TURBINE SECTION

A portion of the kinetic energy of the expanding gases is extracted by the turbine section, and this energy is transformed into shaft horsepower which is used to drive the compressor and accessories. In turboprop and turboshaft engines, additional turbine rotors are designed to extract all of the energy possible from the remaining gases to drive a powershaft. Types of turbines. Gas turbine manufacturers have concentrated on the axial-flow turbine shown in figure 1.21. This turbine is used in all gas-turbine-powered aircraft in the Army today. However, some manufacturers are building engines with a radial inflow turbine, illustrated in figure 1.22. The radial inflow turbine has the advantage of ruggedness and simplicity, and it is relatively inexpensive and easy to manufacture when compared to the axial-flow turbine. The radial flow turbine is similar in design and construction to the centrifugal-flow compressor described in paragraph 1.19a. Radial turbine wheels used for small engines are well suited for a higher range of specific speeds and work at relatively high efficiency. Figure 1.21. Axial-flow Turbine Rotor. Figure 1.22. Radial Inflow Turbine. The axial-flow turbine consists of two main elements, a set of stationary vanes followed by a turbine rotor. Axial-flow turbines may be of the single-rotor or multiple-rotor type. A stage consists of two main components: a turbine nozzle and a turbine rotor or wheel, as shown in figure 1.21. Turbine blades are of two basic types, the impulse and the reaction. Modern aircraft gas turbines use blades that have both impulse and reaction sections, as shown in figure 1.23. Figure 1.23. Impulse-Reaction Turbine Blade. The stationary part of the turbine assembly consists of a row of contoured vanes set at a predetermined angle to form a series of small nozzles which direct the gases onto the blades of the turbine rotor. For this reason, the stationary vane assembly is usually called the turbine nozzle, and the vanes are called nozzle guide vanes. Single-rotor turbine. Some gas turbine engines use a single-rotor turbine, with the power developed by one rotor. This arrangement is used on engines where low weight and compactness are necessary. A single-rotor, single-stage turbine engine is shown in figure 1.24, and a multiple-rotor, multiple-stage turbine engine is shown in figure 1.25. Figure 1.24. Single-rotor,Single-stage Turbine. Figure 1.25. Multiple-rotor,Multiple-stage Turbine. Multiple-rotor turbine. In the multiple-rotor turbine the power is developed by two or more rotors. As a general rule, multiple-rotor turbines increase the total power generated in a unit of small diameter. Generally the turbines used in Army aircraft engines have multiple rotors. Figure 1.26 illustrates a multistage, multiple-rotor turbine assembly. Figure 1.26. Multirotor - Multistage Turbine.