POWER PLANT ENGINEERING

CHAPTER (6)

STEAM TURBINE

1
 Contents
• Steam Turbine Definition
1. Impulse Turbines (De-Laval, Curtis and Rateau)
• Classification of Steam Turbines 2. Reaction Turbines (Parson)

1. The impulse principle

• Steam Turbine Operating Principle 2. The reaction principle

• The Impulse Turbine

1. Pressure Compounding (Rateau turbine)
• Compounding of Impulse Turbine 2. Velocity Compounding (Curtis turbine)
3. Pressure-Velocity Compounding (Curtis- Rateau
turbine)
• The Impulse-Reaction Turbine
• Flow of Steam through Impulse Turbine
• Tangential force (FT), (Whirling force)
• Axial force (Fa), (Axial thrust)
• Power produced (P), (Diagram power)
• Blade efficiency (ηb), (Diagram efficiency)
• Solved Example (1)

2
 Steam Turbines
 A steam turbine is mainly used as an ideal prime mover in
which heat energy is transformed into mechanical energy in
the form of rotary motion.

 A steam turbine is used in

1. Electric power generation in thermal power plants.
2. Steam power plants.
3. To propel the ships, submarines.

• In steam turbines, the heat energy of the steam is first

converted into kinetic (velocity) energy which in turn is
transformed into mechanical energy of rotation and then
drives the generator for the power generation.

3
Based on action of steam or type of expansion:
1. Impulse or velocity or De Laval turbine
2. Reaction or pressure or Parson’s turbine
3. Combination turbine
Based on number of stages:
1. Single stage turbine 2. Multi-stage turbine
Based on type of steam flow:
1. Axial flow turbine 2. Radial flow turbine

4
5
Steam Turbine Classification
by staging
• There are two main
categories of steam
turbines based on the
method of energy
transformation taking
place inside the
turbine or how the
steam is expanded.
• The two methods are
– Impulse and
– Reaction.
• High pressure impulse
turbines are more
commonly used in the
U.S., whereas reaction
turbines tend to be used
more in Europe and Asia.
• Impulse turbines:
– tend to be smaller than
reaction turbine of
comparable power and
– are more durable and
– have longer time
between overhaul than
reaction turbines.
• Reaction turbines have a
slightly higher operating
efficiency but are usually
used in low pressure
steam environments.
Created by: Assistant Professor Dr. Mishaal AbdulAmeer AbdulKareem
17:58 7
‫ ﻣﺷﻌﻝ ﻋﺑﺩ ﺍﻻﻣﻳﺭ ﻋﺑﺩ ﺍﻟﻛﺭﻳﻡ‬.‫ﺩ‬.‫ﻡ‬.‫ﺃ‬
dr.mishal04@gmail.com
Steam Turbine
Classification by staging
 Inflating a balloon and then
releasing it to fly around the
room uncontrolled, is an
illustration of the reaction
principle in action.

 A water wheel is a good

example of an impulse
turbine.
 However, it is also possible to
create rotational force and
power through the reaction
principle.
 Continuous power can be produced
only if a series of blades were
attached on the circumference of a
turbine wheel, such that the steam jet
is inclined to the blade at an angle
(α), so that as the wheel rotates, the
blades will continually face the jet,
as shown in figure (2).

Figure (2) Top view of a raw of impulse

blade on wheel 9
The reaction principle: A high pressure steam is passed through nozzles, as shown in
figure (3). When steam comes out from these nozzles, its velocity increases relative to the
rotating disc.
In practice, we hardly find any pure reaction turbine. The common type is Impulse-Reaction
turbine known as “Reaction Turbine”.
In reaction turbine, the pressure drop occurs in both the stationary and moving blades

Figure (3) Reaction principle

10
The Impulse Turbine:

Figure (4) Flow through impulse blades

11
 Simple Impulse
Turbine (Delaval)
• It consists of a set of nozzles
followed by a single set of rotating
blades attached to a wheel or disk.
• The nozzles
– Convert thermal and pressure
energy into velocity or kinetic
energy
• the moving blades
– Capture some of this velocity
– Turn it into rotational
mechanical power.
12
 Simple Impulse Turbine
• There is only one pressure drop
across the nozzle and essentially
zero pressure drop across the
moving blades.
• The ideal ratio of the blade speed
to the nozzle steam velocity to
obtain maximum work from the
stage is ½.
– The blades would be moving
approximately ½ the speed of
the nozzle velocity.

