Rodin — Steam Turbine Repair: A Study Guide
Rodin — Steam Turbine Repair: A Study Guide – the energy sector, as a foundational industry, determines the overall “health” of a country’s economy. The situation in this industrial sector has become increasingly complex in recent years due to a number of factors:
- underutilization of equipment, which typically necessitates operating turbines (and other thermal power plant equipment) in modes that do not ensure maximum efficiency;
- a sharp decline in the commissioning of new capacity at thermal power plants;
- the obsolescence—both technological and physical—of nearly 60% of power-generating equipment;
- supply constraints and a steep rise in fuel costs for thermal power plants;
- a lack of funds for equipment modernization, among other issues.
Steam turbines are among the most complex components of modern thermal power plant installations; this complexity stems from high rotor speeds, demanding steam parameters, significant static and dynamic loads acting on individual turbine components, and various other factors. As demonstrated in [1–6], steam turbine failures account for 15–25% of all equipment failures at thermal power plants. Consequently, the timely and high-quality repair of steam turbines represents one of the most pressing and challenging issues facing thermal power plant personnel today.
Unfortunately, the subject of Rodin — Steam Turbine Repair: A Study Guide is absent from the specialized course modules within the curricula and educational standards for most university majors in power engineering and power machinery manufacturing. A number of fundamental textbooks and study guides on steam turbines [7–11] devote virtually no attention to repair issues, while other publications [12–14] fail to reflect the current state of the field. Although publications [15–20] are undoubtedly highly useful for studying this topic, these works—which are essentially monographs—are not designed as instructional texts. In recent years, a number of regulatory and methodological documents governing the repair of thermal power plants (TPPs)—and steam turbine repairs in particular—have been issued [21–23].
The textbook Rodin — Steam Turbine Repair: A Study Guide is intended for university students specializing in the following fields: 10.14.00 (Gas and steam turbine units and engines), 10.05.00 (Thermal power plants), and 10.10.00 (Nuclear power plants and installations). It may also be used in retraining and professional development programs for engineering and technical personnel at TPPs and nuclear power plants.
The authors have sought to present a modern, systematic overview of steam turbine repair, covering:
- fundamental principles of organizing turbine repairs;
- reliability indicators, common types of turbine damage, and their causes;
- standard designs and materials for steam turbine components;
- key operations involved in repairing major steam turbine components.
The text also addresses alignment, the normalization of thermal expansion, and the vibration characteristics of the turbine unit.
Separate consideration is given to the specifics of turbine repair performed at the manufacturer’s facility. All these factors significantly influence the efficiency and reliability of the turbine unit and determine the scope, duration, and quality of the repair work.
In conclusion, the authors outline areas for future development that could enhance the overall efficiency of the steam turbine repair system. In preparing this manual, the authors made extensive use of modern scientific and technical literature regarding thermal and nuclear power plants, steam turbines, and steam turbine units, as well as specific materials from turbine manufacturing plants, OJSC ORGRES, and various power plant maintenance enterprises.
The structure and methodology for presenting the material in this manual were developed by Yu. M. Brodov. The manual was edited by Yu. M. Brodov and V. N. Rodin.
