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My IOCL Report PDF
My IOCL Report PDF
AT
Submitted By
SALIL SAGAR
DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING ZAKIR HUSAIN COLLEGE OF ENGG. & TECH. ALIGARH MUSLIM UNIVERSITY (A.M.U.) ALIGARH (U.P.)
2010-11
PREFACE
Industrial training plays a vital role in the progress of future engineers. Not only does it provide insights about the industry concerned, it also bridges the gap between theory and practical knowledge. I was fortunate that I was provided with an opportunity of undergoing Industrial training at INDIAN OIL CORPORATION Ltd., Mathura, one of the leading refineries in India. The experience gained during this short period was fascinating to say the least. It was a tremendous feeling to observe the operation of different equipments and processes. It was overwhelming for us to notice how such a big refinery is being monitored and operated with proper co-ordination to obtain desired results. During my training I realized that in order to be a successful mechanical engineer one needs to possess a sound theoretical base along with the acumen for effective practical application of the theory. Thus, I hope that this industrial training serves as a stepping-stone for the students and helps to be successful in future.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
My indebtedness and gratitude to the many individuals who have helped to shape this report in its present form cannot be adequately conveyed in just a few sentences. Yet I must record my immense gratitude to the brains and hands that worked overtime to support my efforts in making a near comprehensive report on the vocational training in Indian oil corporation Ltd., Mathura. I am highly obliged to Mr. Y.G. Shroff, Chief Maintenance Manager for giving me this opportunity to work under his supervision and lending me his learnings over the month and continuous guidance in his capacity as my Project Guide. The thank list would be far from incomplete without the mention of all such supervisors, associates and all the employees of IOCL, Mathura. Last but not the least I am thankful to Almighty God, my parents, my uncle, my friends for their immense support and cooperation throughout. In fact the list can never be completed.
SALIL SAGAR
ABSTRACT
Indian
Oil
Corporation
Limited,
or Indian
Oil,
is
an Indian
state-
owned oil and gas company headquartered at Mumbai, India. It is Indias largest commercial enterprise, ranking 125th on the Fortune Global 500 list in 2010. IndianOil and its subsidiaries account for a 47% share in the petroleum products market, 34.8% share in refining capacity and 67% downstream sector pipelines capacity in India. The Indian Oil Group of Companies owns and operates 10 of India's 19 refineries with a combined refining capacity of 65.7 million metric tons per year. IndianOil operates the largest and the widest network of fuel stations in the country, numbering about 17606 (15557 regular ROs & 2049 Kissan Sewa Kendra). It has also started Auto LPG Dispensing Stations (ALDS). It supplies Indane cooking gas to over 47.5 million households through a network of 4,990 Indian distributors. In addition, IndianOil's Research and Development Center (R&D) at Faridabad supports, develops and provides the necessary technology solutions to the operating divisions of the corporation and its customers within the country and abroad. Subsequently, IndianOil Technologies Limited - a wholly owned subsidiary, was set up in 2003, with a vision to market the technologies developed at IndianOil's Research and Development Center. It has been modeled on the R&D marketing arms of Royal Dutch Shell and British Petroleum. It owns and operates the countrys largest network of cross-country crude and product pipelines, with a combined length of 7,730 km with a combined capacity of 56.85 MMTPA. Mathura Refinery was commissioned in the year 1982. At present it has the capacity of processing 8.0 MMTPA of crude oil. The refinery meets the demand of Northwest region of India including Delhi. The crude oil with low sulphur from Bombay High, imported crude with low sulphur from Nigeria, and crude with high sulphur from Middle East Countries are processed at this refinery. The original refinery configuration had one primary Atmospheric Vacuum unit and the secondary units were the Vis-breaker Unit, Bitumen Unit, Sulphur Recovery unit and Fluidized Catalytic cracking Unit.
