IMPROVING EROSION PROPERTIES OF STEAM TURBINE BLADES VIA SURFACE MODIFICATIONS

Steam Turbines can generate electricity by using various sources of heat. This is the main reason it is one of the most common type of turbine used in power plants. Steam turbines are composed of various number of stages and each stage is composed of one set of blades. Towards the last stages, water in the steam increases and due to the fact that water velocity is higher than steam velocity, water droplets scatter with the momentum striking at the surface of the turbine blades and causes erosion. Steam turbine blade service life is expected to be not less than 100.000 hours which is approximately 12 years. Blade materials should be considered carefully and necessary surface modifications should be made accordingly.