Main Types of Steam Turbine Cogeneration Systems

There are several configurations of steam turbine cogeneration systems, which are described briefly in this section. The flow diagrams are presented in a simplified form in order to depict the basic configurations.

Back-pressure steam turbine systems

The figure provided here illustrates a back-pressure steam turbine system used in cogeneration plant. It is the simplest configuration for a cogeneration plant. Steam exits the turbine at a pressure higher or at least equal to the atmospheric pressure. This is why the term “back-pressure” is used. (In comparison, in other units, the back end of the turbine is operated under vacuum conditions.)