STEAM TURBINE

ESP: Electrostatic precipitators.

Layout of Modern Steam Power Plant

Classification of Steam Turbines

A steam turbine is an engine in which the thermal energy of the steam is converted into
mechanical energy of rotation.
In steam turbine the energy of the steam is transferred into kinetic energy by expansion
through nozzles, and the kinetic energy of the resulting jet is in turn converted into force
doing work on rings of blades mounted on a rotating part.
Classification of Steam turbines
The steam turbines are classified based on many factors like exhaust condition, stage
design, steam flow, shaft design, types of drive etc.
 The below list shows the detailed classification of steam turbines.
Based on exhaust condition:
 Condensing
 Non condensing
 Automatic extraction
 Mixed pressure
 Regenerative extraction
 Reheat
Based on stage design:
 Impulse
 Reaction
Based on steam flow:
 Axial flow
 Radial flow
 Mixed flow
Based on stages:
 Single stage
 Multi stage
Based on casing or shaft design:
 Single casing
 Tandem casing (two or more)
 Cross compound
Based on exhaust stages in parallel:
 Double flow
 Triple flow
Based on type of drive:
 Generator
 Mechanical drive
Operation principle of steam turbine
Steam turbine develops mechanical work by converting heat energy into work in the
steam expansion. The heat energy is converted in two steps. The steam expands in nozzle
and expands at a high velocity, converting the available heat energy into velocity energy.
The high velocity steam strikes moving blades, converting the velocity energy into work.
Main advantages with steam turbines
1. The economical generation of high temperature and pressure steam is required to reduce
the pressure to utilize for various purposes. This will be done by steam turbine there by
developing power to run pump etc.
2. A pump driven by turbine can be operated over a wide speed range utilizing the turbine
governor system.
3. The use of steam turbine driver permits operation of the driven pump is independent
of electric power or distribution system.
4. A turbine may be used as stand by drive system.
5. The steam turbine controls-governor system and over speed trip system are inherently
spark proof.
6. Steam turbines are inherently self-limiting with respect to power developed. Special
protective devices are not required to prevent damaging the turbine because of over load
condition.
Single stage turbine
In which the conversion of the kinetic energy to mechanical work occurs with a single
expansion of the steam in the turbine. A turbine stage consists of a stationary set of
blades called as nozzles, and a moving set adjacent thereto, called buckets or rotor
blades. These rotating and stationary blades act together to allow the steam flow to do
work on the rotor.
Multiple stage turbine
In which the conversion of the energy occurs with two or more expansions of steam
within the turbine.
Impulse Turbine
In impulse stage the steam expands only in the fixed nozzles and kinetic energy is
transferred to the rotating buckets as the steam impinges on the buckets while flowing
through the passage between the buckets. The steam pressure is constant and the steam
velocity relative to the bucket decreases in the bucket passages.
Reaction stage
The steam expands in both the fixed nozzles and the rotating buckets. The kinetic energy is
transferred to the rotating buckets by the expansion of the steam in the passages between
the buckets. The steam pressure decreases as the steam velocity relative to the bucket
increases in the bucket passages.
What is Steam Turbine – Description and Characteristics
Steam Turbine
In general, a steam turbine is a rotary heat engine that converts thermal energy
contained in the steam to mechanical energy or to electrical energy. In its simplest
form, a steam turbine consist of a boiler (steam
generator), turbine, condenser, feed pump and a variety of auxiliary devices. Unlikewith
reciprocating engines, for instance, compression, heating and expansion are continuous and
they occur simultaneously. The basic operation of the steam turbine is similar to the gas
turbine except that the working fluid is water and steam instead of air or gas.
Since the steam turbine is a rotary heat engine, it is particularly suited to be used to drive an
electrical generator. Note that about 90% of all electricity generation in the world is by use
of steam turbines. Steam turbine was invented in 1884 by Sir Charles Parsons, whose first
model was connected to a dynamo that generated 7.5 kW (10 hp) of electricity. Steam
turbine is a common feature of all modern and also future thermal power plants. In fact, also
the power production of fusion power plants is based on the use of conventional steam
turbines.
 Rateau Turbine – pressure compounding
The thermal energy contained in the steam is converted to the mechanical energy by
expansion through the turbine. The expansion takes place through a series of fixed
blades (nozzles), that orient the steam flow into high speed jets. These jets contain
significant kinetic energy, which is converted into shaft rotation by the bucket-likeshaped
rotor blades, as the steam jet changes direction (see: Law of conversation of momentum).
The steam jet, in moving over the curved surface of the blade, exerts a pressure on the
blade owing to its centrifugal force. Each row of fixed nozzles and moving blades is called
a stage. The blades rotate on the turbine rotor and the fixed blades are concentrically
arranged within the circular turbine casing.
In all turbines the rotating blade velocity is proportional to the steam velocity passing
over the blade. If the steam is expanded only in a single stage from the boiler pressure
to the exhaust pressure, its velocity must be extremely high. But the typical main
turbine in nuclear power plants, in which steam expands from pressures about 6 MPa to
pressures about 0.008 MPa, operates at speeds about 3,000 RPM for 50 Hz systems for 2-pole
generator.(or 1500RPM for 4-pole generator), and 1800 RPM for 60 Hz systems for 4-
pole generator (or 3600 RPM for 2-pole generator). A single-blade ring would require
very large blades and approximately 30 000 RPM, which is too high for practical purposes.
 Steam turbines may be classified into different categories depending on their
construction, working pressures, size and many other parameters. But there are two basic
types of steam turbines:
 impulse turbines
 reaction turbines.
The main distinction is the manner in which the steam is expanded as it passes through
the turbine.
Impulse Turbine and Reaction Turbine
Steam turbine types based on blade geometry and energy conversion process are impulse
turbine and reaction turbine.

