DEBRE MARKOS UNIVERSITY

Institute of technology
School of Mechanical and Industrial
Engineering
Turbo-Machinery
MEng3201

Chapter 8
steam turbines

Prepared by: Birlie Fekadu

Contents of the Chapter

 Introduction
 Impulse turbines
 Reaction turbines
 Design
 Introduction
Steam turbine belongs to power generating turbo machines in which uses the
steam as a working fluid. Steam turbines are axial flow machines (radial steam
turbines are rarely used)
Steam; is a vapour used as a working substance in the operation of steam
turbine.
Steam turbine; convert a part of the energy of the steam evidenced by high
temperature and pressure into mechanical power-in turn electrical power
The steam from the boiler is expanded in a nozzle, resulting in the emission of
a high velocity jet.
This jet of steam impinges on the moving vanes or blades, mounted on a shaft.
Here it undergoes a change of direction of motion which gives rise to a change
in momentum and therefore a force.
 The conversion of energy in the blades takes place by impulse, reaction or
impulse reaction principle.
 Steam turbines are available in a few kW (as prime mover) to 1500 MW
Steam Turbine Classification
Steam Turbine Stage
Types of Steam Turbine
Flow Through Steam Turbine Stage
Comparison between Impulse & Reaction Turbines
Compounding of Steam Turbines
 DEISGN; Impulse steam turbine
 In the impulse stage, the total pressure drop occurs across the stationary
blades (or nozzles). This pressure drop increases the velocity of the steam.
 In an impulse stage, the shape of the moving blades or buckets is like a
cup.
Most of the steam turbine plants use impulse steam turbines, whereas gas
turbine plants seldom do. The general principles are the same whether steam
or gas is the working substance.
Velocity Triangles
 The three velocity vectors namely, blade speed, absolute velocity and
relative velocity in relation to the rotor are used to form a triangle
called velocity triangle.
 Velocity triangles are used to illustrate the flow in the bladings of
turbomachinery.
 Changes in the flow direction and velocity are easy to understand with
the help of the velocity triangles.
 Note that the velocity triangles are drawn for the inlet and outlet of the
rotor at certain radii.
 As shown in fig below the steam supplied to a single-wheel impulse turbine
expands completely in the nozzles and leaves with absolute velocity C at an
1

angle α , and by subtracting the blade velocity vector U, the relative velocity
1

vector at entry to the rotor V can be determined. The relative velocity V

1 1

makes an angle of 𝛽 with respect to U. The increase in value of α decreases

1 1

the value of the useful component, C cosα and increases the value of the
1 1

axial or flow component C sin α . The two points of particular interest are the
1 1

inlet and exit of the blades. As shown in Fig. below, these velocities are V 1

and V , respectively.
2

 Vectorially subtracting the blade speed results in absolute velocity C2. The
steam leaves tangentially at an angle 𝛽2 with relative velocity V2. Since the
two velocity triangles have the same common side U, these triangles can be
combined to give a single diagram as shown in Fig below
 axial flow reaction steam turbines
Sir Charles Parsons invented the reaction steam turbine . The reaction turbine
stage consists of a fixed row of blades and an equal number of moving blades
fixed on a wheel.
In this turbine pressure drop or expansion takes place both in the fixed blades
(or nozzles) as well as in the moving blades.
Because the pressure drop from inlet to exhaust is divided into many steps
through use of alternate rows of fixed and moving blades, reaction turbines
that have more than one stage are classified as pressure-compounded turbines.
In a reaction turbine, a reactive force is produced on the moving blades when
the steam increases in velocity and when the steam changes direction.
Reaction turbines are normally used as low -pressure turbines. High-pressure
reaction turbines are very costly because they must be constructed from heavy
and expensive materials.
For a 50% reaction, the fixed and moving blades have the same shape and,
therefore, the velocity diagram is symmetrical as shown in Fig
Velocity triangles for 50% reaction design.
 Degree of reaction
The degree of reaction or reaction ratio ( Λ) is a parameter that describes the
relation between the energy transfer due to static pressure change and the
energy transfer due to dynamic pressure change.
The degree of reaction is defined as the ratio of the static pressure drop in the
rotor to the static pressure drop in the stage.
It is also defined as the ratio of the static enthalpy drop in the rotor to the static
enthalpy drop in the stage. If h0, h1, and h2 are the enthalpies at the inlet due to
the fixed blades, at the entry to the moving blades and at the exit from the
moving blades, respectively, then:

( 6.23 )
The static enthalpy at the inlet to the fixed blades in terms of stagnation
enthalpy and velocity at the inlet to the fixed blades is given by
Similarly,

Substituting,

But for a normal stage, C0 = C2 and since h00 = h01 in the nozzle, then:

(6.24)
(6.26)
Zero Reaction Stage:
 According to the definition of reaction, when Λ = 0, Eq. (6.23) reveals that
h1 = h2 and Eq. (6.26) that 𝛽1 = 𝛽2. The Mollier diagram and velocity
triangles for Λ = 0 are shown in

Zero reaction (a) Mollier diagram and (b) velocity diagram.

Now, h01r01 = h02r01 and h1 =h2 for Λ = 0. Then, V1 = V2. In the ideal case,
there is no pressure drop in the rotor, and points 1, 2 and 2s on the Mollier
chart should coincide. But due to irreversibility, there is a pressure drop
through the rotor. The zero reaction in the impulse stage, by definition, means
there is no pressure drop through the rotor. The Mollier diagram for an
impulse stage is shown in Fig. below, where it can be observed that the
enthalpy increases through the rotor.
From Eq. (6.23), it is clear that the reaction is negative for the impulse turbine
stage when irreversibility is taken into account.

Mollier diagram for an impulse stage.

Fifty-Percent Reaction Stage
From Eq. (6.23), Fig. below for Λ=0.5, α = 𝛽 , and the velocity diagram is
1 2

symmetrical. Because of symmetry, it is also clear that α = 𝛽 . For Λ= 1/2, the

2 1

enthalpy drop in the nozzle row equals the enthalpy drop in the rotor. That is:

A 50% reaction stage (a) Mollier diagram and (b) velocity diagram.
In Fig. below the total-to-static efficiencies are shown plotted against the
degree of reaction.
Influence of reaction on total-to-static efficiency with fixed values of stage-
loading factor
Blade loading coefficient vs. flow coefficient.
 𝑤
When 2 =2, ηts is maximum at Λ= 0. With higher loading, the optimum ηts is
𝑢
obtained with higher reaction ratios. As shown in above for a high total-to-
total efficiency, the blade-loading factor should be as small as
possible, which implies the highest possible value of blade speed is consistent
with blade stress limitations. It means that the total-to-static efficiency is
heavily dependent upon the reaction ratio and ηts can be optimized by
choosing a suitable value of reaction.
Blade height in axial flow machines