Steam Power Plant

• A fuel or heat source is used for boiling water and generating steam.
• Steam is used for rotating the turbine blades
• Generator is used for electricity generation
• Turbine blades are connected to a rotor shaft
• Steam looses energy when turbine is rotated
• Shaft is connected to a generator
• Typically, it can be used for rotating a smaller turbine Types of steam plants:
• When the steam is not useable anymore, it is cooled/ • Coal (thermal)
condensed and converted back to water • Nuclear
stack • Water can be recycled • Geothermal
• Biomass
Combustion
gases to stack
Electric generator
+
Turbine _
Boiler Cooling
Fuel Tower
Air condenser

Warm water

Cooled water
pump

Make up water
Feed water pump
 Steam Power Plant: Parts
Rotor and Casing Steam flow
• Rotor: shaft on which the blades are mounted
• It rests on bearings HP IP LP

• The entire assembly is enclosed in a cylindrical casing

1. Casing: Part that covers the turbine

• Single shell for IP and LP
• Double shell for HP (and HT) Condenser
Three types of blades:
• High pressure (HP), Intermediate pressure (IP), Low pressure (LP)
• In the case of LP, casing is connected to condenser
 Steam Power Plant Parts Manufacturing
Manufacturing of casings: Casing
• Primary: sheet metal cutting/ forming
• Secondary: Welding
• Made in small pieces which are assembled afterwards
• Creep tested

Materials:
HP (up to 550oC): cast alloy steel (3% Cr + 1% Mo)
LP/IP: Cast iron/ cast steel (0.1-0.5% carbon)
1000 MW LP turbine casing

Important parameters: Image: www.tradekorea.com

• Challenge: making the joints steam tight, without the use of gaskets
• Perfect alignment of flanges
• Heat loss to atmosphere should be minimized
• In the case of high temperature, multilayer casing can be manufactured
• Middle layer can be thermally insulating or made of refractory materials