5/14/2016

Question&AnswersonSteamTurbines

Question&AnswersonSteamTurbines

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Question&AnswersonSteamTurbines
Whatisimportanttorememberaboutradialbearings?
Answer:Aturbinerotorissupportedbytworadialbearings,oneoneachendofthesteamcylinder.Thesebearingsmustbeaccurately
alignedtomaintainthecloseclearancebetweentheshaftandtheshaftseals,andbetweentherotorandthecasing.Ifexcessivebearing
wearlowerstheherotor,greatharmcanbedonetotheturbine.
Howmanygovernorsareneededforsafeturbineoperation?Why?
Answer:Twoindependentgovernorsareneededforsafeturbineoperation.Oneisanoverspeedoremergencytripthatshutsoffthe
steamat10percentaboverunningspeed(maximumspeed).Thesecond,ormaingovernor,usuallycontrolsspeedataconstantrate
however,manyapplicationshavevariablespeedcontrol.
Howisaflyballgovernorusedwithahydrauliccontrol?
Answer:Astheturbinespeedsup,theweightsaremovedoutwardbycentrifugalforce,causinglinkagetoopenapilotvalvethatadmits
andreleasesoiloneithersideofapistonorononesideofaspringloadedpiston.Themovementofthepistoncontrolsthesteamvalves.
Whatisamultiportgovernorvalve?Whyisitused?
Answer:Inlargeturbines,avalvecontrolssteamflowtogroupsofnozzles.Thenumberofopenvalvescontrolsthenumberofnozzlesin
useaccordingtotheload.Abarliftorcamarrangementoperatedbythegovernoropensandclosesthesevalvesinsequence.Sucha
deviceisamultiportvalve.Usingnozzlesatfullsteampressureismoreefficientthanthrottlingthesteam.
Whatismeantbycriticalspeed?
Answer:Itisthespeedatwhichthemachinevibratesmostviolently.Itisduetomanycauses,suchasimbalanceorharmonicvibrations
setupbytheentiremachine.Tominimizedamage,theturbineshouldbehurriedthroughtheknowncriticalspeedasrapidlyaspossible.
(Caution,besurethevibrationiscausedbycriticalspeedandnotbysomeothertrouble).
Howisoilpressuremaintainedwhenstartingorstoppingamediumsizedturbine?
Answer:Anauxiliarypumpisprovidedtomaintainoilpressure.Someauxiliarypumpsareturnedbyahandcrankothersaremotor
driven.Thispumpisusedwhentheintegralpumpisrunningtooslowlytoprovidepressure,aswhenstartingorsecuringamediumsized
turbine.
Besideslubrication,whicharetwofunctionsoflubricatingoilinsometurbines?
Answer:Inlargeunits,lubeoilcoolsthebearingsbycarryingoffheattotheoilcoolers.Lubeoilinsometurbinesalsoactsasahydraulic
fluidtooperatethegovernorspeedcontrolsystem.
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Whatismeantbythewaterrateofaturbine?

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Answer:Waterrateisanothertermusedforthesteamrate.

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Whatisthedifferencebetweenpartialandfullarcadmission?

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Answer:Inmultivalveturbineinlets,partialarcadmissionallowsthesteamtoenterpervalveopeninginasequentialmanner,soasload
isincreased,morevalvesopentoadmitsteam.Thiscancauseunevenheatingonthehighpressureannulusasthevalvesareindividually
openedwithloadincrease.Infullarcadmission,allregulatingvalvesopenbutonlyatapercentageoftheirfullopening.Withloadincrease,
theyallopenmorefully.Thisprovidesmoreuniformheatingaroundthehighpressurepartoftheturbine.Mostmoderncontrolsstartwith
fullarcandswitchtopartialarctoreducethrottlinglossesthroughthevalves.
Atwhatpointsdoescorrosionfatiguedoesshowup?
Answer:Itattackstrailingedges,nearthebaseofthefoilandalsothebladerootserrations.
Besideslubrication,whataretwofunctionsoflubricatingoilinsometurbines?
Answer:Inlargerunits,lubeoilcoolsthebearingsbycarryingoffheattotheoilcoolers.Lubeoilinsometurbinesalsoactsasahydraulic

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fluidtooperatethegovernorspeedcontrolsystem.
Despitepreventivemeasures,damageduetomoistureimpingementhasbeenfound,incertaincases,intheshieldandbeyond.
Why?
Answers:

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1.Shieldsaredesignedandfabricatedonthebasisofpredictedrangeofsteam/waterquantitiesimpactingthebladesatspecific
angles.
2.Nowiftheoperatingconditionsdeviatesignificantlyfromdesignparametersthentheerosiondamagewilloccur.Andinsomecases
itmaygobeyondnominalerosionwearandwarrantrepair.
3.Alsothecorrosionofcasingcanoccurduetoblockage/cloggingofwaterdrainsorextractiontherebyforcingthewaterbackintothe
casing.Ifthiscondensatewateriscarriedovertosteampathandimpactstheblade,thermalfatiguefailurecanoccurwithinashort
period.
Bymonitoringtheexhauststeamtemperature,howcanthebladedepositionbepredicted?
Answers:
1.Immediatelyafterthe1stcommissioning,thedifferentvaluesofexhausttemperaturefordifferentsteamflowratesareprecisely
determinedandplottedagainststeamflow.Thiswillproducethefirstactualgraph.Thisisforacleanturbine.
2.Similargraphsaretobedrawnatlaterperiodsforcomparingwiththeinitialgraph.
3.Ariseinexhauststeamtemperatureunderthesameconditionsreferstodepositformation.
4.Anincreaseofexhauststeamtemperaturebymorethan10%intherangeof70tol00%steamflow,indicatesinadmissibleblade
depositions.Shutdownistobetakenandbladesaretobewashedoffdeposits.
DotheradialaxialborecracksoccurintheLProtor/shaftalone?
Answer:ThesearealsoknowntooccurintheHPaswellasHProtors.
Doyoustopcoolingwaterflowthroughasteamcondenserassoonastheturbineisslopped?
Answer:Youshouldkeepthecoolingwatercirculatingforabout15millormoresothatthecondenserhasachancetocooldown
graduallyandevenly.Besuretohavecoolingwaterflowingthroughthecondenserbeforestartingupinordertopreventlivesteamfrom
enteringthecondenserunlessitiscooled.Overheatingcancausesevereleaksandotherheadaches.
Doyouthinkthatturbinebladefailureistheonlycauseofunreliabilityofsteamturbines?Doesupgradingofturbinemeans
replacementofbladesand/orimprovementofbladedesign?
Answers:
1.Liketheblades,thesteamturbinerotorsarehighlystressedcomponents.Theyaresubjecttocrackingbyavarietyoffailure
mechanisms.Rotorfailuresdooccur.Andwhentheyoccurtheresultiscatastrophicwiththecompletedestructionoftheunitand
thetotallossofgeneratingcapacity.
2.Therefore,specialattentionshouldbegiventorotorupgradingandrepairingtechniques.
BLADEFAILURES
Unknown26%
StressCorrosionCracking22%
HighCycleFatigue20%
CorrosionFatigueCracking7%
TemperatureCreepRupture6%
LowCycleFatigue5%
Corrosion4%
Othercauses10%
Besides,manydamagemechanismsoperateincombinationof,poorsteam/waterchemistry,certainbladedesignfactorsthatvaryfrom
oneturbinemanufacturetoother,systemoperatingparameters,
Howcandamagedtenonsberepaired?
Answers:Byadoptingmodernweldingtechniques,tenonscanberebuiltThisinsomecasesresultsinextendedbladelife.
Howcanproblemsof"excessivevibrationornoise"duetopipingstrainbeavoidedonsteamturbines?
Answers:
1.Theinletaswellasexhauststeamlinesshouldbefirmlysupportedtoavoidstrainsfrombeingimposedontheturbine.
2.Adequateallowanceshouldbemadeforexpansionofsteampipesduetoheat.
Howcansteamturbinesbeclassified?
Answers:
Bytheactionofsteam:

1.Impulse.
2.Reaction.
3.Impulseandreactioncombined.
Thenumberofstepreductionsinvolved:

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4.Singlestage.
5.Multistage.
6.Whetherthereisoneormorerevolvingvanesseparatedbystationaryreversingvanes.
Thedirectionofsteamflow:

7.Axial.
8.Radial.
9.Mixed.
10.Tangential.
11.Helical.
12.Reentry.
Theinletsteampressure:

13.Highpressure.
14.Mediumpressure.
15.Lowpressure.
Thefinalpressure:

16.Condensing.
17.Noncondensing.
Thesourceofsteam:

18.Extraction.
19.Accumulator.

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Whatisastageinasteamturbine?
Answer:Inanimpulseturbine,thestageisasetofmovingbladesbehindthenozzle.Inareactionturbine,eachrowof
bladesiscalleda"stage."AsingleCurtisstagemayconsistoftwoormorerowsofmovingblade.
Whatisadiaphragm?
Answer:Partitionsbetweenpressurestagesinaturbine'scasingarecalleddiaphragms.Theyholdthevaneshapednozzles
andsealsbetweenthestages.Usuallylabyrinthtypesealsareused.Onehalfofthediaphragmisfittedintothetopofthe
casing,theotherhalfintothebottom.
Whatisaradialflowturbine?
Answer:Inaradialflowturbine,steamflowsoutwardfromtheshafttothecasing.Theunitisusuallyareactionunit,having
bothfixedandmovingblades.TheyareusedforspecialjobsandaremorecommontoEuropeanmanufacturers,suchas
StaLaval(nowABB).
Whatarefourtypesofturbineseals?
Answers:
1.Carbonringsfittedinsegmentsaroundtheshaftandheldtogetherbygarterorretainersprings.
2.Labyrinthmatedwithshaftserrationsorshaftsealstrips.
3.Watersealswhereashaftrunneractsasapumptocreatearingofwateraroundtheshaft.Useonlytreatedwaterto
avoidshaftpitting.
4.Stuffingboxusingwovenorsoftpackingringsthatarecompressedwithaglandtopreventleakagealongtheshaft.
Inwhichturbineistipleakageaproblem?
Answer:Tipleakageisaprobleminreactionturbines.Here,eachvaneformsanozzlesteammustflowthroughthemoving
nozzletothefixednozzle.Steamescapingacrossthetipsofthebladesrepresentsalossofwork.Therefore,tipsealsare
usedpreventthis.
Whataretwotypesofclearanceinaturbine?
Answer:

1. Radialclearanceatthetipsoftherotorandcasing.
2. Axialtheforeandaftclearance,atthesidesoftherotorandthecasing.
Whatarefourtypesofthrusthearings?
Answer:
1.Babbittfacedcollarbearings.
2.Tiltingpivotalpads.
3.Taperedlandbearings.
4.Rollingcontact(rollerorball)bearings.

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Whatisthefunctionofathrustbearing?
Answer:Thrustbearingskeeptherotorinitscorrectaxialposition.
Whatisabalancepiston?
Answer:Reactionturbineshaveaxialthrustbecausepressureontheenteringsideisgreaterthanpressureontheleaving
sideofeachstage.Tocounteractthisforce,steamisadmittedtoadummy(balance)pistonchamberatthelowpressureend
oftherotor.Somedesignersalsouseabalancepistononimpulseturbinesthathaveahighthrust.Insteadofpiston,seal
stripsarealsousedtoduplicateapiston'scounterforce
Whyshouldasteamormoistureseparatorbeinstalledinthesteamlinenexttoasteamturbine?
Answer:Allmultistageturbines,lowpressureturbines,andturbinesoperatingathighpressurewithsaturatedsteamshould
haveamoistureseparatorinordertopreventrapidbladewearfromwatererosion.
Whataresomeconditionsthatmaypreventaturbinefromdevelopingfullpower?
Answers:
1.Themachineisoverloaded.
2.Theinitialsteampressureandtemperaturearenotuptodesignconditions.
3.Theexhaustpressureistoohigh.
4.Thegovernorissettoolow.
5.Thesteamstrainerisclogged.
6.Turbinenozzlesarecloggedwithdeposits.
7.Internalwearonnozzlesandblades.
Whyisitnecessarytoopencasingdrainsanddrainsonthesteamlinegoingtotheturbinewhenaturbineistobe
started?
Answers:
Toavoidsluggingnozzlesandbladesinsidetheturbinewithcondensateonstartupthiscanbreakthesecomponentsfrom
impact.Thebladesweredesignedtohandlesteam,notwater.
Whatissteamrateasappliedtoturbogenerators?
Answer:Thesteamrateisthepoundsofsteamthatmustbesuppliedperkilowatthourofgeneratoroutputatthesteam
turbineinlet.
Whatarethetwobasictypesofsteamturbines?
Answers:
1.Impulsetype.
2.Reactiontype.
Whatistheoperatingprincipleofanimpulseturbine?
Answer:Thebasicideaofanimpulseturbineisthatajetofsteamfromafixednozzlepushesagainsttherotorbladesand
impelsthemforward.Thevelocityofthesteamisabouttwiceasfastasthevelocityoftheblades.Onlyturbinesutilizing
fixednozzlesareclassifiedasimpulseturbines.
Whatistheoperatingprincipleofareactionturbine?
Answer:Areactionturbineutilizesajetofsteamthatflowsfromanozzleontherotor.Actually,thesteamisdirectedinto
themovingbladesbyfixedbladesdesignedtoexpandthesteam.Theresultisasmallincreaseinvelocityoverthatofthe
movingblades.Thesebladesformawallofmovingnozzlesthatfurtherexpandthesteam.Thesteamflowispartially
reversedbythemovingblades,producingareactionontheblades.Sincethepressuredropissmallacrosseachrowof
nozzles(blades),thespeediscomparativelylow.Therefore,morerowsofmovingbladesareneededthaninanimpulse
turbine.
Whataretoppingandsuperposedturbines?
Answer:Toppingandsuperposedturbinesarchighpressure,noncondensingunitsthatcanbeaddedtoanolder,moderate
pressureplant.Toppingturbinesreceivehighpressuresteamfromnewhighpressureboilers.Theexhauststeamofthenew
turbinehasthesamepressureastheoldboilersandisusedtosupplytheoldturbines.
Whatisanextractionturbine?
Answer:Inanextractionturbine,steamiswithdrawnfromoneormorestages,atoneormorepressures,forheating,plant
process,orfeedwaterheaterneeds.Theyareoftencalled"bleederturbines."
Whatisacombinationthrustandradialbearing?
Answer:ThisunithastheendsoftheBabbittbearingextendedradiallyovertheendoftheshell.Collarsontherotorface
thesethrustpads,andthejournalissupportedinthebearingbetweenthethrustcollars
Whatisataperedlandthrustbearing?

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Answer:Thebabbittfaceofataperedlandthrustbearinghasaseriesoffixedpadsdividedbyradialslots.Theleadingedge
ofeachsectoristapered,allowinganoilwedgetobuildupandcarrythethrustbetweenthecollarandpad.

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