Turbines Flashcards
A steam turbine is a type of external combustion engine, which is a heat engine that obtains it’s heat from where?
Fuel consumed outside the turbine cylinder
Several laws apply to the operation of steam turbines but what are the two most important?
Newton’s third law
Bernoullis principle
What is Newton’s third law?
For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
Bernoulli’s principle states?
If a fluid (liquid or gas) flowing through a tube reaches a construction or narrowing of the the tube, the velocity of the fluid flowing through the constriction increases and the pressure decreases.
However when fluid leaves the constriction the velocity decreases and pressure increases
What is the difference between impulse and reaction turbines?
Small turbines tend to use impulse principle and larger turbines use the reaction principle.
Reaction blade vs impulse blade
Impulse nozzles can have one or more stationary nozzles arranged around the rotor periphery to do what?
Direct steam at the moving blades.
Is there a pressure drop across impulse blades?
No because there is no change in space between the entry and exit through the blading
How come impulse blades have minimal axial thrust?
Because of the symmetrical design
What causes a pressure drop in reaction blades?
Reaction blades are not symmetrical and their tips are not parallel to the shaft. Because the blade is smaller at the exit side causes steam to accelerate as it passes through the reaction blading creating a pressure drop.
More rows of blading is required in reaction blade systems because?
Pressure drop at each row of blades
To reduce number of blade rows in reaction turbines _____________ section at the inlet end of the turbine .
Velocity compounded impulse section
This serves two purposes:
- turbine machine is much shorter
- no pressure drop across impulse blading; therefore, at this very high pressure end of the turbine, sealing between rows of impulse wheels is not necessary
Most common methods to attach blades to rotor?
Dove tail of fir tree method
Why is it critical to place blades in their required positions?
Rotor and blades are statically and dynamically balanced from the manufacturer
When steam goes through a reaction type nozzle it :
- steam pressure decreases
- steam velocity increases
- steam volume increases
In reaction turbines, how come the blades get longer in each successive stage?
To accommodate for the steam expansion throughout the turbine
What are the two ways manufactures use to determine turbine stages?
- number of rotating rows of blades in the turbine
Or
- number of pressure drops across the turbine
Reaction turbine stage is a ring of nozzles and the associated rotor wheel with moving blades. There is often more then one casing cylinder or section. In large turbines these sections are :
HP - high pressure
IP - intermediate pressure
LP - Low pressure
Why is reaction turning less efficient higher pressures?
Leakage past the blade tips
What is the purpose of a extraction turbine?
To provide steam for other plant purposes ( feed water heating, other plant process heating)
What makes condensing steam turbines more efficient then job condensing turbines?
Latent heat of the steam transfers to the cooling water in the condenser. This creates low pressure (vacuum) in the condenser
Lack of back pressure and turbulence in the last set of turbine blades increases turbine efficiency
What is the purpose of the boiler?
Fuel is burned and water is changed to high pressure steam. steam is now piped to the steam chest
Purpose of the casing (cylinder)
Main structure or housing that contains most of the steam passages, the rotor and nozzles.
Governor and steam admission valve mount on one end of the casing in order to control the amount of steam that enters the steam turbine
Purpose of the sentinel valve?
Mounted on the turbine casing internal steam pressure. It is a warning device indicating if turning casing has excess pressure. Only found on small turbines
Function of the turbine rotor?
Blades or buckets are mounted to rotor.
Rotor assembly harnesses the energy of the steam.
What are the nozzles in a turbine?
Stationary blades or orifices that direct the steam towards the blades and change high pressure from the boiler into high velocity at the nozzle.
Clearance between nozzle ring and blade is very critical
What is the diaphragm in a turbine?
A stationary separator between the discs of the rotor. Fixed to the case and sealed around the shaft. They only allow steam to be passed through their nozzles
What is the purpose of a governor in a steam turbine?
Controls the position of the steam admission valve to control turbine speed
SAV or steam admission valve?
Admits steam to the nozzle
Stop valve
Shuts off all steam to the turbine in the event of an overspeed situation
What type of shaft seals are on small turbines? And Large turbines?
Small turbines have carbon seals
Large turbines have labyrinth seals
Most failure on turbines occur because of some sort of ________ issue or overspeed conditions
Lubrication
Overspeed trip system is usually set to ______ to _______ % above operating speed?
110 to 115 %