13
 Compounding of Impulse Turbine:
1. Pressure Compounding (Rateau turbine):
In this turbine, the compounding is done by arranging the expansion of steam in a
number of steps. Each step is called a “Stage” of the turbine, which consists of one set
of nozzles and one row of blades, as shown in figure (5). The expansion of steam takes
place only in the nozzles. Pressure drop per stage is reduced, and the steam velocity
leaving the nozzle is reduced. Thus, the shaft speed is reduced and the carry-over losses
is reduced also.

14
Figure (5) Pressure-Compounded Impulse Turbine (Rateau turbine).
 Pressure Compounded
Impulse (Rateau)
• It consists of two or more
simple impulse stages in
series on one rotor.
• The same basic rules
apply for pressure drops
and velocity changes as
depicted in the illustration.
• The ideal blade velocity is
equal to ½ nozzle velocity

15
2. Velocity Compounding (Curtis turbine):
This turbine consists a set of nozzles and rows of moving blades fixed to the rotor, and rows
of fixed blades attached to the casing, as shown in figure (6).
The entire expansion takes place in the nozzles. The first row of moving blades reduce the
high velocity of steam partially. The fixed blades redirect the steam back to the direction of
motion and so on to the second moving blades. By this method, the high rotor speed is
reduced

Figure (6) Velocity-Compounded Impulse Turbine (Curtis turbine)

16
 Velocity Compounded
Impulse (Curtis)
• It consists of a set of nozzles
followed by two or more sets of
moving blades attached to one
wheel or disk.
• There is also a set of redirectional
fixed blades in between the rotating
blades to direct the steam fro the first
set of blades to the next.
• There is still only one pressure drop
and this occurs across the nozzles.

17
3. Pressure-Velocity Compounding(Curtis-Rateau turbine):
This type of turbine is a combination of pressure and velocity compounding, as shown in
figure (7). The steam is partially expanded in a row of nozzles and then enters the rows of
velocity compounding, then the steam enters a second row of nozzles followed by another
rows of velocity compounding and so on

Figure (7) Pressure-Velocity Compounding Impulse Turbine (Curtis-Rateau turbine).

18
The Impulse-Reaction Turbine: The reaction turbine applies the principle of both; the pure
impulse and the pure reaction turbine. Each stage of the reaction turbine consist of a fixed row
of blades (nozzles) over the whole of the circumferential annulus, and an equal number of
moving blades attached to a wheel. Admission of steam takes place over the complete
annulus, and so there is “full admission” with a small drop in pressure and an increase in
velocity. The steam then passes over the first row of moving blades. This will change the
steam direction and its momentum. This gives an impulse force to the blades. There is a
further drop in pressure as the steam passes through the moving blades (nozzles). Therefore,
there is an increase in the steam velocity relative to the blades, which gives reaction force in
the direction opposite to rotation. Thus, the driving force is the sum of both impulse and
reaction forces, as shown in figure (8).

