5/15/2018 What is the difference between a gas turbine, a steam turbine, a water turbine and an internal combustion engine?

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What are the differences between low-pressure
turbines and high-pressure turbines?
Water Turbines Gas Turbine Engines Steam Turbines +5
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the difference between an impulse and a
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Answer Follow · 13 Request  What is difference between axial flow turbine and
radial flow turbine and tangential flow turbine and
8 Answers mixed flow turbine?

Mayank Tiwari, studied at Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi What is differential expansion in a steam turbine?

Answered Feb 1, 2017 What is a back-pressure steam turbine?

Turbine:
What is "critical speed" in a steam or gas turbine?

Turbine is a class of turbo machinery used to convert the energy in a flowing What are the interlocks for steam turbine?
fluid into mechanical energy by the use of rotor mechanisms. Turbines, in
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general, convert either thermal or kinetic energy of the fluid into work.

Steam Turbine:

The steam turbine uses pressurized steam from a boiler as the working
fluid.

The super-heated steam entering the turbine loses its pressure

(enthalpy) moving through the blades of the rotors, and the rotors move
the shaft to which they are connected.

Steam turbines deliver power at a smooth, constant rate, and the

thermal efficiency of a steam turbine is higher than that of a
reciprocating engine but lower than gas turbine engines due to
higher operating temperatures of the gas turbines (Gas turbines
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~1500°C and steam turbines ~550°C).

In modern days, primary use of the steam turbines is for the electrical Question Stats
power generation, but at the early 20th century steam turbines was
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used as the power plant for ships and locomotive engines. As an
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exception, in some marine propulsion systems where the diesel engines Last Asked Oct 23, 2017
are impractical, such as aircraft carriers and submarines, the steam Edits
engines are still used.
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Gas Turbine:
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Gas turbine engine or simply a gas turbine is an internal combustion
engine, using gases such as air as the working fluid.

Gas turbine engine, unlike the steam turbine, consists of several key
components; those are the compressor, combustion chamber, and
turbine, which are assembled along a rotating shaft, to perform
different tasks of an internal combustion engine.

Gas turbines can be used to produce torque, thrust (which powers

the military fighter aircraft), or both in combination (used in
turboprop engines).

Gas turbines are more versatile, because many fuels can be used and
working fluid, which has to be fed continuously, is readily available
everywhere (air). Steam turbines, on the other hand, require large
amounts of water for the operation and tend to cause problems in lower
temperatures due to icing.
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5/15/2018 What is the difference between a gas turbine, a steam turbine, a water turbine and an internal combustion engine? - Quora

They are preferred over other engines (mainly reciprocating engines)

due to their high power to weight ratio, less vibration, high operation
speeds, and reliability.

Internal Combustion Engine: What are the differences between low-pressure

turbines and high-pressure turbines?

The defining feature of an internal combustion engine is that useful What is the difference between an HP turbine and
work is performed by the expanding hot gases (generated by an IP turbine?

exothermic reaction of a fuel with an oxidizer) acting directly to cause What is the difference between an impulse and a
movement, for example by acting on pistons, rotors, or even by pressing reaction turbine?

on and moving the entire engine itself. What is difference between axial flow turbine and
radial flow turbine and tangential flow turbine and
This contrasts with external combustion engines such as steam engines mixed flow turbine?

which use the combustion process to heat a separate working fluid, What is differential expansion in a steam turbine?
typically water or steam, which then in turn does work, for example by
What is a back-pressure steam turbine?
pressing on a steam actuated piston.
What is "critical speed" in a steam or gas turbine?
Internal combustion engines are seen mostly in transportation.
What are the interlocks for steam turbine?
Several other uses are for any portable situation where you need an
non-electric motor. The largest application in this situation would be an Ask New Question

Internal combustion engine driving an electric generator. That way, you

can use standard electric tools driven by an internal combustion
engine.

The advantages is the portability and the disadvantage is the

pollution that they put out. Not only the obvious, air pollution, but also
the Noise pollution, Some are so loud, that people need hearing
protection to prevent damage their ears.

Most internal combustion engines waste about 36 percent of the energy

in gasoline as heat lost to the cooling system and another 38 percent
through the exhaust. The rest, about six percent, is lost to friction. Thus
most gasoline fueled internal combustion engines, even when aided
with turbochargers and stock efficiency aids, have a mechanical
efficiency of about 20 percent.

Water turbine:

A water turbine is a rotary engine that takes energy from moving water.
Now they are mostly used for electric power generation.

