Steam turbine

Introduction:
This section describes features, operational concerns and terminology common to
most steam turbines.
Steam cycles used in electrical power plants and in the production of shaft power
in industry are based on the Rankine cycle, studied briefly in most courses in
Thermodynamics.

“A steam turbine is a device that converts the thermal energy of steam into
mechanical energy by turning the blades of a rotor”

History:
More than a thousand years later, first time in 1543, Spanish naval officer Blasco
de Garay used a primitive steam machine to move a ship in the port of Barcelona.
In 1551, Taqi al-Din in Ottoman Egypt described a steam turbine with the practical
application. Steam turbines were also described by the Italian Giovanni Branca in
1629 and John Wilkins in England 1648.
The modern steam turbine was invented in 1884 by the Englishman Sir Charles
Parsons, whose first model was connected to a dynamo that generated 7.5 kW of
electricity. The invention of Parson's steam turbine made cheap and plentiful. After
this goal the turbine scaled-up shortly after by an American, George Westinghouse
and the size of generators had increased from 7.5 kW set up to units of 50,000 kW
capacity. The Brown-Curtis turbine which had been originally developed by the U.S.
Company International Curtis Marine. It was used in ships and warships Royal Navy
warships.

A 250 kW industrial
Steam turbine
From 1910 directly
Linked to a generator
Electricity also produced in Pakistan from Steam Turbine. WAPDA Thermal Plants
are

Gas Turbine Power Station, Shadra 59 MW

Steam Power Station, Faisalabad 132 MW
Gas Turbine Power Station, Faisalabad 244 MW
Gas Power Station, Multan 195 MW
Thermal Power Station, Muzaffargarh 1350 MW
Thermal Power Station, Guddu(Sindh) 1655 MW
Gas Turbine Power Station, Kotri(Sindh) 174 MW
Thermal Power Station, Jamshoro(Sindh) 850 MW
Thermal Power Station, Larkana 150 MW
Thermal Power Station, Quetta 35 MW
Gas Turbine Power Station, Panjgur(Blochistan) 39 MW
Thermal Power Station, Pasni(Blochistan) 17 MW
Total Power ==> 4811 MW

In Pakistan 4811 Megawatt electricity produced by thermal Power.

Types of Steam turbines:
Different types of steam turbine are as follows
Classification of Steam Turbines
Depending upon the behavior of the steam in the vicinity of the blades, steam
turbines are divided into two major classes:

Impulse turbines:
Complete expansion of steam takes place in stationary nozzle blades. 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.

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.

According to pressure:
HP (High Pressure)
IP (Intermediate Pressure)
LP (Low Pressure)
According to position of shaft:
Horizontal (Commonly Used)
Vertical
According to flow:
Tangential Flow
Axial Flow
Combinations of flow
According to Casing/Shell:
Single flow Casing
Double Shell Casing
Inner Casing and outer Casing (Made of Cast iron)

Parts of steam turbine and its Working:

Main parts of steam turbine are as follows.

Casing:
These arrangements include single casing. Single casing units are the most basic
style where a single casing and shaft are coupled to a generator. In modern turbines
greater than 100 MW or steam pressure 100 bar have HP (High Power) casing of
double shell design. Triple casings also used on some modern turbines to further
reduce the stresses on the hot inner casing, and hence reduce thermal distortion.
The steam inlet pipes pass through the outer casing and deliver the steam into the
inlet belt of the inner casing.

Turbine blades:
The energy conversion takes place through the turbine blades. A turbine consists
of alternate rows of blades. This blades convert the thermal energy of working fluid
into kinetic energy and then from kinetic energy to mechanical energy as rotation
of the shaft. The moving blades convert the kinetic energy in the moving speed into
the mechanical energy as rotor rotation.

Blade efficiency
It is the ratio of the work done on the blades to kinetic energy supplied to the fluid.
Rotor:
The turbine rotor assembly consists of the turbine shaft and the attached moving
blade. The moving steam imparts both a tangential and axial thrust on the turbine
shaft .The rotor assembly absorbs energy from working fluid (steam, gas, water
etc.) and converts that energy into mechanical energy.

Valves:
Steam from the boiler is routed to the turbine through a steam line that contains
the main stop valves and the control valves.

