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Ú Compounded steam turbine means multistage turbine.
Ú Compounding is needed when large enthalpy drop is
available.
Ú Since optimum blade speed is related to the exit nozzle
speed. It will be higher as the enthalpy drop is higher.
Ú The blade speed is limited by the centrifugal force as
well as needs of bulky reduction gear
Ú Compounding can be achieved either by velocity
compounded turbine or pressure compounded turbine.
 Ú The velocity compounded turbine was first
proposed by C.G Curtis.
Ú It is composed of one stage of nozzles, as the
single stage turbine, followed by two rows of
moving blades instead of one.
Ú 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.

‡ In Curtis turbine steam leaving the nozzle is utilized in

both rows of moving blades instead of single raw as in
the de-Laval turbine.
‡ The velocity remain almost constant across the fixed
blades.
‡ Using an analysis similar to that used for the single
stage , The work of the Curtis turbine is as follows:







 ? A? A

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u

ÿ u
 
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 ÿ u
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Ú The work ratio of the highest-to-lowest pressure stages in an
ideal turbine is 3:1 for two stages turbine and 5:3:1 for the
three stage turbine and 7:5:3:1 for four stages turbine.
Ú The lower pressure velocities stages produces little work
compared with the added investment. This makes additional
stages above two (Curtis) uneconomical.
Ú If blade speeds must be reduced below that afforded by
Curtis turbine another type of compounding could follow the
Curtis stage.
 Ú ëressure compounding impulse turbine is a multistage impulse turbine where expansion
in the fixed blades (nozzles) is achieved equally among the stages.
Ú This type of turbines is usually called as Rateau turbine
Ú Accordingly the inlet steam velocities to each stage is essentially equal, due to equal
drop in enthalpy.
( 


!
 Œ ! ! Œ
÷
Ú Where n is the number of stages
Ú This equal enthalpy drop does not mean equal pressure drop

‡ In reference to the previous velocity triangle the whirl of all stages is equal to zero
(į=90o).
‡ The kinetic energy from each stage should be neglected, because the nozzle of
each stage must receive the steam discharged by the preceding stage.
‡ The pressure compounding has the advantages of:
± reduced blade velocities
± reduced steam velocities (and hence friction).
± equal work among the stages as desired by the designer.
‡ It suffers from the following disadvantages:
± ëressure drop across the fixed raw of nozzles which require leak tight diaphragms.
± Large number of stages
‡ Accordingly pressure compounding is used for large turbine where efficiency is
more important than the capital cost
Two Stages ëressure Compounding Three Stages ëressure Compounding
Turbine Turbine


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