Steam Turbine Design

Impulse Turbine
Impulse steam turbine stage consists as usual
from stator which known as the nozzle and
rotor or moving blades
Impulse turbine are characterized by the that
most or all enthalpy and hence pressure drop
occurs in the nozzle.
The rotor blades can be recognized by their
shape, which is symmetrical and have
entrance and exit angles around 20
o
. They
are short and have constant cross sections.
Single Stage Impulse Turbine
Nozzles Blades
IMPLUSE STAGE
It is usually called De-Laval turbine
The steam is fed through one or
several convergent-divergent
nozzles
The nozzles do not extend
completely around the
circumference of the rotor, so that
only part of the blades are impinged
upon by the steam.
Pressure drop occurs in the nozzle
and not in the blades.
Maximum velocity and hence kinetic
energy of the steam occurs at the
nozzle exit
Velocity change occurs in the rotor
blades where the steam gives up its
energy to the rotor blades.
P
r
e
s
s
u
r
e

V
e
l
o
c
i
t
y

Compounded Steam Turbines
Compounded steam turbine means multistage
turbine.
Compounding is needed when large enthalpy drop is
available.
Since optimum blade speed is related to the exit
nozzle speed. It will be higher as the enthalpy drop
is higher.
The blade speed is limited by the centrifugal force as
well as needs of bulky reduction gear
Compounding can be achieved either by velocity
compounded turbine or pressure compounded
turbine.
Velocity Compounded Impulse
Turbine
The velocity compounded turbine was first
proposed by C.G Curtis.
It 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 which has the function of
redirecting the steam leaving the first row of
the moving blades to the second row of
moving blades.
Velocity Compounded Impulse
Turbine (Contd.)
Velocity Compounded Impulse
Turbine (Contd.)
In Curtis turbine steam leaving the nozzle is utilized
in both rows of moving blades instead of single raw
as in the de-Laval turbine.
The velocity remain almost constant across the fixed
blades.
Using an analysis similar to that used for the single
stage , The work of the Curtis turbine is as follows:

( ) ( ) | | ( ) ( ) | |} {
2
2
3
2
4
2
4
2
3
2
1
2
2
2
2
2
1 r r s s r r s s
o
o
V V V V V V V V
m
w + + + =
First Row Second Row
Due to friction effect inlet and exist
velocities for different rows are related as
follows:

3
3
4
3 4
2
2
3
2 3
1
1
2
1 2
v
r
r
r r
v
s
s
s s
v
r
r
r r
k
V
V
V V
k
V
V
V V
k
V
V
V V
= <
= <
= <
Velocity Compounded Impulse
Turbine (Contd.)
Velocity Compounded Impulse
Turbine (Contd.)
Although the Curtis stage is
composed of two rows of moving
blades, a velocity compounded
turbine can be composed of any
number of such rows.
All these rows are sharing in the
same kinetic energy of the
incoming steam.
These stages are usually built with
successively increasing blade
angles such that they become
flatter and thinner blades toward
the last row.
Expression for the optimum speed
is as follows:

n
Cos V
V
s
opt B
2
1 1
. ,
u
=
Three Stages Velocity Compounded
Turbine
Velocity Compounded Impulse
Turbine (Contd.)
The work ratio of the highest-to-lowest pressure
stages in an ideal turbine is 3:1 for two stages
turbine and 5:3:1 for the three stage turbine and
7:5:3:1 for four stages turbine.
The lower pressure velocities stages produces little
work compared with the added investment. This
makes additional stages above two (Curtis)
uneconomical.
If blade speeds must be reduced below that afforded
by Curtis turbine another type of compounding could
follow the Curtis stage.
Pressure Compounding
Impulse Turbine
Pressure compounding impulse turbine is a multistage
impulse turbine where expansion in the fixed blades
(nozzles) is achieved equally among the stages.
This type of turbines is usually called as Rateau turbine
Accordingly the inlet steam velocities to each stage is
essentially equal, due to equal drop in enthalpy.




Where n is the number of stages
This equal enthalpy drop does not mean equal pressure drop
n
h
V V
tot
s s
A
= = = 2 ...
2 1
Pressure Compounding
Impulse Turbine (Contd.)
Two Stages Pressure Compounding
Turbine
Three Stages Pressure Compounding
Turbine
Pressure Compounding
Impulse Turbine (Contd.)
In reference to the previous velocity triangle the whirl of all
stages is equal to zero (=90
o
).
The kinetic energy from each stage should be neglected,
because the nozzle of each stage must receive the steam
discharged by the preceding stage.
The pressure compounding has the advantages of:
reduced blade velocities
reduced steam velocities (and hence friction).
equal work among the stages as desired by the designer.
It suffers from the following disadvantages:
Pressure drop across the fixed raw of nozzles which require leak
tight diaphragms.
Large number of stages
Accordingly pressure compounding is used for large turbine
where efficiency is more important than the capital cost


Comparison Between Velocity and
Pressure Compounding Impulse Turbines
Pressure Compounding Velocity Compounding
Equal velocity drop for each stage Not equal velocity drop for each stage
Not equal pressure drop per stage No pressure drop per stage
Equal power per stage Non equal power per stage
Low friction losses due to reduced steam
velocity
High friction losses due to high velocities
Recommended for multistage Not recommended for more than two
stages
Larger steam leak No problem with steam leak
Suitable for large turbines Suitable for small turbines as well as only
for the first stage in large turbine
Advantages of Impulse
Turbines
No pressure drop in moving blades
low steam thrust
low leakage losses at blade extremities and shaft
ends
Low consumption of spare parts
spare parts unnecessary for stationary and mobile
blades
Compact design
High operation flexibility

Reaction Principle
Reaction effect results from issuing a fluid at very high
velocity from a nozzle. This results in a reaction which
moves the nozzle in the opposite direction.