Mechanical governor:
The purpose of a mechanical governor is to maintain the speed of the turbine at a
desired value when the generator is disconnected from the power supply.
Boiler:
Boiler is an enclosed vessel in which water is heated and circulated until the water
is turned into steam at the required pressure. (Fire Tube boiler, Multi Tube boiler,
cylindrical fire tube boiler Commonly Used)

Condenser:
Steam after rotating steam comes to condenser. Steam condenser is a device in
which the exhaust steam from steam turbine is condensed by means of cooling
water.

Nozzles:
Key to achieving high efficiency in both impulse and reaction turbines is the design
of the nozzles. They are normally a convergent-divergent (hourglass) shape which
increases the velocity of the inlet steam while reducing its pressure. Increasing the
velocity of the steam.

Working:
The steam turbine operates on basic principles of thermodynamics using the part
of the Rankine cycle. Superheated vapor enters the turbine, after it having exited
the boiler, at high temperature and high pressure. The high heat/pressure steam is
converted into kinetic energy. Once the steam has exited the nozzle it is moving at
high velocity and is sent to the blades of the turbine. A force is created on the
blades due to the pressure of the vapor on the blades causing them to move. A
generator can be placed on the shaft and the energy that was in the vapor can now
use in form of electricity.
Change in specific entropy we come up with the following equation

Ẇt is the rate at which work is developed per unit mass

ṁ is the rate of mass flow through the turbine
To measure how well a turbine is performing we can look at the isentropic
efficiency. Isentropic efficiencies involve a comparison between the actual
performance of a device and the performance that would be achieved.

When calculating the isentropic efficiency heat to the surroundings is assumed to

be zero. The starting pressure and temperature is the same for both the isentropic
and actual efficiency. Specific entropy for the isentropic process is greater than the
specific entropy.
Turbine efficiency:
The efficiency of the steam turbine can be calculated by using the Kelvin statement
of the Second law of Thermodynamics.

Wcycle is the Work done during one cycle

QH is the Heat transfer received from the heat source

If we look at the Carnot cycle the maximum efficiency of a steam turbine can be
calculated. This efficiency can never be achieved in the real world due to
irreversibility during the process, but it does give a good measure as to how a
particular turbine is performing.

TL is the absolute temperature of the vapor moving out of the turbine

TH is the absolute temperature of the vapor coming from the boiler

Work Done of Steam Turbine:

V1 and V2 are the absolute velocities at the inlet and outlet respectively.
Vf1 and Vf2 are the flow velocities at the inlet and outlet respectively.
Vw1 + U and Vw2 are the swirl velocities at the inlet and outlet respectively.
Vr1 and Vr2 are the relative velocities at the inlet and outlet respectively.
U1 and U2 are the velocities of the blade at the inlet and outlet respectively.

is the guide vane angle and is the blade angle.

Then by the law of moment of momentum, the torque on the fluid is given by

For an impulse steam turbine therefore, the tangential force on the

blades is

The work done per unit time or power developed

When ω is the angular velocity of the turbine, then the blade speed is

The power developed is then

Over Speed of Turbine Rotor:

1. Turbine Rotor is tested on the over speed balancing tunnel.

2. Balancing speed 180-3600 rmp.
3. Minimum Vibration limit 1 micron.

Turbine Designation:

H - Single Flow HP Turbine

K - HP/IP Opposite flow
E - HP/LP Opposite flow
N - Double flow LP Turbine
M - Double flow IP Turbine
Compounding of Steam Turbines:
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 nozzle and rotor blade
rows, in series, so that either the steam pressure or the velocity (after expansion)
is absorbed by the turbine in stages.

Three main types of compounded impulse turbines are:

a. Pressure compounded
b. Velocity compounded
c. Pressure and velocity compounded impulse turbines

Pressure Compounding:
Involves splitting of the whole pressure drop into a series of smaller pressure drops
across several stages of Impulse turbine. The nozzles are fitted into a diaphragm
locked in the casing that separates one wheel chamber from another. All rotors are
mounted on the same shaft.
Velocity Compounding:
Entire pressure drop is achieved across the first nozzle. The high velocity is then
reduced stage by stage across the following rotor blade rows. There is no expansion
Across the stator rows.

