A turbine unit is a unit that combines a turbine ( steam , gas or hydraulic turbine ) and an electric generator driven by it as separate complete devices, together with their auxiliary systems (generator excitation, water and hydrogen generator cooling, oil system of turbine bearings). It is one of the facilities of the main equipment of the power plant .
In a broader sense, a turbine unit means a combination of two or more mechanisms, which, as a rule, have a kinematic connection between themselves. In this case, the main unit of this composition is a turbine , since it is it that drives the entire turbine unit. The revolutions of the remaining mechanisms can be significantly less than the revolutions of the drive turbine, if you use a gearbox or more if you use a multiplier . However, most often they try to create a turbine unit with a single rotor, while the rotations of all other mechanisms are the same as those of the drive turbine.
Turbine units can be divided into several classes depending on the purpose of the mechanism, which they actually drive into rotation (to which the turbine power is transmitted). For example, when transmitting power from a turbine to a pump, we get a turbopump (the main unit of a modern liquid-propellant rocket engine). When transmitting power from the turbine to the generator, we get a turbogenerator . When transmitting power from the turbine to the compressor (usually centrifugal or axial), we get a turbocompressor is the main unit of a modern automobile engine, both diesel and gasoline. Power from the turbine can be transferred to any mechanism, for example, to a drilling rig, but in this case it is advisable to talk not about a turbodrilling rig, but about a drilling rig driven by a turbine. Of particular note are turbine units in which a working fluid (steam, high-temperature gas, combustion products, process gas for producing liquefied gas, etc.) of the main process is used to rotate the turbine, and the pressure and temperature of this working fluid must be reduced. Such a turbine unit is usually called a turboexpander . At the same time, they usually transmit their power to an electric generator or pump . Today, turbo-expanders are widely used in the utilization of “free” energy from processes such as gas throttling during gas mains transportation and its distribution to gas distribution and hydraulic fracturing .
In the near future, turbochargers and turbogenerators will find their application in the processes of associated petroleum gas utilization directly in the fields in order to increase the pressure of the transported gas or to generate electricity for the own needs of the field and the shift camp.