For older plants, turbine-generator retrofits are an effective and economical option to extend plant life. However, retrofits entail risks that, if not identified and mitigated early in the planning process, have significant consequences. A recent failure on a nuclear retrofit LP last stage blade is an example of the potential impact of these risks. Other […]
The accidental introduction of water in any part of a steam turbine can cause serious damage requiring extended outages to make costly repairs. A proliferation of such incidents in the electric power generation industry prompted the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Standards Committee to develop a uniform set of design criteria to alleviate the […]
Blade Erosion Damage The later stages of low pressure (LP) turbine blades operate in a low quality steam environment. Design moisture levels can range from 1 or 2 percent all the way up to 15 percent. Units that suffer from reheat or main steam temperature droop at low loads can significantly increase moisture levels and […]
