Steam turbine

A rotary engine that converts the thermal energy of pressurized steam into mechanical work by directing steam across blades.

Impulse turbine: A turbine in which stationary nozzles accelerate a fluid jet that transfers momentum to moving blades. Its blades extract work mainly from the velocity of steam jets.
Superheated steam: Water vapor heated above its saturation temperature at a given pressure. Superheating reduces moisture during expansion and can improve cycle efficiency.
Thermal power station: A facility that converts heat into electricity, commonly through a steam-powered thermodynamic cycle. Steam turbines convert the cycle’s heat-derived energy into electrical generator output.
Reciprocating steam engine: A steam engine that produces motion through a piston moving back and forth in a cylinder. It converts steam energy through reciprocating motion rather than continuous blade rotation.
Reaction turbine: A turbine whose moving blades also act as nozzles, producing work as fluid expands through them. Steam expands in both fixed and moving passages in this turbine design.
Enthalpy: A thermodynamic state property equal to internal energy plus pressure multiplied by volume. The steam’s enthalpy drop sets the ideal work available during expansion.
Nuclear power plant: A power station that uses nuclear fission heat to produce electricity. Most nuclear plants use steam turbines to drive their electrical generators.
Gas turbine: A rotary engine that extracts work from hot, expanding combustion gases flowing through blades. Its working fluid is combustion gas, unlike the externally heated steam of a steam turbine.
Steam nozzle: A passage that accelerates steam by converting pressure and enthalpy into kinetic energy. Nozzles shape and accelerate steam before it strikes turbine blades.
Angular momentum: A measure of rotational motion determined by an object’s mass distribution and angular velocity. Steam produces torque by changing its angular momentum across rotor blades.

Linked from 40 pages