ME C332 PMFM:

HYDRAULIC
BITS Pilani
TURBINES
Hyderabad Campus
Introduction

Machines which convert hydraulic energy in to mechanical

energy
Use the PE and KE of water and rotate the rotor by dynamic
action of water
Classification
Classification
Unit Quantities
Unit Quantities
Unit Quantities
Unit Quantities
Pelton Wheel
Pelton Wheel
Pelton Wheel: Main Components
Pelton Wheel: Main Components
Pelton Wheel: Main Components
Pelton Wheel: Main Components
Pelton Wheel: Main Components
Pelton Wheel: Useful terminology
Pelton Wheel: Useful terminology
Pelton Wheel: Useful terminology
Pelton Wheel: Useful terminology
Pelton Wheel: Analysis
Pelton Wheel: Analysis
Pelton Wheel: Analysis
Pelton Wheel: Analysis
Pelton Wheel: Analysis
Pelton Wheel: Analysis
Pelton Wheel: Analysis
Pelton Wheel: Analysis
Pelton Wheel: Analysis
Pelton Wheel: Analysis
Pelton Wheel: Analysis

0.97 0.99

85 to 90%.
Pelton Wheel: Efficiency Vs
speed ratio
Theoretically, the peak of
occurs at u/V1=0.5

In actual practice it occurs at

speed ratio little less than 0.5 at
about 0.46

Since the speed ratio is fixed for

maximum efficiency, lower the
head lower will be the speed
Pelton Wheel: Efficiency Vs
speed ratio
Hence it will be difficult to couple
the turbine directly to generator
running at high speeds

Thus the pelton wheel is found

unsuitable for lower heads.

From the figure, =0 when

u/V1=1. This speed of the wheel
is known as runaway speed, i.e.
speed at no load or wheel is
running away from the jet with
same velocity as that of the jet
Pelton Wheel: Analysis
Pelton Wheel: Analysis
Pelton Wheel: Analysis through
Numerical example
Pelton Wheel: Analysis through
Numerical example
Pelton Wheel: Analysis through
Numerical example
Pelton Wheel: Analysis through
Numerical example
Pelton Wheel: Analysis through
Numerical example
Pelton Wheel: Analysis through
Numerical example
Pelton Wheel: Analysis through
Numerical example
Pelton Wheel: Analysis through
Numerical example
Pelton Wheel: Analysis through
Numerical example
Pelton Wheel: Analysis through
Numerical example
Pelton Wheel: Analysis through
Numerical example
Pelton Wheel: Analysis through
Numerical example
Pelton Wheel: Analysis through
Numerical example
Pelton Wheel: Analysis through
Numerical example
Pelton Wheel: Analysis through
Numerical example
 Francis Turbine

A reaction turbine. Initially radial no Axial

Water enters through outer periphery and leaves the
runner in axial direction
working: www.youtube.com/watch?v=QES5wiKMv0g
Water fills all the passages of the runner blades unlike PT,
in which water engages one or two blades at a time.
Static pressure at the runner exit may be less than
atmospheric pressure
Suitable for medium heads (50m to 300m)
Specific speeds: 51-255 RPM
Requires relatively large quantities of water
Usually vertical axis machine
 Francis Turbine

Main Components are

Spiral casing
Guide Vanes
Runner and draft tube
 Francis Turbine: Spiral casing

Evenly distributes water

around the circumference of
the wheel
Cross section of the casing
gradually decreases around
the circumference of the
wheel so that water enters the
runner at constant velocity at
all points
Made of RCC up to 30 m
Head or rolled steel
plates/cast steel for heads
ranging from 30m to 150m
 Francis Turbine: Guide Vanes

Vanes have profiles like

aerofoil so that the flow is
smooth and without separation
Behave like nozzles
When water from the casing
flows through guide vanes, a
part of pressure energy is
converted in to KE
Regulating the quantity of
water flowing is done by
opening and closing the guide
vanes with the help of
regulating rods
 Francis Turbine: Runner

