ISSN 00406015, Thermal Engineering, 2010, Vol. 57, No. 9, pp. 757762. Pleiades Publishing, Inc., 2010.

Original Russian Text G.A. Filippov, A.R. Avetisyan, 2010, published in Teploenergetika.

A Calculated Study of Wet Steam Flow in the Combined Exhaust

from Steam Turbines at Nuclear Power Stations
G. A. Filippov and A. R. Avetisyan
AllRussia Research Institute of Nuclear Power Engineering, ul. Kosmonavta Volkova 6a, Moscow, 125171 Russia

AbstractResults from a study of the behavior of polydispersed moisture with a high fraction of large drop
lets in the flow path of a turbine equipped with a combined exhaust are presented.
DOI: 10.1134/S0040601510090065

Construction of steam turbines for higher capaci
ties, especially for nuclear power stations (NPSs) calls
for making their last stages with a larger exhaust area
(because of increased steam flowrate) to obtain the
required passage of steam at high vacuum and smaller
losses with the outlet velocity. This can be achieved by
increasing the height of laststage blades, using a larger
number of exhausts, i.e., the number of lowpressure
cylinders (LPCs), and making a shift from highspeed
turbines (with a rotation frequency of 5060 rpm) to
lowspeed turbines (with a rotation frequency of 25
30 rpm) in the case of using NPS turbines of large capac
ities. Titanium blades with the length l = 1400 mm (Sie
mens, Hitachi, and some other companies) have been
developed for highspeed turbines, and 1840 mm (Sie
mens) and 1730 mm (Alstom) for lowspeed turbines
[1]. The use of longer blades for lowspeed and espe
cially for highspeed turbines results in that consider
ably higher stresses develop in the blades and disks, the
rotors become heavier in weight and larger in sizes,
and the peripheral sections of blades move with higher
circumferential velocities. Considerable problems are
encountered in the design, manufacture, and opera
tion of blades with the maximally possible length due
to these circumstances.
Application of Baumann stages to obtain a larger
exhaust area does not seem to be advisable because this
would result in LPCs becoming significantly less effi
cient. The second to last Baumann stage having almost
twice as large (by a factor of 1.71.8) available drop of
enthalpy across the upper tier, considerable supersonic
velocities, a reduced ratio of speeds u/cf (where u and
cf are the circumferential and fictitious speeds), and
large relative pitches result in that the upper tier is
more than 5% less efficient. Essential difficulties arise
also in constructing stages before a twotier one due to
the need to increase their heights and using nozzle
arrays having very small values of 1 < 10 ( is the flow
exit angle from the nozzle array).
The largest number of exhausts (LPCs) that has
been achieved by now is equal to eight (the LPC pro
duced by OAO Leningrad Metal Works has four
exhausts), which is in fact the limiting value. There
fore, other ways of solving this problem are also con
sidered. The use of oneanda half (combined)
exhausts in the last stage may be one of them [the pos
sibility of using this method was considered at the
Central BoilerTurbine Institute (TsKTI) and
Kharkiv Turbine Works (KhTZ) more than 25 years
ago]. An additional endface area is obtained in such
an exhaust without increasing the length of the last
stage blades as a result of dividing the flow downstream
of the lower tier of the second to last stage and supply
ing part of the steam (approximately 30%) to the upper
tier after turning it through 180 in a swivel chamber
[1, 2]. Figure 1 schematically shows the flow path of a
highspeed turbine of the last and the second to last
stages, which have 1320mmlong titanium blades. The
upper tier of the second to last stage makes 477 mm, and
the distance between the blades is equal to 930 mm. With
the root diameter of the two last stages dr = 2000 mm, the
total exhaust area Fex will be equal to 19.9 m2 (13.8 + 6.2),
which is a factor of 1.76 larger than in a stage having
l = 1200 mm and dr = 1800 mm (Fex = 11.3 m2) and a
factor of 1.10 larger as compared with a blade having
l = 1500 mm and dr = 2300 mm, and also somewhat
larger than in lowspeed turbines with l = 1450 mm
(Fex = 18.9 m2).
Such a stage is sometimes called an inverted Bau
mann stage, which is not quite correct, because the
considered stage has essential differences. The main
difference is that the temperature drop equal to the
temperature drop across the last stage is exhausted in
the upper tier of this stage, due to which it becomes
possible to use well elaborated profiles of the last
stages upper section thus achieving high efficiency of
this stage. In addition, this part of the blade can be
made lighter than that in the Baumann stage, which
makes it possible to reduce tensile stresses.

