Abstract
A twin-exhaust steam turbine of 60-MW output was used for a field study of a method of wet steam erosion control which had been examined previously under laboratory conditions. The last stage of one exhaust was modified so that measured quantities of steam and water could be extracted, or steam injected through slots in the trailing edges of the diaphragm blades.
Variations in erosion rates of the last-stage moving blades in both exhausts were compared by recording continuously the changes in emissivity of radio-active labels attached to sample blades. An introscope was used to study flow conditions during the experiment, and after some five months' operation the set was opened up for inspection, which confirmed the estimates that water extraction reduced erosion by a factor of 5.
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