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
Suitable for large turbines Suitable for small turbines as well as only
for the first stage in large turbine
Larger steam leak No problem with steam leak
Recommended for multistage Not recommended for more than two
stages
Low friction losses due to reduced steam
velocity
High friction losses due to high velocities
Equal power per stage Non equal power per stage
Not equal pressure drop per stage No pressure drop per stage
Equal velocity drop for each stage Not equal velocity drop for each stage
Pressure Compounding Velocity Compounding

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 for
Cos V
V
action for 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