1.

Steam Turbines

Prepared by
Venkat Chintala
Asst. Prof. S.G.
Mechanical Engg. Deptt., UPES
 Contents
Turbine types
Compounding in turbines
Nozzle and blade heights
Loses in turbines, reheat factor and condition line
Flow through cascades, design of multistage
turbines,
Governing of steam turbines and critical speeds
Maintenance of steam turbines
 STEAM TURBINES

A Turbine is a Form of Engine Requires a suitable

working fluid in order to function- a source of
High Grade Energy and a Sink for Low Grade
energy. When a Fluid Flows through the
Turbine ,Part of Energy Content is
Continuously Extracted and Converted in to
Useful mechanical Work.
Steam turbines are one of the oldest prime mover
technologies still in use.
Steam turbines extract heat from steam and transform it
into mechanical work by expanding the steam from high
pressure to low pressure.
 PRICIPLE OF STEAM TURBINE
Steam turbine depends completely upon the dynamic action of the
steam. According to Newtons second law of motion, the FORCE is
proportional to the rate of change of MOMENTUM (mass x velocity).
If the rate of change of momentum is caused in the steam by
allowing a high velocity jet of steam to pass over curved blade, the
steam will impart a force to the blade. If the blade is free, it will free
off (rotate) in the direction of force.
mc1 Moving Blade

Force = mc1 - mc2

mc2

The steam from the boiler is expanded in a passage or nozzle ,

where due to fall in pressure of steam is converted into Kinetic
energy of steam & this KE of steam is converted into work moving
blade
 TYPES OF TURBINE
On the basis of principle of operation
Impulse turbine
Reaction turbine
Impulse- Reaction turbine
Impulse Turbine .. In impulse the drop in pressure of steam takes place
only in nozzle & not in moving blades. This is obtained by making the
blade passage of constant cross section area it may be noted that
energy transformation takes place only in nozzles. Moving blades only
cause energy transfer.
X

X
Reaction turbine:-
Pressure drop take place in rotor (M.B.). Energy transformation
takes place in rotor. Energy transfer only in rotor.

Impulse- Reaction turbine:-

In this turbine drop in pressure of steam takes place in fixed
blade as well as moving blade. It may be noted that energy
transformation occur in both fixed blade & moving blade. The
rotor blade cause energy transfer & energy transformation.
 Impulse turbine
The single stage impulse turbine is also called the de
Laval turbine after its inventor. The turbine consists
of a single rotor to which impulse blades are
attached. The steam is fed through one or several
convergent divergent nozzles which do not extend
completely around the circumference of the rotor,
so that only part of the blades is impinged upon by
the steam at any one time. The nozzles also allow
governing of the turbine by shutting off one or more
them.
 COMPOUNDING OF TURBINES
Compounding of Impulse turbine :-
Compounding is done to reduce the rotational speed of the impulse
turbine to practical limits.
Compounding is achieved by using more than one set of nozzles,
blades, rotors, in a series, keyed to a common shaft; so that either
the steam pressure or the jet velocity is absorbed by the turbine in
stages.
One row of nozzles followed by one row of blades is called a stage of
turbines.
Compounding is a method for reducing the rotational speed of the
impulse turbine to practical limit.
Three main types of compounded impulse turbines are:
a) Pressure compounded Steam Turbine : The Rateau Design
b) velocity compounded Steam Turbine : The Curtis Design
c) pressure and velocity compounded Impulse turbines : The
Rateau-curtis Design.
 Compounding in Impulse Turbine
If high velocity of steam is allowed to flow through
one row of moving blades, it produces a rotor speed
of about 30000 rpm which is too high for practical
use. It is therefore essential to incorporate some
improvements for practical use and also to achieve
high performance. This is possible by making use of
more than one set of nozzles, and rotors, in a series,
keyed to the shaft so that either the steam pressure
or the jet velocity is absorbed by the turbine in
stages. This is called compounding.
Velocity Compounding of the Impulse Turbine
The Curtis stage turbine, as it came to be called, 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 attached to the turbine stator, which has
the function of redirecting the steam leaving the first
row of moving blades to the second row of moving
blades.

