Steam Turbine Projects

• Steam turbines are frequently used by engineers for harnessing energy and in applications that require the movement of gaseous vapor. A steam turbine for harnessing electricity is often found within nuclear reactors or geothermal power generation stations. Steam turbines for moving fluids and vapors are also found in all manner of industrial-processing devices, as well as in many types of air-conditioning compressor units.

Demonstration Scale Steam Turbine Project

• A demonstration scale steam turbine project only needs to be big enough to demonstrate a proof of concept; therefore a tabletop-size device is the most appropriate scale for the task. To create a simple steam turbine demonstration unit, you will need a source of steam, such as a household electric tea kettle, and some tubing to confine and direct its flow toward the turbine. The turbine itself is constructed of blades, which are arrayed in such an angle and configuration that they allow the steam vapor and gases to pass through while applying pressure to create rotary motion. For inspiration in designing your own small-scale steam turbine, look toward the designs of old-fashioned farmhouse windmills. The key difference is that the steam turbine operates in an enclosed pressurized environment instead of harnessing the open air's movement.

Small Scale Steam Turbine Project

• Small-scale steam turbines are useful in situations where there is already a small process in place that emits steam, such as a dairy or beer pasteurization boiler. Rather than allow excess steam to go to waste, place a small turbine over the exhaust flow to recuperate a small amount of electricity via a small generator; the energy can even be cycled back into the heating process. Individually, these small-scale steam turbine projects do not have a tremendous impact; however, if their use becomes widespread enough, the overall national energy savings could prove significant.

Industrial Scale Steam Turbine Project

• Industrial steam turbine projects usually operate beyond the scope of the average person's technical knowledge, with the most simple and understandable application being electrical generation of power when water is boiled. Steam turbines are likely to be used in nuclear power plants, which harness their energy through heating water with radioactive material beyond the boiling point, allowing this steam to be harnessed by turbines and generators to create electricity. In the case of geothermal power generation, steam is readily available and merely needs to be isolated under greater pressure before sending it to the steam turbine. The primary method of concentrating geothermal steam is by simple mechanical advantage wherein steam is forced to escape through a progressively smaller and smaller opening, thus increasing pressure.