Turbine Generator Systems

Turbine Generator Systems types include condensing, non-condensing, reheat, extraction and induction

Non-condensing

Non-condensing or back pressure turbines are most widely used for process steam applications. The exhaust pressure is controlled by a regulating valve to suit the needs of the process steam pressure. These are commonly found at refineries, district heating units, pulp and paper plants, and desalination facilities where large amounts of low pressure process steam are available.

Reheat

Reheat turbines are also used almost exclusively in electrical power plants. In a reheat turbine, steam flow exits from a high pressure section of the turbine and is returned to the boiler where additional superheat is added. The steam then goes back into an intermediate pressure section of the turbine and continues its expansion.

Extracting type turbines

Extracting type turbines are common in all applications. In an extracting type turbine, steam is released from various stages of the turbine, and used for industrial process needs or sent to boiler feedwater heaters to improve overall cycle efficiency. Extraction flows may be controlled with a valve, or left uncontrolled.

Turbine efficiency

To maximize turbine efficiency the steam is expanded, doing work, in a number of stages. These stages are characterized by how the energy is extracted from them and are known as either impulse or reaction turbines. Most steam turbines use a mixture of the reaction and impulse designs: each stage behaves as either one or the other, but the overall turbine uses both. Typically, higher pressure sections are impulse type and lower pressure stages are reaction type.

Condensing Turbines

Condensing turbines are most commonly found in electrical power plants. These turbines exhaust steam in a partially condensed state, typically of a quality near 90%, at a pressure well below atmospheric to a condenser.

 Ideal Steam turbine

A conventional theoretical steam turbine is considered ideal when it is an isentropic process or when the entropy of the steam at the inlet into the turbine is equal to that at the outlet. But no steam turbine is perfectly isentropic, isentropic efficiencies varies between 20-90% depending on the use of the turbine. The interior of a turbine includes several stages, consisting of blades, though they are more frequently called buckets. Similarly one of the blades remain static with the casing and the other set of blades rotate with the shaft. The sets are interconnected with a certain minimum distances while the size and shape of the set has provision to has the expansion in the steam well adopting to the successive stages.

Air turbine generator

An air turbine generator is a device that generates electricity with the help of kinetic energy of moving air through a turbine which in turn is connected to the electrical generator. Hence, this technology is utilized in different applications especially in the energy and power production area. Here are some key points about air turbine generators:Here are some key points about air turbine generators:

Working Principle: Air turbine generators use the force of wind or air movements. Technically, the steam flows over the turbine blades and as a result causes the rotor to turn. The thus-received rotational energy transforms into electricity by an installed generator.

Types of Air Turbine Generators:

• Wind Turbines: Turbine generators that operate on air are commonly referred to as air turbines and among these the most prevalent one is the wind turbine. They are employed to turn the wind energy to electricity and are very popular with the wind power plants.
• Hydrokinetic Turbines: These turbines are anchored to water channels, river flows, tidal currents and the like with a view of harnessing energy from moving water.

Components:

• Turbine Blades: These are aimed to collect the energy of the air or water currents. ,it is seed that the shape and size of the blades are really important for the output to be generated by the wind energy plant.
• Generator: The generator is coupled to the Turbine which then works to transform mechanical energy into electrical energy. Often such generators are electromagnetic (induction generators) or permanent magnet generators.

Applications:

• Wind Power: Wind turbines are employed in generating electrical energy in wind power plants, for domestic or industrial use and in stand alone systems.
• Hydropower: Far from being a single device, hydrokinetic turbines are used to create electricity in rivers and tidal currents.
• Aircraft Auxiliary Power Units (APUs): Small air turbine generators are used in some aircrafts in the APUs where electrical power is required and the engines are off.

Advantages:

• Air turbine generators are clean sources of power in a sense as they do not emit green house gases in the provision of electricity.
• It termed as renewable because as long as there are regions of moving air or water, the resource can be replenished.
• They can be applied for different purposes and their design is easily extendable.

Challenges:

• Air turbine generators relatively depend on the intensity as well as regularity of the air or water flow. Varying these factors results in a change in power production.
• Stakeholders have also pointed out that installation and maintenance of the wind turbines can be difficult and are costly especially for big turbines.

