Dr.

Safaa Hameed Faisal Power plant engineering Lectures

Chapter-4-

Steam Nozzles
1- Definition:
The steam nozzle is a passage of varying cross-sectional area in which the energy of the steam (enthalpy) is
converted into kinetic energy with minimum loss.

Enthalpy of steam Steam of high kinetic

 his
m energy
Steam 1 m C 2
(High pressure and
temperature) Nozzle 2
(High velocity)

Losses

Similar to nozzle a duct with variable cross-section area will be called diffuser if the fluid gets decelerated,
causing a rise in pressure along the direction of flow. Nozzles are generally used in turbines,
jet engines, rockets, injectors, ejectors etc.

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Dr. Safaa Hameed Faisal Power plant engineering Lectures
2- Steam nozzle shape
Consider steam pressure P1;T1 , and its enthalpy is h1 , enter a nozzle with a low velocity C1 . It is required to
find the shape of the nozzle which will cause the fluid to accelerate to a high velocity as the pressure falls
along the duct.
Let the assumptions as follows:
1- Steady state.
2- The flow is one-dimensional.
3- Adiabatic flow.
4- Neglect potential energy and any loses.

Section-1- Section X-X Section-3-

X
Section-2-

P1;T1;v1;h1;C1
P;T;v;h;C
P2;T2;v2;h2;C2
X

Applying the energy equation between section 1 and any other section X-X where the pressure is P , the
enthalpy is h , and the velocity is C , we have
1 2 1
h1  C1  h  C 2  C  2 * ( h1  h )  C 12
2 2
Usually the value of enthalpy is given in kJ/kg, so in order the velocity to be in m/s, the last equation is
written as:
C  2000 ( h1  h )  C 12
If the area at section X-X is A , and the specific volume is v , then the mass flow is given by:
CA C A
m   cons tan t  1 1
v v1
Or, the area per unit mass flow is given by:
A v

m C
Then substituting for the velocity, we have:
A v
Area per unit mass flow = 
m 2( h  h)  C
2
1 1

It can be seen that in order to find the way in which the area of the duct varies, it is necessary to be able
to evaluate the specific volume, v , and the enthalpy, h , at any section X-X. In order to do this, some
information about the process undergone between section 1 and section X-X must be known.
For the ideal frictionless case, since the flow is adiabatic and reversible, the process undergone is an
isentropic process, and hence
s1  (entropy at sec tion X  X )  s
Now using the fact that s1  s , it is possible to plot the variation of the cross-sectional area of the duct
against the pressure along the duct. For a vapor this can be done using tables;

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Dr. Safaa Hameed Faisal Power plant engineering Lectures
Example: Steam at 15bar, 350C,C1=5m/s enter a nozzle, m  1kg / s
P1 T1 h1 s1 C1 P h v C A / m m / A
(bar) (C) (kJ/kg) (kJ/kg.K) (bar) (kJ/kg) (m3/kg) (m/s) 2
m /(kg/s) (kg/s/m2)
15 350 3147 7.101 5 14 3128 0.1968 195.8 0.001005 995
15 350 3147 7.101 5 13 3108 0.2084 280.8 0.0007422 1347
15 350 3147 7.101 5 12 3086 0.2217 349 0.0006352 1574
15 350 3147 7.101 5 11 3063 0.2371 409.4 0.000579 1727
15 350 3147 7.101 5 10 3039 0.2552 465.6 0.000548 1825
15 350 3147 7.101 5 9 3012 0.2767 519.6 0.0005326 1877
15 350 3147 7.101 5 8 2983 0.303 572.6 0.0005292 1890
15 350 3147 7.101 5 7 2951 0.3357 625.8 0.0005365 1864
15 350 3147 7.101 5 6 2916 0.3778 680.2 0.0005554 1800
15 350 3147 7.101 5 5 2875 0.4344 737.3 0.0005892 1697
15 350 3147 7.101 5 4 2828 0.5152 798.8 0.000645 1550
15 350 3147 7.101 5 3 2771 0.6417 867.6 0.0007396 1352
15 350 3147 7.101 5 2 2696 0.8823 949.7 0.0009291 1076
15 350 3147 7.101 5 1 2579 1.624 1066 0.001523 656.6

It can seen that the area per unit mass flow rate
first decreases to minimum value and then the area
increases . When v increases less rapidly than
velocity, then the area decreases; when v increases
more rapidly than velocity, then the area increases.
The value of pressure ratio at which the area is
minimum is called “the critical pressure ratio”.

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Dr. Safaa Hameed Faisal Power plant engineering Lectures
For a perfect gas, the procedure is simpler, since we have pv   Constant, for an isentropic process. In
either case, choosing fixed inlet conditions, then the variation in the area, A, the specific volume, v , and the
velocity, V, can be plotted against the pressure along the duct. Typical curves are shown in Fig below.

