Energy production

What's a Turbine

A turbine is a machine consisting of a rotary part which is set into movement by a flowing fluid.

According to the type of fluid, turbines can be distinguished into water, steam and gas turbines.

Water turbines take energy from moving water and generate mechanic energy. They consist of a fixed part (the nozzle) and a moving rotor assembly. The first directs and regulates the water flow, while the second transmits the energy taken from the water to the shaft.

According to the features of the rotor assembly there are different kinds of turbines: Pelton, Francis, and propeller-type turbines.

According to the dynamic features, turbines can be divided into impulse turbines, where the water energy going out of the nozzle is completely kinetic, and reaction turbines, where the water energy is only partially kinetic.

The main parts of a steam turbine are: the rotor and the casing (or cylinder): the rotor, with its fixed nozzles ducts, turns inside the casing.

Like water turbines, steam turbines can be impulse, reaction turbines, or a combination of both.From the point of view of their thermal functioning, there are free exhaust, condensation and counterpressure turbines. In the free exhaust ones steam is emptied at the same pressure of atmosphere; in the condensation ones acondenser is applied to the exhaust section so that the exhaust pressure is lower than the atmosphere pressure; in the counterpressure turbines, steam is emptied at a higher pressure.

Gas turbines work similarly to steam turbines, but the blade rotor is set into movement by hot gas.