Dr.

Safaa Hameed Faisal Power Plant Engineering Lectures-5-

Operation Principle of Impulse Steam Turines!
Motive power in a steam turbine is obtained by the rate of change in momentum of a jet of steam
flowing on a curved blade which is free to rotate.
Firstly, the steam is expanded in a nozzle, resulting in a high velocity jet. This jet of steam flows on the
moving blades, mounted on a shaft. Here it undergoes a change of direction andor magnitude of motion
which gives rise to a change in momentum and therefore a force
!onsider a stationary a curved blade as shown below. " jet with a velocity
i
C

flows on the blade. The

jet leaves the blade with a velocity
e
C

. The magnitude of velocity vector remains unchanged if the flow

cross sectional area and density remain unchanged. However, the direction changes through #$% degrees.
i e
C C

=
"pplying &ewton's second law of motion on the stream jet, we have(
) * ) *
out i out in x
C m C m M M F

+ = =

+here( M

is the momentum rate.

,o the exerted force will be(
i x
C m F - + =
However, this force cannot develop any motive power because the blade is fixed. That is mean if we
attach the blade to a shaft and ma.e it free to rotate, then useful can be obtained.
,o, suppose the blade moves at velocity
b
C

then we have these cases(

#. /f the blade velocity is larger than jet velocity, then there is no effect of the jet on the blade.
-. /f the blade velocity is lower than jet velocity, then the effective velocity of the jet on the blade is
e0ual to
b i
C C

which is called the relative velocity
r
C

.
1
i
C
e
C
High velocity
steam or gas
) - *
i x
C m F =
x
y
x
F
Dr. Safaa Hameed Faisal Power Plant Engineering Lectures-5-
This situation is e0uivalent to the following(
&ow we consider a fixed blade with inlet velocity inclined with angle of
i

.
/n this case the jet angle must be e0ual to the blade angle at the inlet. This will ensure that the steam jet
will flows smoothly on the blade. For such case we will have two force components
x
F
and y
F

2
r
C
r
C
High velocity
,team or gas
) - *
r x
C m F =
x
y
x
F
i
C
i

e
C
x
y
i
C
x
y
b
C
e
C
Dr. Safaa Hameed Faisal Power Plant Engineering Lectures-5-
[ ] ) cos * ) cos *
) cos * ) cos *
, ,
e out i i
e out i i x out x in x
C C m
C m C m M M F


+ =
+ = =

&ow if the blade is symmetric then
e i
=
and if the blade is frictionless then
e i
C C =
so we have(
i i x
C m F cos - =

The y3component force(

[ ] ) sin * ) sin *
) sin * ) sin *
, , ,
e e i i
e e i i y out y in y
C C m
C m C m M M F


=
+ + = =

For symmetric and frictionless blades then(
% =
y
F
/f we ma.e the blade free to rotate on a shat, then the value of
x
F
is useful to drive the blade to rotate and
produce a useful wor.. 4ut the value of y
F
is not useful and will be consider as an axial load on the
bearing.
&ow, suppose the blade moves at a velocity
b
C

. /n this case the angle of the inlet velocity must be lower

than the blade angle so that to ensure that the steam flows smoothly on the blade.
To determine the relative velocity, we use the vector analysis(
b r a
b a r
C C C
C C C
=
=
4y application the above e0uation for the inlet and outlet, then(
b i r i a
C C C + =
, ,
b e r e a
C C C + =
, ,
$
,team supply
F
y
F
x
F
x
4earing
i
C
i

i
C
x
y
b
C
i

Dr. Safaa Hameed Faisal Power Plant Engineering Lectures-5-

To illustrate this, we draw a velocity triangle at the inlet and outlet(
&oting that the angle of the relative velocities * e r i r
C C
, ,
,
) must be the same as the blade angles which
are
e i
,
so that the steam jet flows smoothly on the blades.
The blade speed ratio is defined as the ratio of blade speed to the steam velocity issued from the nozzles(
i
a
b
velocity steam
speed blade
ratio speed blade = =
For such case the two force components
x
F
and y
F
will be(
[ ] ) cos * ) cos *
) cos * ) cos *
, ,
, , , ,
e e r i i r
e e r i i r x out x in x
C C m
C m C m M M F


+ =
+ = =

/f the blade is symmetric then
e i
=
and if the blade is frictionless then e r i r
C C
, ,
=
so we have(
i i r x
C m F cos -
,
=

The y3component force(

[ ] ) sin * ) sin *
) sin * ) sin *
, ,
, , , , ,
e e r i i r
e e r i i r y out y in y
C C m
C m C m M M F


