Presentation

By
DIVYA N C
Assistant Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Acharya Institute of Technology

Course Title:Turbomachines
Course Code: BME502
Department of
Mechanical Course Type: Core(IPCC)
Engineering
Semester: V
Year: 2025-26
Contact Hours/ week : L-T-P : 2-2-2
 MODULE 3
STEAM TURBINES
• Steam turbines use the steam as a working fluid.
• In steam turbines, high pressure steam from the boiler is
expanded in nozzle, in which the enthalpy of steam being
converted into kinetic energy.
• Thus, the steam at high velocity at the exit of nozzle
Department of
Mechanical impinges over the moving blades (rotor) which cause to
Engineering
change the flow direction of steam and thus cause a
tangential force on the rotor blades.
• Due to this dynamic action between the rotor and the
steam, thus the work is developed.
 • These machines may be of axial or radial flow type
devices.
Steam turbines may be of two kinds, namely,
(i) Impulse turbine and (ii) Reaction turbine.
• In Impulse turbine, the whole enthalpy drop (pressure
drop) occurs in the nozzle itself. Hence pressure remains
constant when the fluids pass over the rotor blades
Department of
Mechanical • In Reaction turbines, in addition to the pressure drop in the
Engineering nozzle there will also be pressure drop occur when the
fluid passes over the rotor blades.
• Most of the steam turbine is of axial flow type devices
except Ljungstrom turbine which is a radial type
 Classification of steam Turbine
1. Based on Principle of Action
• Impulse Turbine
• Steam expands completely in the nozzle → converts pressure
energy into kinetic energy.
• High-velocity steam jet strikes the blades.
• Example: De Laval turbine.
• Reaction Turbine
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• Steam expands partly in stationary blades (nozzles) and partly in
Engineering moving blades.
• Pressure drop occurs in both fixed and moving blades.
• Example: Parsons turbine.
 2. Based on Steam Flow Direction
• Axial Flow Turbine → Steam flows parallel to the shaft axis.
• Radial Flow Turbine → Steam flows radially inward or outward.
• Mixed Flow Turbine → Combination of axial and radial flow.
3. Based on Number of Stages
• Single-stage turbine → Steam expands in one set of nozzles and
one set of blades.
Department of • Multi-stage turbine → Expansion takes place in a series of stages
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Engineering to reduce speed and improve efficiency.
• Pressure compounding (Rateau turbine)
• Velocity compounding (Curtis turbine)
• Pressure-velocity compounding
 4. Based on Shaft Arrangement
• Tandem Compounded → Multiple turbines on the same shaft.
• Cross Compounded → High-pressure (HP) and low-pressure (LP)
turbines on different shafts, geared together.
5. Based on Steam Pressure
• High-pressure turbine → Up to 170 bar.
• Medium-pressure turbine → 40–170 bar.
Department of • Low-pressure turbine → Below 40 bar
Mechanical
Engineering [Link] on Exhaust Condition
• Condensing turbine → Exhaust steam is condensed in a condenser
(used in power plants).
• Non-condensing turbine (Back pressure turbine) → Exhaust
steam is used for process heating.
 7. Based on Application
• Power generation turbines → Large-scale electricity
production.
• Marine turbines → For ship propulsion.
• Industrial turbines → For driving compressors, pumps,
mills, etc.

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 Difference between Impulse Turbine and Reaction Turbine

Sl. No. Particulars Impulse Turbine Reaction Turbine

Increases as pressure
Remains constant (Vr₁
2 Relative Velocity drop occurs in moving
= Vr₂).
blades (Vr₂ > Vr₁).

Department of 3 Blade Sections Blades are symmetrical. Blades are aerofoil type.
Mechanical
Engineering Steam Velocity at Inlet
4 Very high. Moderate or low.
of Machine

5 Blade/Stage Efficiency Comparatively low. High.

Number of Stages
6 Few stages. More number of stages.
Required
Suitable where
Suitable where
7 Suitability efficiency is not a major
efficiency is important.
concern.
 Compounding of Steam Turbines
• If only one stage, comprising of single nozzle and single
row of moving blades, is used, then the flow energy or
kinetic energy available at inlet of machine is not absorbed
fully by one row of moving blades running at half of
absolute velocity of steam entering the stage (because,
even for maximum utilization, U/V = f = 1/2).
• It means to say that, due to high rotational speed all the
Department of
Mechanical available energy at inlet of machine is not utilized which
Engineering being simply wasted at exit of machine.
• Also we know that for maximum utilization, exit velocity
of steam should be minimum or [Link] we know
that for maximum utilization, exit velocity of steam should
be minimum or negligible.
 • Hence, for better utilization, one has to have a reasonable
tangential speed of rotor. In order to achieve this, we have
to use, two or more rows of moving blades .
• with a row of stationary blades between every pair of
them.
• Now, the total energy of steam available at inlet of
machine can be absorbed by all the rows in succession
Department of until the kinetic energy of steam at the end of the last row
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becomes negligible .
• compounding can be defined as the method of obtaining
reasonable tangential speed of rotor for a given overall
pressure drop by using more than one stages.
 • Compounding is necessary for steam turbines because if
the tangential blade tip velocity greater than 400 m/s, then
the blade tips are subjected to centrifugal stress.
• Due this, utilization is low hence the efficiency of the
stage is also low.

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 Methods of compounding in steam turbine
(i)Velocity compounding
(ii) Pressure compounding or Rateau stage
(iii) Pressure-Velocity compounding and
(iv) Impulse-Reaction staging.

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 (i)Velocity compounding

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 (ii) Pressure compounding or Rateau stage

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 Pressure-Velocity Compounding

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 Impulse Reaction Turbine

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 1. Tangential force:
• Ft = m(Vu1±Vu2) Newton
• Positive sign is used when Vu1 and Vu2 are in the opposite direction
and negative sign is used in when Vu1 and Vu2 are in the same
direction
2. Axial thrust:
Fa= m(Vf1−Vf2) Newton
Department of
Mechanical 3. Energy Per unit mass
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𝐸 𝑚 =(Vu1±Vu2)U J/kg
• Positive sign is used when Vu1 and Vu2 are in the opposite direction
and negative sign is used in when Vu1 and Vu2 are in the same
direction
 [Link]
• E=m(Vu1±Vu2)U Watts
4. Blade efficiency: It is defined as the ratio of workdone per kg of steam by the
rotor to the energy available at the inlet per kg of steam

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 2.
Steam flows through the nozzle with a velocity of 450 m/s at
a direction which is inclined at an angle of 16 Degree to the
wheel tangent. Steam comes out of the moving blades
with a velocity of 100 m/s in the direction of 110 with the
direction of blade motion. The blades are equiangular and
the steam flow rate is10 kg/s. Find:(i) Power developed,
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(ii)The power loss due to friction (iii)Axial thrust (iv) Blade
Mechanical efficiency and (v) Blade
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coefficient.
V1=450m/sec
Alpha1=16
V2=100m/sec
Alpha2’=110
Alpha2=180-110=70
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 Analysis on Two Stages :
Condition of Maximum Efficiency for Velocity Compounded Impulse
Turbine (Curtis Turbine)

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 Thank you
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