Blades are so designed for radial

entry and axial exit
Made of cast steel or SS or non
ferrous metals like bronze
Width of the runner depends on
specific speed
Classified as Slow, Medium Fast
Static pressure of water at runner
outlet is much less, some times less
than atm pressure. Therefore
absolute velocity of the water leaving
the runner is quite high
 Francis Turbine: Draft Tube
The pressure at exit of the turbine is
usually lower than the atmospheric
Pressure and therefore, the absolute
velocity of water leaving the runner
is quite high.
Hence, water cannot be exited
directly into tailrace.
In order to exit the water some
energy is required, then the output
is reduced.
In order to save this energy, a tube
or pipe of gradual increasing area
Is connected to the exit of the
turbine through which water is
discharged to the tailrace.
This tube is known as the draft tube.
Francis Turbine: Draft tubes
Francis Turbine: Velocity triangles
Francis Turbine: Velocity triangles
Francis Turbine: Velocity triangles
Francis Turbine: Velocity triangles
Francis Turbine: Velocity triangles
Francis Turbine: Design parameters
Francis Turbine: Design parameters
Reaction turbines through
numerical example
Reaction turbines through
numerical example
Reaction turbines through
numerical example
Francis Turbine: Analysis of Draft tubes
Francis Turbine: Analysis of Draft tubes
Draft tube: numerical example
Draft tube: numerical example
Draft tube: numerical example
 Kaplan Turbine: Evolution of KT from FT
Power produced by any turbine is proportional to
Head, H
As H decreases, Q must increase to produces
same power
In FT, Q = VfDB (if thickness of blades is neglected)
= Vf (D-zt)B (if thickness of blades is not neglected)
where B is width of the blade, z is no of blades, t is
thickness of blades)
 Kaplan Turbine: Evolution of KT from FT
Therefore, to have high Q
D or B should be more
Less no of blades i.e. low z
Larger value of Vf
Larger Vf at outlet results in wastage of large
quantity of KE (since Vf2=V2). Hence its value
should be kept as low as possible
Thus another turbine, KT, is designed with less no
of blades.
KT is an axial turbine i.e. water enters and leaves
runner axially
 Kaplan Turbine: Construction details
The casing, guide mechanism
and draft tube are similar to
that of FT.
KT also runs full i.e. it is also a
closed conduit from inlet to tail
race
Space has been provided
between the ends of guide
vanes and leading edge of the
runner. This space is called
whirl chamber
whirl chamber is provided to
change the direction of flow
from radial to axial before the
fluid enters the runner
Kaplan runner
 Differences between Francis runner and
Kaplan runner
In Francis, water enters radially;
In Kaplan water enters Axially
In Francis: No of blades is 16 to 24
In Kaplan: 3 to 6 (with max equal to 8)
Kaplan blades are hollow and are attached
to hub
In Kaplan passage between two blades can
be adjusted by rotating the blades about their
axes
Kaplan Turbine: Analysis, VT
Kaplan Turbine: Analysis, VT
Kaplan Turbine: Analysis, VT
Kaplan Turbine: Analysis, VT
Comparison of different turbines
Comparison of different turbines
 Governing of turbines
When hydraulic turbines are used as prime
movers to run alternators, the requirement is
that the turbine should run at constant speed so
as to generate electric power at constant
frequency
Power of turbine is proportional to H and Q
H remains constant for prolonged periods of time
Therefore, whenever there is a fluctuation in the
load, the speed is to be controlled by controlling
Q
Q is controlled by controlling the area of the flow
at the turbine inlet
 Governing of turbines
In Pelton: Area of flow is varied by moving
spear inside the nozzle
In reaction turbines: Area of flow is controlled
by rotating the guide vanes, with the help of
governing mechanism
 Governing of Pelton turbines

As the speed increases

fly balls speed increases
and move away
Sleeve moves upward
Bell crank lever rotates
anticlockwise
 Governing of Pelton turbines

Roller on the cam is

raised
Deflector is brought
between nozzle and
buckets
Deflector remains in that
position till the spear is
brought to the required
position
 Governing of Pelton turbines

