THERMAL POWER PLANTS – Vol. III - Steam Turbine Components and Systems - R.A.

Chaplin

STEAM TURBINE COMPONENTS AND SYSTEMS

R.A. Chaplin
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of New Brunswick, Canada

Keywords: Steam Turbines, Cylinders, Rotors, Blades, Seals, Bearings, Lubrication

Contents

1. Turbine Cylinder Configuration

1.1. Introduction
1.2. Turbine Cylinders
1.3. Turbine Rotors
1.4. Turbine Blading

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2. Turbine Seals
2.1. General Principles

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2.2. Gland Sealing
2.3. Gland Steam System
3. Turbine Bearings
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3.1. General Requirements
3.2. Bearing Lubrication
3.3. Fire Resisting Fluid
Acknowledgements
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Glossary
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Bibliography
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Biographical Sketch
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Summary

Steam turbines consist essentially of a casing to which stationary blades are fixed on the
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inside and a rotor carrying moving blades on the periphery. The rotor is fitted inside the
casing with the rows of moving blades penetrating between the rows of fixed blades.
Thus steam flowing through the turbine passes alternately through fixed and moving
blades with the fixed blades directing the steam at the right angle for entry into the
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moving blades. Both casings and rotors must be constructed to minimize damaging
thermal stresses and the moving blades must be fitted to the rotor securely to withstand
the high centrifugal forces.

Where the shaft of the rotor passes through the ends of the casing, a seal is required to
prevent steam leakage. Also within the casing, seals are required to prevent steam from
leaking around the blades rather than passing through them. Turbine seals are of the
labyrinth type where there is no mechanical contact between the fixed and rotating
parts. Leakage is thus not really eliminated but merely controlled to minimal amounts.

The shafts of the rotors are carried on bearings and are linked together and to the
electrical generator. Bearings must be properly aligned to accommodate the natural
gravitational bending of the shaft. Allowance must also be made for differential
expansion between the rotors and the casings during thermal transients. Both must be

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THERMAL POWER PLANTS – Vol. III - Steam Turbine Components and Systems - R.A. Chaplin

free to expand without upsetting the alignment, while allowing the rotors to expand
more quickly and to a greater degree than the casing. Lubrication is required for the
bearings. Multiple pumps driven by alternative power sources assure adequate
lubrication under all operational circumstances.

1. Turbine Cylinder Configuration

1.1. Introduction

As explained in an earlier article, large turbines are made up of several cylinders

coupled together and driving a single generator. Typical units may have a high pressure
cylinder, an intermediate pressure cylinder and two or three low pressure cylinders.
These are designed to accommodate the increasing specific volume of the steam as it
expands down to sub-atmospheric pressures.

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Provision is also made for steam quality improvement by reheating and for the

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extraction of partially expanded steam for feedwater heating. Steam conditions,
particularly temperature, are limited by material properties while pressures are often
dictated by the steam supply system.
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The result is that the governing parameters for turbine design are generally fairly
standard and most manufacturers design their turbines within rather narrow limits.
Within these limits however there is scope for alternative blading design such as
impulse or reaction and specialized mechanical solutions to accommodate high
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temperatures and pressures. In this article selected aspects of turbine design will be
considered.
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1.2. Turbine Cylinders

Turbine cylinders have to withstand the pressure of the steam and for this reason they
are of robust design with thick walls. They are also subject to high steam temperatures
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which, for thick walled components, are not desirable. Temperature gradients within
rigid components set up high stresses in the material which, when coupled with
mechanical stress due to pressure, can cause failure of the material.
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Furthermore overall expansion of the components must be accommodated. Also during

heating and cooling the temperature gradients become particularly adverse as larger
parts take longer to change their temperature than smaller parts.

To withstand pressure, thick cylinder walls are required but, to minimize thermal stress,
there should not be abrupt changes in thickness nor asymmetrical arrangements. This
leads inevitably to smooth rounded profiles of the stress bearing components. Also
uniform heating of components is desirable so as to avoid differential expansion and
undue thermal stress.

This requires sections of uniform thickness and provision for circulation of steam within
the casing as shown in Figure 1 to promote uniform temperature changes, particularly
during startup of the unit. Steam access into and out of the cylinder must also be

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THERMAL POWER PLANTS - Steam Turbine Components and Systems - R.A. Chaplin

accommodated and this requires special nozzles and reinforcing of the casing in these
areas. The incoming steam is at a temperature higher than that generally prevailing in
the cylinder necessitating appropriate arrangements to take account of thermal stress
and differential expansion in these areas.

In order to assemble the turbine and to disassemble it for maintenance, the casing must
be split in some way. The joint is normally horizontal so that the upper half can be
removed leaving the lower half in position with the rotating parts as shown
diagrammatically in Figure 1. This joint must withstand the pressure in the casing and
the flanges are particularly thick and robust. These flanges may be subject to distortion
during heating and cooling of the casing.

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Figure 1: Diagrammatic sections of turbine cylinder

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Various designs make use of unique features to accommodate sometimes conflicting

requirements such as thick walls for low pressure stress and thin walls for low thermal
stress. Figure 2 shows a single flow high pressure turbine of Brown Boveri design. It is
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immediately apparent that there are two casings, an inner casing and an outer casing.

This is now standard practice for large steam turbines as the stress due to pressure is
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divided between the two casings resulting in lesser wall thicknesses. Also the exhaust
steam circulates in the annular space between the two casings to promote uniform
heating and to minimize temperature gradients.