Pressure-Velocity Compounding:
Pressure-velocity compounding is combination of pressure and velocity
compounding. It gives the advantage of producing a shortened rotor compared to
pure velocity compounding. In this design steam velocity at exit to the nozzles is
kept reasonable and thus the blade speed is reduced.
Application of Steam Turbines:
1. Power generation
2. Petrochemical refineries
3. Pharmaceuticals
4. Food processing
5. Petroleum / gas processing
6. Paper mills
7. Sugar industry
8. Waste-to-energy

Also used in Various Applications:

Direct drive:
Electrical power stations use large steam turbines driving electric generators to
produce most (about 80%) of the world's electricity. The advent of large steam
turbines made central-station electricity generation practical, since reciprocating
steam engines of large rating became very bulky, and operated at slow speeds.
Steam turbines can also be used directly to drive large centrifugal pumps, such as
feed water pumps at a thermal power plant.

A direct-drive 5 MW steam turbine.

The turbines used for electric power generation are most often directly coupled to
their generators. As the generators must rotate at constant synchronous speeds
according to the frequency of the electric power system, the most common speeds
are 3,000 RPM for 50 Hz systems, and 3,600 RPM for 60 Hz systems.

Marine propulsion:
In steamships, advantages of steam turbines over reciprocating engines are smaller
size, lower maintenance, lighter weight, and lower vibration. A steam turbine is
only efficient when operating in the thousands of RPM, while the most effective
propeller designs are for speeds less than 300 RPM. Another alternative is turbo-
electric transmission, in which an electrical generator run by the high-speed turbine
is used to run one or more slow-speed electric motors connected to the propeller
shafts.
 1894, the first
Steam turbine
Powered ship (Also Called Turbinia)

The fuel costs are higher than a diesel engine because steam turbines have lower
thermal efficiency. To reduce fuel costs the thermal efficiency of both types of
engine have been improved over the years. Today, propulsion steam turbine cycle
efficiencies have yet to break 50%, yet diesel engines routinely exceed 50%,
especially in marine applications. Diesel power plants also have lower operating
costs since fewer operators are required. Thus, conventional steam power is used
in very few new ships.

Nuclear-powered ships and submarines use a nuclear reactor to create steam for
turbines.

Locomotives:
A steam turbine locomotive engine is a steam locomotive driven by a steam
turbine.
 Steam turbine
Locomotive with preheater (1925)

The main advantages of a steam turbine locomotive are better rotational balance
and reduced hammer blow on the track. However, a disadvantage is less flexible
output power so that turbine locomotives were best suited for long-haul
operations at a constant output power. The first steam turbine rail locomotive was
built in 1908.

Advantages of steam Turbine (Power plant and other Applications):

1. Initial investment is low

2. Power plant can be located near load center, so transmission cost and losses
are considerably reduced.
3. Commissioning of thermal power plant requires less period of time
4. Feed water heaters are provided to heat the feed water supplied to boiler by
which overall efficiency of plant can be increased.
5. High efficiency at high speed.
6. Far fewer moving parts, hence potentially greater reliability.
7. Easy operation
Disadvantages of steam Turbine (Power plant and other Applications):

1. Life and efficiency of steam power plant is less when compared to Hydel
power plant
2. Transportation of fuel is major problem
3. Cost of power generation is more than hydro power
4. Air pollution is major problem
5. Coal may be exhausted by gradual use.
6. High efficiency is ordinarily obtained only at high speed
7. Turbines can rotate in only one direction

Comparison of Impulse and Reaction Turbines:

Losses in Steam Turbines:

Profile Loss: Due to development of boundary layers on blade surfaces, surface

roughness, edge thickness.

Secondary Loss: Due to development of boundary layers on the casing and hub
walls. The influence factors are similar to those for the profile loss.

Tip Leakage Loss: Due to clearance between rotor blades and casing wall as well as
between stator blades and rotating hub. The extent of tip leakage depends on
whether the turbine is impulse or reaction.

Disc Windage Loss: Due to fluid friction on the turbine disc surfaces as they rotate
in a steam atmosphere. The result is a reduction in shaft power and an increase in
kinetic energy and heat energy of steam.

Lacing Wire Loss: Due to flow blockage created by the presence of lacing Wires in
long blade of LP stages.
Wetness Loss: Due to moisture entrained in the low pressure steam at the exit of
LP turbine.

Annulus Loss: Due to significant amount of diffusion between adjacent stages or

where wall cavities occur between the fixed and moving blades.

Leaving Loss: Due to kinetic energy of steam leaving the last stage of LP turbine.