Improving Steam Turbine Efficiency: An Appraisal

The paper deals with an appraisal of improving steam turbine efficiency, operating at different loads. Turbine energy efficiency has a significant impact on overall steam power plant efficiency. Three new methods of increasing efficiency of turbine power plants are described: reheating of steam turbine, regenerative feed heating of steam turbine, and by binary vapour cycle of steam turbine. This is achieved by increasing average temperature of heat supply in steam turbine plant by mixing steam after superheating with products of combustion of natural gas in the oxygen. Development of this idea consists in maintaining steam temperature in the major part of expansion in the turbine at level, close to initial temperature. It also involves increasing efficiency of gas turbine plant by way of regenerative heating of the air by gas after its expansion in high pressure turbine and before expansion in the low pressure turbine. This is perfected, also, by increasing efficiency of combined cycle power plant through avoiding of heat transfer from gas to wet steam, and transferring heat from gas to water and superheated steam only.