In the Curtis stage, the total enthalpy drop and hence

pressure drop occur in the nozzles so that the pressure
remains constant in all three rows of blades.
Velocity is absorbed in two stages. In
fixed (static) blade passage both
pressure and velocity remain
constant. Fixed blades are also called
guide vanes. Velocity compounded
stage is also called Curtis stage.
The fixed blades are used to guide
the outlet steam/gas from the
previous stage in such a manner so as
to smooth entry at the next stage is
ensured.

K, the blade velocity coefficient may

be different in each row of blades
 n= no. of stages

Blade maximum efficiency

Fig: Velocity Diagram of Curtis Stage Impulse Turbine
A System of Velocity Triangles for Curtis Turbine (3 rows of M Bs)

U
1a2 1a1 1 b2 1 b1

1Va2 1Va1 1Vr1

1Vr2

U
2a2 2a1 2 b2 2 b1

2Va1
2Va2 2Vr1
2Vr2

U
3a2 3a1 3 b2 3 b1

3Va2 3Vr2 3Va1 3Vr1

 Pressure Compounding or Rateau Staging
The Pressure Compounded Impulse Turbine
To alleviate the problem of high blade velocity in the single
stage impulse turbine, the total enthalpy drop through the
nozzles of that turbine are simply divided up, essentially in an
equal manner, among many single stage impulse turbines in
series. Such a turbine is called a Rateau turbine , after its
inventor. Thus the inlet steam velocities to each stage are
essentially equal and due to a reduced h.
Multistage turbines with pressure stages have found a wide
field of usage in industry as prime movers (~ 10 MW).
The number pressure stages vary from 4 to 5.
The distribution of enthalpy drop in a large number of pressure
stages enables the attainment of lower velocities for the steam
flowing through the system of moving blades.
As a result more advantageous values of blade speed ratio and
blade friction factor are obtained.
Pressure drop takes place in
more than one row of nozzles
and the increase in kinetic energy
after each nozzle is held within
limits. Usually convergent nozzles
are used.
Fig: Velocity Diagram of Pressure
compounded Impulse Turbine
 Pressure-Velocity compounded Impulse Turbine

Fig: Schematic Diagram of Pressure-Velocity compounded Impulse Turbine

 Reaction Turbine
A reaction turbine, therefore, is one that is constructed of rows of fixed and rows of
moving blades.

The fixed blades act as nozzles.

The moving blades move as a result of the impulse of steam received (caused by
change in momentum) and also as a result of expansion and acceleration of the
steam relative to them. In other words, they also act as nozzles.

The enthalpy drop per stage of one row fixed and one row moving blades is divided
among them, often equally. Thus a blade with a 50 percent degree of reaction, or a 50
percent reaction stage, is one in which half the enthalpy drop of the stage occurs in
the fixed blades and half in the moving blades. The pressure drops will not be equal,
however. They are greater for the fixed blades and greater for the high pressure than
the low pressure stages.

50 % reaction stage 50% h drop in Fixed balde+50% h drop in moving blade

50 % reaction stage may be 60% p drop in Fixed balde+40% p drop in moving blade
( Enthalpy, h =u+pv)

Enthalpy drop may / may not equal to Pressure drop in fixed and moving blades
 Compounding in reaction turbines

Fig: Schematic Diagram of Pressure compounded Reaction Turbine

Fig: Velocity Diagram of Pressure Compounded Reaction turbine
 Blade configuration
The moving blades of a reaction turbine are easily
distinguishable from those of an impulse turbine in
that they are not symmetrical and, because they act
partly as nozzles, have a shape similar to that of the
fixed blades, although curved in the opposite
direction.
The schematic pressure line shows that pressure
continuously drops through all rows of blades, fixed
and moving.
The absolute steam velocity changes within each
stage as shown and repeats from stage to stage.
A very widely used design has half degree of reaction or 50% reaction
and this is known as Parson's Turbine. This consists of symmetrical
stator and rotor blades.
Absolute velocity of the outlet at this
stage is axial. In this case, the energy
transfer
Overall efficiency, Stage Efficiency and Reheat factor
The Thermodynamic effect on the turbine efficiency can be best understood by considering
a number of stages between two stages 1 and 2 as shown in Figure

The total expansion is divided into four stages of the same efficiency and pressure ratio.
The lines of constant
pressure diverge from
left to right on the
diagram
 This makes the overall efficiency of the turbine greater than the
individual stage efficiency.

