MPE 436,

4th Year Mechanical Power Engineering Department,

1st semester, 2024-2025

Class Room
Course Coordinator:
Code; qo3j2yx
Dr. Mohamed Sayed Soliman
Mechanical Power Eng. Dept., Faculty of Engineering,
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Port-Said University
 CHAPTER ONE

Introduction: Basic Principles

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 Topics
1- Definition of a turbomachine

2- Fundamental principles of turbine design

3- Classification of steam turbines

3-1 according to the number of pressure stages;
3-2 according to the direction of steam flow;
3-3 according to the number of cylinders;
3-4 according to the method of governing;
3-5 according to the principal action of steam;
3-6 according to the heat drop process;
3-7 according to the steam conditions at inlet to turbine;
3-8 according to their usage in industry.
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 1. Introduction
We classify turbomachines as all those devices in which energy is transferred to
or from a continuously flowing fluid by the dynamic action of one or more
moving blade rows, see Fig.1.

 Essentially, a rotating blade row or rotor changes the stagnation enthalpy of the
fluid moving through it by either doing positive or negative work, depending
upon the effect required of the machine.
 These enthalpy changes are intimately linked with the pressure changes
occurring simultaneously in the fluid.
 The action of the rotor changes the energy level of the continuously flowing
fluid through the turbomachine.

Turbines, compressors, fans, blowers and pumps are all members of the same
family of machines called turbomachines.
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 1. Introduction
Two main categories of turbomachine are identified:

 First, those that absorb power to increase the fluid pressure or head (fans, blowers, compressors and
pumps);
 Second, those that produce power by expanding fluid to a lower pressure or head (air, hydraulic, steam,
and gas turbines).

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Fig. 1. Types and shapes of turbomachines. 6
2. A turbomachine is comprised of the following parts:

1) The Rotor or impeller or runner, is the rotating element of a turbomachine. It

is fixed with blades or vanes.

2) Guide blade or stationery or fixed element or nozzle, is arranged depending

upon the kind of flow required.

3) Shaft, either input shaft or output shaft may be necessary depending upon the
type of turbomachines.
For example:
(a) Power absorbing turbomachine: only input shaft
(b) Power generating turbomachine: only output shaft

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4) Housing or casing, the housing is not a compulsory part of every
turbomachine. When the housing is present, it restricts the fluid so that it
flows in a given space and does not escape in directions other than those
required for energy transfer. A turbomachine having housing is called
enclosed machine and the one having no housing is called extended machine.

5) Diffuser, a passage with increase in cross-sectional area in the direction of

fluid flow, and which converts kinetic energy into static pressure head. It is
usually situated at the outlet of a compressor, for example, axial flow
compressor, and pumps.

6) Draft tube, it is a diffuser placed at the outlet of a hydraulic turbine. For

example, Francis and Kaplan turbines.
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 3. Types of Turbo-machines
The turbomachines shown in Fig. 1 are classified as follows:
1. According to energy consideration
a) Turbomachines transfer rotor energy to fluid energy, i.e. machines supply energy to the
fluid as in pumps and compressors.
b) Machines transfer fluid energy to rotor energy, i.e. machines that extract energy from the
fluid as in turbines (steam, gas, water).
2. According to the direction of flow
a) Radial flow as in centrifugal pumps, fans, turbines and compressors
b) Axial flow as in axial flow pumps, compressors, fans, and turbines
c) Mixed flow as in Francis turbine.
d) Tangential flow as in Pelton wheel

3. According to the type of fluid handled

(a) Water : Examples: Pumps, hydraulic turbines
(b) Steam : Example: Steam turbines
(c) Air or gas : Examples: Fans, compressors, blowers, turbines. 9
4. According to the action of fluid on the moving blade

(a) Impulse machines

Fluid energy is converted into impulsive force by changing the direction of fluid
as in a steam turbine (De-Laval) and Pelton wheel.

(b) Reaction machines

The pressure energy of fluid continuously drops as it flows over the blades and
the velocity increases. The fluid leaving the blades will exert a reactive force in
the backward direction of its flow. This reactive force sets the blades in motion as
in a steam turbine (Parson’s reaction turbine), Francis turbine, Kaplan turbine and
Propeller turbine.

(c) Combined machines

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Axial Steam Turbine

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5. The simplest single-disc steam turbine consists of the following parts:

 1- shaft, 2- disc, with 3- moving blades

fixed on its periphery, and nozzle 4 (fixed
blades).

 The shaft (1) along with the disc (2)

mounted on it comprises the most
important part of the turbine and is known
as the rotor, which is housed in the turbine
casing.
Fig. 3 Simple impulse turbine
1 - shaft, 2 - disc, 3 - moving
blades, 4 - nozzle.
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 6. Fundamental principles of steam turbine design

• The steam turbine is a prime

mover in which the potential
energy of steam is transformed
into kinetic energy and the latter
in its turn is transformed into the
mechanical energy of rotation of
the turbine shaft, Fig. 2.

