Turbine Generators: Steam Turbines
boiling water for power
You may never have heard of them, or may never have had a personal use for a steam turbine generator, but they're out there! They are actually here for you more than you think, and whether you realize it or not, you probably have had some indirect contact with a steam turbine generator. What exactly is one, you may ask? A steam turbine generator generally used in large power plants. These steam generators produce well over half of the electricity that is needed all across the United States, and that is why you probably have had indirect contact with one at some point or another. These large generators that are used in power plants work to convert the heat energy (also known as thermal heat) from a load of pressurized steam into electricity. After the steam turbine generator takes the heat, it then converts that heat energy into a useful form of work, which is electricity most of the time.
There are actually many different sizes of the steam turbine generators, as well as many different applications. As mentioned, they are found primarily in large electrical power plants. A power plant might have a condensing turbine, a reheat turbine, an extracting turbine, or maybe even all three.
However, not all of them are found exclusively in electrical power plants. Small horsepower generators (some come as small as 1 horsepower) are used in uncommon compressors or pumps. But the larger ones (large generators can come as large as 2 million horsepower) are the ones that are used in power plants and even ships. Although these steam generators are not discussed an overabundance, they do a whole lot for mankind, especially in the United States, and should be given due credit!