Types of Steam Turbines

Faculty of Engineering
Pharos University in Alexandria

BY: Eng. ALAA EL-DIN KHALED ZAHRAN

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 Abstract
A steam turbine is a machine that extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam and uses it to
do mechanical work on a rotating output shaft. Its modern manifestation was invented by Charles
Parsons in 1884.[1][2] Fabrication of a modern steam turbine involves advanced metalwork to form
high-grade steel alloys into precision parts using technologies that first became available in the
20th century; continued advances in durability and efficiency of steam turbines remains central
to the energy economics of the 21st century.
The steam turbine is a form of heat engine that derives much of its improvement
in thermodynamic efficiency from the use of multiple stages in the expansion of the steam,
which results in a closer approach to the ideal reversible expansion process.
Because the turbine generates rotary motion, it can be coupled to a generator to harness its
motion into electricity. Such turbogenerators are the core of thermal power stations which can be
fueled by fossil-fuels, nuclear fuels, geothermal, or solar energy. About 85% of all electricity
generation in the United States in the year 2014 was by use of steam turbines.[3]
Technical challenges include rotor imbalance, vibration, bearing wear, and uneven expansion
(various forms of thermal shock). In large installations, even the sturdiest turbine will shake itself
apart if operated out of trim.

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Types of Steam Turbines

Steam turbines may be classified into different categories depending on their construction,
working pressures, size, and many other elements. But there are two basic types of steam
turbines which are called impulse and reaction turbines. There are other types of steam turbines
that are actually derivatives of these two main types.
1. Impulse Turbine

In this type of turbine, the superheated steam is projected at high velocity from fixed nozzles in
the casing. When the steam strikes the blades (sometimes called buckets), it causes the turbine
shaft to rotate. The high pressure and intermediate pressure stages of a steam turbine are usually
impulsed turbines. The entire pressure drops of steam take place in stationary nozzles only.
Though the theoretical impulse blades have zero pressure drop in the moving blades, practically,
for the flow to take place across the moving blades, there must be a small pressure drop across
the moving blades also. In impulse turbines, the steam expands through the nozzle, where most
of the pressure potential energy is converted to kinetic energy. The high-velocity steam from
fixed nozzles impacts the blades changes its direction, which in turn applies a force. The
resulting impulse drives the blades forward, causing the rotor to turn. The main feature of these
turbines is that the pressure drop per single stage can be quite large, allowing for large blades and
a smaller number of stages. Except for low-power applications, turbine blades are arranged in
multiple stages in series, called compounding, which greatly improves efficiency at low speeds.
Modern steam turbines frequently employ both reaction and impulse in the same unit, typically
varying the degree of reaction and impulse from the blade root to its periphery. The rotor blades
are usually designed like an impulse blade at the rot and like a reaction blade at the tip.
Since the Curtis stages reduce the pressure and temperature of the fluid to a moderate level
significantly with a high proportion of work per stage. A usual arrangement is to provide on the
high-pressure side one or more Curtis stages, followed by Rateau or reaction staging. In general,
when friction is taken into account reaction stages the reaction stage is found to be the most
efficient, followed by Rateau and Curtis in that order. Frictional losses are significant for Curti’s
stages since these are proportional to steam velocity squared. The reason that frictional losses are
less significant in the reaction stage lies in the fact that the steam expands continuously and
therefore flow velocities are lower.

