Application of Steady-state Flow Processes

(a) Turbine:

Turbine converts enthalpy into useful work. Steam or gas at high temperature and pressure is allowed to expand through a system of rotors.

Figure 13.1

The change in kinetic and potential energy of steam or gas as it passes through the turbine can be ignored without introducing much error. Further, if the heat losses from the turbine are negligible, the first law for this steady state flow reduces to

(13.4)

Therefore, in an adiabatic turbine, the work done per unit mass of the fluid is equal to the decrease in the enthalpy of the fluid. Here, is positive;