What happens to steam after it leaves the turbine?

• A. It condenses back into water and repeats the process.
• B. It remains as steam for further heating.
• C. It is used to generate electricity directly without condensing.
• D. It turns into ice immediately inside the turbine.

Answer: (A)

After leaving the turbine, the steam is cooled in a condenser and changes back into liquid water. This condensate is collected and pumped back to the boiler as feedwater to be heated into steam again, continuing the cycle. This condensation at low pressure is what makes the Rankine cycle work efficiently, allowing the plant to reuse the water and maintain the pressure drop across the turbine.

The steam doesn’t stay as steam for further heating at this stage, and electricity is produced by the turbine turning the generator, not by steam acting directly on the generator without condensing. Ice formation inside the turbine doesn’t happen under normal operation.