Steam Turbines
Steam turbines convert thermal energy from high-pressure steam into mechanical work, classified into impulse and reaction types based on their operational principles. Pressure and velocity compounding techniques enhance turbine efficiency and manage fluid dynamics within the turbine stages. A combined approach further optimizes design for large pressure drops while maintaining efficiency.
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What we have learnt
- Steam turbines are rotary engines that efficiently convert thermal energy into mechanical energy.
- Impulse and reaction turbines differ in their operation regarding pressure and velocity drops during steam expansion.
- Compounding techniques, including velocity and pressure compounding, improve turbine performance and efficiency.
Key Concepts
- -- Impulse Turbine
- A turbine where steam expands completely in stationary nozzles, creating high-velocity jets without pressure drop across moving blades.
- -- Reaction Turbine
- A turbine that allows steam to expand partially in both fixed and moving blades, resulting in pressure drop occurring across both sets of blades.
- -- Velocity Compounding
- A method used to manage high pressure drops and blade speeds in turbines by using multiple sets of blades with fixed blades to redirect steam.
- -- Pressure Compounding
- An approach that divides the total pressure drop into multiple stages, where each stage consists of a nozzle and rotor for energy extraction.
- -- Combined PressureVelocity Compounding
- An innovative design combining both compounding approaches to create turbines suitable for high pressure drops while maintaining moderate speeds and efficiency.
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