Renewable Energy: Wind owned turbine is such a product that is considered as the most reliable source of renewable energy with a focused efficiency on power generation.

Research and Development: Current research is consistently being made in an effort to enhance the output and dependability of air turbine generators and at the same time reducing the overall expenses.

Air turbine generators are a significant type of power generation technology for the wind and water energy which is rapidly gaining demand in the growing category of clean power technologies. They are a fundamental ingredient of renewable energy sources and provide one of the most promising strategies for the needful shift away from fossil fuels.

How turbine generate electricity

Turbines produce electricity as a result of using the energy possessed by a flowing liquid to mechanically rotate the turbine blades thereby generating electricity by spinning a generator’s magnet inside a coil. The fluid can be water, steam, combustion gases, or air The fluid, here, is the working fluid that can also be referred to as the cycle fluid.

The fundamental working principle is the same for all the categories of the turbines. The fluid exerts a pressure on several blades that are placed on a rotor shaft. This in turn makes the rotor shaft rotate thus making the generator to rotate as well. By doing this the generator transforms mechanical energy of the spinning rotor shaft into electrical energy.

Here is a more detailed explanation of how each type of turbine generates electricity:Here is a more detailed explanation of how each type of turbine generates electricity:

• Hydroelectric turbines: Thus, the blades in a hydroelectric turbine are made to rotate when water being diverted is forced to flow with a certain force. The water is originally collected in a reservoir and then is let to flow through a penstock which is a big pipe that guides the water to the turbine. At the bottom of the penstock is the turbine which waters spin in the turbine blades and the generator helps in producing the electricity.
• Steam turbines: Stem turbines are used in most of the conventional power plants around the world. Steam can be produced by combustion of a fossil fuel as coal, natural gas in a boiler. Literally, the high-pressure steam is led to the turbine whose blades are thus moved by rotation by the pressure exerted by the steam. The generator transforms Mechanical energy of the rotating rotor shaft to electrical energy.
• Combustion turbines: Combustion turbines are also referred to as gas turbines and they develop mechanical power from the burning of gaseous fuel. They are applied in some types of power plant and in aircraft engines. Air first passes through the compressor where its pressure is increased. The compressed air is then further combined with fuel and the mixture is burnt in a combustion chamber. Once burned the hot gases are used to spin the blades of the turbine. The generator is used to transform mechanical energy of the rotor shaft into electrical energy.
• Wind turbines: Wind is used to spin the turbine blades of a wind turbine Wind turbines are used to generate electricity through the power of the wind The wind turbine converts the power the wind to spin the turbine bladesůsobit. These wind blades are pressed on a rotor shaft that upon rotation results in turning the generator. The generator then transmits an electrical current as a result of the mechanical energy produced from the spinning rotor shaft.

Turbines are perhaps one of the best methods of producing electricity. They have the capability of converting a large percentage of the kinetic energy of the moving fluid into electricity. This makes them a very strategic and critical constituent of the global energy composition.

I hope this explanation has been beneficial. If you have any further questions, regarding this or any other issue, I would be happy to help, and please do not hesitate to ask.

What is a turbine generator

In simple terms, a turbine generator is a machine that has a turbine and an eletrical generator in one product that has the capacity of transforming mechanical energy to electricity. Turbine generators are well applied in many sectors such as power plant industries and aerospace industries among others. Here's how they work and their primary applications:Here's how they work and their primary applications:

Turbine: The turbine is a mechanical transmission device that utilizes a fluid ( e.g. steam, water, gas or wind) or other media to drive a machine “ The turbine receiving energy in the form of the kinetic energy of a fluid or other medium”. The working fluid passing directly over or through the blades of the turbine makes them rotate. What is created here is mechanical energy through the rotation of the turbine.

Generator: Mounted on the shaft with the turbine, a generator is also an electrical equipment form that generates electrical energy from mechanical energy using Faraday’s law of electromagnetic induction. It includes a winding of wire which rotates in a magnetic area. When the blades of the turbine cause the rotor of a generator to rotate, it creates an electricity flow around the coils. It is then often conditioned and delivered out as electrical power which is the electrical current converted.

Depending on the source, the turbine used will be of a certain type. There are several types of turbine generators:There are several types of turbine generators:

Steam Turbine Generator: Steam turbines apply in power station where high pressure steam is converted to mechanical energy then to electrical energy. This is fairly widespread in numerous thermal power plants.