Gradually Mathura Refinery in Uttar Pradesh made certain changes to follow the strict product specification that aroused due to environmental
considerations. The secondary units such as Once Through Hydro-cracker unit (OHCU). Catalytic Reforming Unit (CRU), MS quality up gradation, Diesel hydro desulphurisation Unit, (DHDS), new Sulphur Recovery unit (SRU), DHDT etc were integrated in the refinery configuration. These changes in the configuration of the Refinery were made so that there is minimal impact on the environment. Mathura Refinery has taken a number of initiatives to save the environment, public health and also to preserve the national monuments in and around the city of Mathura. A lot of research has been done to produce more and more clean fuels that would have minimal negative effect on the environment. Mathura refinery has been producing highly eco-friendly petrol and diesel for the NCT, NCR and Agra region. The Refinery enjoys the distinction of being the first refinery in India capable of producing 100% auto fuels that meets Euro - III norms. Products from this refinery are dispatched through rail, road and MathuraDelhi Ambala - Jalandhar pipeline. The LPG bottling plant situated within Mathura refinery premises bottles nearly seven million cylinder per annum for catering domestic market. Major fertilizer industries at Kanpur, Panipat, Nangal, Bhatinda, and Kota are supplied with Naphtha or furnace oil. Also thermal power plants of Nangal, Obra, and Badarpur get fuel oil supply from this refinery. Mathura refinery was the first in Asia and third refinery in the world to have been honored with the coveted ISO- 14001, certification on July 22- 1996. It was also awarded the Golden peacock national quality award 1996. It bagged first prize in national energy conservation award in 1996 in public sector in ministry of power.
Jawaharlal Nehru Cenetery award for achieving the best improved method of energy conservation compared to its past best performance of 1994 & 1996. Highest ever ATF (AVIATION TURBINE FUEL) and bitumen production of 617.6 & 430.2 TMT achieved surpassing the previous best of 613.4 TMT in 1993/94 & 425.2 TMT in 1993-94 respectively. Highest ever distillated yield of 73.14% on crude achieved surpassing of previous best of 72.78% on crude in 1987-88.
VISION:
A major diversified, translational, integrated energy company, with national leadership and a strong environment conscience, playing a national role in oil security and public distribution.
MISSION:
To achieve international standards of excellence in all aspects of energy and diversified business with focus on customer delight through value of products and services and cost reduction.
To attain leadership in developing, adopting and assimilating state of the art technology for competitive advantage.
To cultivate high standards of business ethics and total quality management for a strong corporate identity and brand equity.
To help enrich the quality of life of the community and preserve ecological balance and heritage through a strong environment conscience.
INTRODUCTION: The ADU (Atmospheric Distillation Unit) separates most of the lighter end products such as gas, gasoline, naphtha, kerosene, and gas oil from the crude oil. The bottoms of the ADU are then sent to the VDU (Vacuum Distillation Unit). Crude oil is preheated by the bottoms feed exchanger, further preheated and partially vapourized in the feed furnace and then passed into the atmospheric tower where it is separated into off gas, gasoline, naphtha, kerosene, gas oil and bottoms. Atmospheric and Vacuum unit (AVU) of Mathura Refinery is designed to process 100% Bombay High Crude and 100% Arab Mix crude (consisting of Light and Heavy crude in 50:50 proportion by weight) in blocked out operation @ 11.0 MMTPA.
AVU consists of following sections: Crude Desalting section Atmospheric Distillation section Stabilizer section Vacuum Distillation section TYPES OF CRUDE: Low Sulphur Indian: Bombay High Nigerian: Girasol, Farcados, Bonny light High Sulphur Imported: Arab Mix, Kuwait, Dubai, Ratawi, Basra etc
It consists of the following sections: Cracking section, Catalytic section, Fractionation section and Gas concentration section. CO boiler
The unit is designed to process two different types of feed i.e. Arab Mix HVGO and Bombay High HVGO.
