Steam Turbine

Steam Turbine
• Steam turbines use the steam as a working fluid.
In steam turbines, high pressure steam from the
boiler is expanded in nozzle, in which the
enthalpy of steam being converted into kinetic
energy. Thus, the steam at high velocity at the
exit of nozzle impinges over the moving blades
(rotor) which cause to change the flow direction
of steam and thus cause a tangential force on the
rotor blades. Due to this dynamic action between
the rotor and the steam, thus the work is
developed.
 Steam Turbine Fundamentals

Overview

• Hero Reaction Turbine – 120 B.C.

• First Practical Turbine – 1884, C. Parsons
• First Power Plant – 7.5 kw – 1890
• Reaction, Impulse and Velocity-Compounded
• Reheat Steam – 1930’s
• Last 100 years Turbine is the key element in generating
electricity
• Turbines run Generators, Pumps, Fans, etc.
• Today up to 1,500 MW
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Overview

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Fundamentals

Energy Transfer

Coal, Natural Gas,

Nuclear, Biofuel, Waste
Fuel
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Reaction Turbines
Newton’s third law of motion – For every action there is
an equal and opposite reaction.

Narrowing
Steam Path Narrowing
Steam Path

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Impulse Turbines

Steam / Gas Flow

Fixed Vanes

Moving Blades

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 Type of turbine
Impulse turbine
the whole enthalpy
drop (pressure drop)
occurs in the nozzle
itself. Hence
pressure remain
constant when the
fluid pass over the
rotor blades. Figure
shows the schematic
diagram of Impulse
turbine
 Type of turbine
• Reaction turbines
• in addition to the
pressure drop in the
nozzle there will
also be pressure
drop occur when
the fluid passes
over the rotor
blades.
Difference between Impulse & Reaction Steam Turbine
Reaction – Impulse Comparison

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 Compounding of Steam Turbines
• method of obtaining reasonable tangential
speed of rotor for a given overall pressure
drop by using more than one stages.
• Compounding is necessary for steam turbines
because if the tangential blade tip velocity
greater than 400 m/s, then the blade tips are
subjected to centrifugal stress. Due this,
utilization is low hence the efficiency of the
stage is also low.
 1. Velocity methods
Compounding (Curtis
Stage) of Impulse Turbine :
• This consists of set of nozzles, rows of moving blades
(rotor) & a rows of stationary blades (stator)
corresponding velocity compounding Impulse
Turbine.
• The function of stationary blades is to direct the
steam coming from the first moving row to the next
moving row without appreciable change in velocity.
All the kinetic energy available at the nozzle exit is
successively absorbed by all the moving rows & the
steam is sent from the last moving row with low
velocity to achieve high utilization. The turbine
works under this type of compounding stage is
called velocity compounded turbine.
 3.2 Pressure Compounded (Rateau
Stage ) Impulse Turbine :
• A number of simple impulse stages arranged in series is
called as pressure compounding. In this case, the
turbine is provided with rows of fixed blades which acts
as a nozzles at the entry of each rows of moving blades.
The total pressure drop of steam does not take place in
a single nozzle but divided among all the rows of fixed
blades which act as nozzle for the next moving rows..
• Pressure compounding leads to higher efficiencies
because very high flow velocities are avoided through
the use of purely convergent nozzles. For maximum
utilization, the absolute velocity of steam at the outlet of
the last rotor must be axially directed. It is usually in
large turbines to have pressure compounded or reaction
stages after the velocity compounded stage.
 3. Pressure -Velocity Compounding
• In this method, high rotor speeds are reduced without sacrificing
the efficiency or the output. Pressure drop from the chest
pressure to the condenser pressure occurs at two stages. This
type of arrangement is very popular due to simple construction as
compared to pressure compounding steam turbine.
• set of nozzles and rows of moving blades fixed to the shaft and
rows of fixed blades to casing. The entire expansion takes place in
the nozzles. The high velocity steam parts with only portion of the
kinetic energy in the first set of the moving blades and then
passed on to fixed blades where only change in direction of jet
takes place without appreciable loss in velocity. This jet then
passes on to another set of moving vanes where further drop in
kinetic energy occurs. This type of turbine is also called
CurtisTurbine.
Analysis on Single Stage Impulse
Turbine :
 Pressure and velocity:
1234- pressure at entrance of
nozzle, exit of nozzle, entrance
of blades and exit of blades.
5678- velocity at entrance of
nozzle, exit of nozzle, entrance
of blades and exit of blades.
The pressure of steam jet
reduced in the nozzle and
remains constant while passing
through moving blades.
Velocity of S is increased in
nozzle and reduced while
passing through moving blades.

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 Analysis on Single Stage Impulse
Velocity triangle:
Turbine :
Steam jet after leaving
nozzle impinges on one
end of blade.