Pure reaction happens if the flow is accelerated from
zero velocity to its exist velocity in the moving blades.
Since this is not the case in turbines, thus there are no
pure reaction turbine but it is usually a mix between
impulse and reaction. Accordingly the term reaction
turbine does not mean a full reaction turbine but a
partially impulse and partially reaction.
V m F
o
=
Reaction Turbine
Reaction turbine has been invented
by C.A. Parson
Turbine with 50% reaction is the
turbine where 50% of the enthalpy
drop happens in the stator and the
other 50% occurs in the rotor. It is
important to mention that this does
not mean equal pressure drops.
Pressure drop is usually higher for
the fixed blades and greater for the
high pressure conditions, where the
pressure drop per unit of enthalpy
drop is higher at the high pressure
The rotor blades of a reaction
turbine are not symmetrical as in
the impulse turbine, they are
similar to those of the stator but
curved in the opposite direction.

Reaction Turbines (Contd.)
Reaction Ratio RR or
(Degree of Reaction): is
the ratio of enthalpy
drop in the rotor to the
total enthalpy drop in
the stage.
Accordingly impulse
turbine could be
considered as reaction
turbine with Zero
degree of reaction


n
h
h
total
stage
A
= A
) 1 ( *
.
RR h h
stage stat
A = A
RR h h
rotor
* A = A
stage
rotor
h
h
RR
A
A
=
Two Stages Reaction Turbine
Analysis of Reaction Stage
) 1 ( 2
1
RR h V
stage s
A =
u =
2
2
2
2
3
2
4
2
2
2
2
3
2
1
2
2
1
r r
rotor
s s
stator
r r
rotor
V V
h
V V
h
V V
h

= A

= A

= A
( ) cos cos
2 1 r r
o
V V m F + =
Analysis of Reaction Stage (contd.)
( )
( )
( ) ( ) | |
| |
rotor stat
o
r r s s
o
r B s B
o
r B s
o
h h
m
P
V V V V
m
P
Cos V V Cos V V m P
Cos V V Cos V m F
A + A =
+ =
+ =
+ =
2
2
2
1
2
2
2
2
2
1
2 1 1
2 1 1
u
u
Optimum Blade Velocity for Reaction
Turbine
For the case of similar fixed and moving
blades =

( )
( )
( )
2
2
1 max
1
1
1
1 2
0 2 2
2
B
o
s
o
s B
B s
o
B
B s B
o
s r
V m Cos V m P
Cos V V
V Cos V m
dV
dP
V Cos V V m P
Cos V Cos V
= =
=
= =
=
=
u
u
u
u
u
Efficiency of the Reaction Turbine
The efficiency of the reaction
turbine depends of the
efficiency of the fixed and the
moving blades.

( )
( )
ss o
o
stage
s
s
o
s rotor
s
o
rotor
s o
o
s stat
so s
stat
h h m
P
h h
V
m
P
h
V
m
P
h h
h h
h
V V
2
2 1
2
1
,
2
1
, 1
1
,
2 2
1
2
2
2

=
(

+
=
A +
=

=
A

=
q
q
q
Efficiency of the Reaction Turbine
(Contd.)
It is clear that the reaction turbine is an efficient machine


This can be explain in the light of the steam velocity where for
the same V
B
, where:


( ) ( ) ( )
ss o s s o
h h h h h h
2 2 1 1
+
I R
s s
s
B
s B
V V
pulse f or
Cos V
V
action f or Cos V V
1 1
1
1
2
1
Im
2
Re
=
=
=
u
u
Disadvantages of Reaction
Turbine
The main disadvantage of the reaction
turbine that it is not suitable for large
pressure drop, where P/h is high at high
pressure, and consequently high potential of
steam leak.
The usual design for large turbine at high
boiler conditions is to make the first stage of
impulse time (velocity compounding) to
reduce the pressure and then continue with
reaction stages.
Axial Thrust
The turbine rotor is subjected to axial thrust due to the pressure drop
as well as the change in the axial momentum.


For impulse turbine and since there is no pressure drop in the rotor
blades, the axial thrust is minimum.
(V
r1
V
r2
& =).
In the reaction turbines the effect of pressure drop is added to the
thrust force.
A technique to reduce the thrust force is the use of double flow steam
turbine. This technique has the following advantages:







Canceling the thrust force
Reduce the thrust due to the reduction in the blades height

( ) sin sin
2 1 r r
o
axial
V V m F =
Steam In
Twisted Blades
ND V
B
t =
h=1/3D
m

Providing that Vs and do not change while increases and decreases
with height due to the increase in V
B
. This means that the blade will have a
twisted shape.
This makes the degree of reaction changes along the blade height (impulse
at the base and maximum reaction at the top
The blade is designed for optimum conditions at the midpoint.
D
m