CASE STUDIES

	U.S. Steel's 22 MW Topping Turbine (click on photo to enlarge)

22 MEGAWATT TOPPING TURBINE INSTALLATION - U.S. STEEL

How did rem ENGINEERING generate 22 megawatts from an 8 Megawatt opportunity?

The Fairfield Works of United States Steel, located in Birmingham, AL, recognized an opportunity to generate eight (8) Megawatts of electricity. The mill was reducing pressure and desuperheating steam from 900 psig, 900°F to 325 psig, 600°F. The quantity of steam reduced would generate 8.0 megawatts of electricity. rem ENGINEERING maximized this generation opportunity, justifying the installation of a 22.0 MW topping turbine.

The production of blast furnace gas is necessary to the steel making process at the Fairfield Works. Excess gas, considered "free" fuel, is burned in boilers to produce steam. Common practice in the steel industry is to generate electricity with the steam produced in the boilers by utilizing steam turbines. The object is to maximize the electric generation with the limited excess blast furnace gas available.

The installation of a closed feedwater heater and increased high pressure steam production are the keys to the almost 3X improvement made by rem ENGINEERING. The effect of the closed feedwater heater is increased steam flow through the topping turbine. Steam exiting from the turbine is used to heat boiler feedwater thus increasing steam production in the boiler. Electrical generation is therefore increased with no additional fuel required. To take maximum advantage of the proposed cycle modification, the Fairfield Works power group made every effort to increase high pressure steam production and reduce low pressure steam production.

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