Turbine

#1. Field of the Invention

#The invention is directed to a turbine including a thrust balancing piston.

#2. Description of the Related Art

#The invention will now be described in more detail in the following with reference to a preferred embodiment and the accompanying drawings, in which:

#FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a turbine with an axial thrust balancing piston;

#FIG. 2 shows a turbine according to an embodiment of the invention.

#First, the effects of axial thrust in a turbine 1′ having an axial thrust balancing piston 40′ will be explained referring to FIG. 1.

#The turbine 1′ has a stator 10′ (only shown schematically) and a rotor 20′ which is rotatably bearing-supported in the stator 10′, a plurality of turbine stages 30.1′ to 30.5′ (designated in the following in their entirety by 30′), and the axial thrust balancing piston 40′.

#The turbine stages 30′ formed by the rotor 20′ and stator 10′ are successively arranged along a longitudinal direction LR′ of the turbine 1′, and a flow path of an operating fluid for driving the rotor 20′ in rotation extends through the turbine stages 30′. According to this embodiment, the operating fluid is formed by steam so that the turbine 1′ is configured as a steam turbine. In FIG. 1, a flow direction of the operating fluid through the turbine stages 30′ corresponds to the longitudinal direction LR′.