ME 101: Introduction to Mechanical Engineering

Lecture: 9
Steam Turbine

Md. Ashiqur Rahman

Associate Professor, ME, BUET
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ME 101: Introduction to Mechanical Engineering

Turbine Components
o Main components:
 Nozzles
 Blades or Buckets
 Wheel or Rotor
 Casing or Cylinder
 Diaphragms
 Glands
 Governor
 Bearings

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ME 101: Introduction to Mechanical Engineering

Nozzle
o A nozzle is a passage of varying cross section for the flow of
steam in order to increase its velocity with decrease of pressure.
o Its main function is to convert the available enthalpy into
kinetic energy by producing a jet of steam at a high velocity.

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ME 101: Introduction to Mechanical Engineering

Nozzle
o The nozzles can be classified as
o convergent,
o divergent, and
o convergent -divergent nozzles.

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ME 101: Introduction to Mechanical Engineering

Rotor
o Running through the center of the turbine is an axle, which is
called the rotor.
o It takes power from the turbine to an electricity generator.
o This is the main moving element of a turbine.

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ME 101: Introduction to Mechanical Engineering

Rotor
o The design of a turbine rotor depends on the operating principle
of the turbine.
o In impulse turbine, it is a shaft (disc) on which wheels are
mounted carrying the blades.

o A typical steam power plant turbine rotates at

1800–3600 rpm
o It is the most highly stressed component in the
turbine

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ME 101: Introduction to Mechanical Engineering

Rotor
o Disc rotors are NOT used in the reaction turbine.
o In a reaction turbine, it is a drum (hollow/solid). It is steeped
or tapered so as to increase in diameter toward the low
pressure end.
o These drums are machined both outside and inside to get
perfect rotor balance.

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ME 101: Introduction to Mechanical Engineering

Blades
o The blades are the most important part of a turbine.
o Their design is crucial in capturing as much energy from the
steam as possible and converting it into rotational energy by
spinning the rotor round.

o All turbines have a set of rotating

blades attached to the rotor and
spin it around as steam hits them.

o The turbine efficiency, as well as

its reliable performance, depend
on the design and construction of
the blades.

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ME 101: Introduction to Mechanical Engineering

Blades
o The impulse turbine blades must be designed to convert the
kinetic energy of the steam into mechanical energy.

o In impulse turbine, the rotating blades

are like deep buckets. High-velocity
jets of incoming steam from nozzles hit
the blades, pushing them around.

Impulse turbine
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ME 101: Introduction to Mechanical Engineering

Blades
o Depend upon the pressure region, the
blades are also classified as -
o High Pressure (HP) blades
o Intermediate Pressure (IP) blades
o Low Pressure (LP) blades
Reaction turbine

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ME 101: Introduction to Mechanical Engineering

Blades
o The blades must be strong enough to withstand or resist-
− High temperatures and stresses due to the pulsating steam
load
− Stress due to centrifugal force (caused by the high speed of
the turbine)
− Erosion and corrosion

o Blades generally are made from low

carbon stainless steel.
o For high-temperature applications
and where high moisture is expected,
Alloy Steels (Cr-Ni) are used to
provide the strength and erosion
resistance needed.

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ME 101: Introduction to Mechanical Engineering

Casing or Cylinder
o This is the principal stationary element, often called the cylinder.
o It surrounds the rotor and contains any nozzles, blades, and
diaphragms that may be necessary to control the path and physical
state of the expanding steam.
o The bearings, auxiliaries, and stream lines are attached to the
frame and support of the assembled turbine.

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ME 101: Introduction to Mechanical Engineering

Diaphragm
Diaphragm is in the form of a disc which is fitted inside
the cylinder.
It serves the purpose of separating walls between
the different stages of the turbine and carries
nozzles and fixed blades.

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ME 101: Introduction to Mechanical Engineering

Gland
Glands are fitted in the place where the shaft enters into the
cylinder and the passage between the rotor and the diaphragms.

a. Prevent the leakage of working fluid from the cylinder to the outside if
its pressure is above the atmosphere

b. The leakage of working fluid from one stage to the other.

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ME 101: Introduction to Mechanical Engineering

Impulse Turbine
In an impulse turbine, the steam from the boiler passes through
nozzles and impacts on the moving blades.
Due to the impulse the power is available from the shaft.

The kinetic energy of water/steam is converted to mechanical

energy.

o As the steam expands

through the nozzle, the
velocity is increased with
decrease in pressure
o The impulse turbine was
first built in 1883 by the
Swedish engineer De
Laval.

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ME 101: Introduction to Mechanical Engineering

Impulse Turbine

1. The steam first enters the impulse

turbine through a nozzle
2. The steam strikes the blades that are
free to rotate with a strong enough
force to move the blades
3. The steam exits the blade towards the
condensing system

4. The direction of the blades

ME 101: Introduction to Mechanical Engineering

Impulse Turbine
o The impulse turbine consists of a
rotor mounted on a shaft that is free
to rotate.
o Attached to the rotor are a set of
curved blades. Nozzles then direct
the high pressure and high
temperature steam towards the
blades of the turbines.
o The blades catch the impact force
of the rapidly moving steam and
rotate from this force.

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ME 101: Introduction to Mechanical Engineering

Impulse Turbine

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ME 101: Introduction to Mechanical Engineering

Example of Impulse Turbine

Pelton Wheel:

o It consists of a wheel mounted

on a shaft with buckets on the
periphery of the wheel

o Water is impinged on the buckets and energy

is transferred
o The water has only kinetic energy
o Each bucket is shaped like a hemispherical
cup.
o Pelton wheel is used for high head of water
(250-2000 m)
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