Jan 2011

TWG 5 - Principles for determining Start up and Shut down Criteria

for Gas Turbines
Introduction
This protocol has been developed to take account of the requirements of the Industrial
Emissions (Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control) (Recast) Directive (the IED) and the
consequent need for definitions of start up and shutdown periods for Gas Turbines (GTs)
including Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) power stations. This document describes
rules to be used for the determination of these periods, as both start-up and shut-down (SUSD) periods are specifically excluded from the emission compliance requirements of the
Directive. This exclusion is important due to the transient nature of these periods prior to
normal operation when stable and low emission combustion conditions are established.
Both this and the corresponding document on coal combustion plants enable start up and shut
down periods to be defined and thereby satisfy the requirements of the IED.
Definitions
For gas turbines, the working definition of the start-up (SU) period is the operating period
before the gas turbine reaches stable combustion conditions. Those conditions are
characterised by the availability of reliable readings from Continuous Emissions Monitoring
systems (CEMs) and achievement of the Stable Export Limit (SEL). The SEL is in turn
defined according to the type of gas turbine being considered. It follows that the working
definition of the shut-down (SD) period is the operating period after the cessation of stable
combustion conditions.

Stable operating conditions typically do not occur until 55 to 60% GT load has been reached,
although the actual loading point will vary from station to station due to the variations in the
gas turbine design and control systems. Beyond this point, the gas turbine is deemed to be in
normal operation. It must be noted that the IED requires compliance above 70% load, in line
with the current requirements of the Large Combustion Plant Directive (LCPD).
The durations of SU and SD are highly dependent on the gas turbine model and plant
configuration, and also upon the state of the plant and the ambient conditions. However the
Operator obviously has a commercial incentive to start the plant as rapidly as possible and the
same underlying principles will underpin the determination of the thresholds for all gas
turbines.
The remainder of this document note sets out the underlying principles that determine these
thresholds and the factors which may require site specific adjustments. It provides a
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consistent, auditable checklist for regulators to use when verifying individual SU and SD
records claimed by operators
Generic sequence for gas turbine start up
This section provides a high level description of the gas turbine start up sequence in a
Combined Cycle Gas Turbine operation. The following description is for a cold start; warm
starts and hot starts have all the same steps but with correspondingly shorter timescales.
While the durations can vary depending upon the make and model of the gas turbine,
typically a cold start follows a shutdown of 72 to 120+ hours (3-5 days or more); a warm start
is after a shut-down period of 48 to 60 hours (2-3 days); and a hot start is within 8 hours of
the previous shut-down. The time taken to re-start is variable but is of the order of 3 to 8
hours for a cold start, depending on the required degree of temperature matching between the
gas and steam turbines.
The duration of the start up sequence for gas turbines operating in open cycle mode can be
shortened as the sequence of steps associated with the Heat Recovery Steam Generator
(HRSG) and steam turbine operations may not be applicable.
A combined-cycle start-up procedure is separated into three primary phases:
(1) purging of the HRSG
(2) gas turbine speed-up, synchronisation, and loading
(3) steam turbine speed-up, synchronisation, and loading

Starting sequence for first gas turbine in a module with associated steam turbine
The start up sequence will vary from site to site. An example for a Combined Cycle Gas
Turbine is as follows:

Establish cooling water systems and auxiliary boiler in service where applicable.

Ensure Gas Turbine and Steam Turbine auxiliary systems are operational and the
release criteria are satisfied.

Confirm the Heat Recovery Steam Generator (HRSG) is ready for start and the gas
path is clear.

The Gas Turbine is accelerated using the generator in motor mode with a static
frequency converter (SFC) or with a separate starter cranking motor and the
combustion system is purged by maintaining a low Gas Turbine speed for a fixed
period.

Once the igniter(s) are established at low speed, the SFC and / or main burner(s)
accelerate the Gas Turbine to full speed (no load).

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The Gas Turbine generator is synchronised and the load increased to a target load of
about 25% of Gas Turbine nominal load. Some Gas Turbines maintain a low load
condition for a period in order to stabilise metal temperatures within the machine to
prevent fatigue cracking.

The Gas Turbine load is held at, typically, 25% load until the HRSG pressure rises to
the minimum operating pressure and drum levels are stabilised. The Steam Turbine
condenser vacuum raising sequence starts if there is no auxiliary boiler.

The Gas Turbine target load is raised to circa 50% after the minimum operating
pressure has been reached. The Gas Turbine NOx steam or water injection system
(where fitted) is warmed and put into service.

Once the required steam parameters are met the Steam Turbine run up sequence
commences.

