Bowed nozzle vane

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of The Invention

The present invention relates to an axial flow turbine, and more particularly, to an axial flow turbine intended to improve a blade efficiency of a turbine nozzle in turbine stages, i.e. pressure stage, placed in a passage with an expanded diameter formed in an axial direction of a turbine shaft (turbine rotor) in a turbine casing.

Related Art

Recently, in a motor employed for a power plant, for example, a steam turbine unit or system includes stages of a high pressure turbine, an intermediate pressure turbine, and a low pressure turbine for increasing outputs. The respective pressure turbines allow heat energy of steam supplied from a steam source to have an expansion work so as to obtain a rotating power. For the purpose of improving the power generation efficiency, it is essential to find the way how the expansion work is enhanced in the respective turbine stages for obtaining the rotating power. Specifically, the high pressure turbine is expected to bear more loads to increase the steam pressure for the expansion work compared with the intermediate and low pressure turbines.

Due to the high proportion of the work supplied by the high pressure turbine to that of the entire steam turbine, the improvement of the output per high pressure turbine stage may be significant for improving the output of the entire turbine unit.

In a generally employed high pressure turbine, a plurality of turbine stages are arranged in a row for allowing the steam that flows in the axial direction of the turbine shaft to have the expansion work. The aforementioned high pressure turbine is called as an axial flow type turbine.

The turbine stage is formed by combining cascaded turbine nozzles in a circumferential direction of the turbine shaft, and turbine rotor blades corresponding to the cascaded turbine nozzles.

A nozzle cascade constituting a generally employed axial flow turbine among the turbines formed by combining the turbine nozzles and the turbine rotor blades is shown in <figref idref="f0001">FIG. 2</figref>. Referring to <figref idref="f0001">FIG. 2</figref>. a plurality of nozzle blades 10 are supported to be placed between an inner (diaphragm) ring 11 and an outer (diaphragm) ring 12 in the circumferential direction of a turbine shaft, not shown. In the high pressure turbine at a relatively low blade height, a secondary flow loss is a dominant cause to reduce the internal efficiency of the turbine. Within an annular passage of the turbine as shown in <figref idref="f0001">FIG. 2</figref>, a secondary vortex 16 is generated by a hydrodynamic load 15 that causes the fluid to flow from a ventral side at a high blade surface pressure to a back side at a low pressure around an inner radial wall surface 13 and an outer radial wall surface 14 of the nozzle blade 10. The secondary flow loss is considered to be caused by the secondary vortex 16. As shown in <figref idref="f0002">FIG. 3</figref> that represents an energy loss distribution in the direction of the height of the nozzle blade 10, high energy loss areas generally distribute around the inner and the outer radial wall surfaces 13 and 14, respectively. Further, since the height direction range of the area hardly changes irrespective of the increase in the blade height, degradation of the efficiency owing to the secondary flow loss is reduced as the blade height increases.

A turbine nozzle having the nozzle blade 10 curved toward an outlet side (which is hereinafter referred to as a curved nozzle) has been widely used for the purpose of reducing the secondary flow loss.

<figref idref="f0002">FIG. 4</figref> shows a configuration of a generally employed curved nozzle. One of reference values for defining the curved configuration is represented by a curvature range in the blade height direction. Further, there are several methods for setting the curvature range including a typical method in which the curvature of a center of the blade height is set to a maximum value such that the nozzle blade is entirely curved over a whole range in the blade height direction, and a similarity expansion is made as the increase in the blade height. In this case, the absolute value of the curvature range changes as the blade height varies.

Meanwhile, the use of the curved nozzle may cause an adverse effect to deteriorate the nozzle blade performance at the center of its height, counteracting the improvement of the performance achieved by reducing the secondary loss. In this case, the curved configuration serves to press the fluid against the inner and outer radial wall surfaces 13 and 14 on the inner and outer rings 11 and 12 to suppress the secondary flow loss. On the other hand, the fluid flows at the reduced flow rate around the center of the nozzle blade in the height direction, which is supposed to be unaffected by the secondary loss, and accordingly exhibits the excellent performance.

