science

Ljungström turbine

Ljungström turbine is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Ljungström turbine rather than just read about it. In short: The Ljungström turbine (Ljungströmturbinen) is a steam turbine. It is also known as the STAL turbine, from the company name STAL (Swedish: Svenska Turbinfabriks Aktiebolaget Ljungström).

Key takeaways

Ljungström turbine belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Ljungström turbine to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Ljungström turbine from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Ljungström turbine (Ljungströmturbinen) is a steam turbine. It is also known as the STAL turbine, from the company name STAL (Swedish: Svenska Turbinfabriks Aktiebolaget Ljungström). The technology has had numerous uses since its conception, from power plants to vehicles as large as the supertanker Seawise Giant. The turbine was invented circa 1908 by the Swedish brothers Birger Ljungström (1872–1948) and Fredrik Ljungström (1875–1964). The Ljungström brothers were creative, versatile inventors, typical of the 19th century. They not only named the turbine type, but also an early form of a bicycle.

Functionality The steam flows through the machine in a radial direction from the centre to the outer extremities. The turbine consists of two halves that rotate against each other. As a result, each rotor blade of the one turbine half serves simultaneously as the guide blade of the other half. The different direction of rotation of the two halves is either compensated by a gearbox connected downstream or by separate generators if the turbine is used for the generation of electrical power. The Ljungström turbine can either be used with a condenser to recover the exhaust steam as condensate, or alternatively the exhaust can be utilised for the supply of a district heating grid, and thus the turbine is flexible in its application. It was therefore used in large industrial complexes, which could use the exhaust of this engine for both combined heat and power as well as its electric energy. The functionality has been employed for several power plants. In principle, the maximum power possible is about 32 MW, since the diameter of the two turbine halves are limited to a practical size due to fabrication constraints. Coupled with a Parsons turbine, the output of a Ljungström turbine can be increased to about 50 MW. Since more modern steam power plants have a significantly higher performance, the Ljungström turbine is generally no longer utilised today. The largest ship ever built, the ULCC supertanker Seawise Giant, was powered by this type of engine.

Gallery

See also STAL Brush Electrical Machines Gio. Ansaldo & C.

References

Bibliography Sigvard Strandh: Die Maschine: Geschichte, Elemente, Funktion. Ein enzyklopädisches Sachbuch, Herder Verlag, 1980. ISBN 3-451-18873-2 (Ljungströmturbine, pp. 133–135, Svea-Bike, p. 220 and Fig. 221)

External links

Ljungströmturbine Tekniskamuseet Swedish innovations Swedish Institute STAL-turbin till Tekniska Museet by Carl-Göran Nilson Science Museum Group: Brush Ljungstrom radial-flow steam turbine Science Industry Museum: "Balance of power: The exceptional case of the Brush Ljungström Turbine" BRUSH electrical history – a collection

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Ljungström turbine

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Ljungström turbine claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Ljungström turbine before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Ljungström turbine ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Ljungström turbine

In research: Ljungström turbine appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Ljungström turbine in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Ljungström turbine is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1908 introductions, Ljungström, Steam turbines, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Ljungström turbine outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Ljungström turbine in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Ljungström turbine means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Ljungström turbine out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Ljungström turbine in simple terms?

The Ljungström turbine (Ljungströmturbinen) is a steam turbine. It is also known as the STAL turbine, from the company name STAL (Swedish: Svenska Turbinfabriks Aktiebolaget Ljungström).

Why does Ljungström turbine matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Ljungström turbine?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Ljungström turbine.