=
+ + = =

For symmetric and frictionless blades then(
% =
y
F
5
i a
C
,
i

x
y
i

i r
C
,
e

e r
C
,
e a
C
,
y
F
x
F
Dr. Safaa Hameed Faisal Power Plant Engineering Lectures-5-
4y drawing the velocity triangle at the inlet and outlet and removing the symbol Cwe have(
The above velocity triangles are for the ideal case where the blade is frictionless. For the actual case the
velocity triangles will be(
The blade velocity coefficient k is defined as the ratio of relative velocity of steam at the blade exit to the
relative velocity of the steam at the blade inlet.
i
e
r
r
k t coefficien velcocity blade = =
For the ideal case where the blade is assumed to be frictionless the # = k . For the case where friction is
not neglected the # < k
The velocities components along the x and y axis are referred as and
f
. +e called the x3axis
component as the whirling velocity since this component is responsible to developing the driving
force
x
F
that cause the shaft to rotate. The y3axis component
f
is called the flow velocity and this
velocity is responsible for developing the axial force y
F
. 4y rewriting the force components in terms of
and
f
we have(
[ ]
[ ]

m
m
C C m
C m C m M M F
e i
e e r i i r
e e r i i r x out x in x

=
+ =
+ =
+ = =
) cos * ) cos *
) cos * ) cos *
, ,
, , , ,
#%
i
a
i

x
y
i

i
r
e

e
r
e
a
b
i
a
i

i
r
e

e
r
e
a
f
e
=
r
e

s
i
n

e
f
i
=
r
i

s
i
n

i
f
=
f
i
-
f
e

i
=r
i
cos
i

e
=r
e
cos
e
b
=
i
+
e
Dr. Safaa Hameed Faisal Power Plant Engineering Lectures-5-
[ ]
[ ]
f m
f f m
C C m
C m C m M M F
e i
e e r i i r
e e r i i r y out y in y

=
=
=
+ + = =
) sin * ) sin *
) sin * ) sin *
, ,
, , , , ,


The power developed by the blade is(
m b
b F
velocity force
time
ce dis force
time
work
power
x
=
=
= = =
6
6
tan 6
T"e Performance of Simple Impulse Turines!
The simple impulse turbine is called 78elaval turbine7. /t consist of a series of nozzles followed by a
series of blades. The shape of the blade is designed so that the steam as it moves flows inside its channel
will not expand * const P = ).
T"e #o$$le %nal&sis!
The objective of the nozzle is to convert the thermal energy of steam *high pressure and temperature)
into linear .inetic energy. The nozzle used in steam turbine is the convergent3 divergent nozzle. This
nozzle is capable of producing high velocity. This velocity is much higher than the velocity of sound.
The steam nozzle efficiency is defined as the ratio of the useful output .inetic energy to the isentropic
enthalpy drop across the nozzle(
isen
i
nozz
h h
a
, # %
-
-
#

=
9earrangement gives(
##
T"ermal
energ&
'seful (inetic
energ&
Frictional
sesoL
Dr. Safaa Hameed Faisal Power Plant Engineering Lectures-5-
) * 6 6 -
, # % , isen nozz i i a
h h a C =
The inlet .inetic energy is neglected since it is very small compared to the inlet enthalpy.

4y substitution we have(
T"e )lade %nal&sis!
The blade analysis have been illustrated in terms of the velocity triangular at the inlet and the outlet.

[ ] [ ] m m C C m F F
e i e e r i i r driving x
= + = + = ) cos * ) cos *
, ,
[ ] [ ] f m f f m C C m F F
e i e e r i i r axial y
= = = ) sin * ) sin *
, ,

The tor0ue produced by the driving force is(
) - * 6
ave driving
D F Torqe =
The power developed by the blade is(
m b b F power
driving
= = 6
The value of the produced power could be written as(
Torque power 6 =
+here &( is the rotating speed in *9ads).
+here
ave
D
(is the average diameter of the blades wheel.
The blade speed b can calculated using the average diameter and rotating speed as(

=
-
6
ave
D
b
The axial force applied on the bearing(
f m F
axial
=
The blade efficiency *some times called diagram efficiency) is defined as the ratio of the power
developed by the blade to inlet .inetic energy(
#-
i
a
i

i
r
e

e
r
e
a
f
e
=
r
e

s
i
n

e
f
i
=
r
i

s
i
n

i
f
=
f
i
-
f
e

i
=r
i
cos
i

e
=r
e
cos
e
b
=
i
+
e
Dr. Safaa Hameed Faisal Power Plant Engineering Lectures-5-
-
-
-
-
#
i
i
blade
a
b
a m
m b
energy kinetic inlet
power blade
= = =

T"e Stage %nal&sis!

