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Compounding of Steam Turbines

Compounding of steam turbines involves extracting energy from steam in multiple stages rather than a single stage. This reduces the steam velocity needed. In a compounded turbine, multiple sets of nozzles and rotors are arranged in series. Impulse turbines can be compounded by pressure, velocity, or pressure-velocity methods. Pressure compounding divides the pressure drop across stages, reducing steam velocity. Velocity compounding uses multiple fixed and moving blade rows to divide velocity drop. Pressure-velocity compounding combines these methods.

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1K views4 pages

Compounding of Steam Turbines

Compounding of steam turbines involves extracting energy from steam in multiple stages rather than a single stage. This reduces the steam velocity needed. In a compounded turbine, multiple sets of nozzles and rotors are arranged in series. Impulse turbines can be compounded by pressure, velocity, or pressure-velocity methods. Pressure compounding divides the pressure drop across stages, reducing steam velocity. Velocity compounding uses multiple fixed and moving blade rows to divide velocity drop. Pressure-velocity compounding combines these methods.

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smg26thmay
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Compounding of Steam Turbines

Compounding of steam turbines is the method in which energy from the steam is
extracted in a number of stages rather than a single stage in a turbine. In all turbines the
rotating blade velocity is proportional to the steam velocity passing over the blade. If the
steam is expanded only in a single stage from the boiler pressure to the exhaust pressure,
its velocity must be extremely high.

A compounded steam turbine has multiple stages i.e. it has more than one set of
nozzles and rotors, in series, keyed to the shaft or fixed to the casing, so that either the
steam pressure or the jet velocity is absorbed by the turbine in number of stages. For
example, large HP Turbine used in nuclear power plants can be double-flow reaction
turbine with about 10 stages with shrouded blades. Large LP turbines used in nuclear
power plants are usually double-flow reaction turbines with about 5-8 stages (with shrouded
blades and with free-standing blades of last 3 stages).

In an impulse steam turbine compounding can be achieved in the following three ways:

 pressure compounding
 velocity compounding
 pressure-velocity compounding

A velocity-compounded impulse stage consist of a row of fixed nozzlesfollowed by two


or more rows of moving blades and fixed blades (without expansion). This divides the
velocity drop across the stage into several smaller drops. In this type, the total pressure
drop (expansion) of the steam take place only in the first nozzle ring. This produces very
high velocity steam, which flows through multiple stages of fixed and moving blades. At
each stage, only a portion of the high velocity is absorbed, the remainder is exhausted on to
the next ring of fixed blades. The function of the fixed blades is to redirect the steam
(without appreciably altering the velocity) leaving from the first ring of moving blades to the
second ring of moving blades. The jet then passes on to the next ring of moving blades, the
process repeating itself until practically all the velocity of the jet has been absorbed.
This method of velocity compounding is used to solve the problem of single stage impulse
turbine for use of high pressure steam (i.e. required velocity of the turbine), but they are less
efficient due to high friction losses.

A pressure-compounded impulse stage is a row of fixed nozzles followed by a row of


moving blades, with multiple stages for compounding. In this type, the total pressure drop
of the steam does not take place in the first nozzle ring, but is divided up between all the
nozzle rings. The effect of absorbing the pressure drop in stages is to reduce the velocity of
the steam entering the moving blades. The steam from the boiler is passed through the first
nozzle ring in which it is only partially expanded. It then passes over the first moving blade
ring where nearly all of its velocity (momentum) is absorbed. From this ring it exhausts into
the next nozzle ring and is again partially expanded. This method of pressure
compounding is used in Rateau and Zoelly turbines, but such turbines are bigger and
bulkier in size.
Impulse stages may be either pressure-compounded, velocity-compounded, or pressure-
velocity compounded. The pressure-velocity compounding is a combination of the
above two types of compounding. In fact, a series of velocity-compounded impulse stages
is called a pressure-velocity compounded turbine. Each stage consists of rings of fixed and
moving blades. Each set of rings of moving blades is separated by a single ring of fixed
nozzles. In each stage there is one ring of fixed nozzles and 3-4 rings of moving blades
(with fixed blades between them). Each stage acts as a velocity compounded impulse
turbine.

The steam coming from the steam generator is passed to the first ring of fixed nozzles,
where it gets partially expanded. The pressure partially decreases and the velocity rises
correspondingly. It then passes over the 3-4 rings of moving blades (with fixed blades
between them) where nearly all of its velocity is absorbed. From the last ring of the stage it
exhausts into the next nozzle ring and is again partially expanded.
This has the advantage of allowing a bigger pressure drop in each stage and, consequently,
less stages are necessary, resulting in a shorter turbine for a given pressure drop. It may be
seen that the pressure is constant during each stage; the turbine is, therefore, an impulse
turbine. The method of pressure-velocity compounding is used in the Curtis turbine.

Pressure Compounding of Reaction Turbine

Compounding of steam turbines is the method in which energy from the steam is extracted
in a number of stages rather than a single stage in a turbine. In all turbines the rotating
blade velocity is proportional to the steam velocity passing over the blade. If the steam is
expanded only in a single stage from the boiler pressure to the exhaust pressure, its
velocity must be extremely high.
A compounded steam turbine has multiple stages i.e. it has more than one set of nozzles
and blades, in series, keyed to the shaft or fixed to the casing, so that either the steam
pressure or the jet velocity is absorbed by the turbine in number of stages. For
example, large HP Turbine used in nuclear power plants can be double-flow reaction
turbine with about 10 stages with shrouded blades. Large LP turbines used in nuclear
power plants are usually double-flow reaction turbines with about 5-8 stages (with
shrouded blades and with free-standing blades of last 3 stages).

In a reaction steam turbine compounding can be achieved only in the pressure


compounding. In fact, it is not exactly the same as what it was discussed in impulse
turbines. Note that, there is steam expansion in both the fixed and moving blades.

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