Influence Analysis of Runner Inlet Diameter of Hydraulic Turbine in Turbine Mode with Ultra-Low Specific Speed

Jinbao Chen, Yang Zheng (), Lihong Zhang, Xiaoyu Chen, Dong Liu and Zhihuai Xiao
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Jinbao Chen: School of Power and Mechanical Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
Yang Zheng: School of Power and Mechanical Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
Lihong Zhang: College of Energy and Power Engineering, North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou 450045, China
Xiaoyu Chen: Nuclear Power Plants and Renewable Energy Sources Department, Ural Federal University, 620002 Yekaterinburg, Russia
Dong Liu: College of Energy and Power Engineering, North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou 450045, China
Zhihuai Xiao: School of Power and Mechanical Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 20, 1-16

Abstract: The hydraulic turbine in turbine mode (HTTM) with an ultra-low specific speed (HTTM-ULSS) has the advantages of a simplified structure, high efficiency, and good stability and has great application value in the industry. However, the influence of the runner inlet diameter ( D 1 ) on the performance of HTTM-ULSS has not yet been fully studied. Therefore, the three-dimensional models of Francis runners were established in the ultra-low specific speed range by examining D 1 = 0.49 m, 0.5 m, and 0.51 m, and the two-stage hydraulic turbine models were constructed with flow passage components. Then, internal flow and energy characteristics were calculated using Fluent 16.0 software. Further, the influence of D 1 on HTTM performance was studied by comparing numerical simulation results. The results show that the water head of the HTTM-ULSS can reach 540.87 m when D 1 = 0.51 m, showing its powerful ability to recover the pressure energy in high-pressure water. Moreover, the head and efficiency are closely related to D 1 ; when D 1 increases, the circulation at the runner inlet increases, resulting in an enhancement in the ability to recover the water head and decreases in efficiency and in the operating range of the high-efficiency zone; with D 1 increasing, the flow pattern inside the runner becomes better, but the high-pressure area of the blade increases. When selecting the D 1 , attention should not only be paid to the ability to recover the water head but also to the pressure of the runner blades and the internal water flow pattern.

Keywords: hydraulic turbine in turbine mode; hydraulic turbine; runner inlet diameter; ultra-low specific speed; Francis runner; numerical simulation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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