oxychlorination and drying are done in different sections, segregated via a complex system of valves, purge-flows and screens. From the bottom of the regenerator stack, catalyst is lifted by hydrogen to the top of the reactor stack, in a special area called the reduction zone. In the reduction zone, the catalyst passes a heat exchanger in which it is heated up against hot feed. Under hot conditions it is brought in contact with hydrogen, which performs a reduction of the catalyst surface, thereby restoring its activity. In such a continuous regeneration process, a constant catalyst activity can be maintained without unit shut down for a typical run length of 3 - 6 years. The purpose of the CCR unit is to produce a high octane no. reformate. The octane no. of the gasoline coming from the AVU is around 66, whereas the required value of the octane no. is 87, 88 and 93.
The whole CRU can be divided into three subunits as: Naphtha Splitting Unit (NSU) Naphtha Hydro-treater Unit (NHU) Catalytic Reforming Unit
There is a reboiler attached to the bottom of the stripper, which maintains the heat requirement. The bottom product of the stripper is either sent to storage or the reforming unit.
REFORMING UNIT
Feed for the Reforming unit (94 m3/hr at 14 kg/cm2 and 110 C) is received directly from hydrotreater stripper after heat exchanger. The filters must be provided for the protection of the welded plate exchanger. Feed is filtered to remove any foreign particles. At the D/S of the feed filter, chloriding agent and water injection are done. CCl4 solution of 1% in reformate is dosed by pump. Dosing @ 1 ppm wt CCl4 in feed is done when continuous regeneration unit is down. Water injection (not on regular basis) is done to maintain Cl-OH equilibrium on the catalyst when regenerator is out of service. Feed mixed with recycle H2 stream gets preheated in PACKINOX exchanger from 91C to 451C by the effluent from 3rd Reactor which gets cooled down from 497C to 98C. Due to the endothermic nature of the reforming reactions, the overall reforming is achieved in stages with inter stage heater provided to raise the temperature. There are three Reactors (15R-1, R-2 & R-3) each provided with reaction heater.
PROCESS DESCRIPTION:
The Hydrocracker Unit consists of four principle sections: Make-Up Hydrogen Compression Reaction Section Fractionation Section Light Ends Recovery Section
FRACTIONATION SECTION:
The fractionation section consisting of the fractionator, side cut strippers, and heat exchange equipment is designed to separate conversion products from unconverted feed. The reaction products recovered from the column are Sour Gas (Off gas), Unstable Light Naphtha, Heavy Naphtha, Kerosene, Diesel and FCC Feed. The fractionator off-gas and unstable light naphtha are sent to the light ends recovery section for recovery of LPG and light naphtha product.
DE-ETHANISER:
The de-ethaniser remove light ends (C2), H2S, and water from the light naphtha and LPG. Feed enters the top of the column. The feed to the deethaniser comes from the combined liquid stream leaving the de-ethaniser reflux drum and is pumped to the top of the de-ethaniser.
Feed consists of different proportion of straight run LGO, HGO, LVGO and TCO. Mainly two proportions are used: 74% SR LGO, 21% SR HGO, 5% SR LVGO 48% SR LGO, 24% SR HGO, 8% SR LVGO, 20% TCO
The DHDS unit treats different gas oils from various origins, straight run or cracked products. The feed is a mixture of products containing unsaturated components (diolefins, olefins), Aromatics, Sulfur compounds and Nitrogen compounds. Sulfur and nitrogen contents are dependent upon the crude. The purpose of DHDS Unit is to hydro-treat a blend of straight run gas oil and cracked gas oil (TCO) for production of HSD of sulfur content less than 500 ppm wt. The Hydrodesulphurization reaction releases H2S in gaseous hydrocarbon effluents. This H2S removal is achieved by means of a continuous absorption process using a 25% wt. DEA solution. In addition to the desulphurization, the diolefins and olefins will be saturated and a denitrification will occur. Denitrification improves the product stability. The hydrogen is supplied from the hydrogen unit. Lean amine for absorption operation is available from Amine Regeneration Unit (ARU). Rich Amine containing absorbed H2S is sent to ARU for amine regeneration.