Gas Turbine Generator: Gas turbines on the other hand utilizes natural gas, diesel or any other fuel to create a high velocity of hot air that causes the blades of the turbines to rotate. These fluids are commonly applied in aviation, electricity generation, and industrial markets.

Water Turbine Generator: Hydro power generators spin with the help of water flow in water turbines. These are commonly used in hydroelectric power generation stations; where water is made to flow down and freely falls on the turbine.

Wind Turbine Generator: Turbines for wind energy harness the mechanical energy from the wind for use in generating electricity. Due to their features of strong adaptability to distributed power generation and wind power generation applications, they are widely employed in wind farms.

Aircraft Auxiliary Power Unit (APU): In aviation, a small gas turbine generator is called an APU which supplies electricity to the various systems of an aircraft when its main engines are not functional.

Turbine generators are widely used in numerous industries but mostly in energy production where they aid in transforming other types of energy to electrical energy. They are also necessary, where an independent source of electrical power is required for instance in aircraft, ship and industrial locations which are distant. Due to the efficiency as well as the effectiveness of the turbine generators, they act as key drivers of the energy and power demands globally.

What is turbo generator

A turbo generator is an electrical generator that is coupled to the shaft of a steam or gas turbine with a view of generating electrical power. The main supply of electricity in the world is procured through large steam-powered turbo generators and also required by steam-powered turbo-electric ships. Miniature turbo-generators with gas turbines are frequently applied as auxiliary power units (APU mostly in aircraft technology).

Turbo Generator

Turbo generators are employed at high shaft RPMs; characteristic of steam and gas turines. The rotor of a turbo generator is of non-salient pole type; it mainly consists of two poles. The normal RPM of a turbo generator is 1500/3000 with four/two poles at 50 Hz (1800/3600 with four/two poles at 60 Hz). The operational speed of a turbo generator is so high and therefore the rotating parts of a turbo generator are sub-jected to high mechanical stresses. In large turbo-alternators, the rotor is made mechanically rigid so it is forged from solid Steel and alloys such as chromium-nickel-stell or chromium-nickel-molybdenum are used for manufacture of the rotor.

Turbo generators are typically used in power plants, but they can also be used in other applications, such as:Turbo generators are typically used in power plants, but they can also be used in other applications, such as:

• Marine propulsion systems
• Aircraft auxiliary power units
• Industrial uses like oil sector the extraction of oil and production of petrochemical products.

Turbo generators are quite efficient and reliable machines and they are extensively used in the world’s energy markets.

Difference Between Turbo And Hydro Generator

The main distinguishing feature of a turbo generator and a hydro generator is the kind of prime mover coupled to the generator. A turbo generator is employed with the help of steam turbine or a gas turbine and a hydro generator is based on a water turbine.

Here is a table that summarizes the key differences between turbo generators and hydro generators:Here is a table that summarizes the key differences between turbo generators and hydro generators:

The final dissimilarity between these two is the fact that while using them, turbo generators usually apply on a double-circuit cylindrical rotor while hydro generators has a separately excited tri-phase rotor. Turbo generators have a non-salient pole type rotor while the hydro generators have salient pole type rotor. Features of a non-salient pole type rotor includes having smooth cylindrical surface while features of a salient pole type rotor include having projecting poles.

Hence the type of rotor used influences the speed at which the generator will be required to run. Non-salient pole type rotors can work at high RPM but salient pole type rotors can work only at low RPM. This is since the salient pole type rotors have higher value of magnetic reluctance which on account of higher speed results in slowing down the rotor.

Turbo generators are mainly applied in the power station where energy crises often occur as they have a high rotation speed and they produce excess electricity. There are usually employed in hydroelectric power plants because they are more efficient in the transformation of kinetic energy of water to electricity.

where the gas turbines are used

Combustion turbines or simply gas turbines are used extensively today because they are able to effectively utilize fuel in creating mechanical work. Here are some common uses of gas turbines:Here are some common uses of gas turbines:

Power Generation: Gas turbines are widely employed as the sources of electrical power. They can be found in various types of power plants, including:They can be found in various types of power plants, including:

• Natural Gas Power Plants: In natural gas power plants, the principal devices used are the gas turbines. Both base-load and peaking power is generated using them.
• Combined Cycle Power Plants: Typically, gas turbines are used in combined cycle power plant in conjunction with steam turbines. This arrangement enhances the system’s efficiency since the exhaust heat from the gas turbine is utilized to produce more electricity using the steam turbine.