The stage efficiency is defined as the ratio of the useful blade power to the total isentropic enthalpy drop
across the stage(
blade nozzle
i
i
isen isen
stage
a m
a m
h h m
m b
h h m
m b
drop enthalpy isentropic
power blade

6
-
#
-
#
6
) * ) * -
-
, # % , # %
=

= =

blade nozzle stage
6 =
Energ& )alance of t"e Stage!
#:
T"e input power
is e*ual to t"e
Isentropic
Ent"alp&
Drop
,ome of the enthalpy drop is lost in the nozzle
due to friction and this e0ual to

,ome of the enthalpy drop is lost in the
moving blade due to friction and this e0ual to

;arge amount of the enthalpy drop is converted
into a useful output power from the moving
blade and this e0ual to
,ome amount of the enthalpy drop is lost
from the stage as a leaving .inetic
energy in terms of a
e
,this e0ual to

Dr. Safaa Hameed Faisal Power Plant Engineering Lectures-5-
+ariation of pressure and ,elocit& across t"e stage
/n impulse turbines, all pressure drops of steam occur in the nozzles and there is no pressure drop as
steam flows through the passage between two blades. ,o, steam enters the nozzles at high pressure and
low velocity and undergoes expansion to lower pressure with velocity increased. The high velocity jets of
steam flows smoothly upon the blades get deflected by an angle, and come out at a lower absolute
velocity impressing a tor0ue on the blades. The pressure of steam remains essentially constant as steam
flows through the blades.
#<
,team absolute velocity
,team pressure
,team
&ozzle
Moving
blade
Dr. Safaa Hameed Faisal Power Plant Engineering Lectures-5-
-ulti-Stage Impulse Turine!
There are two method of compounding *ma.ing mutistage) impulse turbine(
.-Pressure /ompounded Impulse 01ateau turine2!
/n this type of turbine two or more simple impulse stages *8elaval turbine) is used. The same basic rules
apply for pressure drops and velocity changes as the steam passes on the stages.
3- +elocit& /ompounded Impulse turine 0/urtis turine2!
/t consists of a set of nozzles followed by two or more sets of moving blades attached to one wheel or
dis.. There is also a set of re3directional fixed blades in between the rotating blades to direct the steam
from the first set of blades to the next. There is still only one pressure drop and this occurs across the
nozzles.
#=
Dr. Safaa Hameed Faisal Power Plant Engineering Lectures-5-
Impulse-1eaction Turine Stages 0Parson Turine2!
/t consists of a set of fixed blades *nozzles) and a set of moving blades each of which is shaped li.e
nozzles. Therefore, there are two pressure drops per stage in a reaction turbine. >ressure drop occurs both
in the nozzles or the fixed row of blades, as well as in the moving row of blades.
+hile the steam flows through the blades,
there is an increase in the relative velocity
compared to the inlet. This gives rise to
outlet momentum rate which ma.es the
axial thrust in the opposite direction as in
the impulse turbine). 4lades rotate due to
both the impulse effect of the jets *due to
change in the direction of relative
velocity) and the reaction effect *due to
change the value of the relative
velocity).blades in the opposite direction.
,uch turbines are called impulse3reaction
turbines, or to distinguish them from
impulse turbines, simply reaction turbines.
The degree of reaction *9) of these
turbines is defined as the ratio of the
enthalpy drop in the moving blade to the
total enthalpy drop across the stage(
#1
Dr. Safaa Hameed Faisal Power Plant Engineering Lectures-5-
+here( F4 is the fixed blade and M4 is the moving blade.
/f *
% =
M"
h
), then % = # , which is the case of pure impulse turbines where there is no enthalpy drop of
steam in the moving blades, and all the enthalpy drop of the stage ta.e place only in nozzles.
/f *
% =
F"
h
), then # = # , which is the case of a pure reaction *9 ? #%%@) turbine, e.g. Hero's turbine.
*this case is impossible in the axial turbine)
/f *
M" F"
h h =
), then = . % = # which is called the =%@ reaction turbine or sometimes called 7>arsons
Turbines7.
#ote!
T"e following rules are useful in t"e anal&sis of ,elocit& triangular!
/osines rule!
cos -
- #
-
-
-
#
-
:
C C C C C + + =
cos -
- #
-
-
-
#
-
<
C C C C C + =
Sine rule!
:
:
-
-
#
#
sin sin sin
C C C
= =
#2

#
C
-
C
:
C
<
C
#

#
C
-
C
:
C