A nozzle, the area of which varies as in Fig. 1, is called a convergent-divergent nozzle. The section
of minimum area is called throat of the nozzle. It will be shown later that the velocity at the throat of a
nozzle operating at its designed pressure ratio is the velocity of sound at the throat conditions. The flow up
to the throat is subsonic; the flow after the throat is supersonic.
The specific volume of a liquid is constant over a wide pressure range, and therefore the nozzles for liquids
are always convergent, even at very high exit velocities (e.g. a fire-hose uses a convergent nozzle).

Remark:
For a substance whose specific volume remains almost constant with change of pressure (for example
liquids), the nozzle shape is always convergent. The value of velocity will increase as the cross sectional
area decreases with the decrease of pressure.

For substance with constant  (like water)

m  const;   const  m   A C

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Dr. Safaa Hameed Faisal Power plant engineering Lectures
3- Nozzle Efficiency and velocity coefficient:
When the steam flows through a nozzle, the final velocity of steam for a given pressure drop is reduced
due to the following reasons:
(i) The friction between the nozzle surface and steam;
(ii) The internal friction of steam itself.
Most of these frictional losses occur between the throat and exit in convergent-divergent nozzle. These
frictional losses cause the following effects:
(i) The expansion is no more isentropic and enthalpy drop is reduced.
(ii) The final dryness friction of steam is increased as the kinetic energy gets converted into heat due do
friction and is absorbed by steam which causes the entropy to increase.
(iii) The specific volume of steam is increased as the steam becomes more dry due to this frictional
reheating. Hence the effect of friction is to improve the quality of steam.

T 1

3
3s

The value of nozzle efficiency is given by:

1 C 2
useful kinetic energy h  h3
 nozzle  2
3
  1
isentropic heat drop h1  h3 s h1  h3 s
The velocity co-efficient is defined as the ratio of the actual exit velocity to the ideal exit velocity when the
flow is isentropic,
C3
Velocity cofficient 
C3s

Bothe actual and ideal velocities are found using the steady flow energy equation:

1 2 1 1 2 1 2
h1  C1  h3,is  C 3 s and h1  C 1  h3  C 3
2

2 2 2 2

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Dr. Safaa Hameed Faisal Power plant engineering Lectures
4- The critical pressure ratio:
 / A ) will be
As we see in the last example, there is a specified pressure at which the value of mass flux ( m
maximum since the area will be minimum. That ratio of P / P1 at which the mass flux be maximum is
called the critical pressure ratio.

P1;T1;v1

P2;T2;v2 P3;T3;v3

m / A

pressure ratio P / P1

In order to find the critical pressure ratio, The steam flowing through the nozzle will be assumed to follow
approximately the equation given below:
Pv n  cons tan t

Where n is index that represent the adiabatic expansion of the steam. It depend on the steam state:
for saturated steam. n  1.135
superheated steam n  1.3
For wet steam, n  1.035  0.1 x
where x is the initial dryness fraction of steam.

C2
The mass flow of steam in kg per second is: m  A
2
C2 A
Since the velocity of steam is given by C 2  2 * (  h is ) , then: m  A  2his
2 2
For polytropic process we have the following relationships:

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Dr. Safaa Hameed Faisal Power plant engineering Lectures
1 1

 2  P1  P  n
P11  P2 2 
n n
     2  and his 
1  P2   P1  n1
By substituting, we have:
A  n  
m   2 P1v1  P2v 2   A 2 n P1v1 1  P2v 2 
v2  n  1  v2 n1  P1v1 

Putting the value of v from the polytropic process relationship:

 n1
  2 n 1

A n   P2  n  n P1  P2    P2  
n n
m  2 P1v1 1    A 2
1
n1   n  1 v1  P1   P1  
   
 P1
P  n
 
v1  2 
 P1 

Using the above equation, the rate of mass flow per unit area is given by:
 2 n 1

m n P1  P2   P2  n 
n
 2     
A n  1 v1  P1   P1  
 

The mass flow per unit area has the maximum value at the throat since the area is minimum, the value of
pressure ratio PR at the throat can be evaluated from the above expression corresponding to the maximum
value of m A:
 2
1
n 1
1  

n P1  2 P2   n n  1 P2 n  
 
     

 A  0 
2
n  1 v1   n  P1  n  P1 
d m    
d  PR    2 n1

 n P1  P2    P2   
  n   n
2 2  P  
 P1 
 n  1 v1   1  
 
2 n 1 2 n 1
2 P  n n  1  P2  n P  n n  1  P2  n
  2      0   2    
n  P1  n  P1   P1  2  P1 
2 n 1 n
P   P2   P2 
n n
 n 1  n 1
  2          
 P1   2   P1   P1   2 
n
 P   2  n 1
  2    
 P1   n  1 
This known as critical pressure ratio PRcri and depends upon the value of index n .
For saturated steam : n  1.135
n 1.135
P2  2  n1  2  1.1351
     0.58
P1  n  1   1.135  1 
For sup erheated steam : n  1.3
n 1.3
P2  2  n1  2  1.31
     0.546
P1  n  1   1 .3  1 