Aviation: Gas turbines which are in the category of Jet engines are widely used in aircraft as the main source of power. They are used for offering the required force ahead to get a plane airborne, while flying and to land.

Marine Applications: Gas turbines find application in ships , naval vessels, where they are employed for driving the ship. Due to their small size light weight and short response time they are used in naval ships ferries and some commercial vessels.

Industrial and Manufacturing: Gas turbines are used in the differed industries in the following applications:

• Mechanical Drive: It is applied for driving the compressors, pumps and other equipments which are used widely in oil and gas, petrochemical and manufacturing industries.
• Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Systems: In cogeneration systems, gas turbines are applied where they are used to generate electricity and at the same time recover heat which can be used for heating or cooling.

Oil and Gas Industry: The following are major uses of gas turbines in the oil and gas industry:

• Gas Compression: They operate natural gas compressors for transmission and processing of the actual product on pipelines.
• Powering Offshore Platforms: Most of them are used to supply power to the offshore drilling and production facilities.

Aircraft Auxiliary Power Units (APUs): The gas turbine based APUs are incorporated in aerodynamic vehicles to generate power electricity when the primary engines are off. They also supply the compressed air for starting the main piston engines.

Remote and Distributed Power Generation: They are usually applied to distributed generation which can be achieved where there is no centralized electricity supply system. They can be based in small power plants or can be containarized.

Industrial and Marine Turbines: Certain gas turbines are used in diverse industrial and marine applications like mechanical drive for developed gas compressors, generation of electricity in oil and marine fields, and propulsion of navy ships.

Gas turbines are prized for their levels of efficiency, power density and speedy response to demands on them, they have a versatile application where mechanical energy or indeed electricity is required. It has therefore been applied in various sectors enhancing production of power, means of transport and manufacturing.

which type of generator used in wind turbine

Small wind turbines utilize a kind of generator referred to as a ‘synchronous generator’ or a ‘permanent magnet generator’ (PMG) for converting the kinetic energy from the wind into electricity. Listing of wind energy applications: These types of generators are appropriate for wind energy productions because they are efficient and generate power at wind speed. Here's a brief explanation of both types:Here's a brief explanation of both types:

Synchronous Generator:

• Synchronous generators also called “doubly-fed” generators are commonly used for the utility-scale WTGs.
• They operate on the basis of measuring the speed of rotation of the generator and the fluctuating speed of the rotor of the wind turbine.
• Synchronous generators have to be synchronised with the help of power electronics and a variable frequency drive to generate electricity efficiently.

Permanent Magnet Generator (PMG):

• Permanent magnet generators are applied to micro and small and medium sized wind turbines as widely used in residential and commercial buildings.
• Permanent magnets are employed in producing a magnetic field in the generator unlike the excitation method, thus they are more efficient and designs are simpler.
• PMGs are applicable to low to medium wind speed regime and are normally less expensive to maintain.

As for the type of generator to be used, this is regulated by the size and layout of the wind turbine. Utility scale wind power plants employ larger capacity wind generators occasionally using synchronous generators owing to their capacity to deal with the rotary power and wind fluctuations that are characteristic of the utility scale wind applications. Larger wind turbines used in utility scale wind power plants generally use gearbox driven generators , but permanent magnet generators are used in small wind turbines used for residential and commercial application. Regardless of their type, wind turbine generators are very vital in utilization of wind energy and their conversion to electrical energy for use.

Turbo generator construction

The construction of a turbo generator can be divided into two main parts: Stator and rotor are two of these important components that constitute the main structure of an induction motor.

Stator

In a generating system the stator is the stationary component of the generator. It comprises of a cylindrical structure that can either be steel or cast iron. Each of the frame’s layers is equipped with a laminated core made out of silicon steel. The core essentially comprises thin Silicon Steel laminations that are insulated from one another. This cuts down on eddy current losses and these are an undesirable effect in any inductor.

The stator core must be cut to allow for wires of stator which are referred to as stator windings. In the construction of stator windings the use of copper or aluminum conductors is evident. The conductors are also isolated from each other and from the core so as to avoid development of short circuits.

