ASHRAE Journal - August 2019 - 20

TECHNICAL FEATURE

Saving Energy

Improving the
Performance of Steam
Turbine Chiller Plants
BY CHARLES C. COPELAND, P.E., FELLOW ASHRAE

Retroﬁtting older multi-stage steam turbines with state-of-the-art controls, singlestage compressors and other technologies can improve the performance of existing
steam turbines, often at a fraction of new chiller installation costs. As home to the
largest higher-pressure district steam system in the world,1 New York City's Borough
of Manhattan system provides an ideal test case for upgrading the performance of
steam turbines. While different optimization options exist for steam turbine chillers,
this article will focus on advanced controls, replacement drives and other upgrades
that improve chiller operation.
Many buildings, large industrial sites, public and
private campuses, and cities use distributed highpressure (HP) steam systems for heating and cooling.
The Manhattan underground system distributes HP
steam at ±175 psi, from cogeneration and boiler systems
to supply a signiﬁcant amount of the Borough's steam
requirements. Over 50% of the summer district steam
largely used for cooling in steam turbine or absorption
chillers is now cogenerated. Cogeneration uses the byproduct heat from electric generation to signiﬁcantly
improve fuel usage, reducing both pollutant emissions
and carbon footprint. A fossil fuel cogeneration plant
can be up to 75% efﬁcient in generating electricity, as
compared to 35% +/- for a typical, remote, fossil fuel

electrical generating station, when one includes the
plant and transmission losses.2 Signiﬁcant incentives
and good practice avoid the use of limited electricity at
peak demand. Until the electric grid becomes largely
supported by renewable wind and solar energy, which
may not happen for decades, other strategies to reduce
our fossil fuel use must be employed.
For cooling, HP steam turbine chillers are a technology
used in many commercial buildings and large campuses
since the 1950s. Other steam chillers, like two-stage
lithium bromide absorption chillers, in my experience,
have a much shorter lifespan, often less than 20 years.
Steam turbine chillers are typically robust, sometimes
lasting in excess of 50 years and frequently requiring

Charles C. Copeland, P.E., is president and CEO of Goldman Copeland Associates in New York.
20

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ASHRAE Journal - August 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ASHRAE Journal - August 2019

Contents
ASHRAE Journal - August 2019 - Intro
ASHRAE Journal - August 2019 - Cover1
ASHRAE Journal - August 2019 - Cover2
ASHRAE Journal - August 2019 - 1
ASHRAE Journal - August 2019 - Contents
ASHRAE Journal - August 2019 - 3
ASHRAE Journal - August 2019 - 4
ASHRAE Journal - August 2019 - 5
ASHRAE Journal - August 2019 - 6
ASHRAE Journal - August 2019 - 7
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ASHRAE Journal - August 2019 - Cover3
ASHRAE Journal - August 2019 - Cover4
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