Wet steam energy loss and related Baumann rule in low pressure steam turbines

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a computational analysis of the wet steam energy loss occurring in a 210 MW fossil-fired and a 1000 MW nuclear LP steam turbine. The turbines operate under considerably different conditions as regards pressure level in the droplet nucleation zone, exit moisture level and droplet size spectra determined from optical extinction measurements. An evaluation of the basic wetness energy losses has been carried out including the thermodynamic loss, drag loss of the fine and coarse droplets, impact loss, collected water loss, centrifuging loss and exit loss. A statistical 2D evaluation method has been employed for the computational simulation of the loss. The objective of the analysis was to determine whether an equilibrium based Baumann factor of order 0.6 can be used for predicting the wet steam loss.