Radial-Inflow Turbines
2006; Elsevier BV; Linguagem: Inglês
10.1016/b978-075067846-9/50011-0
Autores Tópico(s)Cavitation Phenomena in Pumps
ResumoThis chapter focuses on radial-inflow turbines, which first appeared as a practical power-producing unit in the hydraulic turbine field. A radial-inflow turbine is basically a centrifugal compressor with reversed flow and opposite rotation, and it was first used in jet engine flight in the late 1930s. It was considered as the natural combination for a centrifugal compressor used in the same engine. In transportation, it is used in turbochargers for both spark ignition and diesel engines, and in aviation, it is used as an expander in environmental control systems. It is used in expander designs, gas liquefaction expanders, and other cryogenic systems in the petrochemical industry. It is also used in various small gas turbines to power helicopters, and as standby generating units. The greatest advantage of radial-inflow turbine is that the work produced by a single stage is equivalent to that of two or more stages in an axial turbine. This phenomenon occurs because a radial-inflow turbine usually has a higher tip speed than an axial turbine. Its cost is also much lower than that of a single or multistage axial-flow turbine. Although the radial-inflow turbine has a lower turbine efficiency than the axial-flow turbine, its lower initial costs may work as an incentive for choosing it. There are two types of radial-inflow turbines: the cantilever radial-inflow turbine and the mixed-flow radial-inflow turbine. The cantilever-type radial-inflow turbine is infrequently used because of its low efficiency, production difficulties, and rotor blade flutter problems. On the other hand, the mixed-flow radial-inflow turbine is a widely used design.
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