Session: 21-01: Last Stage Blades and Low Pressure Sections

Paper Number: 127874

127874 - Steam Turbine Low Pressure 75in Last Stage Blade for Nuclear Half Speed Applications 

The impact of global warming is driving the current trend in the power industry to transition away from employing fossil fuels for power production. Nuclear energy has been demonstrated to be a safe, reliable, and dispatchable way of either generating base load power or balancing fluctations in renewable power. EDF has further developed the Arabelle steam turbine platform to address the growing demand for nuclear power. This included the development of one of the longest low pressure steam turbine last stage blades, at 75 inches. Due to the sheer size of the turbine components, the development of this turbine posed several challenges, from both mechanical integrity and design perspectives. This paper documents the design development, validation, and manufacturing processes of the low-pressure turbine last stage blade.

This paper documents the design development, validation, and manufacturing processes of the low-pressure turbine. Due to the sheer size of the components, the development of this turbine posed several challenges to the development team, both from a mechanical integrity and design perspective. A special manufacturing process is required to manufacture a blade of this size and the development required strong interaction between the various design disciplines as well as the factory, to ensure that it the requirements of the design were achieved. It has successfully passed rigorous validation tests in a scaled test rig and in a spin pit. The turbine has been manufactured is currently being installed in Hinkley Point C in the United Kingdom.  

Presenting Author: Ivan Mcbean GE

Presenting Author Biography: 2017-2019: Chair ASME Steam Turbines Committee
Since 2017: Principal Engineer Aerodynamics GE
2007-2016: Group Leader Aerodynamics Alstom Power
2002-2006: Aerodynamics Design Engineer (5 years) Alstom Power
1999-2002: PhD Mechanical Engineering Monash/University California Irvine
1993-1998: Science/Engineering Monash University

Authors:

Sergey Kostyuschenko GE
Ivan Mcbean GE
Pierre-Alain Masserey GE
Christian Casu GE
Vivian Noirot GE
Julien Lemaire GE
Christophe Berquier GE