Introduction to TurboMachinary

A: Axial flow turbines have the working fluid flow parallel to the turbine shaft, passing through a series of rotating and stationary blades that extract energy. They are typically used in large turbines such as jet engines and power plants. Radial flow turbines, on the other hand, have fluid flow perpendicular to the shaft, generally moving from the outer radius toward the center (inward) or vice versa. They are commonly used in smaller applications like turbochargers. The main differences include flow pattern, size, and efficiency at different scales. For more, see the summarized explanation here: https://www.grc.nasa.gov/www/k-12/airplane/turbdif.html

A: The primary losses in a turbine include aerodynamic losses (due to friction and turbulence), mechanical losses (bearing friction and seal leakage), and thermodynamic losses (due to incomplete energy conversion or heat loss). These losses reduce the turbine's efficiency, meaning less of the available energy from the fluid is converted into useful mechanical work. Understanding and minimizing these losses are crucial in turbine design to improve performance and fuel economy. The book 'Turbomachinery: Design and Theory' by Rama S.R. Gorla and Aijaz A. Khan offers an in-depth discussion on this topic.

A: Stage loading is a dimensionless parameter that indicates the amount of enthalpy drop (energy extracted) per stage of a turbine, normalized by the blade speed. It is important because it helps in the design and analysis of turbine stages to ensure appropriate energy extraction without causing excessive stress or flow issues. A balanced stage loading leads to optimal performance and blade life. You can learn more about stage loading in the turbomachinery design context from this resource: https://web.mst.edu/~bojko/MECH468/book/chapter7.pdf