CATALYSTS:
Catalysts used for this process are HR-945 and HR-348/448.The HR-945 is a mixture of nickel and molybdenum oxides on a special support. Nickel has been selected because it boosts the hydrogenating activity. The HR-348 and HR-448 are desulphurization catalysts; it consists of cobalt and molybdenum oxides dispersed on an active alumna. Its fine granulometry and large surface area allow a deep desulphurization rate. Different catalysts based on Nickel and Molybdenum Oxide are used to enhance the rate of reactions.
PROCESS VARIABLES:
TEMPERATURE
The reaction temperature must be kept as low as possible because the most desirable reactions do not need high temperature to remain at desirable rates.
FEED: The hydrogen generation unit can be fed either by naphtha or natural gas. The naphtha feed is pressurized to about 35 Kg/cm2g by one of the naphtha feed pumps and sent to the desulphurization section. The pressurized feed is mixed with recycle hydrogen from the hydrogen header. The liquid naphtha is evapourated to one of the naphtha feed vapourizers. The hydrocarbon feed is heated to 380-400 C by heat exchange with superheated steam in the naphtha feed pre-heater.
FEED SUPPLY SYSTEM: The feed to the unit consists of hot SR taken directly from the vacuum unit or cold residue from tanks. The hot feed goes to reactors at 200-210oC in two parallel streams. Flow control valves control feed flow to individual reactors. As refinery would be processing both Imported and Bombay high crude in blocked out cyclic operation, the unit will not get hot feed during the period AVU processes indigenous crude. To avoid shut down of BBU under such circumstances or when VDU is down the unit will be supplied cold feed from the tanks.
BITUMEN FURNACE: It is a natural draft furnace with convection and radiation sections. The convection section forms rectangular box while radiation zone is cylindrical in shape. The two sections are having horizontal and vertical feed coils respectively. Pumps supply cold feed to furnace at temperature of 150-180oC. Furnace has two coil passes. Provision also exists to operate the furnace as a simple coil pass while operating at low turndown ratio. Feed enters through convection zone at the top and control valves control flow of each stream. The furnace is provided with one oil-cum-gas burner at its base. The feed first picks up heat from the flue gases in the convection section and then it is heated in the radiation zone coils. The feed is heated up to 230oC. The two passes join together at the outlet of furnace and are routed to reactors in two parallel streams.
FINISHED BITUMEN CIRCUIT: Finished bitumen from the reactors at 240-260oC is pumped in parallel streams and cooled in two groups of air-coolers up to 170-200oC. Cooled bitumen is routed to storage tanks through two separate rundown lines.
The process gas flow is once again subjected to preheating by means of a second line burner then passed to a second reactor and the sulphur condensed in a second condenser accomplish a total sulphur recovery of 94%. A sulphur coalescer is installed downstream the last sulphur condenser to separate entrained sulphur mist. The heat released by the subsequent cooling of gas and condensation of sulphur in waste heat boiler and, sulphur condensers results in the production of low-pressure steam.
EQUIPMENTS
COMPRESSOR: A gas compressor is a mechanical device that increases the pressure of a gas by reducing its volume. Compressors are similar to pumps: both increase the pressure on a fluid and both can transport the fluid through a pipe. As gases are compressible, the compressor also reduces the volume of a gas. Liquids are relatively incompressible, while some can be compressed, the main action of a pump is to pressurize and transport liquids.
