Laboratory Modeling of an Axial Flow Micro Hydraulic Turbine

This article is devoted to detailed experimental studies of the flow behind the impeller of an air model of a propeller-type microhydroturbine in a wide range of operating parameters. The measurements of two component distributions of averaged velocities and pulsations for conditions from part load to strong overload are conducted. It is shown that the flow at the impeller outlet becomes swirled when the hydraulic turbine operating mode shifts from the optimum one. The character of the behavior of the integral swirl number, which determines the state of the swirled flow, is revealed. Information about the flow peculiarities can be used when adjusting the hydraulic unit mode to optimal conditions and developing recommendations to expand the hydraulic turbine operation control range with preservation of high efficiency. This stage will significantly save time at the stage of equipment design for specific field conditions of water resource.

Comparative analysis of air and water flows in simplified hydraulic turbine models

This article presents a comparative analysis of flow characteristics behind a hydraulic turbine runner in air and water. Swirling flow with a precessing vortex core (PVC) was investigated using a laser Doppler anemometer and pressure pulsation sensors. The experiments were conducted on aerodynamic and hydrodynamic test rigs over a wide range of hydraulic turbine operating conditions. Part-load modes of hydraulic turbine operation were investigated using the Fourier transform of pressure pulsations obtained from acoustic sensors. The features of the swirling flow were shown for the range of operating conditions from deep partl-load to overload.

Application of CFD to the Design of Manifolds Employed in the Thermodynamic Method to Obtain Efficiency in a Hydraulic Turbine

This study presents the design and implementation of different types of manifolds (sampling system) to measure water flow properties (velocity, pressure, and temperature) through the high- and low-pressure section of a Francis-type low head hydraulic turbine (LHT of 52 m) to calculate it is efficiency using the Thermodynamic Method (TM). The design of the proposed manifolds meets the criteria established in the “International Electrotechnical Commission—60041” Standard for the application of the TM in the turbine. The design of manifolds was coupled to the turbine and tested by the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) application, under the same experimental conditions that were carried out in a power plant, without the need for on-site measurements. CFD analyses were performed at different operating conditions of volumetric flow (between values of 89.67 m3/s and 35.68 m3/s) at the inlet of turbine. The mechanical power obtained and the efficiency calculated from the numerical simulations were compared with the experimental measurements by employing the Gibson Method (GM) on the same LTH. The design and testing of manifolds for high- and low-pressure sections in a low head turbine allows for the constant calculation of efficiency, avoiding breaks in the generation of electrical energy, as opposed to other methods, for example, the GM. However, the simulated (TM) and experimental (GM) efficiency curves are similar; therefore, it is proposed that the design of the manifolds is applied in different geometries of low-head turbines.

Analysis of the operating conditions of a hydraulic turbine of the bulb-type

In the last decades we have witnessed a technological advance and the search for 4.0 technologies, in this scenario, one of the most important topics to promote a good performance in the production of equipment is the monitoring of operation through preventive maintenance, especially for large industrial enterprises. In this article we present a dynamic test and an analysis of the operating conditions of a hydraulic turbine of the bulb-type operating with a production level of 70 MW. The results demonstrate the vibrations at different points of the equipment and the frequency of turning of the blades. Through these results it was possible to demonstrate the operating condition of the device.

The design and execution of a laboratory micro hydroelectric power plant

The paper presents a laboratory micro hydroelectric power plant destined to applicative activities. The hydraulic turbine is a Pelton turbine, rebuilt by fast prototyping in Geomagic Design X and printed on a 3 D printer. The turbine casing and the afferent elements are made in-house. The hydrogenator is synchronous being an alternator from a Dacia vehicle. The hydrogenerator load is constituted by 3 groups of light bulbs. We analysed the working of the micro-hydroelectric power plant in idle run and for different loads. As a result of the analysis we found out that it stably works for different loads and by its open construction it is useful for developing students’ ability to understand the phenomena. The installation designed and executed is useful for the engineering students as the pandemic forbids the thematical visits in hydro-energetic facilities.

Stochastic Approach for Optimal Positioning of Pumps As Turbines (PATs)

A generic water system consists of a series of works that allow the collection, conveyance, storage and finally the distribution of water in quantities and qualities such as to satisfy the needs of end users. In places characterized by high altitude differences between the intake works and inhabited centres, the potential energy of the water is very high. This energy is attributable to high pressures, which could compromise the functionality of the pipelines; it is therefore necessary to dissipate part of this energy. A common alternative to dissipation is the possibility of exploiting this energy by inserting a hydraulic turbine. The present study aims to evaluate the results obtained from a stochastic approach for the solution of the multi-objective optimization problem of PATs (Pumps As Turbines) in water systems. To this end, the Bayesian Monte Carlo optimisation method was chosen for the optimization of three objective functions relating to pressure, energy produced and plant costs. The case study chosen is the Net 3 literature network available in the EPANET software manual. The same problem was addressed using the NSGA-III (Nondominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm) to allow comparison of the results, since the latter is more commonly used. The two methods have different peculiarities and therefore perform better in different contexts.