How is steam converted into energy?
Making electricity from steam is generally a three step process, where water is converted to high pressure steam, then the high pressure steam is converted to mechanical rotation of a turbine shaft, and the rotating turbine shaft then drives an electric generator.
What is the energy transformation of a turbine?
A wind turbine transforms the mechanical energy of wind into electrical energy. A turbine takes the kinetic energy of a moving fluid, air in this case, and converts it to a rotary motion. As wind moves past the blades of a wind turbine, it moves or rotates the blades. These blades turn a generator.
How energy of steam is converted into rotational energy in turbine?
In a turbine generator, a moving fluid—water, steam, combustion gases, or air—pushes a series of blades mounted on a rotor shaft. The force of the fluid on the blades spins/rotates the rotor shaft of a generator. The generator, in turn, converts the mechanical (kinetic) energy of the rotor to electrical energy.
What kind of energy out is obtained from steam power plant?
A steam power plant consists of a boiler, steam turbine and generator, and other auxiliaries. The boiler generates steam at high pressure and high temperature. The steam turbine converts the heat energy of steam into mechanical energy. The generator then converts the mechanical energy into electric power.
Why steam is used in turbine?
The steam acts like a cross between water and wind turbines. Because of the high pressure and high kinetic energy, steam turbines are mostly used. As steam contains thermal energy, high pressure is obtained for running the turbines, to generate electricity.
How much steam is needed to turn a turbine?
To turn 1kg (2.2lb) of water at 100°C (212°F) into 1kg of steam at the same temperature, you need to supply about 2257 kilojoules of energy, or roughly 1000 times as much as an electric kettle or toaster uses in one second.
What are steam turbines made of?
The nickel-based blades are alloyed with aluminum and titanium to improve strength and creep resistance. The microstructure of these alloys is composed of different regions of composition.
Why is steam used to run turbines?
How much electricity does a steam turbine generate?
Practical steam turbines come in all shapes and sizes and produce power ranging from one or two megawatts (roughly the same output as a single wind turbine) up to 1,000 megawatts or more (the output from a large power plant, equivalent to 500–1000 wind turbines working at full capacity).
What is the function of steam turbine?
The steam turbine generator is the primary power conversion component of the power plant. The function of the steam turbine generator is to convert the thermal energy of the steam from the steam generator to electrical energy.
How do steam turbine turbines generate electricity?
Electrical energy generation using steam turbines involves three energy conversions, extracting thermal energy from the fuel and using it to raise steam, converting the thermal energy of the steam into kinetic energy in the turbine and using a rotary generator to convert the turbine’s mechanical energy into electrical energy.
How fast does a steam turbine spin?
For example, a typical power plant steam turbine rotates at 1800–3600 repetitions per minute (RPM); about 100–200 times faster than the blades spin on a typical wind turbine, which needs to use a gearbox to drive a generator quickly enough to make electricity 2.
How many stages are there in a steam turbine?
According to number of stages (a)Single stage turbine (b)Multi stage turbine 4 .According to steam pressure at inlet of Turbine: (a) Low pressure turbine (b) Medium pressure turbine. (c) High pressure turbine (d) Super critical pressure turbine.
What are the advantages of steam turbine over reciprocating engine?
Thermal efficiency of a steam turbine is usually higher than that of a reciprocating engine. Very high power-to-weight ratio, compared to reciprocating engines. Fewer moving parts than reciprocating engines. Steam turbines are suitable for large thermal power plants.