TYPES OF COMPRESSORS: The main types of gas compressors are discussed below:
Reciprocating compressors: Reciprocating compressors use pistons driven by a crankshaft. They can be either stationary or portable, can be single or multi-staged, and can be driven by electric motors or internal combustion engines. Small reciprocating compressors from 5 to 30 horsepower (hp) are commonly seen in automotive applications and are typically for intermittent duty. Larger reciprocating compressors well over 1,000 hp (750 kW) are commonly found in large industrial and petroleum applications. Discharge pressures can range from low pressure to very high pressure (>18000 psi or 180 MPa). In certain applications, such as air compression, multi-stage double-acting compressors are said to be the most efficient compressors available, and are typically larger, and more costly than comparable rotary units. Another type of reciprocating compressor is the swash plate compressor, which uses pistons which are moved by a swash plate mounted on a shaft - see Axial Piston Pump. Household, home workshop, and smaller job site compressors are typically reciprocating compressors 1 hp or less with an attached receiver tank.
Fig: A motor-driven six-cylinder reciprocating compressor that can operate with two, four or six cylinders.
Centrifugal compressors: Centrifugal compressors use a rotating disk or impeller in a shaped housing to force the gas to the rim of the impeller, increasing the velocity of the gas. A diffuser (divergent duct) section converts the velocity energy to pressure energy. They are primarily used for continuous, stationary service in industries such as oil refineries, chemical and petrochemical plants and natural gas processing plants. Their application can be from 100 horsepower (75 kW) to thousands of horsepower. With multiple staging, they can achieve extremely high output pressures greater than 10,000 psi (69 MPa). Many large snowmaking operations use this type of compressor. They are also used in internal combustion engines assuperchargers and turbochargers. Centrifugal compressors are used in small gas turbine engines or as the final compression stage of medium sized gas turbines. Sometimes the capacity of the compressors is written in NM3/hr. Here 'N' stands for normal temperature pressure (20 C and 1 atm) for example 5500 NM3/hr.
Rotary vane compressors: Rotary vane compressors consist of a rotor with a number of blades inserted in radial slots in the rotor. The rotor is mounted offset in a larger housing which can be circular or a more complex shape. As the rotor turns, blades slide in and out of the slots keeping contact with the outer wall of the housing. Thus, a series of decreasing volumes is created by the rotating blades. Rotary Vane compressors are, with piston compressors one of the oldest of compressor technologies. With suitable port connections, the devices may be either a compressor or a vacuum pump. They can be either stationary or portable, can be single or multi-staged, and can be driven by electric motors or internal combustion engines. Dry vane machines are used at relatively low pressures (e.g., 2 bar or 200 kPa; 29 psi) for bulk material movement while oil-injected machines have the necessary volumetric efficiency to achieve pressures up to about 13 bar (1,300 kPa; 190 psi) in a single stage. A rotary vane compressor is well suited to electric motor drive and is significantly quieter in operation than the equivalent piston compressor. Rotary vane compressors can have mechanical efficiencies of about 90%.
PUMP: A pump is a device used to move fluids, such as liquids, gases or slurries. A pump displaces a volume by physical or mechanical action. Pumps fall into three major groups: direct lift, displacement, and gravity pumps. Their names describe the method for moving a fluid.
Positive displacement rotary pumps also have their weaknesses. Because of the nature of the pump, the clearance between the rotating pump and the outer edge must be very close, requiring that the pumps rotate at a slow, steady speed. If rotary pumps are operated at high speeds, the fluids will cause erosion. Rotary pumps that experience such erosion eventually show signs of enlarged clearances, which allow liquid to slip through and reduce the efficiency of the pump. Positive displacement rotary pumps can be grouped into three main types. Gear pumps are the simplest type of rotary pumps, consisting of two gears laid out side-by-side with their teeth enmeshed. The gears turn away from each other, creating a current that traps fluid between the teeth on the gears and the outer casing, eventually releasing the fluid on the discharge side of the pump as the teeth mesh and go around again. Many small teeth maintain a constant flow of fluid, while fewer, larger teeth create a tendency for the pump to discharge fluids in short, pulsing gushes. Screw pumps are a more complicated type of rotary pumps, featuring two or three screws with opposing thread - that is, one screw turns clockwise, and the other counterclockwise. The screws are each mounted on shafts that run parallel to each other; the shafts also have gears on them that mesh with each other in order to turn the shafts together and keep everything in place. The turning of the screws, and consequently the shafts to which they are mounted, draws the fluid through the pump. As with other forms of rotary pumps, the clearance between moving parts and the pump's casing is minimal. Moving vane pumps are the third type of rotary pumps, consisting of a cylindrical rotor encased in a similarly shaped housing. As the rotor turns, the vanes trap fluid between the rotor and the casing, drawing the fluid through the pump.