Upvote · 43 of water
The type Downvote
turbine or hydro-power selected for a project is based
on the height of standing water (referred to as head) and the flow, or
volume of water, at the site, and there are a number of different hydro-
power turbine types available that are suited to different heads and
flows.

Here a generator is placed at the top of a shaft that connects to the

water turbine. As the turbine catches the naturally moving water in its
blade and rotates, the generator receives the necessary force and begins
to generate electrical energy.

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5/15/2018 What is the difference between a gas turbine, a steam turbine, a water turbine and an internal combustion engine? - Quora

What are the differences between low-pressure

turbines and high-pressure turbines?

What is the difference between an HP turbine and

an IP turbine?

What is the difference between an impulse and a

reaction turbine?

What is difference between axial flow turbine and

radial flow turbine and tangential flow turbine and
mixed flow turbine?

What is differential expansion in a steam turbine?

Hydroelectric power generation is by far the most efficient method of
large scale electric power generation as the conversion process What is a back-pressure steam turbine?

captures kinetic energy and converts it directly into electric energy What is "critical speed" in a steam or gas turbine?
hence there is no inefficient intermediate thermodynamic or chemical
What are the interlocks for steam turbine?
processes and no heat losses.
Ask New Question
The conversion efficiency of a hydroelectric power plant can be as high
as 95% for large installations while for smaller plants with output
powers less than 5 MW may have efficiency between 80 and 85 % which
are much higher than the above three mechanisms.

Hope it helps !!!

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Tavkheer Alam, Mechanical Engineer at the job.

Answered Apr 13, 2015

Its A common doubt for many of us.

Turbines are nothing but machines which are used to harness energy(in the
form of pressure) from a source and convert it into mechanical work.

Steam Turbines use energy of steam, which is expanded through aptly designed
blades in turbine, finally giving work output. It runs on Rankine Cycle.

A gas turbine does the same using energy of burnt gas by expanding it.

Expansion is nothing but decrease in pressure and increase in volume of steam

or gas, which converts its pressure energy into kinetic energy (or mechanical
work). It runs on Brayton Cycle.

Water turbine (or hydraulic turbines) on the other hand, converts the potential
energy of stored liquids (generally at heights implying higher pressure) into
kinetic energy while passing through its blades. It doesn't have any cycle. It runs
on principle of Pelton Wheel or Francis or Kaplan Turbine depending on
requirements and scope.

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5/15/2018 What is the difference between a gas turbine, a steam turbine, a water turbine and an internal combustion engine? - Quora

Finally, IC engines are engines which converts the thermal energy of fuels into
mechanical work, as in bike or car engines. They run on seperate cycles Otto or
Diesel or Dual etc. depending on fuel and other factors.
What are the differences between low-pressure
turbines and high-pressure turbines?
So basically the output is same from all the above, the cycles mentioned are also What is the difference between an HP turbine and
almost similar. But efficiency, fuel used, application varies. an IP turbine?

What is the difference between an impulse and a

E.g. On small scale like vehicles, we can't use turbines. So IC engines are reaction turbine?

solution. To harness the enormous potential energy of water at dams, hydraulic What is difference between axial flow turbine and
turbines are used. In gas power plants, gas turbines (sometimes in combination radial flow turbine and tangential flow turbine and
mixed flow turbine?
with steam turbines) are used to run the generators. In process plants, where
steam is by product, steam turbines are used as prime movers to increase plant What is differential expansion in a steam turbine?

energy utilization efficiency. What is a back-pressure steam turbine?

11k Views · View Upvoters What is "critical speed" in a steam or gas turbine?

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Steve Blumenkranz, studied at Stanford University

Answered Oct 9, 2015

A gas turbine compresses gas, then heats it and then expands it through another
turbine section to capture part of the energy added as heat before exhausting it
to the atmosphere (or to a secondary boiler in a CCGT system).

A steam turbine system pumps liquid water into a boiler at high pressure, adds
heat converting it to a super-critical fluid state and then expands it through a
turbine before exhausting it to a condenser which cools it back to liquid water
the feeds the pump mentioned above.

A water turbine converts pressure in moderate speed flowing water directly into
kinetic energy to turn a generator before the water flows out at very low pressure
through a tail race. There is no heat involved. This is not a heat engine.

An internal combustion engine (ICE) usually refers to a reciprocating piston

type engine although the gas turbine is technically also an ICE. In the ICE, a
piston compresses a gas, then fuel is injected, burns creating heat and the piston
movement allows the heated gas to expand producing mechanical work.
Partially cooled lower pressure gas is then exhausted to atmosphere (in some
cases through a turbocharger that does part of the compression on the front end
of the cycle).

