ME8596 THERMAL ENGINEERING –II

UNIT III

STEAM TURBINES

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3.1 STEAM TURBINES: Normally the turbines are classified into types,
1. Impulse Turbine
2. Reaction Turbine
Impulse and Reaction Turbines:

3.6.1 Impulse Turbines:

The steam jets are directed at the turbines bucket shaped rotor blades where the pressure exerted
by the jets causes the rotor to rotate and the velocity of the steam to reduce as it imparts its
kinetic energy to the blades. The blades in turn change the direction of flow of the steam
however its pressure remains constant as it passes through the rotor blades since the cross section

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of the chamber between the blades is constant. Impulse turbines are therefore also known as
constant pressure turbines. The next series of fixed blades reverses the direction of the steam
before it passes to the second row of moving blades.

3.1.2 Reaction Turbines

The rotor blades of the reaction turbine are shaped more like aero foils, arranged such that the
cross section of the chambers formed between the fixed blades diminishes from the inlet side
towards the exhaust side of the blades. The chambers between the rotor blades essentially form
nozzles so that as the steam progresses through the chambers its velocity increases while at the
same time its pressure decreases, just as in the nozzles formed by the fixed blades. Thus the
pressure decreases in both the fixed and moving blades. As the steam emerges in a jet from
between the rotor blades, it creates a reactive force on the blades which in turn creates the
turning moment on the turbine rotor, just as in Hero’s steam engine. (Newton’s Third Law – For
every action there is an equal and opposite reaction).

3.2 Compounding of impulse turbine:

- This is done to reduce the rotational speed of the impulse turbine to practical limits. (A rotor
speed of 30,000 rpm is possible, which is pretty high for practical uses.) - 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. -
Three main types of compounded impulse turbines are: a) Pressure compounded, b) velocity
compounded and c) pressure and velocity compounded impulse turbines.

3.2.1. Velocity Compounding:

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Pi = Inlet Pressure, Pe= Exit Pressure, Vi =Inlet Velocity, Ve=Exit Velocity.

The velocity-compounded impulse turbine was first proposed by C.G. Curtis to solve the
problems of a single-stage impulse turbine for use with high pressure and temperature steam.
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.
A Curtis stage impulse turbine is shown in Fig. with schematic pressure and absolute steam-
velocity changes through the stage. 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.

3.2.2. Pressure Compounding:

-This involves splitting up of the whole pressure drop from the steam chest pressure to the
condenser pressure into a series of smaller pressure drops across several stages of impulse
turbine. -The nozzles are fitted into a diaphragm locked in the casing. This diaphragm separates
one wheel chamber from another. All rotors are mounted on the same shaft and the blades are
attached on the rotor.

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3.2.3. Pressure-Velocity Compounding

This is a combination of pressure and velocity compounding. A two-row velocity compounded

turbine is found to be more efficient than the three-row type. In a two-step pressure velocity
compounded turbine, the first pressure drop occurs in the first set of nozzles, the resulting gain in
the kinetic energy is absorbed successively in two rows of moving blades before the second
pressure drop occurs in the second set of nozzles. Since the kinetic energy gained in each step is
absorbed completely before the next pressure drop, the turbine is pressure compounded and as
well as velocity compounded. The kinetic energy gained due to the second pressure drop in the
second set of nozzles is absorbed successively in the two rows of moving blades.

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The pressure velocity compounded steam turbine is comparatively simple in construction and is
much more compact than the pressure compounded turbine.

3. Velocity diagram of an impulse turbine:

3.3 Velocity diagram of the velocity compounded turbines:
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. 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 in figure 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. The second
figure shows a typical velocity diagram for the reaction stage.
Pressure and enthalpy drop both in the fixed blade or stator and in the moving blade or Rotor
Therefore, the blade efficiency
3.4 Governing of Steam Turbine: The method of maintaining the turbine speed constant
irrespective of the load is known as governing of turbines. The device used for governing of
turbines is called Governor. There are 3 types of governors in steam turbine,
1. Throttle governing
2. Nozzle governing
3. By-pass governing

3.4.1. Throttle Governing:

Let us consider an instant when the load on the turbine increases, as a result the speed of the
turbine decreases. The fly balls of the governor will come down. The fly balls bring down the
sleeve. The downward movement of the sleeve will raise the control valve rod. The mouth of the
pipe AA will open. Now the oil under pressure will rush from the control valve to right side of
piston in the rely cylinder through the pipe AA. This will move the piston and spear towards the
left which will open more area of nozzle. As a result steam flow rate into the turbine increases,
which in turn brings the speed of the turbine to the normal range.
3.4.2. Nozzle Governing:

A dynamic arrangement of nozzle control governing is shown in fig.

In this nozzles are grouped in 3 to 5 or more groups and each group of nozzle is supplied steam
controlled by valves. The arc of admission is limited to 180º or less. The nozzle controlled
governing is restricted to the first stage of the turbine, the nozzle area in other stages remaining
constant. It is suitable for the simple turbine and for larger units which have an impulse stage
followed by an impulse reaction turbine.