Piping design for steam turbines

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Steam turbines are high-speed machines that are sensitive to mechanical forces; therefore, in both cold and hot conditions, the forces and moments exerted by the inlet and outlet pipes on the turbine’s outlet nozzles must be less than the values that those nozzles can withstand. As steam turbines are complex and precision-engineered devices, the layout of their inlet and outlet pipes, as well as the drain pipes and lubrication pipes, should not hinder operation or maintenance. The isolation valves and drain valves at the turbine’s inlet and outlet should be placed as closely together as possible to facilitate operation. 1. The inlet pipe should be equipped with condensate removal facilities to prevent condensate from reaching the turbine and causing damage to the blades. 2. The isolation valve on the inlet pipe should be accompanied by a preheating bypass valve. The diameter of this bypass valve should be such that it allows enough steam to flow for preheating purposes without causing the turbine to rotate. 3. A check valve should be installed on the outlet pipe of the backpressure turbine, and a safety valve should be placed before the outlet isolation valve.