotor start-up process is exploited to improve the time allocation in each operating stage of start-up process, which minimizes the maximum equivalent stress of rotor. The maximum equivalent stress has reduced 25.7% after the optimization, which reveals obvious effect.