How2Day: Steam Turbine Specifications

Steam turbines are used for steam engines and for power generation. They work by harnessing the chemical energy inherent in steam and turning it into kinetic energy. This kinetic energy is then used to move a vehicle forward or create electricity. While steam turbines are associated with locomotives from the 19th and early 20th century, they are still in use today. Indeed, nuclear power plants use steam to generate power, thus making steam turbines relevant in the 21st century.

An impeller is the key part of the turbine. It is a rotating rod with blades attached to its outside. As the steam hits the blades, the rod turns and this energy can be transferred to the engine or power generator that the turbine works with. The impellers are what actually move when the steam hits them. This movement is the transfer of energy from chemical energy to kinetic energy -- what was once expressed as steam heat is now expressed as movement.

Not all impellers move. Large steam turbine systems are made up of many different turbines, all set in a row. However, rather than simply put them one after another there is a fixed impeller system in between each of the movable impellers. This system's sole purpose is to reverse the direction of the steam. Changing the steam's direction gives it more energy, which makes the entire system more efficient.

Impeller movement comes from the nozzles. Their placement varies depending on whether the turbine is an impulse turbine or a reaction turbine. In an impulse turbine, they are on the sides of the impeller and shoot steam directly onto the impeller's blades. In the case of a reaction turbine, the nozzles are attached to the blades. Rather than be fired on from outside, the blades fire steam themselves, using the equation that every action has an equal and opposite reaction to propel themselves forward.

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