🔍 Key Concepts

• Thermal expansion of turbine casings at high temperature and how that affects joint tightness • The practicality of using gaskets vs. machined or flexible metal joints along a long horizontal split line • Why turbine designers prefer certain sealing methods for repeated opening/closing and high-pressure steam

💭 Think About

• Consider what happens to the joint between upper and lower halves as the turbine heats up and cools down. Which option can maintain a good seal despite movement? • Think about the length and shape of a turbine casing joint. Which type of seal is realistic to manufacture and keep tight over that long distance? • Which sealing method is commonly used in high‑pressure, high‑temperature rotating machinery where you need both good sealing and the ability to dismantle for maintenance?

✅ Before You Answer

• Eliminate any options that would creep, crush, or deteriorate quickly under high temperature and high steam pressure. • Ask whether perfect metal-to-metal contact along the entire split line is realistic once the casing distorts with heat and pressure. • Consider which choice is specifically designed to flex slightly and follow small distortions while still blocking steam leakage.