757
758 FILIPPOV, AVETISYAN
477
1320
850
2000
930
Fig. 1. Schematic design of the second to last stage
equipped with a swivel device.
When the combined exhaust is used, additional
losses (around 3%) caused by turning part of the flow
appear. However, these losses can be compensated by
increasing the efficiencies of the last stage and the
upper tier of the second to last stage. This is achieved
by removing from the main steam flow an essential
part of largedroplet moisture from the space before
the last stage and separating it in a swivel device. The
high efficiency of separation is possible due to a large
angle (180) through which the extracted steam con
taining high concentration of large droplets is turned,
low pressure of this steam (30 kPa), and concurrent
suction of steam and film moisture through the sepa
rators slots to the first lowpressure heater.
Calculating the motion of twophase flow down
stream of the second to last stage, determining the dis
perse composition and amount of moisture that enters
into the peripheral zone of the combined stage, and
estimating the mass of separated moisture in the swivel
cascade present a very intricate problem. To solve it,
we must know, first of all, the boundary conditions
downstream of the second to last blade: distribution of
moisture over the height, disperse composition, drop
let motion velocities and directions, and other param
eters. Data on the separation coefficients must also be
known for the chosen design of a swivel device and
perforated blades. Answers to all these questions must
be obtained from experimental studies at least on a
model flow path of the last stages.
The motion of moisture downstream of the second
to last stage can be approximately calculated and the
efficiency of its separation in the blades of a swivel
device can be determined using the results of previous
studies and generalizations [3, 4]. Moisture that
appears in the flow paths of turbines is generated spon
taneously in the flow core or in the vortices of cascade
edge traces as a certain degree of steam desuperheating
is reached. The droplets generated after spontaneous
condensation have very small sizes, which are in the
range from 0.10 to 1.0 m depending on the condi
tions of their incipience. After that, steam condenses
on these droplets during its expansion; these droplets
grow in size, coagulate, and precipitate on the flow
path surfaces. Steam usually expands with very small
supercooling; i.e., the state of twophase flow is close
to equilibrium. Concurrently with the growth of drop
lets, the largest ones are divided into parts under the
effect of steam flow as they collide with fixed nozzle
vanes and rotating (rotor) blades.
As is well known from the results of experimental
and calculated studies, the moisture content and dis
perse composition of droplets downstream of the noz
zle cascade are distributed very nonuniformly along
the pitch. The largest droplets are generated in the
wake race when films separate and disintegrate and
may reach 100150 m in size depending on the
moisture content, velocity, and density of steam. Such
droplets have the strongest effect on the stage effi
ciency and erosion of rotor blades, because they move
with considerable slip [cm/cst < 0.50.6, where cm and
cst are the velocities of moisture (droplets) and steam]
and collide with rotor blades at velocities close to the
circumferential speeds of rotating rotor blades. As
droplets collide, they disintegrate and are thrown to
the upper part of blades by centrifugal forces. The con
tent of moisture in the lower part is minimal, and it is
mainly finely dispersed moisture (i.e., moisture that
does not come in contact with rotor blades) that moves
in this part. Some generalized results from experimen
tal studies [24] of model stages and fullscale tur
bines are shown in Fig. 2. As circumferential velocities
increase, droplets undergo intense disintegration, and
their modal (mass averaged) size dm becomes consid
erably smaller. Concurrently with an increase in u, the
heat drop across the rotor cascade and steam velocities
increase, and this also facilitates disintegration of large
