What type of steam turbine has steam take-offs prior to going to the condenser?

The correct choice refers to an extraction turbine, which is designed specifically to allow for steam withdrawal at various points along its expansion path, before the steam reaches the condenser. This feature enables the steam to be used for heating applications, process steam, or other purposes, making extraction turbines highly versatile in industrial and power generation settings.

Extraction turbines operate by having high-pressure steam enter the turbine and expand to lower pressures while simultaneously allowing some of the steam to be extracted for use before the remaining steam continues its journey through the turbine and eventually enters the condenser. This design can improve overall system efficiency by utilizing steam that might otherwise be wasted.

In contrast, a condensing turbine operates with the intent that all of the steam will eventually condense after passing through the turbine and delivering its energy. Reaction and impulse turbines, while also essential types of turbine designs, do not feature the mechanism for steam extraction. Reaction turbines involve a continuous interaction between steam and rotor blades, while impulse turbines operate primarily on high-velocity jets of steam impacting the turbine blades. Thus, they do not permit any early take-offs of steam during the process.