<figref idref="f0003">FIG. 5</figref> shows each of changes in the loss distribution of the curved nozzle and the normal nozzle with no curvature.

In the case where the blade height is at a low level, the effect by the secondary flow may be suppressed. The performance of the nozzle blade may be expected to be improved over its entire height. However, in the generally configured nozzle blade in which the curvature range increases as the increase in the blade height, the adverse effect owing to the reduced flow rate of the fluid at the center of the nozzle blade height may further be worsened. This may deteriorate the improvement of the entire performance of the curved nozzle.

Publication of PCT Japanese Translation Patent Publication No. <patcit id="pcit0001" dnum="JP2002517666A"><text>2002-517666</text></patcit> has proposed, as a method of improving the above problem, a method of forming the curved nozzle at the limited area around the inner and outer radial wall surfaces 13 and 14 on the inner and outer rings 11 and 12 with respect to the formation of a cross section of the flow passage defined by adjacent turbine nozzles.

In the disclosed method, the center of the nozzle blade height has no curvature area, which is expected to provide the effect for suppressing the performance degradation caused by the reduction in the flow rate around the center of the nozzle blade height compared with the case in which the nozzle blade is curved over the entire height. In the disclosed method, the curvature range is defined as the proportion of the blade height. The curvature range may be increased as the blade height increases, and accordingly the performance improvement is deteriorated as the flow rate at the center of the nozzle blade height reduces.

Conversely, in the case where the blade height is at the low level, the curvature range is reduced. However, as a secondary flow area in almost a constant range exists irrespective of the blade height, the effect for suppressing the secondary flow cannot be sufficiently obtained owing to insufficient curvature range.

As described above, the loss caused by the secondary vortex generated around the wall surface in a base portion and a tip portion of the turbine nozzle has been considered as the main cause for reducing the internal efficiency of the high pressure turbine at a relatively low blade height.

It is well known that the curved nozzle has been widely used for the purpose of reducing the secondary flow loss. The curvature range in the blade height direction is one of reference values that indicate the configuration, and several methods have been proposed for determining such curvature range. In one of those methods, the nozzle blade is curved over its entire height so as to make a similarity expansion as the increase in the blade height.

With the thus configured curved nozzle, the fluid is pressed against the wall surface around the upper and lower wall surfaces to suppress the secondary flow loss. However, the flow rate of the fluid is reduced at the center of the blade height, thus degrading the excellent performance of the center area which has not been affected by the secondary flow, thus deteriorating improvement of the entire performance.

In the general method where the absolute value in the curvature range changes in accordance with the blade height even if the range influenced by the secondary flow loss hardly changes irrespective of the blade height, the flow rate distribution at the outlet of the turbine nozzle is found disproportionately at the area especially around the wall surface of the inner and the outer rings 11 and 12 as the blade height increases. This may further worsen the adverse effect to the curved nozzle as described above.

The above-described PCT <patcit id="pcit0002" dnum="JP2002517666A"><text>Japanese Translation Patent Publication No. 2002-517666 </text></patcit>discloses a method of curving the configuration of the passage defined by the adjacent turbine nozzles only at the portion around the upper and lower wall surfaces on the inner and the outer rings 11 and 12 for solving the aforementioned problem. It is considered that the use of the configuration limiting the curvature range to the portion around the upper and lower wall surfaces on the inner and outer rings 11 and 12 in the blade height direction may suppress the decrease in the flow rate of the fluid at the center of the blade height while suppressing the secondary flow loss. The disadvantage of the nozzle blade curved over the entire height, thus, may be compensated. In this method, the curvature range is defined as the proportion of the blade height.