Figure (8) Impulse-Reaction Turbine 19

 Reaction turbine stages
(parsons)
• It consists of a set of fixed
blades (nozzles) and a set of
moving blades each of which
is shaped like nozzles.
• Therefore, there are two
pressure drops per stage in a
reaction turbine.
• Approximately 50% of the
momentum exchange takes
place in the fixed assembly and
50% takes place in the rotating
assembly.
20
FLOW OF STEAM THROUGH IMPULSE TURBINE:

21
Tangential force (FT), (Whirling force)
V1 = Absolute velocity of steam at blade inlet
V2 = Absolute velocity of steam at blade
outlet
Vr1 = Relative velocity of steam at blade inlet
Vr2 = Relative velocity of steam at blade
outlet
U = Mean blade speed
α1 = Nozzle angle
α2 = Absolute steam angle at blade outlet
β1 and β2 = Blade angles at inlet and outlet
Vw1 and Vw2= Tangential (whirl) component
of absolute velocity at blade inlet and outlet
Vf1 and Vf2= Axial component of absolute
velocity at blade inlet and outlet
FT = Tangential force (whirling force)
FT = Axial force (Axial thrust)

(for symmetric blades) => β1 = β2

(for frictional flow) => Vr2= k Vr1 (k=blade
velocity coefficient)

22
Axial force (Fa), (Axial thrust):

Power produced (P), (Diagram power):

Blade efficiency (ηb), (Diagram efficiency):

23
24
25
26
 Example 4-1
1. The velocity of steam entering a simple impulse turbine is 1000 m/s
and the nozzle angle is 200. the mean velocity of the blade is 400 m/s.
if the steam is to enter the blade without shock, what will be the blade
angles?
a) Neglecting friction effects on the blade, calculate the tangential force
on the blades and the diagram power for a mass flow rate of 0.75 kg/s.
Determine also the axial thrust and the diagram efficiency.
b) If the relative velocity at exit is reduced by friction to 80% of the at
inlet, determine the axial thrust, diagram power and diagram
efficiency.

27
 Example 4-2
The following data refer to a two-row velocity compounded impulse
wheel.
 Steam velocity at nozzle exit = 600 m/s
 Nozzle angle = 160
 Mean blade velocity = 120 m/s
 Exit angles:
• First row of moving blades = 180
• Fixed guide blades = 220
• Second row of moving blades = 360
 Steam flow rate = 5 kg/s
 Blade velocity coefficient = 0.85
Determine
a) The tangential thrust
b) The power developed 28
c) The diagram efficiency.
 Example 4-3
 In a stage of an impulse turbine provided with a single row of wheel,
the mean diameter of the blade ring is 800 mm and the speed of
rotation is 3000rpm. The steam issues from the nozzles of angle 200
with a velocity of 300 m/s. if the blade velocity coefficient is 0.86,
what is the power developed in the blades. When the axial thrust on the
blade is 140N.

29
 PERFORMANCE OF STEAM TURBINE
 Friction on blades and discs of steam turbine reduces the effective or
useful enthalpy change in the turbine change.
 The energy dissipated in overcoming friction heats up the steam and its
temperature at exit from the stage increases.

Fig-Mollier
diagram

30
 For pressure range from P1 to P2, the isentropic enthalpy change is

 Useful enthalpy change is

 Stage efficiency is given by

 Moving towards the right on the Mollier chart, the pressure lines
diverges therefore, for a three stage turbine, the expansion process
which is shown in figure above

Is called the Reheat factor(RF).

31
 Internal efficiency of the three stage turbine is define by:-

32
 Assignment 4-4
 An impulse steam turbine has a number of pressure stages, each having
a row of nozzles and a single ring of blades. The nozzle angle in the
first angle is 200 and the blade exit angle 300 with reference to the
plane of rotation. The mean blade speed is 130 m/sec and the velocity
of the steam leaving the nozzle is 330 m/sec.
a) Taking the blade friction factor is 0.8 and nozzle efficiency of 0.85,
Determine the work done in the stage per kg of steam and the stage
efficiency.
b) If the steam supply to the first stage is at 20 bar, 2500C and the
condenser pressure is 0.07 bar, estimate the number of stages
required, assuming that the stage efficiency and the work done are the
same for all states and the reheat factor is 1.06.

33