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Steam Turbine Working and Types

Steam turbines convert the thermal energy of pressurized steam into mechanical energy through a rotating shaft connected to a generator to produce power. They are widely used in power plants fueled by nuclear, coal, or natural gas, providing around 88% of power in the US. There are two main types of steam turbines - impulse turbines which use nozzles to accelerate steam onto rotor blades, and reaction turbines which gradually decrease steam pressure through alternating fixed and moving blades without nozzles. Steam is produced by boiling water using heat and directed toward turbine blades shaped like airfoils to provide lift and rotation, with the turbine connected to a generator that uses this motion to produce electricity through electromagnetic induction.

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35 views

Steam Turbine Working and Types

Steam turbines convert the thermal energy of pressurized steam into mechanical energy through a rotating shaft connected to a generator to produce power. They are widely used in power plants fueled by nuclear, coal, or natural gas, providing around 88% of power in the US. There are two main types of steam turbines - impulse turbines which use nozzles to accelerate steam onto rotor blades, and reaction turbines which gradually decrease steam pressure through alternating fixed and moving blades without nozzles. Steam is produced by boiling water using heat and directed toward turbine blades shaped like airfoils to provide lift and rotation, with the turbine connected to a generator that uses this motion to produce electricity through electromagnetic induction.

Uploaded by

bekaen bekaen
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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OCTOBER 17, 2020

Steam Turbine Working and Types


A steam turbine is a machine that converts thermal energy generated from pressurized
steam into kinetic energy which is then converted into mechanical energy in order to turn
a rotating shaft. This shaft is connected to a generator through which power is produced.
A very large portion of the world’s power requirements are met with the help of these
steam turbines that are present in nuclear, electric and coal based power plants. In the
US alone, about 88% of power is produced by using steam turbines integrated in central
station power plants. The very first modern-day steam turbine was developed by Sir
Charles A. Parsons in 1884. Since then, a lot of significant improvements have been
made in terms of production capacity and efficiency.

Steam turbines are extensively used in combined cycle power plants. In these plants, gas
turbines produce excess heat and energy which can then be used to produce steam and
thus run the steam turbine. The combination of these two turbines together help in
efficiently producing power in these plants.

Types of Steam Turbines


There are basically two types of steam turbines in the market today based on steam
flow: 

1. Reaction turbine 
2. Impulse turbine.

Most reactors in use have a combination of both designs in various stages of the turbine.
The lower pressure regions comprise of the reaction design and the higher pressure
regions will have the impulse design. In impulse turbine, the steam coming out from the
fixed nozzle strikes the blades that are fixed on the periphery of the rotor at a very high
velocity. The steam completely expands inside the nozzle and as a result, the pressure
does not change as it moves through the blades. In the case of reaction turbine, steam
pressure gradually decreases while it expands through the alternate sets of fixed and
moving blades. There are no nozzles present in the reaction turbine as the fixed blade
itself acts as the nozzle.

Working of Steam Turbines
As the name suggests, steam is required for the running of a steam turbine. This steam
is produced by boiling water using a heat source which could be nuclear, gas or coal. This
steam is then admitted towards the blades of the shaft. The blades of the turbine is in the
shape of an airfoil. This shape aids in the rotation of the turbine as it provides a lift force.
The turbine has a set of alternating fixed nozzle and blade arrangement. The nozzle is
stationary and its area decreases from one side to the other, thereby increasing the
velocity of steam flowing through it. This helps in increasing the speed of the blades as
well. The turbine is connected to a generator which has a magnet that is wound by
copper coils. The rotation of the magnet produces a strong magnetic field and this
magnetic field causes the flow of electrons and thus electricity is generated.

Reference/Image :- petrotechinc, wikipedia, youtube, fisair

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