Reciprocating-type, for example, piston or diaphragm pumps. Positive displacement pumps have an expanding cavity on the suction side and a decreasing cavity on the discharge side. Liquid flows into the pumps as the cavity on the suction side expands and the liquid flows out of the discharge as the cavity collapses. The volume is constant given each cycle of operation. The positive displacement pumps can be divided into two main classes reciprocating rotary
Gear pump: This uses two meshed gears rotating in a closely fitted
casing. Fluid is pumped around the outer periphery by being trapped in the tooth spaces. It does not travel back on the meshed part, since the teeth mesh closely in the centre. Widely used on car engine oil pumps. It is also used in various hydraulic power packs.
HEAT EXCHANGER: A heat exchanger is a piece of equipment built for efficient heat transfer from one medium to another. The media may be separated by a solid wall, so that they never mix, or they may be in direct contact.[1] They are widely used in space heating, refrigeration, air conditioning,power plants, chemical
plants, petrochemical plants, petroleum refineries, natural gas processing, and sewage treatment. One common example of a heat exchanger is the radiator in a car, in which the heat source, being a hot engine-cooling fluid, water, transfers heat to air flowing through the radiator (i.e. the heat transfer medium).
Shell and tube heat exchanger: Shell and tube heat exchangers consist of a series of tubes. One set of these tubes contains the fluid that must be either heated or cooled. The second fluid runs over the tubes that are being heated or cooled so that it can either provide the heat or absorb the heat required. A set of tubes is called the tube bundle and can be made up of several types of tubes: plain, longitudinally finned, etc. Shell and tube heat exchangers are typically used for highpressure applications (with pressures greater than 30 bar and temperatures greater than 260 C). This is because the shell and tube heat exchangers are robust due to their shape.
There are several thermal design features that are to be taken into account when designing the tubes in the shell and tube heat exchangers. These include: Tube diameter: Using a small tube diameter makes the heat exchanger both economical and compact. However, it is more likely for the heat exchanger to foul up faster and the small size makes mechanical cleaning of the fouling difficult. To prevail over the fouling and cleaning problems, larger tube diameters can be used. Thus to determine the tube diameter, the available space, cost and the fouling nature of the fluids must be considered.
Tube thickness: The thickness of the wall of the tubes is usually determined to ensure: There is enough room for corrosion That flow-induced vibration has resistance Axial strength Availability of spare parts Hoop strength (to withstand internal tube pressure) Buckling strength (to withstand overpressure in the shell) Tube length: heat exchangers are usually cheaper when they have a smaller shell diameter and a long tube length. Thus, typically there is an aim to make the heat exchanger as long as physically possible whilst not exceeding production capabilities. However, there are many limitations for this, including the space available at the site where it is going to be used and the need to ensure that there are tubes available in lengths that are twice the required length (so that the tubes can be withdrawn and replaced). Also, it has to be remembered that long, thin tubes are difficult to take out and replace. Tube pitch: when designing the tubes, it is practical to ensure that the tube pitch (i.e., the centre-centre distance of adjoining tubes) is not less than 1.25 times the tubes' outside diameter. A larger tube pitch leads to a larger overall shell diameter which leads to a more expensive heat exchanger. Tube corrugation: this type of tubes, mainly used for the inner tubes, increases the turbulence of the fluids and the effect is very important in the heat transfer giving a better performance. Tube Layout: refers to how tubes are positioned within the shell. There are four main types of tube layout, which are, triangular (30 ), rotated triangular (60 ), square (90 ) and rotated square ( 45 ). The triangular patterns are employed to give greater heat transfer as they force the fluid to flow in a more turbulent fashion around the piping. Square patterns are employed where high fouling is experienced and cleaning is more regular.
