🔍 Key Concepts

• Function of gland (shaft) seals on steam turbines • Direction of leakage for high-pressure steam vs low-pressure air • Why air in-leakage is dangerous in a condenser-type steam plant

💭 Think About

• Think about where the turbine rotor passes through the casing and what could leak at that point if there were NO sealing steam. • Is the pressure outside the turbine casing (near the shaft glands) usually higher or lower than the pressure inside, especially near the condenser end? • Which is more critical for efficiency and vacuum: a little steam escaping out, or something from outside getting sucked in?

✅ Before You Answer

• Identify whether the greater concern at the shaft glands is steam getting out or air getting in. • Recall that the condenser operates under a vacuum, and consider what the vacuum will try to pull in at any leak points. • Match the purpose of gland sealing steam with the idea of maintaining condenser vacuum and turbine efficiency.