Effect of manufacturing processes on blade throat size and position in a steam turbine diaphragm

Despite a sustainable energy future, steam turbines are requisite for the reliability and security of the electric power supply in many countries. Accurate and precise manufacturing of the steam path is crucial to turbine efficiency. Before entering the rotor blades, the steam must be correctly guided using stationary blading in a diaphragm. Steam turbine diaphragms are complicated components to manufacture, and welding is the most common fabrication method. A case study presented in this paper employs data from a 3D optical scanner for a geometric deviation analysis of the upper half of the diaphragm at two production steps, after complete welding and after final machining. Unrolled cylinder cross-sections at different diameters are used to evaluate the blade throat sizes and positions compared to the nominal geometry. The results indicate significant geometric changes between the two fabrication steps, and several suggestions are put forward for targeted future work.