Steam Turbine Blades

4. Blades: Most important parts that convert the energy

Shroud
Blades should be able to withstand
• High temperatures and stresses due to the pulsating steam load
• Stress due to centrifugal force
Stainless steel:
• Erosion and corrosion resistance
• Steel alloy with > 10 % Cr and < 1.2% C
Blade materials
• Other possible metal additives: Ni, V,
HP and IP
W, S, P, Mn etc.
• Cr-Ni steel, Stainless steel
LP
• 17 Cr’13 Ni-steel or Titanium alloys (Ti-6Al-4V)

Advantages of using Ti alloys

• Ti alloys are lighter (low density) IP
• Ti alloys have stronger corrosion resistance
HP LP
• Ti alloys have better water resistance
 Steam Turbine Blade Manufacturing
5-axis CNC machining: HP blade
Blade manufacturing:
Primary Forging
• 5-axis CNC machining (three linear axes and
two rotational axes that work simultaneously)
• Forging
• Casting
Secondary
• Milling
• Grinding

• HP blades (smallest in size) are made by CNC machining HP Blade

• IP blades (medium size, longer than HP blades) are
made by casting/ forging/ CNC depending on their size
• LP blades (very long) are also made by casting/ forging
• Forge type: Envelope/ closed die forge; forged bar
• Casting type: Investment casting
• How are blades attached to the rotor?
 Blade Fastening
Root and blade fastening: After finishing, blades are inserted into the rotor grooves
Blade roots experience four types of stress Circumferential
groove
• Tensile stress due to the centrifugal forces
• Bending stress due to fluid forces acting on the blade in tangential direction
• Stress due to vibration forces
• Thermal stress also due to the uneven heating of the blade root and rim
Design and materials should be selected to overcome these stresses
There are three main types of fastening methods:
• Circumferential groove
• Finger and pin root
Finger and pin groove
• Fir tree root
• Roots can be straight, inclined, curved

De Laval Bulb Dovetail

 Shrouding and Blade Reinforcement
• Shrouding: A structural reinforcement at the free (top) ends of the blades to reduce vibration and
leakage of steam.
• Lacing: Holding the top parts of the blades together with the help of a lacing (caulking) wire. Generally
used for LP blades.
• Shrouding and lacing change the resonance frequency of the blades and prevent vibrational damage.
• Root (inlet) and the shroud of the blades are usually used to fix the blade during the machining of the
airfoil, hence, root and shroud are manufactured first.
• Root/ shrouds are preferably fabricated in the same part without joints.
Lacing

Shrouding
 Metal Casting

Some parts manufactured by casting

Ø Metal casting involves three basic steps:

Ø Pouring the molten metal into mould patterned.

Ø Allowing it to solidify

Ø Removing the part from the mould