• The turbine shaft, directly, or

with the help of a reduction
gearing, is connected with the
driven mechanism.
Fig. 2 Turbine construction and components.
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Steam turbine rotor operation. 15
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• In turbines of these types, the expansion
of the steam is achieved from its initial
pressure to its final one in a single
nozzle or a group of nozzles situated in
the turbine stator and placed in front of
the blades of the rotating disc, Fig. 4.
• The decrease of steam pressure in the
nozzles is accompanied by a decrease of
its heat content; this decrease of heat
content achieved in the nozzles
subsequently accounts for the increase
in the velocity of the steam issuing from
the nozzles.
• The energy velocity of the steam jets
exerts an impulse force on the blades
and performs mechanical work on the Fig. 4 Single-Stage impulse turbine
shaft of the turbine rotor. 1 – Shaft, 2 – Disc, 3 – Moving blade, 4 – Nozzle, 5 – Stator, 6
– Exhaust pipe. 18
 7. Classification of steam turbines
Steam turbines may be classified into different categories depending on their
construction, the process by which heat drop is achieved, the initial and final
conditions of steam used and their industrial usage as follows:

7.1 According to the number of pressure stages:

Single-stage turbines (with one or more moving rows), usually of small-power
capacities; these turbines are mostly used for driving centrifugal compressors,
blowers and other similar machinery; Fig. 5 and 6.
Multi-stage turbines are made in a wide range of power capacities varying from
small to large, Fig. 7 and 8.

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Fig. 5 Single-Stage impulse turbine 20
Fig. 6 Curtis stage impulse turbine
Fig. 7 Multi-stage turbine 21
Fig. 8 Multi-stage turbine 22
 7.2 According to the direction of steam flow:

 Axial turbines in which the steam flows in a direction

parallel to the axis of the wheel or rotor.

 The great majority of turbines, especially those of high

power, are axial flow.

 The axial flow turbine is the most rereferred for

electricity generation as several cylinders can be easily
coupled together to achieve a turbine with a great
output.

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 Radial turbines in which the steam flows in a direction perpendicular to the
axis of the turbine.

The radial turbine in not

normally the preferred choice
for electricity generation and is
usually only employed for
small output applications.

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7.3 According to the number of cylinders:

1- Single-cylinder turbines

Single-cylinder turbines have only one

cylinder casing (although there may be
multiple sections). Steam enters the high-
pressure section of the turbine and passes
through the turbine to the low-pressure end
of the turbine then exhausts to the condenser.
The figure shows a single-cylinder turbine
with high, intermediate, and low-pressure
sections contained within the one-cylinder
casing.

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Single-cylinder turbine
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Multi-cylinder turbine 27
2- Double-cylinder turbines,
Two-cylinder turbine with a single
flow high pressure (HP) cylinder
and a low pressure (LP) cylinder is
shown in figure.

3- Three-cylinder turbines,
It has a double flow LP cylinder
with an IP cylinder arranged so that
the steam flow through it is in the
opposite direction to the HP
cylinder. This design also greatly
reduces the axial thrust on the rotor.
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 4- Four-cylinder turbines.

Large modern turbines are

required to deliver high
output and are generally
constructed of four cylinders
with the exhaust steam from
the HP cylinder passing
through the heater before
entering the IP cylinder.

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4- According to the method of governing:
 Single-cylinder turbines, Turbines with throttle governing in which fresh steam enters
through one or more (depending on the power developed) simultaneously operated throttle
valves;

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4- According to the method of governing:
 Turbines with nozzle governing in which fresh steam enters through two or
more consecutively opening regulators;

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4- According to the method of governing:

 Turbines with bypass governing in which steam

besides being fed to the first stage is also
directly led to one, two or even three
intermediate stages of the turbine.
 This method is adopted in modern high-pressure
impulse steam turbines which contain a large
number of stages of small mean diameter in
high-pressure stages.
 Such turbines are usually designed for a definite
load known as economic load at which the
efficiency is maximum. This load is taken as
about 80% of the maximum continuous rating.
 According to the principle of by-pass governing,
some extra steam is bypassed to the far-down
stages of the turbine when the load exceeds the
economic load. 32
5- According to the principal action of steam:
1) Impulse turbines in which the potential energy of the steam is converted into kinetic
energy in nozzles, and in moving blades the kinetic energy of the steam is converted into
mechanical energy;

 The turbines in which the complete process of expansion of steam takes place only in
stationary canals (nozzles), and the velocity energy is transformed into mechanical
work on the turbine blades are known as impulse turbines.
 Steam velocity at the exit of the nozzles in such turbines reaches a value of about
1200 m/sec and over.

2) Reaction turbine in which the expansion of steam between blade passages both of the
guide and moving blades of each stage takes place nearly to the same extent.

3) A combined turbine consists of many impulse-type stages; the other part is from the
reaction type.
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6- According to the heat drop process:

 Condensing turbines with regenerators

 Condensing turbines with one or two

intermediate stage extractions at specific
pressures for industrial and heating purpose;

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 Back pressure turbines, the exhaust
steam from which is utilized for
industrial or heating purposes

Topping turbines; these turbines are also of the back

pressure type with the difference that the exhaust steam
from these turbines is further utilized in medium- and
low- pressure condensing turbines. 36
7- According to the steam conditions at inlet to turbine:

 Low-pressure turbines, using steam at pressures of 1.2 to 2 bar

 Medium-pressure turbines, using steam at pressures up to 40 bar

 High-pressure turbines, utilizing steam at pressure above 40 bar

 Turbines of very high pressures, utilizing steam at pressure of 170 bar and
higher and temperatures of 550 °C and higher

 Turbines of supercritical pressures, using steam at pressures of 225 bar

and higher.
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8- According to their usage in industry:

 Stationary turbines with constant speed of rotation primarily used for

driving generators;

 Stationary steam turbines with variable speed meant for driving

turbo-blowers, air-circulators, pumps, etc.;

 Non-stationary turbines with variable speed; turbines of this type are

usually employed in steamers, ships and railway locomotives (turbo-
locomotives).

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