PRACTICAL OPERATION OF TURBINE MACHINERY. Heating Up.

The matter of warming up the turbines previous to starting is of vital importance, and should receive special attention from the engineers in charge. 1. Start running of the circulators and air pumps, and admit heating steam at about lo lbs. pressure right through the turbines to the condensers, after first getting rid of the heated air from the boilers, etc. 2. Uniform heating of all parts should be aimed at, and during this process (for which about six hours should be allowed) the rotor should be moved round slowly by the turning gear for quarter turn every thirty minutes. 3. During heating up the various clearances should be carefully read and noted down. The turbine drains should be opened to get rid of condensed water, which, if allowed to remain, might result in blade stripping when starting up. 4. The pipe lines ahead and astern should also be heated up gradually by opening up the steam admission valves of same. 5. The forced lubrication system should be tested by running the oil to flood up the bearings, and then trying the test cocks on the main bearings for oil flow through each. 6. Note, In some steamers a rather ingenious tell-tale arrangement is fitted which indicates when the oil flow is checked in the turbine bearings. The action is as follows : The oil flow from the turbine bearings passes through a small float tank in which a metal float moves vertically on a small spindle. When the oil flow falls below a certain level, the float in dropping makes contact with a metal stop below, and by means of a bell battery and connections starts the ringing of a small alarm bell, thus indicating to the engineer on water that the oil service is at fault 7. Steam should also be turned on to the steam glands until the required pressure shows on the gauges. 8. In testing the turbines give steam to ahead for a few revolutions then shut off and give steam, to astern for a few revolutions. 9. Previous to reporting " ready " take dummy clearance. 10. Whenever possible work up to full power by degfrees only. 11. When running up to speed required set gland steam and drains, the latter at mininum opening, as any excess opening means leakage. 12. Previous to getting under way start up oil pumps and obtain required pressure of oil (this varies from 25 lbs. to 45 lbs.). Examine sight glass for oil flow through bearings. (The sight glasses mentioned, unfortunately, soon become dirty and unreliable.) 13. When running astern be careful to take dummy clearance and make record of same. The dummy clearance is affected by the following :

(a) Unequal expansion of rotor and casing. {b) Amount of rotor " float " allowed for oil film at thrust. {c) Effect of thrust pressure forward and steam pressure aft and which varies under different speed or power conditions. 14. When running at any required speed or revolutions, it is best to open the minimum number of nozzle valves which will give sufficient steam for the purpose at the maximum boiler pressure. It is bad practice to open more valves than actually necessary, and then reduce the pressure by throttling to keep down the speed or power to the required figure. 15. In changing speed or reversing it is advisable to work up or work down to the power and speed required gradually, so that the risk of accident due to sudden expansion or to sudden contraction of the rotor or casing may be eliminated. 16. For quick emergency stopping of the turbines when running ahead, steam can be admitted to the reverse end. 17. For any given number of nozzle valves open, the main steam, vacuum, and gland pressures should be noted. This will afford a guide to the operation of the turbines. 18. To allow for quick emergency changes from ahead to astern the dummy clearances should not be kept too fine. 19. All impulse nozzles in use are best to be kept full open, and all not in use tight shut. 20. A record should be kept of the revolution speed obtained by various nozzle openings. 2T. With Curtis turbines the gland steam seals are worked at a pressure of about 3 lbs. Take accurate records of the oil temperatures when entering and leaving the main bearings, the maximum of which should not exceed about 130** Fahr. 22. The main bearing at initial end of turbine requires most attention, as the highest temperature exists there. 23. The importance of the gland steam seal on the L.P. and astern turbines should not be overlooked. 24. The efficiency of turbine machinery depends principally on the following: (a) High pressure at initial end. (d) Vacuum in condenser end, and in idle turbines. {c) Fine blade tip clearance. {(f) Tightness of glands against steam leakage out, and against air leakage in. (e) Closed exhaust system.

It should be noted that leaky L.P. glands allow the admission of air, and therefore produce a reduced vacuum in the condenser. 25. When standing by after stopping, stop oil pumps, slow down circulating pump, and open heating up steam to turbines, to prevent cooling down and contraction of the working parts ; also open drains from turbines. 26. Running ahead under closed exhaust system the auxiliary exhausts are usually led to the third expansion of the turbine, but when running astern or manoeuvring the auxiliary exhausts require to be led to the condenser. 27. Turbine oil only is suitable for forced lubrication, as under pressure ordinary engine oil tends to form an emulsion. 28. The steam strainers require to be examined and cleaned at regular intervals. 29. The oil cooling service pipes, strainers, and other connections require regular attention. 30. After lifting turbine top half casings for examination, cleaning, or repair, before replacing same make careful examination for any articles left behind, such as chisels, hammers, loose blades, or packers, also turn rotor round slowly and examine closely for loose binding wires on the blading. The neglect of this has in many cases led to damage due to blade stripping, etc., when under way again, as in this respect turbines are by no means ** fool-proof." 31. A record should be kept of the blade tip clearances, the blade side clearances, and, most necessary of all, of the dummy clearance, taken "cold," " heating up," and when " running " ahead and astern. 32. It is of vital importance that the forced lubrication system for the gear wheels and main bearings should be absolutely reliable under all conditions of running, as, if the oil flow is checked through pump stoppage or choked pipes, etc., for even a short period, there is serious danger of the bearings running out, and turbine blade stripping taking place. 33. When changing speed or running over to " astern " it is advisable to carefully check the dummy clearance, and afterwards readjust same if found necessary. 34. Make sure that leakage steam from glands is not pla3dng on the main bearings, and so raising the temperature ; also take care that no oil from the bearings finds its way past the glands into the turbine casings. 35. With reaction turbines a dummy setting of, say, .035" allows a safe margin for all possible variations in speed or power either ahead or astern, without allowing appreciable increase of leakage steam past the dummy rings. 36. When impulse turbines are opened up for inspection examine the cross horizontal joints of the stage diaphragms for signs of steam leakage, which may be caused by erosion of the joint faces : this is, however, not so likely to occur when the steam is superheated, as less water particles are then present.

Also examine diaphragm glands (where turbine shaft passes through) for signs of wear and leakage. 37. If, when overhauling turbines, it becomes necessary to lift the gear pinions out of their bearings, it is essential that absolutely accurate reference marks be cut on corresponding pinion teeth and gear wheel teeth, as if this precaution is neglected, considerable difficulty will be found in meshing the teeth correctly when re-assembling: this applies particularly to double reduction gearing, which, if not set to dead accuracy, may ultimately lead to the break- age of teeth in the " idler " wheel or pinions. This breakdown, it may be mentioned, has actually occurred through the cause stated. 38. Loss of vacuum represents reduced turbine efficiency, and therefore increased consumption. In cases recorded i" less vacuum resulted in 7 per cent, increase of water consumption per horsepower hour, and 2" loss of vacuum about 12 per cent, more consumption. It should be noted, however, that running at, say, J power the consumption will naturally be more with constant vacuum than when running at full power, and the same applies to still lower powers. Loss of vacuum is usually caused by air leakage into the exhaust bends or condenser, also in the L.P. turbine exhaust end gland. Leaky air pump valves will also reduce the vacuum. If, due to air leakage, the vacuum were to fall from, say, 28" to 25" the increase of steam consumption will in many cases, amount to fully 1 5 per cent. ; hence the importance of locating all air leakages in the exhaust system.