Steam Turbines

Dr. Bobby Mathew

Mechanical Engineering Department
UAE University
Steam Turbines
• CLO
• Evaluate performance of thermo-fluids components and systems
• Assessment Tool
• HW
• Quiz
• Exam
Steam Turbines
• Textbooks (Available online through UAEU library website)
• Introduction to Thermo-Fluids Systems Design by H. Magande and A. G. McDonald
• Applied Thermodynamics by O. Singh
• Thermodynamics and Heat Powered Cycles: A Cognitive Engineering Approach by
Chih Wu

• Steps
• Go to https://www.library.uaeu.ac.ae/en/
• Search: Type book title
• Authentication required: Continue as guest
• Click ‘View ebook’
• Sign in using your UAEU ID and password
• Choose chapter and click ‘Download pdf’
• Create account or sign in
Steam Turbines
• Objectives
• Analyze vapor power cycles in which the working fluid is alternately vaporized
and condensed;
• Investigate ways to modify the basic Rankine vapor power cycle to increase
the cycle thermal efficiency; and
• Analyze reheat and regenerative vapor power cycles.
Steam Turbines
• Basic steam turbine
Steam Turbines
• Cycle analysis
• Heat input • Thermal efficiency
• 𝑞𝑞𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖 = ℎ3 − ℎ2 • η𝑡𝑡𝑡 =
𝑤𝑤𝑛𝑛𝑛𝑛𝑛𝑛
=
ℎ3 −ℎ4 −𝜗𝜗1 𝑃𝑃2 −𝑃𝑃1
𝑞𝑞𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖 ℎ3 −ℎ2

• Heat rejected/out
• 𝑞𝑞𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜 = ℎ4 − ℎ1
• Cycle Heat Rate
1
• 𝐻𝐻𝐻𝐻 ∝
η𝑡𝑡𝑡
• Work out
• 𝑤𝑤𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜 = ℎ3 − ℎ4 • Do not convert enthalpy in terms
of cp for heat exchange and work
• Work in exchanger
• 𝑤𝑤𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖 = ℎ2 − ℎ1 = 𝜗𝜗1 𝑃𝑃2 − 𝑃𝑃1
Steam Turbines
• Improving thermal efficiency of Rankine cycle
• Carnot efficiency of heat engines
𝑇𝑇𝐿𝐿
• η𝑡𝑡𝑡 = 1 −
𝑇𝑇𝐻𝐻
• Apply Carnot efficiency to Steam turbines

• Decrease condenser pressure

• Decreases average temperature of heat rejection
• Increase average temperature
• Increases average temperature of heat addition
• Increase the boiler pressure
• Increases average temperature of heat addition
Steam Turbines
• Improving thermal efficiency of Rankine cycle
• Decrease condenser pressure
• Reduction in condenser pressure leads to decrease in
condensing temperature
• Increases work output
• Increases heat input slightly
• Decreases quality at turbine outlet (makes turbine
blades more prone to erosion)
• Liquid in the condenser is usually sub-cooled to alter
onset of cavitation at the pump impeller
• Lowest condenser pressure is limited by the saturation
pressure corresponding to the cooling medium
Steam Turbines
• Improving thermal efficiency of Rankine cycle
• Increase average temperature of heat addition
by superheating steam at boiler outlet
• Increases heat input
• Increases work output
• Increases quality at turbine outlet
• May produce material problems if temperature gets
too high
Steam Turbines
• Improving thermal efficiency of Rankine cycle
• Increase average temperature of heat addition
by reheating steam
• Reheating the expanding fluid with primary heat
source is made at inter-mediate points in the
expansion process
• Net effect is to raise the average expansion
temperature of the turbine without raising the
temperature of the heat source
• Thermal efficiency increases
• Increases work output
• Increases quality at turbine outlet
• When the same boiler is employed, then
reheating is typically achieved such that T3 = T5
Steam Turbines
• Improving thermal efficiency of Rankine cycle
• Increase average temperature of heat addition by reheating steam
• Thermal efficiency

