TURBINE & GAS DYNAMICS

Turbine: Turbine is a device which converts Steam energy (Heat energy, Velocity energy &
Pressure energy) to Mechanical energy.

1. What is a stage in a steam turbine?

Ans: In an impulse turbine, the stage is a set of moving blades behind the nozzle. In a reaction
turbine, each row of blades is called a "stage." A single Curtis stage may consist of two or more rows
of moving blades.

2. What are the two basic types of steam turbines?

Ans: Impulse type & Reaction type.

3. What is basic difference between impulse turbine and reaction turbine?

Ans: The basic difference between impulse turbine and reaction turbine.
Impulse Turbine Reaction Turbine
1. The steam flows through the nozzle and 1. The steam flows first through guide
impinges the moving blades. mechanism and then through the moving blades.
2. In impulse turbine, jet is used to create 2. In reaction turbine, no jet is used pressure
impulse on blades which rotates the turbine. energy is converted into kinetic energy.
3. The steam impinges on the buckets with 3. The steam glides over the moving vanes with
kinetic energy. pressure and kinetic energy.
4. The blades are symmetrical. 4. The blades are not symmetrical.
5. Fluid enters & leaves with same energy. 5. Fluid enters with pressure energy & leaves
with kinetic energy.
6. All the pressure drops in nozzle only. 6. Pressure drops both fixed & moving blades
the difference is due to blade profiles.

4. What is the difference between Steam Turbine and Gas Turbine?

Ans: The difference between Steam Turbine and Gas Turbine are given below:
Steam Turbine Gas Turbine
1. The important components are steam boiler 1. The important components are compressor
and accessories. and combustion chamber.
2. It requires more space for installation. 2. It requires less space for installation.
3. The installation and running cost is more. 3. The installation and running cost is less.
4. The starting of steam turbine is difficult and 4. The starting of gas turbine is very easy and
takes long time. quick.
5. Its control, with changing load condition, is 5. Its control, with changing load condition, is
difficult. easy.
6. A steam turbine depends on water supply. 6. A gas turbine does not depend on water
supply.
7. Its efficiency is higher. 7. Its efficiency is less.

**Prepared by Engr. Goutam Panday, ME, DUET & Advisor: Dr. Md. Kamruzzman, Professor, MED, DUET. -1**
5. What is the difference between Open Cycle Gas Turbine and Closed Cycle Gas Turbine?
Ans: The difference between Open Cycle Gas Turbine and Closed Cycle Gas Turbine are given
below:
Open Cycle Gas Turbine Closed Cycle Gas Turbine
1. The compressed air is heated in a combustion 1. The compressed air is heated in a heating
chamber. The products of combustion get chamber.
mixed up in the heated air.
2. The gas from the turbine is exhausted into the 2. The gas from the turbine is passed into the
atmosphere. cooling chamber.
3. The working fluid is replaced continuously. 3. The working fluid is circulated continuously.
4. Only air can be used as the working fluid. 4. Any fluid with better thermodynamics
properties can be used.
5. The turbine blades wear away earlier. 5. The turbine blades do not wear away earlier.
6. Its maintenance cost is low. 6. Its maintenance cost is high.
7. The mass of installation per kW is less. 7. The mass of installation per kW is more.

6. What is the difference between Gas Turbine and IC Engine?

Ans: The difference between Gas Turbine and IC Engine are given below:
Gas Turbine IC Engine
1. The mass of gas turbine per kW developed is 1. The mass of an I.C. engine per kW developed
less. is more.
2. The installation and running cost is less. 2. The installation and running cost is more.
3. Its efficiency is higher. 3. Its efficiency is less.
4. The balancing of a gas turbine is perfect. 4. The balancing of an I.C. engine is not perfect.
5. The torque produced is uniform. Thus no 5. The torque produced is not uniform. Thus
flywheel is required. flywheel is necessary.
6. The lubrication and ignition systems are 6. The lubrication and ignition systems are
simple. difficult.
7. It can be driven at a very high speed. 7. It can not be driven at a very high speed.

7. Draw the flowdiagram of Open Cycle gas turbine and write their different component!
Ans: The Simple Open Cycle gas turbine

The Component of Open Cycle gas turbine is Compressor (C), Combustion Chamber (CC), Turbine
(T), and Generator (G).

**Prepared by Engr. Goutam Panday, ME, DUET & Advisor: Dr. Md. Kamruzzman, Professor, MED, DUET. -2**
8. Draw the flowdiagram of Closed Cycle gas turbine and write their different component!
Ans: The Simple Closed Cycle gas turbine

The Component of Closed Cycle gas turbine is Compressor (C), Heating Chamber (HC), Turbine
(T), Cooling Chamber (CC), and Generator (G).

9. What is a radial-flow turbine?

Ans: radial-flow turbine: In a radial-flow turbine, steam flows outward from the shaft to the casing.
The unit is usually a reaction unit, having both fixed and moving blades.

10. What are two types of clearance in a turbine?

Ans: Radial clearance at the tips of the rotor and casing.
Axial the fore-and-aft clearance, at the sides of the rotor and the casing.

11. What are some conditions that may prevent a turbine from developing full power?
Ans: 1. The machine is overloaded.
2. The initial steam pressure and temperature are not up to design conditions.
3. The exhaust pressure is too high.
4. The governor is set too low.
5. The steam strainer is clogged.
6. Turbine nozzles are clogged with deposits.
7. Internal wear on nozzles and blades.

