A steam-driven turbine system for a power plant in which a high pressure
and a low pressure turbine are coupled to a common shaft to drive an
external generator. Process steam supply is used as gland sealing steam
for the low pressure turbine and turbine driven steam pumps. The high
pressure turbine has glands that are self sealing at higher generator
outputs, and thus the turbine utilizes the process steam supply for gland
sealing only during startup or at low generator outputs. The excess or
"spillover" steam that is produced by the high pressure turbine at higher
generator outputs is diverted away from the main condenser and/or low
pressure feed heater. The spillover steam, which is normally waterlogged,
is first passed through a separator to remove excess moisture. The
spillover steam is next passed through a superheater to raise its
temperature. The spillover steam is then directed to the low pressure
turbine and/or turbine driven steam pumps so that it may be used as gland
sealing steam. The process steam supply that is replaced by the
superheated spillover steam can instead be used to drive the high
pressure turbine and increase generator output.