Steam Turbine Training Manual
Steam Turbine Training Manual
STEAM
TURBINE
E:\My Documents\TAM-2\MANUAL-STEAMTURBINE1.doc
Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION
2. BASIC PRINCIPLE
9. SHAFT SEALING
11. GOVERNORS
STEAM TURBINE
INTRODUCTION
Steam turbine is a prime mover in which heat energy is transformed into
mechanical energy. Steam is a source of heat energy generated from water
through boiler. Steam turbines have been gaining importance as prime movers
since their first practical design, proposed in the late eighteen hundreds.
First steam turbine design was proposed by Parsons, Curtis and De-Laval. The
steam turbine is employed as a mechanical drive for applications covering a
wide range of horse power.
Space requirements for a steam turbine are much less than for a diesel or
steam engine of the same horsepower.
Steam turbines may be used as prime movers for driving fans, pumps,
compressors etc.
WORKING PRINCIPLE
Heat is the flow of thermal energy. Thermal energy can be changed to the
mechanical energy. A steam turbine changes thermal energy to mechanical
energy .
Steam, produced by the boiler, has higher pressure when this higher pressure
steam is released in a lower pressure, the velocity of steam increases with the
reduction in pressure. Considered a vessel containing pressurized steam, if we
allow to escape the steam to atmosphere through a nozzle. The steam will
come out of the nozzle with high speed or velocity, at the same time the
pressure of the steam will reduce.
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mechanical work. The steam turbine operates through the action of a flow of
steam directed by stationary nozzles or blades in to the rings of rotating blades.
High efficiency.
No internal lubrication.
SHAFT
The function of a shaft is to bear the torque and hold all the rotating
components with it. The material of the shaft may be high carbon steel or alloy
steel. Fig. 2 shows different types of shaft and wheels assembly.
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F F C T E C H N I C A L T R A I N I N G C E N T R E
WHEEL
It consists of a disc and blades or buckets. The disc has a groove on its
circumference. A set of blades is fitted in this groove. Blades are either riveted
or welded with a shroud. The material of the blades is stainless steel or alloy
steel.
DIAPHRAGM
It aparts the stages and redirects the steam to the moving blades. It is a
stationary part in two halves fitted in the casing. Labyrinth seals are provided
in the diaphragms, where the shaft passes through it.
CASING
It encloses the stationary and rotary parts, provides stuffing boxes on both
ends, where the shaft extends through it. Cast iron or carbon steel casting is
used for casing up to 425°C temperature and alloy steel above 425°C.
SEALS
Two types of seals are used in the stuffing boxes of steam turbine, Labyrinth
seal and Carbon ring seal, to avoid leakage along the shaft. The material of
seals is always softer than that of the shaft.
FIG.-I.
BEARINGS
Bearings support and hold the shaft in place. Radial bearings support radial
loads and Thrust bearings for axial loads. Bearings allow the shaft to run with
minimum friction. Anti friction or plain bearings may be used according to the
load.
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F F C T E C H N I C A L T R A I N I N G C E N T R E
FIG.-2
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F F C T E C H N I C A L T R A I N I N G C E N T R E
FIG.-3
13. OIL RINGS (2) 14. PACKING CASE LEAK OFFS (2)
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FIG.-4
In the impulse type turbine, the steam pressure is reduced in stationary nozzles
which serve to increase its velocity also. This high velocity steam is struck on
the moving blades. It causes an impulse to them resulting in rotation of the
shaft. In between stages pressure remains constant while the velocity of steam
drops. In impulse turbines exhaust pressure is considerably higher. The nozzles
are fitted in the casing periphery which direct the steam velocity to the rotor
blades.
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FIG.-5
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CONDENSING TURBINE:
A turbine of which all the exhaust steam is passed to a condenser, is named as
condensing steam turbine. All the steam is converted into condensate in the
condenser, which leaves the steam turbine after driving it. This condensate is
sent to boiler for reforming of steam.
EXTRACTION TURBINE:
Steam may be extracted from the intermediate stages for any process use. Such
turbines, in which steam is extracted from any stage, are called extraction
steam turbines. Single or double automatic extraction steam turbines may be
used according to the requirements.
INDUCTION TURBINE:
Sometimes excess steam is available in the plant. This steam may be fed or
induced into the turbine at an intermediate stage. A turbine, having such
arrangements, can be named as mixed pressure or induction steam turbine.
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FIG.-06
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The whole of the pressure drop, and therefore, steam expansion takes place in
passing through the nozzles. There is no change in pressure through the
blades. The nozzles are fitted into “diaphragm” which serve as division
between stages so that the space surrounding the moving blades and between
diaphragms filled with steam of uniform pressure.
As in the case of the simple impulse turbine, the most efficient blade speed is
half that of steam speed but now since a smaller portion of the total heat
energy is transformed to kinetic energy at each stage nozzle, the steam speed
will be lower and consequently the blade speed will be lower. Addition of the
required number of stages will allow the most suitable rotational speed to be
chosen for the machine.
The blade leaving velocity from the last row will still be good proportion of the
absolute steam speed entering the stage, but the proportion over the whole
machine will be considerably less than in simple impulse machine. The leaving
losses or carryover losses in this case may be about 2% of initial kinetic energy
in the steam.
