ME307

Energy Conversion Devices

Assignment – 9
Topic – Steam and Gas turbines

Name – Awantika Singh

Roll No. – B18163
Question:
• What is the effect of the Degree of Reaction on
the loss and efficiency in Steam turbines?
Answer:
• There is huge importance of selection of Degree of
Reaction (DOR) in designing a steam turbine. It is
important to understand the effect of DOR in the
performance of steam turbines. In particular, a change in
the degree of reaction affects the leakage flow
substantially in both the stationary and rotating blades
due to a change in the blade loading.
• Reaction ratio zero means all
the enthalpy drop due to
change into kinetic energy
occurs on the stator blades.
this type of turbine is also
called an impulse turbine.
The advantage of this type of
turbine is the large drop of
enthalpy on a single stage of
the blades, so the generation
of energy by one turbine is
greater. So the number of
stages from the turbine will
be less, and the turbine size
will be shorter. But the
disadvantage of this type is
the loss of too much steam
flow due to the larger flow
velocity. Figure 1
• A turbine of design R = 0.5 means that half of the enthalpy
drop at one stage of the turbine blade occurs on the side of
the stator blade, and the other half occurs on the turbine
rotor blade. Turbine with this design is also called reaction
turbine. The advantage of using this type of turbine is the loss
of steam flow due to the increase in flow velocity at every
small stage (also shown in Figure 1). But the disadvantage is
that the longer the turbine design, because the need for more
stage than the impulse turbine. Steam turbines with reaction
ratio more than 0.5 are used mostly. The degree of reaction
contributes to the stage efficiency and thus used as a design
parameter. Stages having 50% degree of reaction are used
where the pressure drop is equally shared by the stator and
the rotor for a turbine.
• The variation of total-to-static efficiency at different blade
loading coefficient with the degree of reaction. The governing
equation is written as:

Hence Degree of Reaction tells regarding the performance and

efficiency of steam turbine. As shown in figure 1 the variations in
steam velocity and steam pressure also tells when to use which
type of steam turbine i.e. impulse or reaction.
Reference:
Mechanicalengineeringsite.com
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