“DEVELOPMENT AND FABRICATION OF

GRAVITATIONAL VORTEX TURBINE GENERATED

HYDROPOWER”

Project Guide
Prof. U S Pawar

Submitted By
Mr. Aniket Pratap Singh , PRN:1614110628
Mr. Swayam Das , PRN:1614110848
Mr. Ankit Kumar Singh , PRN:161410619
Abstract

• Gravitational vortex water power plant is a helpful methodology that produces

power from substitute and recovered the originator of energy creation. In this vortex
power plant, the liquid is taken as water is inserted into a bowl with the conical shape
at a tangent to the turbine's blades, which frames a free vortex, and potential is
taken out from the free vortex with the assistance of a turbine.
• Gravitational Water Vortex Force Plant (GWVPP) creates power with a low head and
a low stream rate. This attractive energy vortex-type water turbine basically involves
a runner and a tank. On bringing a progression of water into the tank, the turbine
creates power from the attractive energy vortex, which happens while emptying the
water of the lower part of the tank. Also, it is believed that this water turbine has an
air circulation capacity to raise the disintegrated oxygen fixation of the downstream
water by moving up the air over the free surface around the sprinter.
•Keywords: Energy, Vortex, Turbine, Gravitation
Objective

1. To design and fabricate vortex turbine blade to maximum efficiency.

2. To Develop a low maintenance, environmental friendly power generating device.

3. Low-cost electricity, without the ecological impact, without large civil works,

and without the high upfront investment cost.

Fabrication of Parts and Costing
1. Cylindrical and conical basin - Rs.5000 7. Kaplan turbine blade - Rs.10,000

2. Overhead tank (200lt) – Rs. 1200 8. Upstream channel – NA

3. Storage tank (200lt) - Rs.1200 8. Ball valve x 2 - Rs.3000

4. Upstream valve - Rs.4000 9. Pump - Rs.1400

5. Shaft - Rs.5000 10. Water pipe - Rs.700

11. Motor-Rs.2000
Procedure

1. Procedure Design

2. Parts Procurement

3. Parts Assembly

4. Testing
Main Project illustration

• Sluice Gate: sluice gate to control the flow of

water.

• Trash Rack: to keep the debris and other large

material from blocking the turbine.

• Kaplan Turbine curved in a certain inlet and

outlet angle for maximum performance.
 Project
Prototype
Illustration
Vortulent Technology
Resilient and cost-effective, Vortulent is uniquely designed for low head streams specifically those below 5

meters, and generate up to 200 kW per turbine and up to multiple megawatts of energy as a network of

decentralised turbines, close to end-user with minimal civil works and maintenance. The design, inspired by

nature itself, uses a vortex system based on the natural free Ranking vortex principle to deliver stable and cost-

effective renewable energy through an individual turbine or a network of multiple turbines. The turbine design

allows fish (and debris or sedimentation) to pass through unharmed, which also keeps maintenance low, while

control software keeps efficiency high. Installation is straightforward and the system can be used anywhere in the

world. Whether in an urban setting or as part of a rural off- grid project, this technology offers a practical solution

for investors, developers and energy users. It demonstrates how energy production can work together with

nature and without damaging the local ecosystems to satisfy growing global energy demands. Overall, costs are

comparable to those of other renewable energy technologies and diesel.