In the case where the blade height is at the high level, the curvature range is expanded. This may fail to completely eliminate the adverse effect caused by the decrease in the flow rate of the fluid at the center of the blade height. In the case where the blade height is at the low level, the curvature range is reduced. In this case, the effect for suppressing the secondary loss cannot be sufficiently obtained owing to insufficient curvature range because the area influenced by the secondary loss is ranged at a height that is almost kept constant.

<patcit id="pcit0003" dnum="US6126394A"><text>US-A-6126394</text></patcit>, from which the preamble of appended claim 1 starts, teaches to shift the tips and roots of the nozzle blades in circumferential direction. By this means it is intended to reduce eddy current at the blade front end portion and root portion by the secondary flow which is caused by forming a staged portion to inner and outer wall surfaces near the nozzle rear edge. The formation of such staged portion causes the separation of the fluid passing through the staged portion at the downstream side of the staged portion. In order to prevent such separation the tips and the roots of the nozzle blades are shifted in the circumferential direction, to thereby force the flow of the operating fluid against the wall surface.

<patcit id="pcit0004" dnum="EP0441097A1"><text>EP 0 441 097 A1</text></patcit> relates to an airfoil for the compression section of a rotary machine, and more specifically, to a blade used for the compression section extending in an axial direction of the machine. <figref idref="f0004">Fig. 7</figref> of this document is a representation of the spanwise axis (stacking line) of an airfoil showing the circumferential location of the center of gravity of the airfoil section with respect to a radial spanwise axis (stacking line) for a referenced airfoil. This spanwise axis is a straight line angled at an acute angle with respect to the midspan region and to the radial spanwise axis in both the inner end wall region and the outer end wall region.

<patcit id="pcit0005" dnum="US6491493B"><text>US 6,491,493</text></patcit> discloses a turbine nozzle with an array of nozzle blades, wherein the flow sectional shape of the turbine nozzle is formed with a curved line at the root portion and the tip portion with a predetermined height and the other portion is formed as a straight line. <figref idref="f0001">Fig. 2</figref> of this document shows a cross-sectional view of a flow passage in the turbine nozzle as a section perpendicular to the main flow flowing between the turbine nozzles.

<patcit id="pcit0006" dnum="EP0661413A1"><text>EP 0 661 413 A1</text></patcit> discloses a shape of the section in the axial direction of a turbine nozzle which is curved in its root and tip end portions and is formed as a straight line therebetween.

<patcit id="pcit0007" dnum="EP1422382A"><text>EP 1 422 382 A</text></patcit> discloses an axial flow turbine with nozzle blades, which are curved along their whole height.

<patcit id="pcit0008" dnum="JP57018405A"><text>JP 57 018405 A</text></patcit> discloses a stage structure of a turbine, wherein a chord length of the stationary vane and an axial distance between the stationary and the moving vanes is set properly with respect to reach position in the longitudinal direction of the vane length to reduce profile loss of stationary vanes and additional loss of moving vanes.

<patcit id="pcit0009" dnum="US6036438A"><text>US-A-6036438</text></patcit> discloses a turbine nozzle, wherein an optimum axial distance is secured by varying the distance between a nozzle blade and a moving blade along the length of a nozzle blade. The blades may be curved.

<patcit id="pcit0010" dnum="US5474419A"><text>US-A-5474419</text></patcit> discloses a flow path assembly with an inner and outer circular band and a plurality of stator blades extending between the bands. Tip portions of the stator blades and openings in the outer band are at least as large as foot prints of the blades in a radial direction. Thus, airfoil portions of the blades, which are bowed, tapered and twisted, are receivable through the openings in the outer band during assembly.

<patcit id="pcit0011" dnum="JP62170707A"><text>JP 62 170707</text></patcit> discloses a static blade for an axial flow fluid machine, wherein an inclined angle of mounting in the direction of a contact line of static blade trailing edge from the base of the static blade towards the tip is gradually decreased to meet a specific condition. The inclined angle is set as to have a positive inclination at the tip.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide an axial flow turbine according to the preamble of appended claim 1 with a further improved performance.