Baffle Design: baffles are used in shell and tube heat exchangers to direct fluid across the tube bundle. They run perpendicularly to the shell and hold the bundle, preventing the tubes from sagging over a long length. They can also prevent the tubes from vibrating. The most common type of baffle is the segmental baffle. The semicircular segmental baffles are oriented at 180 degrees to the adjacent baffles forcing the fluid to flow upward and downwards between the tube bundle. Baffle spacing is of large thermodynamic concern when designing shell and tube heat exchangers. Baffles must be spaced with consideration for the conversion of pressure drop and heat transfer. For thermo economic optimization it is suggested that the baffles be spaced no closer than 20% of the shells inner diameter. Having baffles spaced too closely causes a greater pressure drop because of flow redirection. Consequently having the baffles spaced too far apart means that there may be cooler spots in the corners between baffles. It is also important to ensure the baffles are spaced close enough that the tubes do not sag. The other main type of baffle is the disc and donut baffle which consists of two concentric baffles, the outer wider baffle looks like a donut, whilst the inner baffle is shaped as a disk. This type of baffle forces the fluid to pass around each side of the disk then through the donut baffle generating a different type of fluid flow.
STEAM TURBINE: A steam turbine is a mechanical device that extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam, and converts it into rotary motion. Its modern
manifestation was invented by Sir Charles Parsons in 1884. It has almost completely replaced the reciprocating piston steam
engine primarily because of its greater thermal efficiency and higher power-toweight ratio. Because the turbine generates rotary motion, it is particularly suited to be used to drive an electrical generator about 80% of all electricity generation in the world is by use of steam turbines. The steam turbine is a form of heat engine that derives much of its improvement in thermodynamic efficiency through the use of multiple stages in the expansion of the steam, which results in a closer approach to the ideal reversible process.
Turbine efficiency: To maximize turbine efficiency the steam is expanded, doing work, in a number of stages. These stages are characterized by how the energy is extracted from them and are known as either impulse or reaction turbines. Most steam turbines use a mixture of the reaction and impulse designs: each stage behaves as either one or the other, but the overall turbine uses both. Typically, higher pressure sections are impulse type and lower pressure stages are reaction type.
Impulse turbines: An impulse turbine has fixed nozzles that orient the steam flow into high speed jets. These jets contain significant kinetic energy, which the rotor blades, shaped like buckets, convert into shaft rotation as the steam jet changes direction. A pressure drop occurs across only the stationary blades, with a net increase in steam velocity across the stage.
As the steam flows through the nozzle its pressure falls from inlet pressure to the exit pressure (atmospheric pressure, or more usually, the condenser vacuum). Due to this higher ratio of expansion of steam in the nozzle the steam leaves the nozzle with a very high velocity. The steam leaving the moving blades has a large portion of the maximum velocity of the steam when leaving the nozzle. The loss of energy due to this higher exit velocity is commonly called the "carry over velocity" or "leaving loss".
Reaction turbines: In the reaction turbine, the rotor blades themselves are arranged to form convergent nozzles. This type of turbine makes use of the reaction force produced as the steam accelerates through the nozzles formed by the rotor. Steam is directed onto the rotor by the fixed vanes of the stator. It leaves the stator as a jet that fills the entire circumference of the rotor. The steam then changes direction and increases its speed relative to the speed of the blades. A pressure drop occurs across both the stator and the rotor, with steam accelerating through the stator and decelerating through the rotor, with no net change in steam velocity across the stage but with a decrease in both pressure and temperature, reflecting the work performed in the driving of the rotor.
