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Blades
When high energy fluid (high pressure and high temperature) passes through series of
rotor blades, it absorbs energy from fluid and starts rotating, thus it transforms thermal
energy in fluid to mechanical energy.
Fig.1 Rotating blades of turbine helps in transforming thermal in fluid to mechanical energy
So series of such blade which eventually transform thermal energy are the most vital part
of a steam turbine. One of such rotor set is shown in figure below.
If you take a close look at one of the blade, it would be clear that a blade is a collection
of airfoil cross sections from bottom to top. When flow passes through such airfoils it
induces a low pressure on bottom surface and high pressure on top surface of airfoil as
shown in figure below.
Fig.3 Fluid flow around airfoil cross sectioned blade induces a high pressure (P) and low pressure(P) on blade surfaces
This pressure difference will induce a resultant force in upward direction, thus making
the blade rotate. So some part of fluid energy will get transformed to mechanical energy
of blade. Before analyzing energy transfer from fluid to blade, we will have a close look
at energy associated with a fluid.
Fig.4 Velocity and enthalpy variations across rotor and stator stages of a typical steam turbine
Where both enthalpy change and kinetic energy changes are defined across the rotor
blade.
Fig.5 A typical impulse turbine rotor cross section and flow pattern
Here incoming flow stream hits the blade and produces and impulse force on it. Since
enthalpy across the blade does not change temperature will also remain same. There will
be minor pressure drop across the rotor, but this is almost negligible. Here energy
transfer to the blade is purely due to decrease in kinetic energy of fluid.
Fig.6 A typical reaction turbine rotor cross section and flow pattern
Usually people use compromise of above two discussed cases,that is 50% D.O.R . Such
turbines are known as Parson turbines, where both kinetic and enthalpy energy transfer
contribute equally to power transfer to rotor.