droplets. Figure 2b shows the density of droplet size
distribution function for two values of velocity u at the
final content of moisture downstream of the rotor cas
cade y2 = 1012%.
The distribution pattern of moisture content, dis
persion composition, angles, and velocities of two
phase flow downstream of stages with a large blade
THERMAL ENGINEERING Vol. 57 No. 9 2010
 A CALCULATED STUDY OF WET STEAM FLOW IN THE COMBINED EXHAUST
dm, m (a)
40
1
20
2 8
0
200 300 400 u, m/s
(b)
mi /mi, %
40 3
20 4
0 25 50 dm, m
Fig. 2. Modal size of droplets vs. the circumferential veloc
ity (a) and density of the droplet size distribution function
(b). y2, %: (1) 1012 and (2) 56; u, m/s (at y2 = 10
12%): (3) 400 and (4) 270.
height to mean diameter ratio (the LPC last and sec
ond to last stages) depends on the geometrical and
operating parameters (heat drops, reactivity, and oth
ers), but primarily on the fraction of largedroplet
moisture, i.e., moisture moving with considerable slip
(cm/cst < 0.70.8) and colliding with the surfaces of
nozzle vanes and rotor blades. The fraction of large
droplet moisture depends on the incipience locations,
heat drops (steam velocities), pressures, and other
parameters. For example, if the expansion process
depicted on an h, s diagram intersects the saturation
line at the point corresponding to the state upstream of
the last stage, the fraction of largedroplet moisture
will not exceed 57%. If the same intersection occurs
upstream of the second to last stage, the fraction of
largedroplet moisture in the last stage may be as high
as 15% or more. The published results of experimental
studies carried out on multistage turbines and single
stages are very limited and have insufficient accuracy.
For example, the direction of motion of large droplets
was determined using the erosion method, i.e., by
observing the washout of paint from metal balls. These
circumstances do not allow the generalizations drawn
up to be regarded as sufficiently reliable.
Figure 3 shows some qualitative generalizations of
available data [24] obtained from works on studying
how the final content of moisture is distributed down
stream of the rotor cascade y2, modal size of droplets
dm, droplet entrance angles, and angles between the
THERMAL ENGINEERING Vol. 57 No. 9 2010
759
dm, m y2, % (a) dr, , deg
30 60
16
20 12 dm 40
y2
10 20
4 dr
0 0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 l
(b)
cm
cm w2m
dr w2st
cst u
Fig. 3. Distributions of dm, y2, y, and dr over the blade
height (a) and triangle of velocities at the stage outlet (b) at
y2 10%. w2m and w2st are the relative velocities of steam at
the outlet from rotor blades, and l is the relative coordinate.
vectors cm and cst ( and dr). It should be pointed out
that at a distance of 2030 mm from the exit edges of
rotor blades, the moisture content y2 increases from
the root to periphery from 4 to 20% with the strongest
increase observed in the upper 2030% zone of the
outlet cross section. The largest droplets thrown from
the rotor blade surfaces by centrifugal forces concen
trate in the same zone. Clearly, the regularities shown
in Fig. 3 may differ very considerably for stages having
other geometrical and operating parameters.
As an example, the motion and separation of mois
ture were calculated in the combined exhaust shown in
Fig. 1. The pressure, moisture content, and bulk
velocity downstream of the second to last stages lower
tier were p1 = 32 kPa, y1 = 6.8%, and c2 = 130 m/s, and
the steam flowrate was equal to 205 kg/s. The pressure
downstream of the last stage and, accordingly, down
stream of the upper tier was p2 = 4.9 kPa, and the bulk
velocity at a steam flowrate of around 193 kg/s was
equal to 255 m/s (the loss with the outlet velocity was
equal to around 41 kJ/kg). The Mach number deter
mined from the velocity c2 was equal to 0.76.
For carrying out an example calculation, we
selected the experimental data obtained for stages
close to each other in the geometrical dimensions
and operating parameters (content of moisture
upstream of the stage, circumferential velocities,
steam parameters, and others). The distribution pat
760 FILIPPOV, AVETISYAN