12. What is the governing of steam turbine?

Ans: The function of a governor in a steam turbine is to maintain its speed constant irrespective of
the load. It is done by controlling the supply of steam to the turbine.
One is an over speed or emergency trip that shuts off the steam at 10 percent above running speed
(maximum speed). The second, or main governor, usually controls speed at a constant rate; however,
many applications have variable speed control.

13. What is a diaphragm?

Ans: Partitions between pressure stages in a turbines casing are called diaphragms. They hold the
vane-shaped nozzles and seals between the stages. Usually labyrinth-type seals are used. One-half of
the diaphragms is fitted into the top of the casing, the other half into the bottom.

**Prepared by Engr. Goutam Panday, ME, DUET & Advisor: Dr. Md. Kamruzzman, Professor, MED, DUET. -3**
14. What are topping and superposed turbines?
Ans: Topping and superposed turbines arc high-pressure, non-condensing units that can be added to
an older, moderate-pressure plant. Topping turbines receive high-pressure steam from new high-
pressure boilers. The exhaust steam of the new turbine has the same pressure as the old boilers and is
used to supply the old turbines.

15. How many governors are needed for safe turbine operation? Why?
Ans: Two independent governors are needed for safe turbine operation:
1. One is an over speed or emergency trip that shuts off the steam at 10 percent above running speed
(maximum speed).
2. The second, or main governor, usually controls speed at a constant rate; however, many
applications have variable speed control.

16. How can the fatigue damage on high-pressure blades be corrected?

Ans: Fatigue-damage on high-pressure blades arises due to vibration induced by partial-arc
admission. This can be corrected by switching over to full arc admission technique.

17. What is the material of Aircraft turbine blade?

Ans: The material of Aircraft turbine blade is Ni, Cr, Al, Traces of C.

18. What is the specific speed of turbine?

Ans: The specific speed of turbine is defined as the speed of the geometric turbine which can
produce unit power at unit head.

19. Why the reheater is used in a gas turbine?

Ans: The reheater is used in a gas turbine to create a robust thrust but at the same time it really goes
costly for excessive fuel consumption.

20. In which part of the steam turbine does corrosion fatigue occur?
Ans: In the wet stages of the LP cylinder.

21. In which part of the steam turbine does stress corrosion cracking (SCC) occur?
Ans: In the wet stages of the low-pressure turbine.

22. In which zone of steam turbines has temperature-creep rupture been observed?
Ans: Damage due to creep is encountered in high temperature (exceeding 455C) zones. That is, it
has been found to occur in the control stages of the high-pressure and intermediate-pressure turbines
where steam temperature sometimes exceed 540C. In the reheat stage, it has been observed that
creep has caused complete lifting of the blade shroud bands.

23. What are the types of turbine seals?

Ans: a. Carbon rings fitted in segments around the shaft and held together by garter or retainer
springs.
b. Labyrinths mated with shaft serrations or shaft seal strips.
c. Water seals where a shaft runner acts as a pump to create a ring of water around the shaft.
Use only treated water to avoid shaft pitting.
**Prepared by Engr. Goutam Panday, ME, DUET & Advisor: Dr. Md. Kamruzzman, Professor, MED, DUET. -4**
 d. Stuffing box using woven or soft packing rings that are compressed with a gland to prevent
leakage along the shaft.

24. What is the function of Hydrogen seals work on a generator?

Ans: Provide a seal between the generator housings and rotor shaft to maintain the pressurized
hydrogen gas inside the generator. Also, provides a trap-vent system to prevent the release of
hydrogen into the turbine generator lube oil system and building atmosphere.

25. What is the consequence of not maintaining hydrogen (or air) pressure in generator casing
at a value above atmospheric pressure when seal oil system is in service?
Ans: Failure to do so will cause excessive seal oil to be drawn into the generator.

26. How is oil pressure maintained when starting or stopping a medium-sized turbine?
Ans: An auxiliary pump is provided to maintain oil pressure. Some auxiliary pumps are turned by a
hand crank; others are motor-driven. This pump is used when the integral pump is running too
slowly to provide pressure, as when starting or securing a medium-sized turbine.

27. Besides lubrication, what are two functions of lubricating oil in some turbines?
Ans: In larger units, lube oil cools the bearings by carrying off heat to the oil coolers. Lube oil in
some turbines also acts as a hydraulic fluid to operate the governor speed-control system.

28. Explain Super Saturated Flow in steam nozzles!

Ans: Super Saturated Flow: The flow of supersaturated steam, through the nozzle is called is Super
Saturated Flow. It may be noted that,
a. The difference of supersaturated temperature and saturation temperature is known as degree of
under cooling.
b. The ratio of pressure corresponding to supersaturated temperature and saturation temperature is
known as degree of supersaturation.

29. What is nozzle efficiency and reheat factor?

Ans: The nozzle efficiency: When the steam flows through a nozzle, some loss in its total heat take
place due to friction between the nozzle surface and the flowing steam. The effect of friction is to
increase the dryness fraction of steam.

The nozzle efficiency or the coefficient of nozzle is defined as the ratio of useful heat drop to the
isentropic heat drop. Mathematically nozzle efficiency,
K = Useful heat drop / Isentropic heat drop

Reheat Factor: The Reheat Factor is an important term used in multi-stage turbines which may be
defined as the ratio of the cumulative heat drop to the isentropic heat drop.

**Prepared by Engr. Goutam Panday, ME, DUET & Advisor: Dr. Md. Kamruzzman, Professor, MED, DUET. -5**