3D Compressible Flow Analysis of an Ultra-High-Head Pumped Storage Unit with Water Conveyance System at Maximum Pumping Head

Zhixing Li, Xinbo Li, Xingxing Huang, Tao Li, Meng Liu and Zhengwei Wang ()
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Zhixing Li: Department of Energy and Power Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Xinbo Li: Henan Jiufengshan Pumped Storage Co., Ltd., Xinxiang 453645, China
Xingxing Huang: Department of Energy and Power Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Tao Li: Henan Jiufengshan Pumped Storage Co., Ltd., Xinxiang 453645, China
Meng Liu: School of Civil Engineering and Water Resources, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China
Zhengwei Wang: Department of Energy and Power Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 18, 1-23

Abstract: Severe pressure pulsations caused by complex flow fields in pumped-storage power stations significantly threaten operational safety and stability. With advances in computational technology, fully three-dimensional simulations coupling pipelines and pump-turbine units have become feasible. In this study, a fully three-dimensional analysis model was developed, coupling the water conveyance system and a finely modeled prototype-scale pump-turbine with splitter blades, to numerically simulate the compressible flow field under the maximum head pump mode. The study reveals a strong bidirectional coupling between the flow in the long outlet pipe and the internal flow within the pump-turbine unit. Influenced by structural features such as bifurcations and flow impingement at the T-junction, complex three-dimensional vortices arise and cannot be neglected. Based on the flow field, the study further investigates the time-domain, frequency-domain, and spatial characteristics of pressure pulsations at various downstream hydraulic components, ranging from the vaneless space to the outlet of the long outlet pipe. The pressure pulsation frequencies are shown to be affected by both rotor–stator interactions and the complex vortical structures in the flow. These findings clearly demonstrate the necessity of fully three-dimensional simulations that incorporate both the water conveyance system and the pump-turbine unit.

Keywords: pump-turbine; water conveyance system; fully three-dimensional simulation; ultra-high head; pressure pulsation; splitter blades (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: 2025
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