To bring the spear to

required position, double
piston in the relay moves
down
High pr oil from sump
enters in to space b and
then in to the cylinder of
servo motor
Spear moves right
 Governing of Reaction turbines

Process is similar to PT
Instead of spear guide
blades movement is
controlled
For Kaplan, runner
blades are also rotated
so that the water always
enters tangentially
 Governing of turbines: Some useful terms

Rapidity of action
Should respond quickly to
change in the load
As load decreases, if Q is
decreased suddenly, water
hammer; If Q is decreased
slowly, speed is not
reduced as desired
Sensitiveness
Determines the change in
position of governor
affected by a small change
in the speed of the turbine
 Governing of turbines: Some useful terms

Hunting
If the governor is very sensitive, it will respond to
smallest variations in turbine speeds.
This would lead to periodic fluctuations in the
speed of governor even when the load on the
turbine is almost steady
Stability
A stable governor will restore the speed of the
turbine to the required value without hunting
 Characteristics of Turbines

Turbines are designed for a given set of conditions

The operating efficiency/performance is optimum
under the design conditions
But due to several reasons, the actual conditions
vary, there by affecting the performance
Hence it is essential to predetermine the behavior
of turbines under varied conditions
Behavior of machines are represented by
Characteristics curves
 Characteristics of Turbines

Physical parameters controlling the performance

are
Speed
Output power
Head
Discharge
Position of gate opening, efficiency
 Characteristics of Turbines

Different characteristics are

Main characteristics (Head constant)
Operating characteristics (Speed constant)
Constant efficiency curves
Main characteristics
Speed vs Discharge
Speed vs Power
Speed vs Efficiency
 Characteristics of Turbines: Speed vs
Discharge
Pelton:
For a given area of
flow, the discharge
depends on H1/2
Since H is constant,
speed is constant
Hence discharge is
independent of speed
 Characteristics of Turbines: Speed vs
Discharge
Reaction (Francis & Kaplan):
Q depends on Vf.
Peripheral speed increases
with speed and blade angles
(blade angles are constant
for Francis)
Vf and hence Q decreases
with increase in speed for
Francis
For Kaplan, Q increases as
speed increases
 Characteristics of Turbines: Speed vs Power
and Speed vs Efficiency
Power is proportional to
angular speed
Power is 0 when N=0
and N= runaway speed
Hence the curves are
parabolic
Speed vs efficiency
curves are similar to
Speed vs power
 Selection of Turbines

Based on available heads

Pelton : High Head (H>400m)
Francis: 50 to 400m
Kaplan : less than 50m
Based on specific speed
Turbine with high specific speed is to be selected
High Speed implies small turbine
Range of specific speed should correspond to the
synchronous speed of generator. N = 60f/P
Franscis turbine runs at higher speed than pelton wheels.
Therefore under similar operating head, size of Francis is
small and should be preferred
 Selection of Turbines

Based on cavitation
Cavitation is likely to occur when the pressure at
the runner outlet is equal to vapor pressure
This means that the turbine should be installed
closer to tail race with a minimum cost of
excavation for the draft tube
Francis can not be used for high heads because
of cavitation
Pelton wheels are free from cavitation because
pressure at runner outlet is atmospheric
 Selection of Turbines
Based on performance characteristics
Each turbine has maximum efficiency at a
particular load
Therefore turbines should be selected in such a
way that their efficiency do not fall appreciably
when operating at part load
Francis operates efficiently between half and full
load
Kaplan turbines are most efficient at low heads
and part loads, but they are costly
 Selection of Turbines

Number of units
Better to go for a larger unit as far as possible
But, there must be at least two units at a
particular site so that one unit is always
available for power generation
No of units depends on the discharge available
at a particular head
Reaction turbines through
numerical example
Reaction turbines through
numerical example
Reaction turbines through
numerical example
Reaction turbines through
numerical example
Reaction turbines through
numerical example
Reaction turbines through
numerical example