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Dr. Safaa Hameed Faisal Power plant engineering Lectures
Example-1- :
A convergent-divergent nozzle for a steam turbine has to deliver steam under a supply condition of 10 bar
with 300°C superheat and a back pressure of 0.16 bar. If the outlet area of the nozzle is 9.7 cm2, determine
using steam tables, the mass of steam discharged per hour.
Solution:
v1  0.259m 3 / kg
h 1  3052.2 kJ/kg
s 1  7.127 kJ/kg.K
Entropy before expansion = Entropy after expansion

Properties of saturated steam at 0.160bar

v g  9.4320 m 3 / kg
h f  232.0 kJ / kg ; h fg  2369.0 kJ / kg ; hg  2601.0 kJ / kg
s f  0.772 kJ / kg . K ; s g  7.985kJ / kg . K

s1  s f 7.127  0.772
x3    0.881
sg  s f 7.985  0.772
h3  h f  xh fg
 232  0.882 * 2369  2321.5kJ / kg

C 3  2 * 1000 * his  2 * 1000 * ( 3052.2  2321.5)  1209m / s

From mass continuity:

C C 1209
m  A 3  A 3  9.7 * 10 4  0.014kg/s
3 xv g (0.881 * 9.432)

Example -2-
Dry saturated steam at a pressure of 11 bar enters a convergent-divergent nozzle and leaves at a pressure of
2 bar. If the flow is adiabatic and frictionless, determine:
(i) The exit velocity of steam.
(ii) Ratio of cross-section at exit and that at throat.
Assume the index of adiabatic expansion to be 1.135.

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Dr. Safaa Hameed Faisal Power plant engineering Lectures

Using Mollier chart and steam table:

h1  2780 kJ / kg
h2  2679 kJ / kg
h3  2480 kJ / kg
x2  0.96
v g 2  0.297m 3 / kg

The throat velocity:  C 2  2 * ( h1  h )  2000 ( 2780  2679 )  449 . 4 m / s

Exit velocity:  C 3  2 * ( h1  h )  2000 ( 2780  2480 )  774 . 6 m / s

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Dr. Safaa Hameed Faisal Power plant engineering Lectures
Problems

1-Dry saturated steam enters a steam nozzle at pressure of 12 bars and is discharged to a pressure of
1.5 bars. If the dryness fraction of a discharged steam is 0.95 what will be the final velocity of
steam? Neglect initial velocity of steam.
If 12% of the heat drop is lost in friction, find the percentage reduction in the final velocity.
[Ans. 633.3 m/s, 6.2%]

2- In a steam nozzle, the steam expands from 3 bar to 1.0 bar. The initial velocity is 90 m/s and
initial temperature is 150°C. The nozzle efficiency is 0.95. Determine the exit velocity.
[Ans. 594 m/s]

3- Steam initially dry and saturated is expanded in a nozzle from 12 bar to 0.95 bar. If the frictional
loss in the nozzle is 10% of the total heat drop, calculate the mass of steam discharged when exit
diameter of the nozzle is 12 mm.
[Ans. 224.3 kg/h]

4- In a steam nozzle, dry and saturated steam is expanded from 10 bar to 0.1 bar. Using steam
tables, calculate:
(i) Dryness fraction of steam at exit. (ii) Heat drop. (iii) The velocity of steam at exit from the
nozzle when initial velocity is 135 m/s.
[Ans. (i) 0.79 ; (ii) 694 kJ/kg ; (iii) 1185.8 mls]

5- Determine throat area, exit area and exit velocity for a steam nozzle to pass 0.2 kg/s when the
inlet conditions are 12 bar and 250°C and the final pressure is 2 bar. Assume that the expansion is
isentropic and that the inlet velocity is negligible. Take n = 1.3 for superheated steam.
[Ans. 1.674 cm2, 2.015 cm2, 831.6 mls]

6- The inlet conditions to a steam nozzle are 10 bar and 250°C. The exit pressure is 2 bar. Assuming
isentropic expansion and negligible velocity, determine for 0.2 kg/s of steam:
(i) The throat area. (ii) The exit velocity. (iii) The exit area of the nozzle.
[Ans. (i) 1.44 cm2 ; (ii) 795 mls ; (iii) 2.15 cm2]

7- Dry saturated steam is passed at 7 bar through a convergent-divergent nozzle. The throat cross-
sectional area is 4.5 cm2. Find the mass of steam passing through the nozzle per minute.
[Ans. 27 kg/min.]

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