The effect depicted by above Eq. is due to the thermodynamic effect called "reheat". This
does not imply any heat transfer to the stages from outside. It is merely the reappearance
of stage losses an increased enthalpy during the constant pressure heating (or reheating)
processes AX, BY, CZ and D2.
 Critical speed of turbine

Turbine shaft material has its own natural frequency,

when turbine rotates on such a speed that frequency of
shaft become close to its natural frequency, machine
causes noise & high vibrations because of resonance
due to matching of frequency. Running of Steam
"TURBINE" on this speed is avoided & this is called
Critical speed.

A turbine may have more than one critical speed, which

may depend upon number of couplings.
 Governing of steam turbines
Compounding To reduce the speed to a practical
limits (i.e., bringing down the speed from 30,000 rpm
to about 10,000-15,000 rpm)
Governing Maintaining constant speed (may be
5000 rpm or 10000 rpm or 12000 rpm)
Steam Turbine Governing is the procedure of
monitoring and controlling the flow rate of steam into
the turbine with the objective of maintaining its
speed of rotation as constant.
In a practical situation the load frequently varies from
the designed or economic load and thus there always
exists a considerable deviation from the desired
performance of the turbine. The primary objective in
the steam turbine operation is to maintain a constant
speed of rotation irrespective of the varying load.
Types of governing in STs:
Throttle governing
Nozzle governing
By pass governing
Combination governing
 Throttle governing

In throttle governing the pressure of steam is reduced at the turbine entry thereby
decreasing the availability of energy.

In this method steam is passed through a restricted passage thereby reducing its
pressure across the governing valve.

The flow rate is controlled using a partially opened steam control valve. The
reduction in pressure leads to a throttling process in which the enthalpy of steam
remains constant.
 Nozzle governing

In nozzle governing the flow rate of steam is regulated by opening and shutting of
sets of nozzles rather than regulating its pressure.
In this method groups of two, three or more nozzles form a set and each set is
controlled by a separate valve.
In actual turbine, nozzle governing is applied only to the first stage whereas the
subsequent stages remain unaffected. Since no regulation to the pressure is applied,
the advantage of this method lies in the exploitation of full boiler pressure and
temperature.
As shown in the figure the three sets of nozzles are controlled by means of three
separate valves.
 By pass governing

Occasionally the turbine is overloaded for short durations. During such operation,
bypass valves are opened and fresh steam is introduced into the later stages of the
turbine.
This generates more energy to satisfy the increased load.
 Multistage turbines
IMPULSE TURBINE
Thermal energy of steam is converted to kinetic energy in
turbine nozzle. Kinetic energy to be converted to blade
become mechanical energy and transferred through rotor,
shaft and coupling to the load. Enthalpy drop is high for
each moving blades.
Impulse blade applies in Curtis and Rateau turbines such as
the following typical
Curtis turbine contain 1 row of nozzle for 2 row of impulse
blades
Rateau turbine contain 1 row of nozzle for 1 row of impulse
blades, can be 1 pair up to several pair.
1 Curtis + Rateau rows constructed in one rotor.
Reaction Turbine
In reaction turbine, there is no nozzle to convert steam
energy to mechanical energy. Moving blades work due to
differential pressure of steam between front and at behind
of moving blades.
In general, reaction turbine is not stand alone, but works at
behind impulse turbine whether constructed in one rotor or
at separated rotor, but still connected by coupling. The
purpose of impulse turbine is to control speed and reduce
steam enthalpy to specified level. Reaction turbine is just
receiving steam condition from impulse blades. Typical pairs
of reaction and impulse turbines are;
1 Curtis + Several rows of Rateau + Reaction rows
1 Rateau + Reaction rows
Several rows of Rateau + Reaction rows
 Steam turbine operating range
The following criteria are used for selection steam turbine type
Curtis (Stand alone or Single Stage)
a. Compact .
b. Power is relative small ( up to 2000 kW).
c. Speed is relative low ( up to 6000 rpm, except for
special design up to 12000 rpm).
d. Enthalpy drop is high.
Rateau (Multi rows)
a. Efficiency is higher than Curtis
b. Power is high ( up to 30,000 kW)
c. Generally, speed is higher than Curtis (up to15000
rpm)
d. Enthalpy drop for each row lower than Curtis but still
high, higher than Reaction
Figure: Steam turbine
blades arrangement of
Impulse and Reaction
blades.
Figure: Pressure and
velocity of steam across
nozzle and blades in
impulse and reaction
blades
Reaction (Multi row reaction + 1 row impulse for
control stage)
a. More efficient
b. Power is high
c. Speed is high (up to15000 rpm)
d. Enthalpy drop each row is low
e. For low steam pressure.
Figure . Operating Range of Steam Turbines
Figure . Steam Process in Curtis and Single Row Rateau Turbine
Figure. Steam Process in Multi Row of Rateau Turbine
Figure. Steam Process in Impulse as Control Stage and Reaction Turbine
Back Pressure and Condensing Turbines
The name "Condensing turbine" and "Back
pressure turbine" expressed about steam condition
exit the turbines.

