The purpose of turbines and generators is to produce electric power that runs residential, commercial, and other facilities, appliances, and more in society. However, turbines and generators work somewhat differently. A turbine translates forms of energy into rotation. A generator converts the rotation into electricity. At S.T. Cotter Turbine Services, Inc., we offer exceptional quality turbine and turbine generator service options to help you with all of your gas combustion and steam turbine needs.
Both generators and turbines spin, but they have a number of other differences, some of which are mentioned below.
Manufacturing Differences Between Turbines and Generators
Turbines operate in appearance almost like fans, with blades that rotate around a center shaft. Gas and steam turbines consist of multiple layers of small blades that rotate. In every case of a turbine, some element (water, gas, or air) flows through the blades, causing them to spin, which powers the turbine shaft.
Just as turbines, generators consist of a central shaft. However, the shaft is mounted with magnets wound with wire. Stationary coils of wire which consist of the generator stator surround the shaft and magnets. The rotation of the shaft causes the production of magnetic fields from the rotor that travel over the wire coils in the stator. The result is the generation of electrical current in the wires.
Some generator configurations have the coils of wire mounted on the shaft with the magnets remaining fixed. Regardless of the configuration, electric current is generated when magnet fields pass over the wire coils. Turbine generator service, including turbine generator maintenance is applied to address these components with repair, replacement, or overhaul.
Application Differences Between Turbines and Generators
Turbines power generators, but also produce rotating power for other applications, primarily in the transportation industry. Steam turbines utilize pressure from boilers to produce power in various industries and combustion turbines burn natural gas to power vessels at sea. Turbines in airplanes are jet engines that operate on kerosene and increase the velocity of hot gases to produce jet thrust or generate rotating power to turn airplane propellers.
Turbine generators are designed to produce electricity. However, they are applied in various ways. Generators generate power for power stations in the electrical grid. They are also used in aircraft to produce electrical power for electric control systems and lights. They are also used on offshore oil platforms and ships at sea. Emergency generators are used in residential and commercial applications when the main power from the grid goes down. Vehicles also have smaller versions of generators referred to as alternators that produce the electricity that charges the car battery.
As briefly described above, turbines and generators, although associated with each other and having some similarities, are completely different machines that operate on different principles and perform different tasks.