COMPOUNDING OF

STEAM TURBINE

INTRODUCTION

Asteamturbineis a device that extractsthermal energyfrom

pressurizedsteamand uses it to domechanical workon a
rotating output shaft. Its modern manifestation was invented
bySir Charles Parsonsin 1884.

The motive power in a steam turbine is obtained by the rate of

change in momentum of a high velocity jet of steam impinging on
a curved blade which is free to rotate.

The steam from the boiler is expanded in a nozzle, resulting in the

emission of a high velocity jet. This jet of steam impinges on the
moving vanes or blades, mounted on a shaft. Here it undergoes a
change of direction of motion which gives rise to a change in
momentum and therefore a force

The steam does not strike on the blades but glides on the surface
of the blades to impart the motion to the blade.

TYPES OF STEAM TURBINE

a) Impulse turbine

Steam is expanded only in nozzles, and pressure at the outlet side of

blades is equal to that at inlet side.

Drop in pressure of steam takes place only in nozzles and not in

moving blades.

Energy transformation takes place only in nozzles.

b) Impulse-Reaction turbine

Expansion of steam takes place in nozzles(fixed blade) as well as in

moving blades.

This difference of pressure at inlet and outlet result in reaction and

adds to the propelling force.

Both energy transfer and transformation takes place in moving blades.

WHY COMPOUNDING IS REQUIRED?

The steam produced in the boiler has got very

high enthalpy. In all turbines the blade velocity is
directly proportional to the velocity of the steam
passing over the blade.

Now, if the entire energy of the steam is

extracted in one stage, i.e. if the steam is
expanded from the boiler pressure to the
condenser pressure in a single stage, then its
velocity will be very high. Hence the velocity of
the rotor (to which the blades are keyed) can
reach to about 30,000 rpm, which is pretty high
for practical uses.

Moreover at such high speeds the centrifugal

forces are immense, which can damage the
structure. Hence, compounding is needed.

WHAT IS COMPOUMDING?

Compounding is employed for reducing the rotational speed of the impulse

turbine to practical limits.

Compounding of steam turbines is the method in which energy from the steam is
extracted in a number of stages rather than a single stage in a turbine.

A compounded steam turbine has multiple stages i.e. it has more than one set of
nozzles and rotors, in series, keyed to the shaft or fixed to the casing, so that
either the steam pressure or the jet velocity is absorbed by the turbine in number
of stages.

There are three main types of compounded turbines.

a) Velocity-compounded impulse turbine.
b) Pressure-compounded impulse turbine.
c) Pressure and velocity compounded impulse turbine.

VELOCITY-COMPOUNDED IMPULSE
TURBINE

This turbine is also termed as

Curtis Turbine.

Velocity drop is arranged in many

small drops through many moving
blades instead of single row of
moving blades.

High pressure steam is expanded

in nozzle which is then transferred
to first set of moving blades where
steam losses part of its kinetic
energy.

Fixed blade are guide blades that

guide the steam to succeeding row
of fixed blade which further
reduces its velocity.

DISADVANTAGES OF VELOCITY
COMPOUNDING

Due to the high steam velocity there are high friction losses

Work produced in the low-pressure stages is very less.

The designing and fabrication of blades which can withstand such high
velocities is difficult.

PRESSURE-COMPOUNDED IMPULSE
TURBINE

This turbine is also known as Rateau Turbine.

In this pressure drop from chest pressure to the condenser pressure is split
up into smaller pressure drop across several stages of impulse turbine.

It consists of alternate rings of nozzles and turbine blades. The nozzles

are fitted to the casing and the blades are keyed to the turbine shaft.

In this type of compounding the steam is expanded in a number of stages,

instead of just one (nozzle) in the velocity compounding.

 The steam coming from the boiler

is fed to the first set of fixed
blades i.e. the nozzle ring. The
steam is partially expanded in the
nozzle ring. This is then passed
over the set of moving blades. As
the steam flows over the moving
blades nearly all its velocity is
absorbed. However, the pressure
remains constant during this
process. After this it is passed into
the nozzle ring again to further
reduce the pressure.

DISADVANTAGES OF PRESSURE
COMPOUNDING

The disadvantage is that since there is pressure drop in the nozzles, it

has to be made air-tight.

They are bigger and bulkier in size.

PRESSURE-VELOCITY COMPOUNDED
IMPULSE TURBINE

This turbine is the combination of pressure and velocity compounding.

It consist of set of nozzles each consist of moving and fixed blades.

Pressure compounding occurs in set of nozzles while velocity
compounding occurs in moving and fixed blades.

In first set of nozzles, slight decrease in pressure occurs while the

kinetic energy increases. There is no pressure drop in two rows of
moving blade. However, velocity drops in moving blades.

In second set of nozzles, the remaining pressure drop takes place,but

velocity increases and, the drop in velocity takes place in moving blades of
the second rotor.
This method of compounding is used in Curits and Moore Turbine.

Venkanna B.K.,Fundamentals of Turbomachinery, PHI Learning Private

Limited, New Delhi, 2011.
Yahya S. M.,Turbines, Compressors and Fans (Fourth Edition), Tata
Mcgraw Hill Educaition Private Limited, New Delhi, 2011.
El-Wakil M. M.,Powerplant Technology, Tata Mcgraw Hill Educaition
Private Limited, New Delhi, 2010.
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