If steam condition exit the turbine in wet steam or

where steam condition at bellow saturated line of
Mollier diagram, named condensing turbine.

If steam condition exit the turbine in dry or still in

superheated condition or at upper of saturated line
of Mollier diagram, named back pressure turbine.
Back Pressure Turbine Condensing Turbine
For CHP applications For power generation only
For Process heating Higher electrical efficiency
Lower electrical efficiency Lower overall efficiency
Higher overall efficiency (Heat + Electrical)
 Condensing turbine
The condensing turbine processes result in
maximum power and electrical generation
efficiency from the steam supply and boiler
fuel.
The power output of condensing turbines is
sensitive to ambient conditions.
 Back pressure turbine
It exhausts its entire flow of steam to the industrial
process or facility steam mains at conditions close to
the process heat requirements.
Usually, the steam sent into the mains is not much
above saturation temperature.3 The term back-
pressure refers to turbines that exhaust steam at
atmospheric pressures and above.
Power generation capability reduces significantly when
steam is used at appreciable pressure rather than being
expanded to vacuum in a condenser.
Applications: For district energy systems, paper and
pulp plants, refineries and oil and natural gas facilities
 Steam Turbine Selection
Back-pressure turbines expand the live steam supplied by the
boiler to the pressure at which the steam is required for the
process. The overall plant efficiency of a back-pressure turbine
exhausting to a process is high, due to the considerable heat
losses through the condenser being eliminated. The electric
power generated by the back-pressure turbine is directly
proportional to the amount of process steam required. To avoid
the direct relationship between backpressure steam and power,
the alternator would have to be connected to the grid, or a by-
pass valve installed.

Extraction back-pressure turbines are employed where the

process steam is used at two different pressure levels. The
operating of this type of turbine is similar to the back-pressure
machine, a high overall plant efficiency being obtainable.
Difficulties exist in the control of such a turbine type, two by-
pass valves being necessary to maintain the process pressures if
the alternator is not coupled to the grid.
 The condensing turbine is used where process steam is
not necessary. This turbine has a lower overall efficiency
due to the loss of heat in the steam condenser, and it is
difficult to obtain cheaper station cost per kilowatt-hour
than buying electric power, due to the inherent
disadvantages of a relatively small condensing turbo-
alternator set.

The extraction-condensing turbine is used where the

power required is in excess of the process steam. The
efficiency of this type is lower than a back-pressure
turbine due to the partial loss of heat in the condenser.
However, this turbine has the advantage that the power
generated is not proportional to the process steam
required and, furthermore, power can be obtained whilst
the process in the factory is shut down.
Blade configuration

Twisted
Blade
Failures
 Losses in Nozzles
Losses of kinetic energy of steam while flowing through
nozzles or guide blade passages are caused because of
Energy losses of steam before entering the nozzles,
Frictional resistance of the nozzles walls,
Viscous friction between steam molecules,
Deflection of the flow,
Growth of boundary layer,
Turbulence in the Wake and
Losses at the roof and floor of the nozzles.
These losses are accounted by the velocity coefficient, f.
 Losses in Moving Blades
Losses in moving blades are caused due to various factors.
The total losses in moving blades are accounted for by the load
coefficient, .