The diagram shows two rows of moving blades attached to the rotor with one
row of fixed blades in the casing. The fixed blades are set in reverse manner to
the moving ones in order to redirect the steam. The leaving velocity of steam
from last row is quite small, resulting in a leaving loss of about 2% of the initial
available energy of the steam.
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nozzles only and consequently may have excessive steam speeds. In order to
over come these problems a combination of these two principles in the
pressure velocity compounded turbine results.
FIG.-7
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FIG.-8
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In actual fact the velocity of the steam produced in the stationary nozzles is
greater than the velocity of blades and the jet strike the latter and produce an
impulse effect. Then the further expansion with in the blades produce a
reactive force and the rotor is caused to rotate by the combined action of both
the impulse and reactive forces it means that the turbine employs a
combination of the impulse and the reaction principles of drive, but known as
“Reaction Turbine”.
The number of stages employed is high and the amount of pressure drop in
each row blading is small, consequently the steam speed is much lower than in
the impulse type and is made to be about equal to the blade speed.
There are further two differences between this machine and impulse type
turbine. In reaction turbines the regulation of steam supply to meet the load is
done by throttling, that is, the main control steam valve regulates the pressure
of inlet steam to the turbine instead of cutting out some of the nozzles.
Secondly the inlet steam nozzles and the rows of fixed blades are set evenly
around the whole of the casing circumference, thus giving steam admission
around the entire circumference rather restricting admission to a few nozzles.
Impulse and reaction types of blading are some time combined and used
together in the same turbine (Fig. 9).
The first high pressure stage is of the velocity compounded impulse type and
low pressure stages are of the reaction type. Both stationary and moving blades
form nozzles, the steam pressure drops and velocity rises as it passes through
them.
Impinging against the moving blades in the direction of rotation, the steam
imparts energy to them due to impulse. The moving blades are similar to the
stationary blades and steam expands as it passes through them. This expansion
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and pressure drop increases the velocity of the steam with respect to the
moving blades, and, upon leaving, imparts energy to them by reaction.
FIG.-9
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F F C T E C H N I C A L T R A I N I N G C E N T R E
SHAFT SEALING
A pressure differential exists at many points in the average turbine. Leakage of
steam across these points increases the steam rate and must, therefore, be
reduced to a minimum. For example, at the high pressure end, shaft sealing is a
major problem due to steam seeking escape to the atmosphere.
At the L-p end of non condensing units the tendency for steam to escape is
much less. On the other hand, air infiltration at this point in condensing units
must be eliminated, since air in the condenser raises the back pressure on the
unit and adds the burden on the air removal equipment.
In addition, balance pistons by their very nature, tend to leak steam. This
leakage also exists between the diaphragms and shaft of an impulse turbine and
across the blade tips between the casing and rotor of a reaction machine.
1. Stuffing Box
2. Carbon Rings
3. Labyrinth Seals
4. Water Seals.
1. STUFFING BOX
Though of universal use in centrifugal pumps, it is found in only rare cases on
the smallest of turbines.
2. CARBON RINGS
An effective seal is produced by a series of spring-backed carbon rings. Fig.
10a shows six rings mounted in a packing box or container. Fig. (b) Clearly
indicates how each ring is divided into three sections, one of which is notched
to permit pinning, preventing rotation. The spring encircles the ring allowing
some radial adjustment but preventing axial movement. Clearances are held
extremely close and the graphite (carbon) is self-lubrication.
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3. LABYRINTH SEALS
In large machines the greater shaft diameters increase the surface speed above
the limits of carbon rings. Here labyrinth rings are effective. Essentially the
principle is to break down the leakage by a sufficient number of steps
(depending on the pressure drop involved), each causing eddy currents which
destroy the velocity of the steam through the preceding clearance.
FIG.-11
In Fig.11 these eddy currents are indicated along with three labyrinth strips. In
practice, up to 30 to 40 such strips may be required to achieve sufficient
absorption of pressure across the gland with the smallest possible flow of
steam. In the case of the L-p end of a condensing unit, the pressure within the
casing may be only 3 or 6 kPa. To prevent air infiltration, steam at a pressure
slightly above atmospheric is supplied to the center of the gland and flows
both ways out wardly where a slight leak at the shaft indicates no air
infiltration, and in wardly into the L-p exhaust hood where a small amount of
steam is lost.
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TURBINE BEARINGS
1. JOURNAL BEARINGS:
The bearings for small turbines are often self-alligning spherical ball or roller
bearings or they may be ring lubricated sleeve bearings with bronze or Babbitt
lining.
Small turbines often use ball bearings either single or double row, deep-groove
type, where end thrust is at a minimum, or double row, angular thrust type, for
heavier end loading. Care should be taken that the correct bearing is used, and
that it is properly installed in order to avoid premature failure.
Sleeve bearing find application in all sizes of turbines. small machines normally
have the babbit-lined, horizontally-split type, fitted with one or more oil rings.
Cooling is accomplished by means of either a large oil reservoir or by a water
jacket forming part of the bearing casing, provision being made for the
circulation of cooling water.
