Steam Power Plant Parts Manufacturing: Rotor

2. Rotor: The part where blades are mounted

Tow types: Disc and Drum
• Disc rotors are used when the blade size is very large, typically in LP turbines
(for 1000 MW LP, ingot weight is ~500 tons).
• Drum rotors are used where a lot of blade rows are installed and the blade
pitch is relatively short.
• Mainly manufactured using forging
• Materials used: Mild steel (low temperatures), steels with additives (Ni-Cr-
Mo-V-W), Ni-based alloys in some cases
Forging
Disc type rotor

Drum type rotor

Images: Y. Kaneko et. al. in Advances in Steam Turbines

for Modern Power Plants 2017
 Steam Power Plant Parts Manufacturing: Rotor
Monobloc drum rotor Manufacturing of Rotors:
Impulse • Primary: forging Shrink fit
• Secondary: Welding/ mechanical joining
• Welding: Discs are separately manufactured and welded
• Monobloc forging: Wheels and shaft are formed from a
Monobloc drum rotor
Reaction single-piece forging. More recent technique.
• Shaft is fitted using shrink-fit if manufactured separately

• Impulse and reaction turbine have different rotors

• In impulse turbine a part of the blade experiences
Monobloc disc rotor
most of the load of the fluid, in reaction turbine, fluid
flow creates a lift
• Monobloc is preferred; but for very large rotors, parts
Welded disc rotor
have to be separately forged
• Main problem is vibrations during start-up and shut-
down (esp. in shrink-fit)
• Powder metallurgy can also be used but is costly
 Stationary and Rotating Blades
Turbines have both rotating (rotor) and stationary blades (stator).
• Function of stationary blades is to provide direction and velocity to the steam
• Stationary blades have a higher inlet area compared to outlet (A1 > A2), hence they work as “nozzles”
• Velocity of steam is increased after passing through nozzles
• Stator blades/ vanes are placed at the optimum angle to the rotor blades for optimum rotation
• The rotor blades have an airfoil shape. Decrease in velocity leads to lift force.

Rotating

Stationary A2

Steam

A1
 Steam Power Plant Parts Manufacturing: Diaphragm Diaphragm alignment
3. Diaphragm: the part where nozzles (stationary blades) are mounted
• It is fixed to casing
• There are two halves
• Nozzles are tightened in the grooves
• Anti-rotating pin or “keys” in the upper part of the casing prevent the
diaphragm from rotating.
• Alignment is extremely important
Manufacturing: Forging/ welding and screw assembly; Material: steel
• Should be able to withstand pressure, temperature and fatigue
• Challenge: vibration during operation
• Sealing where the nozzles touch the shaft
Casing

Diaphragm

Nozzles

Rotor/ stator