Mechanical design and vibration analysis of steam turbine blades

A turbine blade is the most important element of steam turbines, and the reliability of the steam turbine depends on the reliability of blades. Because most of the blade failures are related to blade vibration, such as high cycle fatigue, corrosion fatigue, etc., it is necessary to exactly predict the vibration characteristics of blades at the design stage and to increase the mechanical strength of the blade. Therefore, it is indispensable for blade designers to understand various vibration phenomena of blades that occur on steam turbines and to learn the analysis and measurement method of blade vibration. This chapter explains the vibration phenomena of the steam turbine blade and the latest technology on the analysis and measurement of the blade vibration of the steam turbine.