Impulse Turbine

The impulse turbine is composed

of moving blades alternating with fixed nozzles. In the impulse turbine, the steam is
expanded in fixed nozzles and remains at constant pressure when passing over the
blades. Curtis turbine, Rateau turbine, or Brown-Curtis turbine are impulse type
turbines. The original steam turbine, the De Laval, was an impulse turbine having a
single-blade wheel.
The entire pressure drop of steam take place in stationary nozzles only. Though the
theoretical impulse blades have zero pressure drop in the moving blades, practically,
for the flow to take place across the moving blades, there must be a small pressure drop
across the moving blades also.

Impulse vs Reaction Turbine – comparison

In impulse turbines, the steam expands through the nozzle, where most of the pressure
potential energy is converted to kinetic energy. The high-velocity steam from fixed
nozzles impacts the blades, changes its direction, which in turn applies a force.The
resulting impulse drives the blades forward, causing the rotor to turn. The main feature
of these turbines is that the pressure drop per single stage can be quite large, allowing
for large blades and a smaller number of stages. Except for low-power applications,
turbine blades are arranged in multiple stages in series, called compounding, which
greatly improves efficiency at low speeds.
Modern steam turbines frequently employ both reaction and impulse in the same unit,
typically varying the degree of reaction and impulse from the blade root to its periphery.
The rotor blades are usually designed like an impulse blade at the rot and like a reaction
blade at the tip.

Impulse-Reaction
Blade
Since the Curtis stages reduce significantly the pressure and temperature of the fluid
to a moderate level with a high proportion of work per stage. An usual arrangement is
to provide on the high pressure side one or more Curtis stages, followed by Rateau or
reaction staging. In general, when friction is taken into account reaction stages the
reaction stage is found to be the most efficient, followed by Rateau and Curtis in that
order. Frictional losses are significant for Curtis stages, since these are proportional to
steam velocity squared. The reason that frictional losses are less significant in thereaction
stage lies in the fact that the steam expands continuously and therefore flow velocities
are lower.
GRAPHICAL METHOD PROBLEMS