𝑤𝑤3−4 +𝑤𝑤5−6 −𝑤𝑤1−2

• η𝑡𝑡𝑡 =
𝑞𝑞2−3 +𝑞𝑞4−5

ℎ3 −ℎ4 + ℎ5 −ℎ6 − ℎ2 −ℎ1

• η𝑡𝑡𝑡 =
ℎ3 −ℎ2 + ℎ5 −ℎ4
Steam Turbines
• Improving thermal efficiency of Rankine cycle
• Raising boiler pressure for increasing the average
temperature of heat addition
• Increase the boiler pressure to increase the average
temperature of heat addition
• Reduction in quality at the exit
• Increases the heat addition required
Steam Turbines
• Steam power cycle improvements
• Regeneration: Increasing the average temperature at which heat is added to the
working fluid by increasing the temperature of water at the inlet to the boiler
• Achieved by bleeding water from turbine for pre-heating water from condenser
before it enters the boiler
• Regeneration practically achieved by feedwater (water leaving condenser) heater
• Open feedwater heater
• Closed feedwater heater
Steam Turbines
• Steam power cycle improvements
• Regeneration using open feedwater heater
• Some water is extracted from between the inlet and
outlet of turbine
• Water extracted from turbine is physically mixed with water
from condenser in open feedwater heater
• Temperature of feeedwater increases due to mixing
• Thermal energy of water from turbine decreases due to mixing
• Maximum temperature of mixture is same as saturation
temperature corresponding to pressure of water extracted from
turbine
• Open feedwater heater also act as deaerator; at least one is
required
Steam Turbines
• Steam power cycle improvements
• Regeneration using open feedwater heater
• 𝑞𝑞𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖 = ℎ5 − ℎ4

• 𝑞𝑞𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜 = 1 − 𝑦𝑦 ℎ7 − ℎ1

• 𝑤𝑤𝑇𝑇 = ℎ5 − ℎ6 + 1 − 𝑦𝑦 ℎ6 − ℎ7

• 𝑤𝑤𝑃𝑃 = 1 − 𝑦𝑦 ℎ2 − ℎ1 + ℎ4 − ℎ3
• 𝑤𝑤𝑃𝑃 = 1 − 𝑦𝑦 𝜗𝜗1 𝑃𝑃2 − 𝑃𝑃1 + 𝜗𝜗3 𝑃𝑃4 − 𝑃𝑃3

• 𝑦𝑦 < 1; all parameters are initially calculated for 1 kg/s and

they can be multiplied by actual mass flow rate to get actual
work in, work out, heat in, and heat out
Steam Turbines
Tsat
• Steam power cycle improvements Ty Tx
• Closed feedwater heater options
(conventional heat exchanger)
• With drain throttled backwards Te
Drain Cooler

Tsat
Ty Tx
• With drain pumped forward
Te Drain cooler

Drain Pump
Steam Turbines
• Steam power cycle improvements
• Regeneration using closed feedwater heater with drain
throttled backwards
• Some water is extracted from between the inlet and
outlet of turbine
• Water extracted from turbine is used for heating water from
condenser in closed feed water heater
• Heat is added to feedwater and this increases its temperature
• Water from turbine losses thermal energy and is throttled to
condenser pressure; heat is extracted from turbine water at
least till it reaches saturated liquid
• Maximum possible temperature of feedwater at exit is equal to
the temperature at which water is extracted from turbine, i.e.
T3,max = T5; this usually is not the case as the mass extracted
from the turbine is lower than the mass going to the condenser
Steam Turbines
• Steam power cycle improvements
• Regeneration using open feedwater heater
• 𝑞𝑞𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖 = ℎ4 − ℎ3

• 𝑞𝑞𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜 = 1 − 𝑦𝑦 ℎ6 − ℎ8 + ℎ8 − ℎ1
• 𝑞𝑞𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜 = 1 − 𝑦𝑦 ℎ6 − ℎ8 + ℎ7 − ℎ1