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2. Reaction Turbine

In this type of steam turbine, the steam passes from fixed blades of the stator through the shaped
rotor blades nozzles causing a reaction and rotating the turbine shaft. The low-pressure stage of a
steam turbine is usually a reaction-type turbine. This steam having already expanded through the
high and intermediate stages of the turbine is now of low pressure and temperature, ideally suited
to a reaction turbine.
In reaction turbines, the steam expands through the fixed nozzle, where the pressure potential
energy is converted to kinetic energy. The high-velocity steam from fixed nozzles impacts the
blades (nozzles), changes their direction, and undergoes further expansion. The change in its
direction and the steam acceleration applies a force. The resulting impulse drives the blades
forward, causing the rotor to turn. There is no net change in steam velocity across the stage but
with a decrease in both pressure and temperature, reflecting the work performed in the driving of
the rotor. In this type of turbine, the pressure drops take place in a number of stages, because the
pressure drop in a single stage is limited.
The main feature of this type of turbine is that in contrast to the impulse turbine, the pressure
drop per stage is lower, so the blades become smaller, and the number of stages increases. On the
other hand, reaction turbines are usually more efficient, i.e. they have higher “isentropic turbine
efficiency”. The reaction turbine was invented by Sir Charles Parsons and is known as the
Parsons turbine.
In the case of steam turbines, such as would be used for electricity generation, a reaction turbine
would require approximately double the number of blade rows as an impulse turbine, for the
same degree of thermal energy conversion. Whilst this makes the reaction turbine much longer
and heavier, the overall efficiency of a reaction turbine is slightly higher than the equivalent
impulse turbine for the same thermal energy conversion.
Modern steam turbines frequently employ both reaction and impulse in the same unit, typically
varying the degree of reaction and impulse from the blade root to its periphery. The rotor blades
are usually designed like an impulse blade at the rot and like a reaction blade at the tip.
You have to remember that although there only two types of steam turbine there are numerous
mechanical arrangements of these, which include reheat steam turbines, cross compound steam
turbines, single casing turbines, tandem steam turbines, condensing and exhaust steam turbines
and, axial and radial flow steam turbines.

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Other Types of Steam Turbines
As we said before, there are only two main types of turbine. But there are other types of
steam turbines that are actually the derivatives of those two main steam turbines with
different arrangements that make a new way of working principle. Let’s see what we have of
steam turbines.
1. Condensing and Noncondensing Turbines

The first two types of Steam Turbine categorized by the new arrangement and with a new way
of working principle are condensing and noncondensing. In devices of the first type, steam is
condensed at below atmospheric pressure so as to gain the maximum amount of energy from it.
In noncondensing turbines, steam leaves the turbine at above atmospheric pressure and is then
used for heating or for other required processes before being returned as water to the boiler.
Compared to the fuel needed for simply converting water into steam which is actually saturated
steam, relatively little additional fuel has to be expended to increase the steam generator exit
pressure and, especially, the temperature in order to produce superheated steam, which then is
employed to drive a turbine. Noncondensing turbines are therefore an economical means of
generating power _cogeneration_ when substantial amounts of heating or process steam are
already needed.
In condensing turbines, substantial quantities of cooling water are required to carry away the
heat released during condensation. While noncondensing turbines exhaust steam at or above
atmospheric pressure, condensing turbines can condense at pressures of 90 to 100 kilopascals
below atmospheric pressure. This allows for a much larger expansion of the steam and a larger
change in enthalpy, resulting in higher work output and greater efficiency. All central station
plants, where efficiency is a prime consideration, employ condensing turbines.
1. Back-Pressure Steam Turbines

Another steam turbine type is a back-pressure steam turbine, which is the most suitable
equipment for mechanical-drive applications, such as the drivers of compressors or pumps.
The term backpressure refers to steam turbines that exhaust steam at above atmospheric
pressures. The discharge pressure is usually established by the specific application of the
steam in a plant. Lower pressures are frequently used in small and large low-pressure (LP)
applications, such as heating systems, and higher pressures are often used when supplying
steam to industrial processes.
Industrial processes often include a further expansion for other smaller mechanical drives,
using small steam turbines for driving rotating equipment (for instance, lubrication oil
pumps) that continuously runs for long periods. Significant mechanical power generation
capability is sacrificed when steam is used at appreciable pressure rather than being
expanded to vacuum in a condenser. Discharging steam into a steam distribution system at
10 Bar Gauge (barg) can sacrifice around half the power that could be generated when the

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inlet steam conditions are around 50 barg and 420°C, typical of small and medium steam
turbines.

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