The above and other objects can be achieved by an axial flow turbine according to appended claim 1. Appended sub claims are directed toward advantageous embodiments of the inventive axial flow turbine.

According to an aspect of the invention an axial flow turbine is provided with a plurality of stages along an axial direction of a turbine shaft, each stage composed of nozzle blades and movable blades, which nozzle blades are arranged in a row in a circumferential direction of the turbine shaft and being supported with their root ends by a diaphragm inner ring and with their tip ends by a diaphragm outer ring, which diaphragm rings define an annular passage, and which movable blades are arranged along a circumference of the turbine shaft downstream the turbine nozzle blades, wherein a flow passage through the stages is formed with a diameter expanded from an upstream stage to a downstream stage and wherein base side end portions and tip side end portions of trailing edges of the nozzle blades of a stage are curved circumferentially towards an outlet side of the fluid passage and intermediate portions between said end portions of said trailing edges are formed to be straight, and a curvature height at an end portion supported by the diaphragm outer ring of the curvature toward the outlet side is set to Ht, and a curvature height at an end portion supported by the diaphragm inner ring of the curvature toward the outlet side is set to Hr, whereby a relationship of Ht &gt; Hr is satisfied.

The curvature height at the end portion supported by the diaphragm outer ring set to Ht is in a range expressed by a relationship of 5 mm ≤ Ht ≤ 50 mm.

The curvature height at the end portion supported by the diaphragm inner ring set to Hr is in a range expressed by a relationship of 5 mm ≤ Hr ≤ 40 mm.

When a pitch between adjacent curvatures at the diaphragm outer ring support ends supported by the diaphragm outer ring is set to Tt, and a pitch between adjacent curvatures at the diaphragm inner ring support ends supported by the diaphragm inner ring is set to Tr, a relationship of Tt &gt; Tr may be satisfied.

A center of the nozzle blade in a direction of a height is set as a position of a maximum value of a throat pitch ratio between the trailing edge of the nozzle blade and a back side of the adjacent nozzle blade.

The nozzle blade of the above-described type may be applied to a high pressure turbine.

The nozzle blade of the above-described type may be applied to a high pressure turbine for all stages.

The nozzle blade of the above-described type may be applied to a nozzle blade, whose position of the trailing edge is inclined toward a direction of the axial flow from the root side to the tip side.

The nozzle blade of the above-described type may be applied to a nozzle blade, whose position of the trailing edge is curved toward a direction of the axial flow from the root side to the tip side.

In the axial flow turbine according to the present invention the range of the curvature height at the diaphragm outer ring support end is set to be higher than that at the diaphragm inner ring support end. Since the fluid is allowed to flow to the center of the blade height at higher rates, the secondary flow loss generated at both support ends of the nozzle blade is suppressed, and more expansion work is made under the state where the flow rate of the fluid is increased for further improving the nozzle performance.