In relation to the additional aspect of the design, the stator windings are star connected as 3 phases. This indicates that the windings are split into three categories, and the current within each category is at a different phase than the current of the other two categories. This gives a three-phase configuration which results in a rotating magnetic field, which is essential to the generator.

Rotor

Rotor is the spinning component located on the generators side which is in operational connection with the magnetic field. It has a bar of steel or forged iron for the shaft in its construction. It states that at each end of the shaft, there is provision of bearings.

Fractional slotting is done at the rotor in order to accommodate the field windings. The field windings are embodied from copper or aluminum conductors. Their conductor is isolated from each other and also from shaft and all these arrangements are to avoid short circuiting.

The field windings are supplied from a DC source and develop a magnetic field referred to as the stator field around the rotor. Magnetic field from the rotor rotates while the stator has a stationary magnetic field and this passing magnetic field through the stator windings induces electric current.

Construction steps

The following are the general steps involved in the construction of a turbo generator:

1. The stator frame is fabricated.
2. The stator core is laminated and assembled.
3. The stator coils are wound and inserted into the stator slots.
4. The rotor shaft is fabricated.
5. The rotor field windings are wound and inserted into the rotor slots.
6. The rotor and stator are assembled.
7. The generator is balanced.
8. The generator is tested.

Turbo generators can be described as machines that are slightly complicated, but are critical in electricity generation. In realizing what a turbo generator entails, it is easier to understand what is entailed in making the product and the various issues that are likely to be surmounted.

Turbine generator parts

In general, and irrespective of its application whether in generation of power or in aviation for instance, a turbine generator is comprised of numerous parts including the following. Here are the primary parts of a turbine generator:Here are the primary parts of a turbine generator:

Turbine: From here, the turbine is the main part of the system, and its configuration is determined by the application. Some of the frequently used ones are Steam Turbines, Gas Turbines and Water Turbines, Steam, gas, or water is the working substance of the turbines used mostly. The primary purpose of the turbine is to utilize the energy of the flowing fluid such as steam, gas, or water and convert this energy into mechanical energy and use this to rotate the blades of the turbine.

Rotor: Rotor is the spinning part of the generator to produce electricity by converting mechanical energy to electrical energy. It is coupled with the turbine and rotates due to the energy transfer from the turbine, although the energy type may be mechanical. Depending on the type and size of the generator the rotor may include one or more shafts and will vary in design.

Stator: The stator is one of the main components in the generator and is immobile situated around the rotor. It consists of coiled wires and develops a magnetic area when there is flow of electricity through it. At the same time the rotor turns within this magnetic field, the second principle of generation of electricity comes into play; electromagnetic induction whereby an electrical current flows in the coils of the stator.

Excitation System: Larger generators, generally need an excitation system to feed electrical power to the rotor’s field coil. This system ensures that the generator maintains the required output voltage level and with negligible fluctuations. It may contain exciter generators volt regulators and the control circuits.

Cooling System: Generators generate heat during operation and good ventilation or cooling system is required to avoid heat build up. Finally, it must be noted depending on the size of the generator it may be equipped with air cooling or water cooling.

Bearings: Bearing revolves round the rotating shaft or rotor of the motor and enables the rotor to revolve round without much friction. Hence, proper design and maintenance on the bearing are central to the effective functioning of the generator.

Governor: In certain applications, a governor is utilized for governing the speed or delivery of the generator via controlling the flow of fuel, steam, or water to the turbine. This makes sure that the generator is running at full speed as well as a constant frequency.

Base or Frame: In its turn, the base or frame of the generator serves to transmit the required mechanical strength and stability and protects the various parts required by a casing.

Casing or Housing: The casing or housing plays a vital role in the housing of generator internal components is tabulated to shielding from factors outside the casing. It is usually made to be totally sealed to allow exclusion of impurities from getting into the structure.

Voltage Regulator and Control System: It provides the voltage regulation and control of the generator output voltage as well The control system as well. Among those could probably be control circuits, voltage regulators and monitoring equipment.

These, therefore, are the main components of a turbine generator. It is worth to mention that the design and the level of complexity may differ from piece to piece, generator to generator, large or small, of different types and with different purpose. Turbine generators are used in different fields for the production of electrical power and therefore the optimization of performance and efficiency is imperative in the provision of power.

