Abstract: A thermal power plant includes a steam turbine having guide blades. At least one of the guide blades has a cavity. The cavity is connected to a fluid conduit for feeding fluid and to orifice conduits opening on an outer surface of the guide blade. A method for cooling a steam turbine in a ventilation mode is also provided.

Abstract: A method is provided for cooling a low pressure steam turbine operating in a ventilation mode. The low pressure steam turbine has a closable inlet through which steam can be delivered when operating in a power generation mode and which is blocked off when operating in ventilation mode, an outlet which communicates with a condenser for condensing the steam to condensate and a bleed port between the inlet and the outlet. A bleed pipe is connected to the bleed port for diverting steam and/or condensate during operation in the power generation mode. Steam is supplied through a steam transfer pipe to the bleed pipe in order to cool the low pressure steam turbine when operating in the ventilation mode. Condensate may also be supplied to the bleed pipe. The cooling effect in the low pressure steam turbine is largely limited to those components which suffer most when it is operating in the ventilation mode, and the cooling provisions are extracted from resources that are already available.

Abstract: A gas turbine topped onto two or more steam turbine plants having therebetween a heat recovery heat exchanger comprising two side-by-side, but separate, ducts is disclosed. Each of the ducts comprises heat exchange means for each of the respective steam turbines. The hot exhaust gases from a gas turbine are passed in heat exchange with heat exchange means for each of steam turbine. Damper means for controlling the amount of hot exhaust gas passing into the respective heat exchange means for each steam turbine are also disclosed. In another embodiment of the invention, separate damper means for each of said respective heat exchange means for varying the amount of hot exhaust gas between each of said heat exchange means are provided. The inventive system provides high plant efficiency and excellent operating flexibility.