IME-241L Thermo Fluids Lab
Experiment 4
Title:
To demonstrate the working of Steam Turbine Power Plant.
Objective:
To study and identify different parts.
To observe the working of steam turbine.
Problem statement:
The steam turbine is kind of heat engine machine in which steam's heat energy is converted to mechanical
work. The steam from the water in the boiler is pumped into the steam turbine. The steam energy spins the
turbine blades. As the steam turbine spins, the generator spins and creates electricity. If the boiler is not working
well and the particles of waters are striking with the turbine then the turbine blades will damage. To save the
blades, we must study the working of steam turbines.
Theory:
An engine is a device that covert chemical energy into mechanical energy. The steam turbine is one kind of
heat engine machine in which steam's heat energy is converted to mechanical work.
HISTORY OF STEAM TURBINE
The first steam turbine was invented by Greek Mathematician Hero of Alexandria about 120 BC and it was
reciprocating type. The modern steam Turbine was made by Sir Charles Parsons in the year 1884.The design
has been changed in many times. The capacity of the turbine is coming from 0.75 KW to 1000 MW. It is a wide
range of uses such as pumps, compressor etc. Modern steam turbine is also used as a prime mover in a
big thermal power plant.
1
WORKING PRINCIPLE OF STEAM TURBINE
A steam turbine generator works by heating water to extremely high temperatures until it is converted into
steam, then the steam energy is used to rotate the blades of a turbine to create mechanical or rotational energy.
A heat source like a combusted fossil fuel or solar heat is used to create heat energy.
The boiler, which contains water, uses the heat energy to convert the water into high pressure steam.
If the system is using a combustible fossil fuel as a heat source, then an exhaust pipe is needed to release
the pollutants. If the system uses solar energy for the heat conversion, then an exhaust pipe is not
needed because the solar energy system will not release any pollutants.
The steam from the water in the boiler is pumped into the steam turbine. The steam energy spins the
turbine blades.
The generator is attached to the steam turbine by a rotating shaft. As the steam turbine spins, the
generator spins and creates electricity.
The steam that uses its energy to spin the turbine passes through and is cooled using a cooling
tower. The steam could alternatively be cooled naturally, perhaps using a lake or river.
The cooling tower releases the already used, lower energy, and cooled steam into the atmosphere. The
remaining water that is cooled back into a liquid state is pumped back into the boiler and repeats the
process again, creating more energy from steam.
CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM TURBINE
The construction of steam turbine is very simple. There are no piston rod, flywheel or slide valves attached to
the turbine. So, maintenance is quite easy. It consists of a rotor and a set of rotating blades which are attached to
a shaft and the shaft is placed in the middle of the rotor. An electric generator known as steam turbine
generator is connected to the rotor shaft. The turbine generator collects the mechanical energy from the shaft
and converts it into electrical energy. Steam turbine generator also improves the turbine efficiency.
TYPES OF STEAM TURBINE
According to the working principle, there are different types of steam turbine.
1. According to the working principle steam turbines are mainly divided into two categories :
Impulse Turbine
Reaction Steam Turbine
2
When steam strikes the moving blades through nozzles called Impulse Turbine and when it strikes the moving
blades under pressure via guide mechanism called Reaction Turbine.
2. According to the direction of steam flow, it may be classified into two categories :-
Axial Flow Steam Turbine
Radial Flow Steam Turbine
When the flow of steam inside the casing is parallel to the rotor shaft axis then it is called Axial Flow Steam
Turbine and flow of steam inside the casing is radial to the rotor shaft axis called Radial Flow Steam turbine.
3. According to the exhaust condition of steam, it is further divided into two categories:-
Back Pressure or Non-Condensing types Steam Turbine
Condensing type Steam Turbine
After expansion of steam it is exhausted into atmosphere called back pressure steam turbine or non-condensing
types steam turbine otherwise it exhausted into a condenser called condensing turbine.
4. According to pressure of steam, it may be divided following categories:-
High-pressure or pass-out or Extraction steam turbine
Medium-pressure or back pressure steam turbine
Low-pressure turbine
High, medium and low-pressure steam is supplied into the turbine, called high-pressure steam turbine or
medium pressure steam turbine or back pressure steam turbine and low- pressure steam turbine. These turbines
are used for various manufacturing and heating process.
5. According to the number of stages, it may be divided following categories:-
Single stage steam turbine
Multi-stage steam turbine
Steam is coming from nozzles when passed through a single set of moving blades called single stage steam
turbine and to flow multi-stages of moving blades called multi-stages steam turbine.
6. According to the blade and wheels arrangement, it may be divided following categories:-
3
Pressure Compounding Steam Turbine
Velocity Compounding Steam Turbine
Impulse-Reaction Combined Steam Turbine
Pressure-Velocity Compounding Steam Turbine
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN STEAM TURBINE AND STEAM ENGINE
Steam Turbine Steam Engine
Conversion of heat energy to mechanical
High frictional loss for reciprocating parts.
work, there is no frictional loss.
Balance is good. Balance is not so good.
Foundation is light weight. Foundation is heavy weight.
It can run high speed. It cannot run so much speed.
Lubrication is simple as there is no
Lubrication is not so simple for rubbing parts.
rubbing parts available.
Power generation uniformly. It does not generate power uniformly.
Steam consumption is less than the
It consumes more steam than steam turbine.
reciprocating steam engine.
It is more compact and require less attention. Steam engine needs more attention.
It is suitable for large power plants. It is not suitable for large power plants.
Steam turbine is more efficient than steam
Steam engine is not so much efficient.
engine.
Result:
After studying the Steam Turbine Power Plant, we can observe the working of steam turbine and understand
the different parts and applications of steam turbine.
References:
https://www.turbinegenerator.org/steam/steam-turbine-works/
http://www.mechanicaltutorial.com/working-principle-of-steam-turbine-classification-or-types-of-steam-turbine
http://sowjanya339.blogspot.com/2010/11/working-principle-construction-of-steam.html