terns of some parameters (y, dm, , projections of the Q2(W), and Q3(W), are viscous laminar flows; and e is
droplet velocity vector on the meridian plane, and cir the inner energy.
cumferential direction) along the blade height (see The terms R1(W), R2(W), and R3(W) describe vis
Fig. 1) at the outlet from the second to last stages cous turbulent flows. For example, the expression for
lower tier at a distance of around 30 mm from the exit R1(W) looks as follows:
edges were taken similar to those shown in Fig. 3a.
Since the steam exit angle in the absolute motion dur 0
ing operation under the design operating conditions is
close to 90, the parameter dr in fact characterizes xx 2 k
t
the deviation of vector cm from the axial direction. It is 3
supposed that the content of moisture increases from
t
xy
the root to periphery approximately from 3.5 to 15%;
dm, from 5 to 25 m; , from 30 to 60, and dr, from t
xz
20 to 50. Thus, the absolute velocities of droplets can
be approximately calculated from the indicators char 2 t t t ,
 kc x + c x xx + c y xy + c z xz + t T x + k
acterizing twophase flow by constructing the triangle 3 k
of velocities of the steam phase cst and moisture drop
lets cm. It has been determined for the considered case t
k
that the values of velocity cm varied from 160 in the k

root section to 270 m/s at the periphery. It should be t
emphasized that the initial characteristics of two 
phase flow presented above cannot claim to be highly
accurate. In the subsequent, experimental studies of
t t t
models of the second to last and last stages will need to where xx , xy , and xz are the components of the ten
be carried out for determining their economic effi sor of turbulent stresses, T is temperature, is the heat
ciency and efficiency of moisture separation in the conductivity coefficient, t is turbulent viscosity, and
swivel device taking into account steam extraction to k and are the parameters of the k turbulence
the lowpressure heater, as well as other parameters model.
characterizing the motion of twophase flow. The expressions for R2(W) and R3(W) are written in
The flows of twophase medium in the gap between a similar way.
the second to last stages tier and the last stage, and in
The quantity (W) describes the source term of the
the swivel device installed upstream of the upper tier
turbulence parameters k and :
were calculated using a software system developed
with participation of the authors of this paper [5]. The
2 T
calculation was carried out in the meridian plane for ( W ) = 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, + P, C 1  P C 2  ,
k k
the flow path of a highspeed turbines last stages (see
Fig. 1). The boundary conditions with respect to the where P is the generation of turbulent energy, and C1
steam phase flow velocities and pressures were taken and C2 are the turbulence model parameters.
constant over the height. The flow of steam phase was
calculated by solving the averaged system of Navier The liquid phase was modeled using the method of
Stokes equations with the k turbulence model and Lagrangian fractions without taking into account
modified turbulent viscosity [6]. In this case, the equa interactions between droplets or phase transitions.
tions of conservation can be written as follows [5]: Thus, the existing moisture was considered as an
ensemble of absolutely elastic particles without taking
Wt + F1 ( W )x + F2 ( W )y + F3 ( W )z into account heat and mass transfer with the carrying
steam phase. Under these assumptions, the droplet
= Q1 ( W )x + Q2 ( W )y + Q3 ( W )z (1)
motion equation takes the following form:
+ R 1 ( W ) x + R 2 ( W ) y + R 3 ( W ) z + ( W ),
dc
m m m = F fr + F p + F v.m + F gr , (2)
1 2 dt
where W = (, cx, cy, cz, E, k, )t; E = e +  (c x +
2
2 2
where mm is the droplet mass, cm is the instantaneous
c y + c z ) + ; is the density of carrying medium; cx, velocity of a droplet, Ffr and Fp are the friction and
cy, and cz are the Cartesian components of steam pressure forces, Fv.m is the force due to acceleration of
velocity; E is the full energy per unit volume; k and carrying medium entrained by a droplet, and Fgr is the
are the kinetic energy of turbulence and its dissipation; force that takes into account the effect of gravity and
F1(W), F2(W), and F3(W) are Eulerian flows; Q1(W), the presence of noninertial effects, e.g., rotation.

THERMAL ENGINEERING Vol. 57 No. 9 2010

 A CALCULATED STUDY OF WET STEAM FLOW IN THE COMBINED EXHAUST 761

y2, %

15 3
1
10
IV 2
5
III 4

0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 l

Fig. 5. Distribution of moisture content in different cross

sections of the calculated area. The numbers of curves cor
4 respond to the numbers of cross sections in Fig. 4.
3
5 II
I The density distribution function for the mass fraction
of moisture was taken similar to that shown in Fig. 2b.
2 This function is close to the Gaussian distribution law
1 and was approximated by a piecewise constant distri
bution. These assumptions are conservative, and the
obtained values correspond to an upper estimate.
Fig. 4. Steam current lines (1) and droplet trajectories (2)
(5) in the gap between the second to last and last stages. dm, The main aim we pursued in the calculations was to
m: (2) 5, (3) 15, (4) 30, and (5) 45. Cross sections: I construct the velocity profiles and current lines for the
downstream of the second to last stages lower tier, II steam and liquid phases, determine the fraction of
upstream of the laststage diaphragm, III upstream of the droplet moisture entering into the peripheral zone,
swivel (separation) device, and IV downstream of the sep
arator, upstream of the second to last stages upper tier. and estimate the moisture separation ratio in the
swivel device.
For illustration, Fig. 4 shows the calculated steam
The terms in Eq. (2) are determined as follows: current lines and trajectories of droplets with different
1 diameters (dm = 3, 15, 30, and 45 m) in the meridian
F fr =  k fr A m c c dr ( c c dr ), plane in the space downstream of the second to last
2
stage. The calculation was carried out for = 60 and
where Am is the droplet crosssection area, c is the cm = 200 m/s (similar calculations were carried out
instantaneous velocity of carrying flow, and kfr is the also for other values of and cm). The steam current
friction coefficient: lines and large droplets (dm > 10 m) undergo consid
0.687 3 erable stratification in the studied space at the selected
24 ( 1 + 0.15Re dr )/Re m at Re m 10 ; initial parameters; the major part of these droplets is
k fr =
0.44 at Re m 10 3 ; thrown to the periphery and falls into the separation
device. Small droplets (dm < 10 m) deviate from the
Rem is the Reynolds number of a droplet, steam phase current lines only slightly, and their veloc
Fp = Vmp, ities are close to the velocity of steam. The calculations
were carried out under the assumption that all mois
where Vm is the droplet volume, p is the pressure gra ture droplets that came in contact with the swivel
dient in the carrying flow, device blades separated and removed with the steam of
d ( c cm ) regenerative extraction.
Fv.m = Mv.mVm 
,
dt Integration of the equations yielded the distributions
of moisture content at four cross sections (Fig. 5). The
where Mv.m is the virtual mass (it is taken equal to 0.5).
highest concentration of moisture is observed
Based on Eq. (2) and taking the abovementioned upstream of the swivel separation device (section III)
assumptions into account, we can find the droplet tra and makes yIII 10.5%. The steam flowrate upstream
jectory from the equation of the separator is equal to around 30% of its total
dx m value; therefore, the separated fraction of moisture is
 = c m , (3) yIII = 3.15%. The content of moisture upstream of
dt
the last stage (section II) is yII 5.2%, and the sepa
where xm is the droplet displacement vector. rated fraction of moisture yII = 0.7yII = 3.64%. The