The nature and further characteristic features of the present invention will be made more clear from the following descriptions with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings: <ul id="ul0001" list-style="none" compact="compact"><li><figref idref="f0001">FIG. 1</figref> is a conceptual view representing a nozzle blade applied to an axial flow turbine according to the present invention as viewed from an outlet of the nozzle blade;</li><li><figref idref="f0001">FIG. 2</figref> is a view representing a behavior of the fluid passing through the nozzle blade in a generally (i.e. conventionally) employed axial flow turbine;</li><li><figref idref="f0002">FIG. 3</figref> is a graph representing an energy loss of the nozzle blade applied to the generally employed axial flow turbine;</li><li><figref idref="f0002">FIG. 4</figref> is a conceptual view representing a nozzle blade applied to the generally employed axial flow turbine;</li><li><figref idref="f0003">FIG. 5</figref> is a graph representing an energy loss of a nozzle blade of another type applied to the generally employed axial flow turbine;</li><li><figref idref="f0003">FIG. 6</figref> is a conceptual view representing a nozzle blade of another type applied to the generally employed axial flow turbine;</li><li><figref idref="f0004">FIG. 7</figref> is a graph representing a comparison of the energy loss of the nozzle blade applied to the generally employed axial flow turbine with the one applied to the axial flow turbine according to the present invention;</li><li><figref idref="f0004">FIG. 8</figref> is a graph representing a reference value indicating a nozzle efficiency improvement in the case where a curvature is formed on a base portion of the nozzle blade applied to the axial flow turbine according to the present invention;</li><li><figref idref="f0005">FIG. 9</figref> is a view representing changes in the nozzle performance owing to the respective causes when the curvature is formed on the base portion of the nozzle blade;</li><li><figref idref="f0005">FIG. 10</figref> is a graph representing a reference value indicating a nozzle efficiency improvement in the case where a curvature is formed on a tip portion of the nozzle blade applied to the axial flow turbine according to the present invention;</li><li><figref idref="f0006">FIG. 11</figref> is a view showing a relationship of the respective nozzle blade heights at the initial stage, intermediate stage, and last stage of the turbines with respect to the nozzle energy loss;</li><li><figref idref="f0006">FIG. 12</figref> is an explanatory view showing a nozzle throat ratio between adjacent nozzle blades;</li><li><figref idref="f0007">FIG. 13</figref> is a graph representing a comparison of the flow rate of the fluid passing through the throat from the base portion to the tip portion of the nozzle blade applied to the generally employed turbine with the one applied to the axial flow turbine according to the present invention; and</li><li><figref idref="f0007">FIG. 14</figref> is an illustrated sectional view of an axial flow turbine to which the present invention is applicable.</li></ul>

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

An embodiment of an axial flow turbine according to the invention will be described referring to the drawings and reference numerals thereon.

First, <figref idref="f0007">FIG. 14</figref> shows stages of the axial flow turbine 100 provided with nozzle blades 104. The nozzle blades 104 are fixed to an outer (diaphragm) ring 102 and an inner (diaphragm) ring 103, which are secured in a turbine casing 101, to form nozzle blade passages. A plurality of turbine movable blades 106 are disposed on the downstream side of the respective blade passages. The movable blades 106 are implanted on the outer periphery of a rotor disc, i.e. wheel, 105 in a row at predetermined intervals. A cover 107 is attached on the outer peripheral edges of the movable blades 106 in order to prevent leakage of a working fluid in the movable blades.

In <figref idref="f0007">FIG. 14</figref>, the working fluid, i.e. stream "S", flows from the left-hand side (upstream side) of the turbine in the figure towards the right-hand side (downstream side).

<figref idref="f0001">FIG. 1</figref> is an illustration of the turbine nozzle of the axial flow turbine according to the present invention, and with reference to <figref idref="f0001">FIG. 1</figref>, in the axial turbine, turbine (pressure) stages, not shown, formed by combining turbine nozzles and turbine rotor blades are arranged along a circumference of a turbine shaft. The turbine stages arranged along the circumference of the turbine shaft are provided toward an axial direction of the turbine shaft such that a fluid passage extends to have a diameter expanded from the upstream side to the downstream side.

Referring to <figref idref="f0001">FIG. 1</figref>, in an annular passage 4 defined by a diaphragm outer ring 3 and a diaphragm inner ring 2, a plurality of nozzle blades 1 each having a blade height H are arranged in a row in a circumferential direction, and spaced at a pitch T between center portions of the blade heights of adjacent nozzle blades.

The nozzle blade 1 as a curved nozzle has a trailing edge 1a of the cross section of the blade curved circumferentially toward the outlet side. It is formed to have a curvature height range in the blade height direction at the diaphragm inner ring set to Hr (mm), the curvature height range in the blade height direction at the diaphragm outer ring set to Ht (mm), and other curvature height range set to H - (Hr + Ht) which is kept straight.