• 𝑤𝑤𝑇𝑇 = ℎ4 − ℎ5 + 1 − 𝑦𝑦 ℎ5 − ℎ6

• 𝑤𝑤𝑃𝑃 = ℎ2 − ℎ1 = 𝜗𝜗1 𝑃𝑃2 − 𝑃𝑃1

• 𝑦𝑦 < 1; all parameters are initially calculated for 1 kg/s and they
can be multiplied by actual mass flow rate to get actual work in,
work out, heat in, and heat out
Steam Turbines
• Steam power cycle improvements
• Regeneration using closed feedwater heater with drain
pumped forward
• Some water is extracted from between the inlet and
outlet of turbine
• Water extracted from turbine is used for heating water from
condenser in closed feed water heater
• Heat is added to feedwater and this increases its temperature
• Water from turbine losses thermal energy and is pumped to the
pressure of the mixing chamber; heat is extracted from turbine
water at least till it reaches saturated liquid
• Maximum possible temperature of feedwater at exit is equal to
the temperature at which water is extracted from turbine, i.e.
T3,max = T5; this usually does not occur since the mass extracted
from turbine is smaller than mass going to condenser
Steam Turbines
• Steam power cycle improvements
• Regeneration using open freedwater heater
• 𝑞𝑞𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖 = ℎ6 − ℎ5

• 𝑞𝑞𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜 = 1 − 𝑦𝑦 ℎ8 − ℎ1

• 𝑤𝑤𝑇𝑇 = ℎ6 − ℎ7 + 1 − 𝑦𝑦 ℎ7 − ℎ8

• 𝑤𝑤𝑃𝑃 = 1 − 𝑦𝑦 ℎ2 − ℎ1 + 𝑦𝑦 ℎ4 − ℎ3
• 𝑤𝑤𝑃𝑃 = 1 − 𝑦𝑦 𝜗𝜗1 𝑃𝑃2 − 𝑃𝑃1 + 𝑦𝑦𝜗𝜗3 𝑃𝑃4 − 𝑃𝑃3
• 𝑤𝑤𝑃𝑃 = 1 − 𝑦𝑦 𝜗𝜗1 𝑃𝑃2 − 𝑃𝑃1 + 𝑦𝑦𝜗𝜗3 𝑃𝑃2 − 𝑃𝑃3

• 𝑦𝑦 < 1; all parameters are initially calculated for 1 kg/s and

they can be multiplied by actual mass flow rate to get
actual work in, work out, heat in, and heat out
Steam Turbines
Ti
Ty Tx
• Steam power cycle improvements
• Closed feedwater heater options
• Terminal temperature difference (can be +ve or –ve) Te
Drain Cooler
• 𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇 = 𝑇𝑇𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠 − 𝑇𝑇𝑦𝑦

• Drain cooler approach

• 𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷 = 𝑇𝑇𝑒𝑒 − 𝑇𝑇𝑥𝑥 Ti
Ty Tx
• Tsat is the saturation temperature corresponding to the
pressure at which water is extracted from the turbine

Te Drain cooler

Drain Pump
Steam Turbines
• Steam power cycle improvements
• Closed feedwater heater (TTD)
• At low pressure the water extracted from the turbine will be mixture
Steam Turbines
• Steam power cycle improvements
• Closed feedwater heater (TTD)
• At high pressure the water extracted from turbine will be superheated steam
Steam Turbines
• Steam power cycle improvements
• Optimal placement of feedwater heater 𝑇𝑇𝐵𝐵𝐵𝑃𝑃𝐵𝐵

𝑇𝑇𝐵𝐵𝐵𝑃𝑃𝐵𝐵 −𝑇𝑇𝐶𝐶@𝑃𝑃𝑐𝑐
• ∆𝑇𝑇𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜 =
𝑛𝑛+1
∆𝑇𝑇𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜
• TB is the temperature of phase change in boiler
• TC is the temperature of phase change in condenser ∆𝑇𝑇𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜
• n is the number of feedwater heaters
𝑇𝑇𝐶𝐶𝐶𝑃𝑃𝑐𝑐

Location for one feedwater heater