Session: 21-02 Combined and Renewable Cycle Operation

Submission Number: 178065

Mission Cycles Simulation of Concentrated Solar Power High-Pressure Steam Turbine via Coupled Thermo-Mechanical Simulations 

Steam turbines are a technology that has been in use for over a century, still finding widespread application in both the industrial sector and power generation. With the increasing demand for energy, steam turbines will prove fundamental in contributing to grid stability (through Combined Cycle Gas Turbine, CCGT, and nuclear power plants). However, the growing proliferation of renewable energy sources also brings with it the need for improved flexibility, for example, in applications such as Concentrated Solar Power (CSP), or emerging Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). In the former case, turbines must be able to manage significant variations in steam flow, and in the case of SMRs, greater operational flexibility will be required to better integrate with the grid when they are not operating in baseload conditions.

 In the following study, we present a Whole Engine Model (WEM) approach, aimed at efficiently investigating the operational cycles of a high-pressure turbine module with a power output of 30 MW which is representative of a steam turbine integrated into a CSP plant. We will describe an approach based on co-simulation between a thermo-mechanical model and a one-dimensional fluid network. The two models, connected via a Functional Mock-up Interface (FMI) and automatically exchanging interface data, are capable of capturing the impact of the thermo-mechanical response on the 1D flows and vice-versa.

 The work will demonstrate that through this integrated approach, it is possible to design optimal mission cycles that, while respecting the limits imposed by the plant, ensure maximum flexibility and durability.

Presenting Author: Flavio Quattrone Siemens Industry Software S.r.l.

Presenting Author Biography: As a Turbomachinery Industry Specialist at Siemens Digital Software, Flavio Quattrone combines a robust academic background—holding a PhD in structural dynamics from the University of Pisa and an EMBA from GSOM POLIMI—with ten years of hands-on experience. He has a proven track record as a designer of mechanical components for gas and steam turbines, specializing in mechanical integrity and rotordynamics.

Authors:

Flavio Quattrone Siemens Industry Software S.r.l.
Richard Stark Siemens Digital Woftware
Oliver Taheny Siemens Digital Software
Matthias Giesen B&B-AGEMA GmbH
Karsten Kusterer B&B-AGEMA GmbH
Hussein Daou Maya HTT
Christian Semler Maya HTT