Apparatus and method for starting forced flow once-through steam generating power plant

Claim 1

IN A METHOD OF STARTING A ONCE-THROUGH FLOW VAPOR GENERATOR INCLUDING A TURBINE AND HAVING FUEL BURNING MEANS FOR HEATING A WORKING FLUID, A VAPOR GENERATING PORTION COMPRISING FLUID CARRYING TTUBES, A VAPOR HEATING PORTION, VALUE MEANS SEPARATING SAID VAPOR HEATING PORTION FROM SAID VAPOR GENERATING PORTION, MEANS FOR BYPASSING FROM SAID VALVE MEANS, AND THROTTLING MEANS AND A SEPARATOR CONTAINED IN SAID BYPASS MEANS, SAID SEPARATOR BEING LOCATED DOWNSTREAM OF SAID THROTTLING MEANS, THE STEPS COMPRISING, (1) PASSING A PREDETERMINED QUANTITY OF WORKING FLUID AT A GIVEN FLOW RATE AND RELATIVELY HIGH PRESSURE THROUGH SAID FLUID CARRYING TUBES TO PRODUCE A VELOCITY THEREIN SUFFICIENT FOR PROTECTING SAID TUBES AGAINST OVERHEATING; (2) TAKING AT SAID HIGH PRESSURE A MAJOR PART FROM SAID QUANTITY AND RECIRCULATING SAID MAJOR PART AROUND SAID VAPOR GENERATING PORTION BY RETURNING SAID MAJOR PART FROM A POINT DIRECTLY DOWNSTREAM OF SAID GENERATING PORTION AND UPSTREAM OF SAID THROTTLING MEANS AND SEPARATOR TO A POINT UPSTREAM OF SAID VAPOR GENERATING PORTION, WHILE MAINTAINING SAID RECIRCULATED MAJOR PART SUBSTANTIALLY WITHIN THE PRESSURE AND TEMPERATURE RANGE OF SAID VAPOR GENERATING PORTION; (3) PRODUCING FROM THE REMAINING MINOR PART OF SAID QUANTITY FLASHED VAPOR BY EXPANDING SAID MINOR PART THROUGH SAID THROTTLE MEANS TO A REGION OF LOWER PRESSURE; (4) SUPERHEATING SAID FLASHED VAPOR BY PASSING IT THROUGH SAID VAPOR HEATING PORTION; AND (5) PASSING SAID SUPERHEATED FLASHED VAPOR TO SAID TURBINE FOR WARMING UP, ROLLING AND SYNCHRONIZING THE SAME.