A generally (conventionally) employed turbine nozzle of compound lean type having entire blade height curved as shown in <figref idref="f0003">FIG. 6</figref> is compared with the above-structured turbine nozzle of the axial flow turbine according to the present invention with respect to the energy loss value. In the generally employed turbine nozzle having the entire blade height curved, the maximum energy loss value caused by the secondary flow loss around the upper and lower wall surfaces (base and tip portions of the blade) of the diaphragm inner and outer rings 2 and 3 is reduced as shown in <figref idref="f0004">FIG. 7</figref>, but the secondary flow loss at the center of the turbine height is increased. <figref idref="f0003">FIG. 6</figref> is a view that represents the trailing edge 1a of the nozzle blade 1 supported at the diaphragm inner and outer rings 2 and 3 when seen from the outlet of the turbine nozzle.

Meanwhile, in the axial flow turbine according to the present invention, the increase in the secondary flow loss is suppressed not only around the upper and lower wall surfaces (base and tip portions) of the diaphragm inner and outer rings 2 and 3 but also at the center of the nozzle blade height.

It is to be understood that setting the curvature height range to the portion around the diaphragm inner and outer rings 2 and 3 allows the secondary flow loss to be reduced without need of curving the nozzle blade over the entire height thereof.

The range of the secondary flow loss expands as the increase in the pitch T between adjacent nozzle blades 1, 1. Assuming that the pitch between the tip portions of the adjacent nozzle blades 1, 1 is set to Tt, and the pitch between the base portions thereof is set to Tr, the relationship of Tr &lt; Tt is established.

Referring to the nozzle energy loss distribution, under the influence of the secondary vortex, the energy loss range at the tip portion of the nozzle blade 1 becomes wider than that at the base portion thereof.

According to the invention the curvature height range Hr of the base portion of the nozzle blade and the curvature height range Ht of the tip portion of the nozzle blade have a relationship of Ht &gt; Hr.

<figref idref="f0004">FIG. 8</figref> is a graph representing a reference value indicating the nozzle performance improvement resulting from changing the curvature height range Hr of the base portion of the nozzle blade 1 independently.

The graph shows that the reference value indicating the nozzle performance improvement is kept low unless the curvature height range M, that is 5 mm at minimum, has to be ensured and the reference value of the nozzle performance improvement is reduced even if the curvature height range is set to be equal to 40 mm or wider.

The secondary flow loss caused by the secondary vortex is considered to have a tendency asymptotic to a predetermined lower limit value in the last result no matter how the curvature height range Hr of the base portion of the nozzle blade is increased as shown by the graph representing the reference value of the nozzle performance improvement in <figref idref="f0005">FIG. 9</figref>. The excessive curvature height range may be considered as a dominant cause that negatively works for reducing the nozzle efficiency resulting from the decrease in the flow rate at the center of the blade height.

<figref idref="f0005">FIG. 10</figref> is a graph representing a reference value indicating the nozzle performance improvement resulting from changing the curvature height range Ht of the tip portion of the nozzle blade 1 independently.

The graph shows that the reference value indicating the nozzle performance improvement is kept low unless the curvature height range N, that is 5 mm at minimum, has to be ensured, and the reference value indicating the nozzle performance improvement is reduced even if the curvature height range is set to be equal to 50 mm or wider.

As the curvature height at the tip portion of the nozzle blade is wider than that at the base portion of the nozzle blade, the nozzle performance is improved. Since the pitch between the tip portions of the nozzle blades 1 and 1 is wider than that between the base portions thereof, the resultant secondary flow range becomes wider accordingly.

<figref idref="f0006">FIG. 11</figref> is a graph representing the relationship between the nozzle energy loss and values of the nozzle blade length (nozzle height) at the initial stage, intermediate stage, and last stage of the high pressure turbines, respectively, which are changed for analytical purposes.

