Steam and Gas Turbines

Steam is the universal form of heat and arises from the vaporisation of water or other liquids. It is used to generate mechanical energy in various industrial processes such as power generation.

Steam, or vapour, produces electricity, heating, cooking, and sanitation. Steam is a form of heat that is created when water is boiled until it turns into vapour. Steam is released from surfaces where it condenses back into liquid water due to gravity. Steam turbines are used to generate electricity and propel ships.

Uses of Steam

Steam is created when high-temperature water boils and turns into steam. In the process, heat energy is converted directly into kinetic energy. 

Uses of steam in the industry includes Heating, Humidification, Sterilization, Moisturization, Propulsion, Motive, Cleaning, Atomization

There are three main types of steam generation processes: JAN-TEN (jacketed tube), SAUNA (swirling tube) and RADIATOR (plate).

Types of Steam

Wet Steam

Wet steam is just a subset produced from water droplets and condensation. It is usually the result of the condensation of water vapour onto a cold surface, and the process can only be reversed when there is sufficient heat.

Saturated Steam

Saturated steam is steam containing both the liquid and the gaseous forms of water at the same temperature simultaneously. The water vapour is in equilibrium with the water at or above the boiling temperature.

Gas Turbines

A gas turbine consists of blades turning on a shaft like an aeroplane propeller. The hot gases coming out of the burner produce power that travels to a generator mounted on a frame. The whole assembly is enclosed by an air inlet and an outlet pipe.

A gas turbine, also known as a turboprop engine, is an internal combustion engine that uses the expanding high-pressure gas in a combustor section to power a turbine, usually driven by an electric motor.

Closed Cycle Gas Turbine

• Closed-cycle gas turbines are a more efficient option when compared to open-cycle turbines.
• In this turbine type, the combustion is done in the same flow as the working fluid. In open-cycle turbines, there is an additional stream of combustion air which causes a loss of efficiency and noise and emissions

Open Cycle Gas Turbine

• Open Cycle Gas Turbines, also known as Ocg Ts, are gas turbines that use more air than fuel. Open cycle gas turbines allow them to operate at lower temperatures, making them easier to handle in colder climates.
• An open-cycle gas turbine engine (also called an O-ring compressor) consists of two oversized rotors, a chamber in the middle where the combustion occurs, and a nozzle at the end that provides thrust and direction with the exhaust out of the back of the engine into the atmosphere.

Steam Architectures

The steam-turbine type has been used in mechanical engineering for decades. This design offers a wide range of advantages to the application.

A steam turbine is a device that converts thermal energy into mechanical energy. It consists of a boiler that uses steam to produce high-pressure gas that drives the turbine blades, acting on the rotating shaft to have power. 

Gas Turbine Architecture

The gas turbine is a device that converts fuel energy into mechanical power. It consists of three main parts: combustion chamber, compressor, and turbine. The power-generation cycle of the Gas Turbine is shown in the figure below.

At the heart of this system lies the combustor with its mixing mechanism, which fuels the gas-air mixture in an air-fuel ratio of about 20:1 and propels it to high speeds, then compressed by a high-pressure compressor.

Gas turbine architecture is a process for the design of gas turbines. It maximises gas turbine performance, reliability, and energy efficiency. This process involves three main components:

1. The turbine inlet and exit compressor cascade system 
2. Combustion chamber 
3. Fuel injection

This process also has six sub-processes: Inlet Design, Turbine Design, Turbine Analysis, Gas Turbine Systems Integration, Property Test, and Grid Support.

Control Steam

Control steam controls the temperature and humidity in a room employing heating, ventilation and air conditioning.

Control steam is commonly used in mechanical engineering to manage a room’s temperature and humidity levels more efficiently. 

Process Involved in Control Steam

Control steam is a process where pressurised steam is used to heat a liquid or gas.

Control Steam can be considered a sub-process that uses pressurised steam to transfer heat for the auxiliary or main process in mechanical engineering. Control Steam entails using steam to transfer heat to a fluid (such as the feed water), producing power.

Conclusion

A gas turbine is like a steam turbine, but it uses the hot gases leftover from fuel combustion instead of water. A steam turbine is a machine that rotates a shaft to convert the thermal energy provided by water or steam into mechanical energy, which can then do work. The types of steam turbines are wet steam and saturated steam. The types of gas turbines are closed cycle gas turbines and open cycle gas turbines. Gas turbines are one of the most common types of internal combustion engines. They convert fuel into thermal energy to drive a turbine, which causes a generator to produce electricity. One application of gas turbines is the steam turbine, which is used to generate electricity from high-temperature heat sources such as nuclear power plants and coal-fired power plants.