Alstom has announced the launch of its LP75, 75 inch, very long Last Stage Blade (LSB) for nuclear steam turbines.
The new 75” blade is the longest in the world and its exhaust area of 58 square meters is the largest compared to any other product on the market, Alstom said in a statement. It is particularly well suited for cool climates such as the UK, Scandinavia, or at coastal locations.
The blade, designed for use in the low pressure sections of the Arabelle nuclear steam turbine, is an evolution of the LP69 blade, currently used at Oskarshamn in Sweden.
“The LP75 provides a reduction of one-fifth in exhaust losses compared with the existing LP69. This means that energy waste is minimised while electrical output can be maximised: Depending upon project specific conditions, typically an output gain of 10 MW is expected,” Alstom said in a statement.
In particular the upgraded LP75 blade can provide more output in cold and very cold cooling conditions from all reactor models. It is thus well suited for climates such as the UK, Scandinavia, or at coastal locations in temperate to very cold areas.
The Arabelle steam turbine currently powers six nuclear units and is under various stages of construction in another 18 units in four countries, according to Alstom.