2. THRUST BEARINGS:
The main purposes of the thrust bearing are:
1. to keep the rotor in an exact position in the casing.
2. to absorb any axial thrust on the rotor.
From the thrust bearing the shaft must be free to expand in either direction,
thus a shaft can have only one thrust bearing. The thrust bearing should be
located at the steam inlet, where the blade clearances are most critical. when
shafts of a tandem compound turbine are joined together with solid couplings,
only one thrust bearing can be applied. If flexible coupling take up the axial
expansion, each shaft must have a thrust bearing.
The axial thrust is very small for impulse turbines as the pressure is equal
across the rotor discs ensured by equalizing holes in the discs. A simple thrust
bearing such as a ball bearing for small turbines and radial Babbitt facing on
journal bearings for larger turbines is very common.
The pressure drop across the moving blades of reaction turbines creates a
heavy axial thrust in the direction of steam flow through the turbine and a
thrust bearing suitable for heavy axial loading is needed. The tilting pad
Kingsbury or Michel thrust bearing operating on the same principle as the
tilting pad journal bearing are generally applied (FIG. 13).
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F F C T E C H N I C A L T R A I N I N G C E N T R E
FIG.-12
FIG.-13
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GOVERNORS
Different machines run at different RPM. It is necessary for any machine that
it may run at its given RPM. A device, which controls the required RPM of the
prime mover or steam turbine, is called governor. It is a mechanism with
which steam inlet valve of the steam turbine is opened or closed. There are
four types of governors commonly used for steam turbines.
ELECTRONIC GOVERNOR:
In some governors, the oil relay is not operated by a set of fly balls. An electric
generator is attached to the turbine shaft to adjust the oil relay. Changes in the
speed of shaft change the output of electric current. This change in electric
current adjusts the pilot valve of the relay.
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F F C T E C H N I C A L T R A I N I N G C E N T R E
strikes the trip lever, provided near it, which causes to shut-off the main steam
inlet valve and the steam turbine stops. Steam turbines may be tripped manually in
emergency with a lever located-in the governor system.
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STEAM TURBINES
TABLE 4-3 TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE
TROUBLE POSSIBLE CAUSES CORRECTIVE ACTION
1. Excessive 1. a. Shaft misalignment. 1. a. Realing as necessary.
vibration.
b. Excessive bearing b. Replace bearings.
clearance.
c. Lubricate coupling.
c. Dry coupling.
d. Repair or replace coupling.
d. Worn or damaged
e. Replace or repair and balance the rotor
coupling.
assembly.
e. Damaged rotor assembly.
f. Clean and balance as necessary.
f. Scale deposits or rotor
g. Inspect carbon rings and shaft and replace as
assembly unbalance.
necessary.
g. Tight or improper fitting
h. Remove the source of water and thoroughly
carbon rings.
drain steam lines and turbine casing.
h. Water in the inlet steam
i. Repair or replace the rotor assembly if run
supply.
out exceeds .002 inch (0.05 mm).
i. Bent rotor shaft.
j. Tighten or replace hold down bolts.
j. Loose or broken hold
k. A detailed investigation is required to
down bolts.
determine proper corrective action.
k. Sympathetic vibration
l. Listen for rubbing noises. Locate the source
(adjacent machinery
of noise, dismantle and make necessary
causing vibration).
adjustments.
l. Improperly assembled
m. Replace or repair and balance rotor
parts.
assembly.
m. Loose rotor discs.
A. Excessive 2. a. Loack of or improper 2. a. Lubricate as necessary.
coupling lubrication.
wear. b.1 Calculate amount of thermal
b. Improper cold expansion of equipment supports.
alignment (Does not 2. Check shaft alignment at operating
provide allowance for temperature (hot check) and correct
thermal expansion). misalignment to provide collinear
alignment when equipment is at normal
c. Shaft misalignment operating temperature.
caused by piping c. Inspect piping for proper installation of
strains imposed on pipe hangers, springs and expansion joints.
turbine casing. Correct any deficiencies in the piping
which do not allow for thermal expansion
d. Warped or distorted or dead weight forces.
foundation. d.1. Check foundation for settling and correct
as necessary.
2. Check for uneven temperature zones
surrounding the foundation and correct as
necessary.
3. Turbine 3.a. Inadequate steam pressure at 3. a. Check that shut-off valves are open between
fails to start. turbine inlet. turbine and boiler.
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12. Excessive 12. a. Worn or damaged carbon 12. a. Replace carbon ring assemblies.
steam rings.
b. Clean sealing glands.
leakage past
b. Dirt or foreign matter in c. Replace carbon ring assemblies.
carbon
sealing glands.
rings. d. Clean and polish, or spray metal and
c. Weak or broken retainer remachine shaft area under carbon rings.
springs.
e. Check and correct any restrictions in the
d. Shaft area under carbon lines, or improperly designed piping.
ring scored, fouled or
corroded. f. Reduce gland sealing steam pressure.
e. Restrictions in sealing
gland leak-off drain lines.
f. Excessive gland sealing
steam pressure
(condensing turbines).
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