The graph shows the existence of a little difference in the secondary flow loss range that changes depending on the blade length between the base portion and the tip portion of the nozzle blade 1.

In the case where the nozzle blade having a curvature is applied to all the stages of the high pressure turbines, if the respective secondary flow influence ranges at the base and tip portions of the nozzle blade 1 are set at the stage at a predetermined blade height (blade length) based on the results of a three-dimensional fluid analysis and various test results, the curvature range of the nozzle blade 1 is not required to be changed even in the case of the application to the stage at the different blade height.

The use of the aforementioned features may save the effort for searching a curvature of the nozzle blade 1 appropriate for the respective stages of the axial flow turbines among a plurality of stages each having a detailed geometrically different condition.

Intending to reduce the secondary flow loss sufficiently for all the stages of the axial flow turbines according to the embodiment, the curved nozzle having the center of the blade height hardly influenced by the secondary flow may suppress degradation of the nozzle performance.

If the curvature range of the nozzle blade 1 is defined as the proportion of the blade height, the minimum curvature range that has been determined as being required may be changed at the respective stages. Specifically, when the blade height is at the low level, the curvature range is reduced, and on the other hand, when the blade height is at the high level, the curvature range is expanded. If the aforementioned curvature range setting is applied to the nozzle blade 1 having the secondary flow influence range hardly changed in accordance with the blade height, the curvature range becomes insufficient in the case of the low level of the blade height, and the curvature range becomes excessive in the case of the high level of the blade height. There may be the case where the value that has been determined as being the best at a predetermined blade height cannot be used for other stages.

In the described embodiment, the performance of the nozzle blade 1 with the curvature according to the embodiment may be improved even if the blade of the other configuration is combined therewith.

For example, as shown in <figref idref="f0006">FIG. 12</figref>, the performance of the nozzle 1 may be maintained high by increasing the distribution of the flow rate at the outlet in the nozzle blade 1 where a maximum value of a nozzle throat ratio S/T, that is, the ratio of the shortest distance S between the trailing edge 1a of the nozzle blade 1 and the back side 6 of the adjacent nozzle blade 1 to the pitch T between adjacent nozzle blades 1 and 1 is set for the center of the blade height.

If the nozzle blade with the curvature according to the described embodiment is combined with the aforementioned arrangement of the blades, the reduction in the flow rate of the fluid at the center of the blade height may be compensated for further higher performance improvement in comparison with the generally employed nozzle blade as shown in <figref idref="f0007">FIG. 13</figref>.

In the embodiment, the trailing edges at both support ends of the nozzle blade supported by the diaphragm inner and outer rings are curved toward the outlet side, and the intermediate portion interposed between the trailing edges is kept straight such that the curvature height range at the diaphragm outer ring support end is higher than the one at the diaphragm inner ring support end. This makes it possible to allow more expansion work to be performed under the state where the flow rate of the fluid at the center of the blade height is increased while suppressing the secondary flow loss, thus further improving the nozzle performance.

Further, the nozzle blade having the curvature mentioned hereinabove may be applicable to conventionally existing axial flow turbines. For example, the present invention may be applied to a nozzle blade, whose position of the trailing edge is inclined toward a direction of the axial flow from the root side to the tip side. Further, the present invention may also be applied to a nozzle blade, whose position of the trailing edge is curved toward a direction of the axial flow from the root side to the tip side.

It is further to be noted that the present invention is not limited to the described embodiments and many other changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scopes of the appended claims.

It is explicitly stated that all features disclosed in the description and/or the claims are intended to be disclosed separately and independently from each other for the purpose of original disclosure as well as for the purpose of restricting the claimed invention independent of the composition of the features in the embodiments and/or the claims. It is explicitly stated that all value ranges or indications of groups of entities disclose every possible intermediate value or intermediate entity for the purpose of original disclosure as well as for the purpose of restricting the claimed invention, in particular as limits of value ranges.