Superheater:
A superheater is a device used to convert saturated steam or wet steam into dry steam used for power generation or processes. There are three types of superheaters namely: radiant, convection, and separately fired. A superheater can vary in size from a few tens of feet to several hundred feet (a few metres or some hundred metres). A radiant superheater is placed directly in the combustion chamber. A convection superheater is located in the path of the hot gases. A separately fired superheater, as its name implies, is totally separated from the boiler. A superheater is a device in a steam engine, when considering locomotives, that heats the steam generated by the boiler again, increasing its thermal energy and decreasing the likelihood that it will condense inside the engine Superheaters increase the efficiency of the steam engine, and were widely adopted. Steam which has been superheated is logically known as superheated steam; nonsuperheated steam is called saturated steam or wet steam. Superheaters were applied to steam locomotives in quantity from the early 20th century, to most steam vehicles, and to stationary steam engines. This equipment is still an integral part of power generating stations throughout the world.
The main advantages of using a superheater are reduced fuel and water consumption but there is a price to pay in increased maintenance costs. In most cases the benefits outweighed the costs and superheaters were widely used. An exception was shunting locomotives (switchers). Without careful maintenance superheaters are prone to a particular type of hazardous failure in the tube bursting at the U-shaped turns in the superheater tube. This is difficult to both manufacture, and test when installed, and a rupture will cause the superheated high-pressure steam to escape immediately into the large flues, and then back to the fire and into the cab, to the extreme danger of the locomotive crew.
Deaerator: A deaerator is a device that is widely used for the removal of air and other dissolved gases from the feedwater to steam-generating boilers. In particular, dissolved oxygen in boiler feedwaters will cause serious corrosion damage in steam systems by attaching to the walls of metal piping and other metallic equipment and forming oxides (rust). Water also combines with any dissolved carbon dioxide to form carbonic acid that causes further corrosion. Most deaerators are designed to remove oxygen down to levels of 7 ppb by weight (0.005 cm/L) or less. There are two basic types of deaerators are:
The tray-type (also called the cascade-type) includes a vertical domed deaeration section mounted on top of a horizontal cylindrical vessel which serves as the deaerated boiler feedwater storage tank.
The spray-type consists only of a horizontal (or vertical) cylindrical vessel which serves as both the deaeration section and the boiler feedwater storage tank.
Boiler: A boiler is a closed vessel in which water or other fluid is heated. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications.
Configurations: Boilers can be classified into the following configurations: Fire-tube boiler. Here, water partially fills a boiler barrel with a small volume left above to accommodate the steam (steam space). This is the type of boiler used in nearly all steam locomotives. The heat source is inside a furnace or firebox that has to be kept permanently surrounded by the water in order to maintain the temperature of the heating surface just below boiling point. The furnace can be situated at one end of a fire-tube which lengthens the path of the hot gases, thus augmenting the heating surface which can be further increased by making the gases reverse direction through a second parallel tube or a bundle of multiple tubes (two-pass or return flue boiler); In the case of a locomotive-type boiler, a boiler barrel extends from the firebox and the hot gases pass through a bundle of fire tubes inside the barrel which greatly increase the heating surface compared to a single tube and further improve heat transfer. Fire-tube boilers usually have a comparatively low rate of steam production, but high steam storage capacity. Fire-tube boilers mostly burn solid fuels, but are readily adaptable to those of the liquid or gas variety. Water-tube boiler. In this type, the water tubes are arranged inside a furnace in a number of possible configurations: often the water tubes connect large drums, the lower ones containing water and the upper ones, steam and water; in other cases, such as a monotube boiler, water is circulated by a pump through a succession of coils. This type generally gives high steam production rates, but less storage capacity than the above. Water tube boilers can be designed to exploit any heat source and are generally preferred in high pressure applications since the high pressure water/steam is contained within small diameter pipes which can withstand the pressure with a thinner wall.