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Steam Turbines PDF
Steam Turbines PDF
Applications:
1. Impulse turbines:
The main feature of these turbines is that the heat drop per stage
can be quite large, allowing for large blades and a smaller number
of stages.
2. Reaction turbines:
The main feature of this type of turbine is that in contrast to the impulse
turbine, the heat drop per stage is lessened, so the blades become
smaller and the number of stages increases.
Thermodynamic Cycle of Steam Turbine:
Steam based power plants operate on the Rankine cycle. The processes are:
Basically, the Rankine cycle utilizes a steam boiler to produce high pressure, high temperature
steam. The steam, leaving the boiler at temperatures and pressures as high as 1000 F (540 C)
and 4500 psig (300 bar), is routed through a steam turbine where it is expanded to produce shaft
work that drives an electric generator.
Neglecting the pump work input, the efficiency of an ideal Rankine cycle,
Efficiency, η = net work from the turbine / heat supplied in the boiler = (h3 - h4) / (h3 - h2)
In order to increase the efficiency of the overall process, the expansion of the steam is generally
performed in stages. After passing through a high pressure turbine stage, the steam is returned to
the steam generator to be reheated. After the final expansion stage, the steam is routed to a
condenser, where it is returned fully to liquid form and pumped back to the steam generator. By
using this method of power production, electric facilities are able to approach 40% efficiency.
Specific Steam Consumption (SSC): This is the required steam consumption rate (kg/s) per
unit power (energy) generation (kJ).
Plant Load Factor [%] = (57,200 kWh / (32 days X 24 hours per day)) / 436 kW X 100%
= 17.08%
Capacity Utilization Factor (CUF): It is the ratio of the actual output of a power plant over a
period of time and its output if it had operated the entire time at full nameplate capacity. For
example, average CUF in : USA 79.5%, Japan 83–86%, EU 82% , China 60%, India 70%.
Peaking Power Plants: The Power plants which generally run when there is a peak demand of
power. These are generally gas turbines that burn natural gas.