Construction Conundrums: Resources For Industrial Construction Contractors

Six Things To Be Aware Of When It Comes To Turbomachinery

18 February 2022 by Ethan Mccoy

Many modern industrial operations rely on turbomachinery. The following are six basic things about turbomachinery that you and your staff need to understand if turbomachinery is used at your facilities. 

Turbomachinery refers to machinery that causes the transfer of energy between fluids and rotors.

Turbomachinery can refer to a wide variety of machinery used in industry. The characteristic that makes it so that machinery is referred to as "turbomachinery" is that the equipment in question facilitates energy transfer between fluids and rotors.

Both compressors and turbines are commonly designed to function as turbomachinery with energy transfer taking place between their rotors and a fluid medium. 

Turbomachinery is widespread in modern power generation.

Primitive turbomachinery included water wheels to create power. Even a simple fan can be considered a simple and primitive type of turbomachinery. Turbomachinery is most commonly used in modern industry for the generation of electricity.

Much more complex turbomachinery systems are used nowadays in power plants to generate power. In power plants, turbomachinery is often combined with a compressor to generate power. 

Turbomachinery control systems are often needed to keep modern turbomachinery systems safe.

The complex turbomachinery in use nowadays requires advanced safety monitoring technology to avoid accidents. Modern power plants typically include turbomachinery control systems that ensure that factors such as control speeds, pressure, load weights, and temperatures remain within a safe range. 

Turbomachines can be classified as either open or closed.

One important distinction when it comes to the design of any turbomachinery is whether the machinery in question is considered an "open" or "closed" system. 

Turbomachinery equipment such as windmills and propellers are what's known as "open" turbomachinery. Open machinery acts on fluid that is open to the surrounding environment rather than closed off within a chamber. On the other hand, a pump or compressor would be considered a closed turbomachine.

Turbomachines can also be classified according to their flow.

In terms of flow, turbomachines can be classified as either axial or radial. With an axial flow machine, the flow of the liquid is parallel to the rotational access of the machine. With a radial flow machine, the flow of the liquid is perpendicular to the rotational axis. 

The third distinction among turbomachines is whether they absorb or produce energy.

While some turbomachinery is designed to absorb energy, other turbomachines are designed to produce energy.

A turbomachine that absorbs energy will increase the pressure within the fluid. For example, a pump is a type of turbomachine that absorbs energy. An example of a turbomachine that produces energy would be a turbine.  

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