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What are the differences between low-pressure

turbines and high-pressure turbines?
Steve Roberts
What is the difference between an HP turbine and
Answered Jan 28, 2017
an IP turbine?
Gas turbines, steam turbines, and water turbines are all turbines, meaning they
What is the difference between an impulse and a
are devices which continuously convert energy stored in a fluid into work. The
reaction turbine?
turbine rotates as the working fluid is constantly flowing through it, and if you
What is difference between axial flow turbine and
connect something to the shaft it can do work. Conceptually, there is no radial flow turbine and tangential flow turbine and
difference between the three, apart from the working fluid (air, steam, or water), mixed flow turbine?

although they tend to be designed quite differently for a variety of reasons. What is differential expansion in a steam turbine?

Note that in correct terminology, gas, steam, and water turbines are not What is a back-pressure steam turbine?

complete engines, but they can be used as parts of engines. We often hear the What is "critical speed" in a steam or gas turbine?
term “gas turbine” used to refer to what is correctly called a gas turbine engine.
What are the interlocks for steam turbine?
The turbine is just the part that extracts work from the cycle, and it doesn’t
Ask New Question
include the compressor or combustor or any of the other parts that make up a
gas turbine engine.

An internal combustion engine is any heat engine in which a fuel is burned

directly in the working fluid to generate heat for the cycle. This stands in contrast
to external combustion engines (or externally heated engines that do not rely on
combustion) in which the working fluid is heated indirectly, generally by
passing it through a heat exchanger. The advantage of internal combustion is
that the oxidant performs double-duty as the working fluid, and air happens to
be cheap, abundant, and suitable. You can compress it, burn fuel in it, make it
do your work, and then throw it away, because there’s plenty more where it came
from. Externally heated engines generally have to carry their working fluid
around with them, and need at least two heat exchangers: one to heat the fluid
before the expansion cycle, and one to cool it back down before it goes around
the cycle again.

However, when most people say “internal combustion engine,” they are
referring to an internal-combustion piston engine, such as those found in the
vast majority of road vehicles. These differ from turbine engines in that they do
not have a continuous through-flow, but rather operate in a sort of “batch-
mode,” where the same chamber is used for compression, combustion, and
expansion.

So, in summary, gas, steam, and water turbines are all turbines, a gas turbine
engine is a type of internal combustion engine, a steam engine is a type of
external combustion engine, and a water turbine is neither, because they’re
generally not used in heat engines.

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Ted Hutch
Answered Dec 21, 2016

Steam and water turbines use the flow of water or steam to move the blades and
create electricity by turning a generator. Gas Turbines and internal combustion
engines create the power within themselves and are a form of “heat engine”. The
only real difference between steam and water turbines is that they are built
much heavier for water use. Both gas turbines and internal combustion engines

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5/15/2018 What is the difference between a gas turbine, a steam turbine, a water turbine and an internal combustion engine? - Quora

use fuel to create heat and movement. Gas turbines use the principles of gas
pressure. Turbines are also a constant pressure device, while internal
combustion engines are a “cycle” engine. Both are completely different in their
design.
What are the differences between low-pressure
3k Views · Answer requested by Daan van Put turbines and high-pressure turbines?

Upvote Downvote What is the difference between an HP turbine and

an IP turbine?

Add a comment... Recommended All What is the difference between an impulse and a
reaction turbine?

What is difference between axial flow turbine and

Amr Bahy, works at Mechanical Engineering radial flow turbine and tangential flow turbine and
Answered Apr 20, 2015 mixed flow turbine?

Internal combustion engines are engines which combustion occurs inside the What is differential expansion in a steam turbine?
cylinder (combustion chamber).
What is a back-pressure steam turbine?

What is "critical speed" in a steam or gas turbine?

Both gas turbine and steam turbine are external combustion engines which
combustion is outside the chamber if a turbine. What are the interlocks for steam turbine?

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Water turbine is hydraulic turbine which water from high elevation hits its
impellers or buckets and cause its rotation and generating kinetuc rotational
energy.
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Nithin Mahadevappa, Masters in Mechanical Engineering

Answered Apr 24, 2015

In an internal combustion engine fuel is burnt inside the cylinder to generate

power as in the case of automobile engines.

In external combustion engines the fuel is burnt outside which does work on
WORKING FLUID (Steam in case of Steam Turbines and combustion products in
case of Gas Turbines) which in turn does work on the rotor to generate power.

Hydraulic Turbines utilize the Kinetic Energy of flowing water to generate

power.
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