Search Results (4)

Tubular axial turbines (TATs) play a crucial role in mini and micro hydropower setups that require simplified yet reliable solutions. In very low head scenarios, single regulation in TATs is common, due to economic impracticality of the sophisticated mechanisms involved in the conjugate distributor–rotor regulation typical of the Kaplan turbines. Distributor or rotor single regulation strategies offer operation flexibility, each with distinct advantages and disadvantages. Stator regulation is simpler, while rotor regulation is more complex but offers potential efficiency gains. The present paper analyzes energy losses associated with these regulation strategies using two approaches: 1D mean line turbomachinery equations and 3D Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). The 1D mean line approach is used for understanding the conceptual fluid dynamic aspects involved in the two different regulation approaches, thereby identifying the loss-generation mechanisms in off-design operation. Fully 3D CFD simulations allow for quantifying and deeply explaining the differences in the hydraulic efficiencies of the two regulation strategies. Attention is focused on the two main loss contributions: residual tangential kinetic energy at the rotor outlet and entropy generation. Rotor regulation, even if more complex, provides better results than distributor regulation in terms of both effectiveness (larger flow rate sensitivity to stagger angle variation) and turbine operating efficiency (lower off-design losses). Full article

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. Full article

Water supply systems are one of the main hydraulic systems with significant potential for the installation of micro-hydropower devices. Although there are already some mini-hydropower applications in water supply systems, it is still a huge potential that continues to be under-exploited. The arrangement based on an axial turbine, such as an inline tubular propeller, with different diameters and rotational speeds suitable to exploit the existing potential in the water sector, is fully tested. The turbine with the nominal diameter of 85 mm was analysed through experimental campaigns and numerical models for a large range of heads and flow measurements to access its performance. A good correlation between the physical model and the numerical results were obtained, with mean values of deviation less than 5% regarding flow, mechanical power and efficiency. These results were extrapolated to other similar turbine with 170 mm, using affinity laws to investigate the power extraction performance. Both geometries were also numerically investigated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models and comparisons were made between the affinity model and experimental results. The results identified differences when compared with the classical affinity curves. Therefore, new formulations based on affinity equations were proposed for the analyzed axial turbine with different diameters without imposing a constant turbine efficiency since actually it does not keep constant as CFD calibrated model proved. Compared to experimental test efficiencies for different rotational speeds, the new proposed affinity laws provided a maximum error of 12% for both diameters. Full article

During the design and optimization of hydraulic turbomachines, the experimental evaluation of hydraulic performances beyond the best efficiency point and for off-design conditions remains essential to validate the simulation process and to finalize the development. In this context, an alternative faster method to measure the efficiency of hydraulic turbomachines using a dynamic approach has been investigated. The so-called “sliding-gate” dynamic measurement method has been adapted and implemented on the hydraulic test rig of the HES-SO Valais//Wallis, Sion, Switzerland. This alternative approach, particularly gainful for small-hydro for which the investment devoted to development is limited, has been successfully assessed on two cases for drinking water networks energy recovery. A 2.65 kW double-regulated laboratory prototype of a tubular axial micro-turbine with two independent variable speed counter-rotating runners and a 11 kW multi-stage centrifugal pump-as-turbine (PAT) with variable speed have been selected. The hydraulic efficiency results obtained by dynamic measurements are compared to the ones obtained by the classical steady point-by-point method. This dynamic method, suitable not only for hydraulic machinery, allows: (i) reducing significantly (up to 10×) the time necessary to draw the complete efficiency characteristics of a hydraulic machine; (ii) rapidly detecting the hydrodynamic instabilities within the operating range of the machine. Full article