These total losses are comprised as following:

Impingement losses.
Losses due to leakage of steam through the annular space between
stator and the shrouding (losses includes losses at admission to the
stages and leakage at glands and seals, and the residual velocity loss).
Friction losses(friction losses in the nozzles, in the blades, and at the
discs which rotate in the fluid).
Losses due to the turning of the steam jet in the blades
Losses due to shrouding (Generally shroud prevents flow leakage thus
reducing losses in the turbine).
Losses due to trailing edge wake.
MAINTENANCE OF STEAM TURBINES

CIRCULATING WATER SYSTEM

INTRODUCTION
. Circulating Water system supplies cooling
water to the turbine condenser. .

It is used to maintain the vacuum in the

condenser.
 Types of Circulating water system
1. Open or Once Through
It is used when there is a large source of water available.
e.g.- river , ocean.

2. Closed Cooling system

In this system, warm water from condenser is passed through a
cooling device, like cooling tower.
 Exhaust Stem from Turbine

Condenser

Filter Condensate
Condensate
Pump

CW Hot water
Pump

River

Open or Once Through

 Exhaust Stem from Turbine

Condenser

Condensate Condensate
to boiler Pump
Cooling water Hot air
Hot water

Cooling Tower

CW
Pump
Make up water
Closed Cooling system from river
 Cooling tower
It cools the warm water discharged from the
condenser & feed the cool water back to the
condenser.

It reduces the cooling water demand in the

power plant.
 Types of cooling tower
1. Natural Draught Cooling Tower

2. Mechanical Draught Cooling Tower

A. Forced Draught Cooling Tower
B. Induced Draught Cooling Tower
 Losses in cooling tower
1. Evaporation Losses
2. Drift Losses
3. Blowdown Losses
 TURBINE LUBE OIL SYSTEM

1.FLOW DIAGRAM OF LUBE OIL SYSTEM

2.NECESSITY OF LUBE OIL SYSTEM
3.COMPONENTS OF LUBE OIL SYSTEM
4.FUNCTIONS OF INDIVIDUAL
COMPONENTS OIL
5.FLOW TO DIFFERENT BRANCHES
6.FIRE PROTECTIONS
 Lubrication : To supplies oil to the bearing to form a film
of oil as the shaft rotates.
Temperature control : To maintain temperature of the
bearing.
Sealing medium : To the prevent H2 leak out along the
Generator shaft.
Jacking of shaft : Supply to jacking device.
 COMPONENTS OF LUBE OIL
SYSTEM

The system mainly consists of Main oil pump, BOP,

main oil tank, AC lubricant pump, DC emergency oil
pump,MSP, spill valve, oil cooler, Transfer valve, oil
smoke separator, shaft jacking up device, oil hydrogen
separator, oil level indicator as well as connecting lines,
monitoring instruments, etc.
 The oil tank adopts a combination mode as various
devices allocated on the tank as
AC lube oil pump,
DC emergency oil pump,
Oil smoke separator,
Oil level indicator,
Electric heater,
Spill valve,
BOP
MSP
 SEAL OIL SYSTEM

INTRODUCTION
Hydrogen is used for the cooling of
generator rotor. Hydrogen is so much
explosive when it come into contact
with air . To save this hydrogen from
explosion we need sealing of this
hydrogen. For this purpose we
generally use oil. This sealing is very
much similar to sealing of the pump on
its gland.
 The functions of the seal oil
control system
Providing seal oil to a sealing
continuously
Prevent the escape of hydrogen gas
from the generator at the point of
rotor exit . A continuous film between
the rotor collar and seal liner is
maintaining by means of oil at a
pressure which is slightly above then
hydrogen pressure.
 STATOR WATER COOLING
SYSTEM

FUNCTION

The Stator Coil Cooling Water System main function is to

guarantee cooling water uninterrupted flow into stator coil.
At the same time, the system also must control enter the
stator coil water pressure , flow, temperature, conductivity
Thank u