Steam turbine, also known as steam turbine engine, is a rotary steam power plant. The steam with high temperature and high pressure is changed into an accelerated airflow through a fixed nozzle, and then sprayed on the blades, so that the rotors with blade rows rotate and do work at the same time. Steam turbine is the main equipment of modern thermal power plant, and it is also used in metallurgical industry, chemical industry and ship power plant.
In 1 century, the steam spinning ball described by Hiro of Alexandria, also known as Fengshen wheel, was the prototype of the earliest reactive steam turbine. In 1629, Gde Blanca of Italy proposed a runner that was rotated by steam impacting blades. 1882, Sweden's C.G.Pde Laval manufactured the first 5 horsepower (3.67 kW) single-stage impulse steam turbine.
1884, C.A. Parsons of Britain manufactured the first single-stage reactive steam turbine with a power of 10 horsepower (7.35kW). 19 10, B. & Sweden; F. Junkechuan brothers manufactured radial reaction steam turbines.
At the end of 19, Laval in Sweden and Parsons in Britain built practical steam turbines respectively. Laval built the first 5 HP (3.67 kW) single-stage impulse turbine in 1882, which solved the problems related to nozzle design and strength design. Single-stage impulse turbine has little power and is rarely used.
At the beginning of the 20th century, France Lato and Switzerland Zolai made multi-stage impulse steam turbines respectively. Multi-stage structure has opened the way for improving steam turbine power, and has been widely used, and the unit power is also increasing. Parsons obtained the British patent in 1884, and manufactured the first 10 horsepower multistage reactive steam turbine, which was in a leading position in power and efficiency at that time.