What characterizes a Curtis impulse turbine?

What characterizes a Curtis impulse turbine?

• A. Sets of moving and fixed blades; these alternating blades channel the steam between the blades to capture as much kinetic energy as possible
• B. Uses curved blades only
• C. Relies on steam pressure changes in a nozzle
• D. Has no moving parts

Answer: (A)

Curtis impulse turbines are built around stages that pair moving blades on the rotor with stationary blades in between. The steam is accelerated to high speed in nozzles, then the moving blades extract energy from that high-velocity flow as it passes, while the fixed blades redirect the flow to the next moving blade. This alternating sequence of moving and stationary blades allows the steam to impart momentum in multiple small impulses, maximizing energy transfer and keeping the rotor turning smoothly at high speed. The other descriptions miss this defining feature: it’s not just about curved blades, it’s about the interleaved moving and fixed blades that channel the steam from blade to blade; while nozzles provide the high-velocity steam, the key characteristic is the alternating blade arrangement; and obviously there are moving parts.

Curtis impulse turbines are built around stages that pair moving blades on the rotor with stationary blades in between. The steam is accelerated to high speed in nozzles, then the moving blades extract energy from that high-velocity flow as it passes, while the fixed blades redirect the flow to the next moving blade. This alternating sequence of moving and stationary blades allows the steam to impart momentum in multiple small impulses, maximizing energy transfer and keeping the rotor turning smoothly at high speed. The other descriptions miss this defining feature: it’s not just about curved blades, it’s about the interleaved moving and fixed blades that channel the steam from blade to blade; while nozzles provide the high-velocity steam, the key characteristic is the alternating blade arrangement; and obviously there are moving parts.