THERMAL ENGINEERING Vol. 57 No. 9 2010

762 FILIPPOV, AVETISYAN
true content of moisture in the flow downstream of the
separator (section IV) yIV = 4.2%. Then, the separation
ratio in the swivel device will be = (yIII yIV)/yIII =
(10.5 4.2)/10.5 = 0.6.
A comparison of the obtained value of with some
results obtained from studies of separation devices car
ried out at close values of the parameters and taking
into account considerable extraction of steam (up to
7% of its total flowrate) to the lowpressure heater
allows this value to be regarded as quite realistic. A
somewhat higher value of can be obtained by opti
mizing the separator design.
Since the total content of moisture downstream of
the second to last stages lower tier is yt 6.8% (section I),
decreasing the content of moisture upstream of the last
stage by yI yII = 6.8 5.2 = 1.6% and upstream of the
second to last stages upper tier by yI yIV = 6.8 4.2 =
2.6% will result in a better efficiency of the combined
exhaust as compared with the initial version. Since the
content of moisture is reduced as a result of removing
large droplets, which have the strongest effect on the
erosion of blades and on the efficiencies of the stages
(in proportion to 1.5y0 [3]), the increase in the effi
ciency can be estimated:
= 1.6 1.5 0.7 + 2.6 1.5 0.3 = 2.87%.
At the same time, the additional losses in the blade
swivel device recalculated for the total flowrate make
up 3 0.3 1%; i.e., the overall gain in efficiency will
be somewhat smaller: around 2%. The use of this
design of the flow path makes it possible not only to
obtain a more efficient exhaust, but also to reduce the
fraction of largedroplet moisture both upstream of
the last stage and upstream of the upper tier and
thereby reduce the erosion wear of the upper parts of
the blade.
Thus, by using the combined exhaust it is possible
to increase its area by 3035% as compared with the
traditional solution without resorting to application of
considerably longer blades, while retaining high eco
nomic efficiency. This solution is of special relevance
for highspeed turbines, the blades of which have
reached almost the maximum possible length for the
existing state of the art in this field. For the example
considered, the flowrate to the condensers in the case
of six exhausts (three LPCs) will be equal to 1200 kg/s,
which corresponds (at the initial pressure of saturated
steam equal to 7.0 MPa, reheat temperature equal to
270C, and feedwater temperature equal to 230C) to
the steam turbine efficiency equal to 38% and turbine
power output equal to around 1550 MW.
The use of a combined exhaust for lowspeed tur
bines also seems to be promising. The use of blades,
the length of which is increased up to 1800 mm (in this
case, the root diameter is as large as 3000 mm),
involves considerable difficulties in the manufacture,
transportation, and erection of turbines. In addition,
the cost of such turbines becomes much higher. If a
combined exhaust is organized with a 1450mmlong
laststage blade, the exhaust area increases from 18.9
to 28.7 m2, which is commensurable with the exhaust
area of a turbine furnished with 1800mmlong last
stage blades (Fex = 28.9 m2). At the same time, the
weight of the LPC rotor and the maximal diameter of
the rotor with the blades installed on it increase only
slightly as compared with the initial rotor furnished
with 1450mmlong laststage blades. With such an
exhaust and three LPCs, the capacity of a singleshaft
turbine can be increased up to 2000 MW (with the suf
ficiently high values of vacuum and efficiency).
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This work was supported by the Russian Fund for
Fundamental Research, grants nos. 100800444a
and 100800403a.
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