Turbine Construction

Vertical Casting

Only the bottom part of the ingot is used.

Rough Forging

It is a requirements that forgings are heavily worked. Any small holes or defects canbecome hammer welded together. No forging is carried out below the plastic flow temperature as this can lead to work hardening. Forging will allow continuous grain flow
ultimate tensile stress and elongation checked. This must be near enough equal in all 3 directions.
After rough machining it is put in for a thermal stability test. For this final machining is given to the areas indicated. The end flange is marked at 90' intervals. Then the rotor is encased in a furnace. Pokers are placed onto the machined areas and accurate micrometer readings taken. The rotor is rotated though 4 positions marked on the flange.
The rotor is then heated to 28'C above normal operating temperature and slowly rotated.
Measurement is then taken at hourly intervals until 3 consistant readings are taken ( hence the rotor has stopped warping). The rotor is then allowed to cool and a set disparity allowed.
For turbine sets operated at greater than 28'C above their designed superheat then run the risk of heavy warping as well as high temperature corrosion and creep.
Final machining is now given. The rotor is statically balanced and then dynamically balanced and check to ensure homogenity.The rotor is bladed then again dynamically balanced.