Glides over the inside

surface of the blade and
finally leaves from the
other edge.

Jet enters and leave the

blades tangentially and
shock less.
Note: Vr=Vr1 21
Symbols used for velocity vector as
follows :
 Combine Velocity triangle:
For the sake of simplification and solving problems.

1. AB=Vb

2. BC=V1,

3. AC=Vr1
D
4. AD= Vr2, 

5. AC=AD
Vr2=Vr2

6. BD=V2
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 Power produced:
• Mass of Steam flowing through Turbine =m kg/s

• Change in velocity of whirl= (Vw1+Vw2)

• Force in the direction of motion, Fx= m(Vw1+Vw2)

• Work done in the direction of motion, Wx= m(Vw1+Vw2)u

• Power produced by Turbine, P= m(Vw1+Vw2)u

• Axial thrust on the wheel, Fy=m(Vf1+Vf2)
Where u- blade velocity

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 Problems 1
• Example 1 :
A single stage Impulse turbine has a diameter of 1.5 m.
and running at 3000RPM. The nozzle angle is 20 .
Speed ratio is 0.45. Ratio of relative velocity at the
outlet to that at inlet is 0.9. The outlet angle of the
blade is 3 less than inlet angle. Steam flow rate is 6
kg/s. Draw the velocity diagrams and find the
following. (i) Velocity of whirl (ii) Axial thrust (iii) Blade
angles (iv) Power developed.
solution
solution
 Problems 2
• Example 2 :
• Steam flows through the nozzle with a velocity of 450
m/s at a direction which is inclined at an angle of 16 to
the wheel tangent. Steam comes out of the moving
blades with a velocity of 100 m/s in the direction of
110 with the direction of blade motion. The blades are
equiangular and the steam flow rate is10 kg/s. Find:(i)
Power developed, (ii)The power loss due to friction
(iii)Axial thrust (iv) Blade efficiency and (v)
Bladecoefficient.
solution
solution
 Reaction Turbine
The reaction turbine using now-a-days are of
Impulse-Reaction turbines. Pure reaction
turbines are not in general use. The expansion
of steam and heat drop occur both in fixed and
moving blades.All reaction turbines are of axial
flow type.
Velocity Triangles for General case
• In reaction turbine,
steam continuously
expands as it flows
over the blades.
The effect of the
continuous
expansion during
the flow over the
moving blades is to
increase the
relative velocity of
steam ie.,Vr2 >Vr1 ,
 Degree of Reaction (R)
Degree of reaction is defined as the ratio of
enthalpy drop in the moving blades to the total
enthalpy drop in fixed and moving blades
Analysis on 50% Reaction (Parson's)
Turbine
 Numerical example
• The following data refers to a particular stage
of a Parson's reaction turbine.Speed of the
turbine = 1500 RPM, Mean diameter of the
rotor = 1m, stage efficiency = 0.8, Blade outlet
angle = 20 , Speed ratio = 0.7, Determine the
available isentropic enthalpy drop in the stage.
 Examples 2
In a reaction turbine, the blade tips are inclined at
35 and 20 in the direction of rotor. The stator
blades are the same shape as the moving blades,
but reversed in direction. At a certain place in the
turbine, the drum is 1m diameter and the blades
are 10 cm high. At this place, the steam has a
pressure of 1.75 bar and dryness is 0.935. If the
speed of the turbine is 250RPM and the steam
passes through the blades without shock find the
mass of steam flow and power developed in the
ring of moving blades.
Turbine Components - Blades
Impulse

Reaction
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Turbine Diaphragms

Diaphragms contain the fixed blades

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Steam Turbine Casing

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Turbine Rotor

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Turbine Shaft and Casing Seals

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 Section 3.1 – Steam Turbine Fundamentals

Turbine Types

Straight HP
Tandem HP
Tandem LP

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Section 3.1 – Steam Turbine Fundamentals

Turbine – Multiple Sets

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Section 3.1 – Steam Turbine Fundamentals

Questions?

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Section 3.2 – Steam Turbine Design

Overview

Classification by;
• Type – Reaction or Impulse
• Steam Temperature and Pressure
• Configuration – Compound, Tandem Compound,
Cross Compound
• Reheat
• Output – MW
• Structural Elements

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Turbine Design - Basics

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Section 3.2 – Steam Turbine Design

Materials

• Blades
• Stainless Steel – 403 & 422 (+Cr)
• 17-4 PH steel (+ Ti)
• Super Alloys
• Rotor
• High “Chrome – Moley” Steel – Cr-Mo-V
• Low “Ni Chrome Steel – Ni-Cr-Mo-V

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Section 3.2 – Steam Turbine Design

Questions?

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