With the Gas Turbine load held at circa 50% the Steam Turbine reaches full speed
and is synchronised. For cold starts the Steam Turbine can only be loaded at a low
rate and will require several hours before all available steam is routed through the
steam turbine and the Steam Turbine bypasses are closed. For NOx steam or water
injected Gas Turbine units, this defines the Stable Export Limit.

Dry low NOx Gas Turbines have loaded to this point using diffusion burners for
combustion stability. At (typically) 50-60% Gas Turbine load theses units gradually
change to premix operation. Once completed and stable operation (including the
steam turbine) is achieved, this is the Stable Export Limit. This mode changeover
point is firing temperature initiated with a dead band set between rising and falling
temperature (load). This, together with the time lag between changing load and
resultant changing temperatures, can result in significantly different loads for
changeover to occur for start up and shut down (dependant on the rate of loading or
deloading). Also the firing temperature that is used to initiate the change is affected
by ambient conditions.

Stable Export Limit and Gas Turbine load control

The Stable Export Limit (SEL) is achieved when a unit is operating within its design range,
with stable combustion and operational NOx control measures. Stable readings are obtained
from the continuous emissions monitoring (CEM) exhaust measurements, which confirm the
low NOx operation.
As Gas Turbines are available in a number of designs (both aero engine derivatives and
industrial turbines) and can be operated in open cycle or as part of a combined cycle, there
are a number of factors that can influence the durations of the above sequence steps. For
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example, the loading and control of the Gas Turbine will vary with combustor design and
burner configuration.
Common types of combustor include annular, can-annular and silo style combustion
chambers. For some designs, all of the burners fire continuously with the gas supply being
modulated, for others the burners fire in groups that are turned on and off to control the load;
some designs combine the two firing patterns. Sequential combustion is also available in
which two combustion chambers are separated by a turbine section.
The burners may also have different modes of operation. Diffusion mode is more stable and
is commonly used for start up and low loads. Premix mode is less stable due to weak
extinction but can be used for high loads and results in lower NOx. Steam or water injection
can also be used to control NOx.
For more recent combustor configurations, the flame and acoustic pulsations will need to be
continually monitored. Lean premix combustion relies on firing at a low flame temperature in
order to achieve low NOx. In certain Dry Low NOx systems this increases the likelihood of
combustion instability resulting in an increased level of combustion dynamics (acoustic
pulsations) with a significant risk of serious damage to the combustor. In addition to
maintaining low emissions, the control system needs to navigate through operating windows
that are prone to high dynamics.
Turbine exit temperature and spread are carefully monitored during run up and, at higher
loads, the calculated firing temperature is usually the controlling factor. Turbine exit
temperature may be used to trigger changes in burner modes or groups.
The number of Variable inlet guide vane (VIGV) stages and their control varies with design.
On some machines VIGVs are gradually opened as the load increases to match the increase in
fuel. For other machines the VIGV only have two positions and open at a set firing
temperature.
The Stable Export Limit is only reached once the Gas Turbine is loaded, has minimal exhaust
temperature spread, using the optimal burner mode (i.e. premix, steam injection) and required
steam properties and full Steam Turbine operation with no steam bypasses operating.
The limiting factor during turn-down is often elevated concentrations of carbon monoxide
(CO) rather than increasing NOx. The combustion air flow is initially throttled back, in line
with the reducing fuel flow, using variable inlet guide vanes at the compressor inlet or by
bleeding off Compressor Discharge Air. However, below about 70% load, the air-fuel ratio
increases and the flame temperature falls. When combined with the higher design air-fuel
ratio of lean-premix systems, these factors cause a rapid increase in CO that marks the end of
normal operation. This is more severe for twin-spool aero-derivate designs.
It needs to be recognised that the emissions performance and combustion dynamics are
sensitive to ambient conditions and that emissions guarantees for both NOx and CO usually
take this into account. It is therefore critically important that SU-SD thresholds are set at a
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realistic level that cover the anticipated range of operations, ambient conditions and fuel
quality so as to minimise the duration of SU-SD conditions yet enable the Operator to
maintain safe and appropriate flexibility of operation. The threshold should also allow for the
expected degradation in emissions performance between outages.

Shut Down
The shut down sequence will vary from site to site. An example for a Combined Cycle Gas
Turbine is as follows:

Reduce load to Stable Export Limit.

Both Gas Turbine and Steam Turbine unit shut down sequences are initiated at the
same time. As the output drops below the Stable Export Limit, this is considered to be
the commencement of the shutdown period.

The Steam Turbine rapidly de-loads and follows a controlled shut-down sequence.

During the Gas Turbine de-load sequence the combustion system reverts to start up
mode with an associated short term increase in NOx and CO emissions.

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