THERMAL ENGINEERING

CONTENT----------------> UNITSteam Turbines

Dr. K. SIVAKUAMR
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR & HEAD
DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
VALLIAMMAI ENIGNEERING COLLEGE
 What exactly is the turbine?

Turbine is an engine that

converts energy of fluid
into mechanical energy

The steam turbine is

steam driven rotary
engine.
Physical Principles: Steam Turbines:

• High Pressure Steam

expands through a
governor valve and a
nozzle.
• Experiences an increase
in velocity and
momentum.
• Pushes the impeller to
drive the turbine.
http://home.pacifier.com/~rboggs/HP.GIF

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 Principle & Types of Steam Turbine.
• Types
 Impulse Turbine.
 Reaction Turbine.
• Principle: when steam is allowed to expand through
a narrow orifice, it assumes kinetic energy at the
expense of its enthalpy (heat energy). This kinetic
energy of steam is changed to Mechanical
(rotational) energy through the impact (impulse) or
reaction of steam against the blades.
Construction of steam turbines
Construction of steam turbines
 Classification of steam turbines

a) way of energy
conversion
- impulse turbines
- reaction turbines
 Classification of steam turbines
b) flow direction
- axial
- radial
c) number of
stages
- single stage
- multi-stage
 Classification of steam turbines

d) rotational speed
- regular
- low-speed
- high-speed
e) inlet steam pressure
- high pressure (p>6,5MPa)
- intermediate
pressure(2,5MPa
<p<6,5MPa)
- low-pressure (p<2,5MPa)
 Classification of steam turbines

f) way of energy
utilisation
- condensing
- extraction
- back-pressure
 Turbine Types

condenser process

Straight-flow condensing Back-pressure

 Turbine Types

One section Two sections

Types of Turbine

Reheat turbine
Types of Turbine

Extraction turbine
 Classification of steam turbines
g) application
- power station
- industrial
- transport
 How does the steam turbine work?

• Impulse stage – whole

pressure drop in nozzle
(whole enthalpy drop is
changed into kinetic energy
in the nozzle)
• Reaction stage – pressure
drop both in stationary
blades and in rotary blades
(enthalpy drop changed
into kinetic energy both in
stationary blades and in the
moving blades in rotor)
 Single Stage Impulse Turbine
IMPLUSE STAGE
• It is usually called De-Laval turbine
• The steam is fed through one or several Nozzles Blades
convergent-divergent nozzles
• The nozzles do not extend completely
around the circumference of the rotor,
so that only part of the blades are
impinged upon by the steam.
• Pressure drop occurs in the nozzle and
not in the blades.
• Maximum velocity and hence kinetic
energy of the steam occurs at the
nozzle exit
• Velocity change occurs in the rotor
blades where the steam gives up its
energy to the rotor blades.

Pressure

Velocity
Impulse Stage
 Compounded Steam Turbines
• Compounded steam turbine means multistage turbine.

• Compounding is needed when large enthalpy drop is available.

• Since optimum blade speed is related to the exit nozzle speed.

• It will be higher as the enthalpy drop.

• The blade speed is limited by the centrifugal force as well as needs

of bulky reduction gear

• Compounding can be achieved either by velocity compounded

turbine or pressure compounded turbine.
Velocity Compounded Impulse Turbine
• The velocity compounded turbine was first proposed by C.G
Curtis.
• It is composed of one stage of nozzles, as the single stage
turbine, followed by two rows of moving blades instead of
one.
• These two rows are separated by one row of fixed blades
which has the function of redirecting the steam leaving the
first row of the moving blades to the second row of moving
blades.
Velocity Compounded Impulse Turbine
(Contd.)
Velocity-compounded Stage
 Pressure Compounding Impulse
Turbine (Contd.)

Two Stages Pressure Compounding Three Stages Pressure Compounding Turbine

Turbine
Pressure-compounded Stage
Pressure-velocity Compounded Turbine
 Reaction Principle
• Reaction effect results from issuing a fluid at very high
velocity from a nozzle. This results in a reaction which
moves the nozzle in the opposite direction.

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• Pure reaction happens if the flow is accelerated from zero

velocity to its exist velocity in the moving blades.
• Since this is not the case in turbines, thus there are no pure
reaction turbine but it is usually a mix between impulse and
reaction. Accordingly the term reaction turbine does not
mean a full reaction turbine but a partially impulse and
partially reaction.
Reaction Turbine
 Reaction Turbine
• Reaction turbine has been invented by
C.A. Parson
• Turbine with 50% reaction is the
turbine where 50% of the enthalpy
drop happens in the stator and the
other 50% occurs in the rotor. It is
important to mention that this does
not mean equal pressure drops.
• Pressure drop is usually higher for the
fixed blades and greater for the high
pressure conditions, where the
pressure drop per unit of enthalpy
drop is higher at the high pressure
• The rotor blades of a reaction turbine
are not symmetrical as in the impulse
turbine, they are similar to those of
the stator but curved in the opposite
direction.
Compounding
Velocity Compounded Impulse Turbine
(Contd.)
 Pressure Compounding Impulse
Turbine (Contd.)

Two Stages Pressure Compounding Three Stages Pressure Compounding Turbine

Turbine
STEAM TURBINE
Compounding
 Types of turbine
• Impulse turbine
– Steam expands in nozzles only
– Steam pressure at the outlet side of the blade
equals that at inlet side
• Impulse – Reaction turbine
– Steam expands in nozzles as well as it passes
through blades
– Steam pressure at the outlet side of the blade may
be less than that at inlet side.
Impulse Stage
Velocity-compounded Stage
Pressure-compounded Stage
Pressure-velocity Compounded Turbine
Reaction Turbine
Impulse Turbine

• A turbine that is driven by high

velocity jets of water or steam from
a nozzle directed on to vanes or
buckets attached to a wheel. The
resulting impulse (as described by
Newton's second law of motion)
spins the turbine and removes
kinetic energy from the fluid flow.
Reaction Turbine

• A type of turbine that develops

torque by reacting to the
pressure or weight of a fluid; the
operation of reaction turbines is
described by Newton's third law
of motion (action and reaction
are equal and opposite).
Comparison of Impulse & Reaction Turbine
 Comparison Between Velocity and Pressure
Compounding Impulse Turbines

Velocity Compounding Pressure Compounding

Not equal velocity drop for each stage Equal velocity drop for each stage

No pressure drop per stage Not equal pressure drop per stage

Non equal power per stage Equal power per stage

High friction losses due to high velocities Low friction losses due to reduced steam
velocity
Not recommended for more than two Recommended for multistage
stages
No problem with steam leak Larger steam leak

Suitable for small turbines as well as only Suitable for large turbines
for the first stage in large turbine
 Velocity Diagram

F
T
 Optimum Velocity

Impulse Stage
 Optimum Velocity

Velocity-compounded Stage

where n is the number of stages

If n = 2, P(1) : P(2) = 3:1.
If n = 3, P(1) : P(2) : P(3) = 5:3:1.
Therefore, n > 2 is not economically justified.
 Optimum Velocity

Reaction Stage
 Maximum Efficiency

Impulse Stage

Reaction Stage
 Comparison of Stages

Impulse Stage
 Comparison of Stages

Two-stage velocity-compounded Impulse Stage

 Comparison of Stages

Reaction Stage