Steam turbines are used in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries in which electricity and heat drive many processes and it is often economical to integrate gas or steam turbines into processes to produce electricity that can be used to power the facility. Steam turbines are similarly used to produce energy from waste. When waste material is combusted, the heat is used to drive an efficient and customize steam turbine. Other major applications of steam turbines take place in oil and gas, pulp and paper, solar power and sugar and ethanol plants.
According to Research and Markets the global steam turbine market for power generation is expected to top $18.5 billion by 2021, a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.3% from 2016 to 2021.
Siemens Steam Turbines Go Way Back
Siemens has been continuously developing steam turbine technology for over a century. The company operates more than 20,000 steam turbines around the world and offers pre-designed steam turbines up to 12 MW, industrial steam turbines up to 250 MW and utility steam turbines up to 1,900 MW. Siemens also offers steam turbines for power plants including utility steam power plants, high efficiency coal-fired power plants, combined cycle power plants and combined heat and power or cogeneration plants.
Major Types of Turbines
There are three types of turbines including:
- hydraulic turbines – take energy from moving water which is directed to blades on a turbine runner, creating force on the blades. As the runner spins energy is transferred from the water flow to the turbine generating electricity..
- gas turbines aka a combustion turbines – are the type of turbine used in the internal combustion engine. It has a rotating compressor that draws air into the engine to pressurize it and then feeds it into a combustion chamber after which fuel injectors inject fuel into combustion chambers where the fuel mixes with the air at 2000°F. The expansion produces shaft work which ultimately spins wheels.
- steam turbines – use the potential energy of steam and transform it into kinetic and mechanical energy. High pressure steam is fed into a turbine that spins a generator producing electricity
The following video shows in basic terms how a steam turbine works:
Concepts & Terms related to Steam Turbines
The following concepts and terms are related to steam turbine technology and have been covered in IndustryTap or will be covered in future articles:
- STEAM TURBINES
- POWER PLANTS
- POWER GENERATION
- TURBINE BLADES
- STEAM FLOWS
- GAS TURBINES
- TURBINE GENERATORS
- TURBINE DESIGNS
- STEAM CONDITIONS
- PRESSURE STEAM
- EXHAUST STEAM
- TURBINE CONTROLS
- REACTION TURBINES
- INLET STEAM
- IMPULSE TURBINES
- CONDENSING TURBINES
- CONDENSING STEAM
- TURBINE POWER
- TURBINE EXHAUSTS
- STEAM PATH
- Small Steam Powered Electric Generator,
- Steam Turbine Diagram,
- Steam Turbines for Home Use,
- Steam Turbine Basics PDF,
- Steam Generators for Home Electricity,
- Steam Turbine Basics,
- Steam Turbines for Sale,
- How Steam Turbine Governors Work