A unique feature is the provision of shrink rings to hold the two halves of the inner
casing together. This avoids the need for heavy flanges and bolts and promotes uniform
heating. During assembly the shrink rings are heated before fitting and grip the two
halves of the casing firmly on cooling.

The outer casing has conventional flanges and bolts. Once in service the inner cylinder
and rotor must be removed as a unit to remove the shrink rings for maintenance of the
rotor.

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THERMAL POWER PLANTS - Steam Turbine Components and Systems - R.A. Chaplin

Figure 2: Single flow high pressure turbine

Another unique casing design is shown in Figure 3. This was developed by Kraftwerk
Union and also overcomes the need for a very heavy flange in the high pressure

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cylinder. Instead of being split horizontally the entire outer casing of the high pressure

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turbine is shaped like a barrel. During assembly the inner casing is slid in from the end
and a large screwed plug fitted at the end. The inner casing is split vertically and bolted
together with long bolts through the casing walls rather than through projecting flanges.
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Thermal advantages are the same as with conventional double casings. Construction of
these barrel cylinders is simple but once in service the entire cylinder must be removed
to withdraw the inner casing before access to the rotor can be obtained.
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Figure 3: Single flow high pressure turbine

(courtesy of Siemens)

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THERMAL POWER PLANTS - Steam Turbine Components and Systems - R.A. Chaplin

The following figures show typical Kraftwerk Union designs. Figure 4 shows an
intermediate pressure turbine and Figure 5 a low pressure turbine.

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Figure 4 Double flow intermediate pressure turbine

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(courtesy of Siemens)
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Figure 5: Double flow low pressure turbine

(courtesy of Siemens)

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THERMAL POWER PLANTS - Steam Turbine Components and Systems - R.A. Chaplin

Both of these have double casings with the exhaust steam circulating in the annular
space between the casings as in the case of the high pressure turbine. In addition these
turbines have provision for the extraction of some partly expanded steam for feedwater
heating. The channels for this steam are evident as annular spaces surrounding the inner
casing. Steam passes into these channels via grooves in the inner casing and passes out
via pipes above or below the turbine. In these turbines, both inner and outer casings are
split horizontally and fitted with flanges and bolts. In double flow turbines axial thrust
arising from the steam flow is balanced. In low pressure turbines temperatures and
pressures are relatively low and the casing is not as robust as in the higher pressure
cylinders. Construction is mainly fabricated. There is an inner casing supporting the
fixed blading and annular channels through which steam is extracted for feedwater
heating. Surrounding the entire turbine is an exhaust hood into which the exhaust steam
flows before passing into the condenser below the turbine.

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Bibliography
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British Electricity International (1991). Modern Power Station Practice, Volume C, Turbines,
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Generators and Associated Plant, Pergamon Press.[ Very comprehensive text directed towards the design
and operation of both fossil fuel boilers and nuclear reactors as well as transmission systems. Provides
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basic theory and detailed description of large electrical generators]

Cotton K.C. (1993). Evaluating and Improving Steam Turbine Performance, Cotton Fact.[ This gives
detailed information on turbine performance based on actual practice with many examples of industrial
tests.]
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Elliott T.C. (1989). Standard Handbook of Power Plant Engineering, McGraw-Hill.[ This gives good
information on the basics of power generation with reference to different plant components.]
El-Wakil M.M. (1984). Powerplant Technology, McGraw-Hill.[ Good general text on all aspects of
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power plant engineering including new and emerging technologies. Includes basic theory and description
of equipment.]
Kearton W.J. (1961). Steam Turbine Theory and Practice, Pitman.[ Excellent text on steam turbine
design but now dated as it covers only smaller units.]
Khalil E.E. (1989). Power Plant Design, Abacus Press.[ This provides a follow up of basic engineering
cycles with applications to conventional power plants. It includes heat exchange and energy conversion
equipment.]
Woodruff E.B., Lammers H.B. & Lammers T.F. (1998). Steam Plant Operation, McGraw-Hill.[ This is
a basic book on plant equipment. It illustrates various power plant components and describes their use
and operation.]

Biographical Sketch

Robin Chaplin obtained a B.Sc. and M.Sc. in mechanical engineering from University of Cape Town in

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THERMAL POWER PLANTS - Steam Turbine Components and Systems - R.A. Chaplin

1965 and 1968 respectively. Between these two periods of study he spent two years gaining experience
in the operation and maintenance of coal fired power plants in South Africa. He subsequently spent a
further year gaining experience on research and prototype nuclear reactors in South Africa and the United
Kingdom and obtained M.Sc. in nuclear engineering from Imperial College of London University in
1971. On returning and taking up a position in the head office of Eskom he spent some twelve years
initially in project management and then as head of steam turbine specialists. During this period he was
involved with the construction of Ruacana Hydro Power Station in Namibia and Koeberg Nuclear Power
Station in South Africa being responsible for the underground mechanical equipment and civil structures
and for the mechanical balance-of-plant equipment at the respective plants. Continuing his interests in
power plant modeling and simulation he obtained a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Queen=s
University in Canada in 1986 and was subsequently appointed as Chair in Power Plant Engineering at the
University of New Brunswick. Here he teaches thermodynamics and fluid mechanics and specialized
courses in nuclear and power plant engineering in the Department of Chemical Engineering. An
important function is involvement in the plant operator and shift supervisor training programs at Point
Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station. This includes the development of material and the teaching of
courses in both nuclear and non-nuclear aspects of the program.

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