Turbine generator electricity

Turbine generators are specific type of generators which used to produce electricity with the help of mechanism that convert the energy of the flowing fluid and transforms it into mechanical energy and then to electrical energy with the help of generator. The fluid can be water, steam, combustion gases, or air for different circuits of the system.

Turbine generators are used in a variety of power plants, including:Turbine generators are used in a variety of power plants, including:

• Hydroelectric power plants: In hydroelectric power generation, all types of hydroelectric power plants use the motion of the water to turn the turbine blades.
• Steam power plants: Thermal power plants, mostly steam power plants utilize the heat energy of steam to rotate the blades of the turbines.
• Gas turbine power plants: In gas turbine power plant, the fuel like natural gas is burnt which drives the turbine blades.
• Combined cycle power plants: Combined cycle power plants are hybrid between the gas turbine power plant and the steam power plant.

Turbine generators are also used in other applications, such as:Turbine generators are also used in other applications, such as:

• Aircraft auxiliary power units: An APU is a gas turbine that providing electrical and compressed air starting for the aircraft main engines.
• Marine propulsion systems: Marine power plants or marine propulsion convey gas turbines or steam turbines to turn the propellers of boats.
• Industrial applications: Turbine generator has widely use in oil and gas production, petrochemicals, pulp & paper, and other industrial usages.

Turbine generators as a form of electricity generation is one of the most efficient ways known to man. They can transmute flow kinetic energy of the moving fluid to electric energy in relatively large measure. This therefore makes them a very vital component in the global energy consumption.

Here is a simplified example of how a turbine generator works:Here is a simplified example of how a turbine generator works:

1. A working substance that is in a state of turbulence is used and this can be either water or steam.
2. As the flow of the fluid hits the blades, it applies a force to turn the blades which in turn rotates the shaft of the rotor.
3. The rotor shaft is provided with a generator or connected to one.
4. The rotor shaft rotates and causes the armature of the generator to rotate as well.
5. Around the armature there are field coils, they generate a magnetic field.
6. The force between the magnetic field and rotating armature results in the generation of an electric current.
7. It is then transmitted to the power grid electric currents.

Turbine generators can be considered as a highly advanced and rather delicate technology that is indispensable in the production of electricity all over the world.

Turbine generator electricity

Turbine generators are used to generate electricity by converting the kinetic energy of a moving fluid into mechanical energy, which is then converted into electrical energy by a generator. The fluid can be water, steam, combustion gases, or air.

Turbine generators are used in a variety of power plants, including:

• Hydroelectric power plants: Hydroelectric power plants use the kinetic energy of moving water to spin the turbine blades.
• Steam power plants: Steam power plants use the thermal energy of steam to spin the turbine blades.
• Gas turbine power plants: Gas turbine power plants use the combustion of a fuel, such as natural gas, to spin the turbine blades.
• Combined cycle power plants: Combined cycle power plants combine the efficiency of a gas turbine power plant with the efficiency of a steam power plant.

Turbine generators are also used in other applications, such as:

• Aircraft auxiliary power units: Aircraft auxiliary power units (APUs) use a gas turbine to generate electricity and compressed air for starting the aircraft's main engines.
• Marine propulsion systems: Marine propulsion systems use gas turbines or steam turbines to drive the propellers of ships.
• Industrial applications: Turbine generators are used in a variety of industrial applications, such as oil and gas production, petrochemical processing, and pulp and paper production.

Turbine generators are a very efficient way to generate electricity. They can convert a large percentage of the kinetic energy of the moving fluid into electrical energy. This makes them a very important part of the global energy mix.

Here is a simplified example of how a turbine generator works:

1. A fluid, such as water or steam, is passed through a turbine.
2. The force of the fluid spinning the turbine blades causes the rotor shaft to spin.
3. The rotor shaft is connected to a generator.
4. As the rotor shaft spins, it turns the generator's armature.
5. The armature is surrounded by field coils, which create a magnetic field.
6. The interaction between the magnetic field and the rotating armature produces an electric current.
7. The electric current is then transmitted to the power grid.

Turbine generators are a complex and sophisticated technology, but they play a vital role in the generation of electricity around the world.