Detailed Simulation of a Steam Turbine Flow Path and End Seals During Off-Design Operations

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Reliable steam turbine operation depends largely on the thermal state of the rotor. This is especially important on start-up modes when the heating of all its parts occurs unevenly. Only with an accurate thermal state calculation of all turbine elements can one design the construction and select the start mode for a turbine which can be guaranteed to work without hitting nor damaging components in all operating modes. To perform such a calculation, it is necessary to know the boundary conditions both in the turbine flow path and in the seals. But, calculating the off-design modes with high accuracy is challenging.

NET Image - End Seals

For example, the calculation of the turbine should take into account the possibility of windage in the last stages. Steam flows in the seals can change direction, regulators can change the scheme configuration, and choking can occur in different parts.

In addition, the steam parameters in the turbine and in the seals are interconnected. Steam parameters in the turbine flow path affect the amount of leakage through the seals, and the amount of leakage, in turn, affects the parameters in the flow path. Therefore, the calculation process must be iterative, and at the same time, performed automatically.

To solve this problem, SoftInWay combined into a single iterative process, steam turbine flow path calculation and 1-D calculation of leakages through seals at off-design modes. This made it possible to accurately calculate leakage mass flow rate and parameters at all points, as well as to determine the boundary conditions for calculating rotor thermal states.

In this webinar, we will discuss the joint calculation of the flow path and seals of a 30 MW steam turbine.

The webinar session will include:
  • A general description of the end seals scheme of 30 MW steam turbine in different modes;
  • The main aspects of modeling the flow path and seals separately and the combination of these calculations; and
  • Discussion of seals analysis results on off-design operating modes and comparing them with similar by simplified methods.
Who should attend?
  • Engineers involved in turbine thermal state calculations.
  • Engineering professionals working with steam turbine seals systems.
  • Engineering students looking to expand their knowledge of turbine systems simulation.

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