 Turbine
• Turbine is one of the most vital components for GWVPP. It is positioned at the centre, aligned with the central outlet of the basin. The
turbine is forced by the water power that came from the water vortex. Most of the researches focused on optimization of turbines to
increase the efficiency of the plan. The earliest publication regarding GWVPP is by Marian. In the year 2012. The main aim of their research
is to determine the effects of basin’s shape on turbine’s performance. Different sizes Francis turbine at different level of depths is a valid
option for GWVPP. From the simulation, it is also found that cavern (vortex) formed was proportional with the rotational speed without the
presence of turbines in the system but at presence of turbine, the cavern height changed significantly as well as lowering the efficiency.
According to Ms. Subash Dhaka, as the number of blades of turbine increased from six to twelve, the efficiency of the GWVPP reduced.
However, Christine Power. Found that the efficiency increased with the increased number of blades from two to four. The opposite findings
by both groups of researchers indicate that there might be an optimal number of blades for turbine.
• The concept of GWVPP is not well established yet therefore different researchers are using different types of vortex turbine plant for their
investigation, MS Sagar Dhakal. only simulated different physical parameters of basin of GWVPP therefore validation the results are still
questionable. They found that maximum vortex velocity for both cylindrical and conical basin is highest when the position is nearest to the
outlet of the basin. However, the argument was made based on CFD modelling results only. The efficiency of conical basin of GWVPP is also
found to be higher than that of cylindrical basin at the same position of turbine. Another researcher, Subash etc. in the year 2014 also
conducted several tests at Manohar River located at Pepsi cola, Kathmandu and found that the vortex strength in conical basin is stronger
than that of cylindrical basin. In the year 2013, Marian. Conducted experiments on vortex turbine power plant by using three different
turbines and installed it at different heights in the conical basin. According to them, the maximum energy can be harvested if the turbine is
installed at near the outlet of the basin. The experimental results are validated with the theoretical analysis and claimed to be in good
agreement by considering free vortex flow where variables are considered from flow, speed and power characteristics.
 Inlet & Outlet Configuration

• For GWVPP, the inlet flow rates are the water that is released into a channel connected to the basin. The channel is
responsible to direct the water flow into the basin tangentially. It can be horizontal or slanted at desired angle. The
channel width between two ends could be different or the same. One of the study that will be mentioned below also
shows that the inlet of GWVPP could be in the form of pipe instead of channel. The inlet height has two meaning,
first one deals with the height of water while another one indicate the height of channel from the bottom of the
basin. The inlet and outlet parameters are shows that the outlet was usually at the center of the basin and its
diameter has significant effect on vortex strength as well as efficiency of vortex turbine ,Ms. Wanchat studied the
effects of outlet diameter varied from 0.10m to 0.40m on the efficiency of vortex turbine. The inlet velocity was set
at 0.1m/s and the inlet channel was converged at the end which was connected to the basin. A five blades vertical
axis turbine was used for electricity generation. It is found that the outlet diameter within the range from 0.20m to
0.35m has significant effect on power generation. The overall efficiency was reported as 30%. Shabara. Conducted
simulation and experimental studies. The GWVPP’s 𝐻𝑐h𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑙 was zero. The simulation results showed that the
outlet speed was inversely proportional to the outlet diameter. For the highest 𝑖𝑛𝑙𝑒𝑡 , the outlet velocity was also
maximum, which matched with the experimental results, The inlet flow rate has significant effects on efficiency. The
efficiency of the vortex turbine is directly proportional to the inlet flow rate and the optimal 𝐻𝑐h𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑙 was one-third
of the basin’s height.
 Basin Configuration
• Depending on the design of the basin of GWVPP, the vortex profiles created will be different. Wanchat

and Suntivarakorn conducted research through simulations with three proposed designs, which were

• Cylindrical basin with central outlet,

• Rectangular basin with pre-rotation and

• Cylindrical basin with inlet guide. It was observed that cylindrical basin with inlet guide was the most

suitable basin since it provides better and more uniform velocity compared to others.

• Ms. Dhakal conducted studies with conical basin instead of conventional cylindrical basin. Vortex velocity

was measured for different basin diameter, notch angle, notch

• inlet width (𝑊𝑖𝑛), cone angle and canal height (𝐻𝑐h𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑙) and it is found that 𝑊𝑖𝑛, cone angle and

𝐻𝑐h𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑙 have the most significant effects on the vortex velocity.

 Free Surface Vortex

• The vortex strength has major effects on the efficiency of the vortex turbine. The strength of
the free vortex is weak and creates shallow vortex profile, therefore optimization is required
for maximum power generation.

• The conventional theoretical model can’t be used for theoretical analysis since it was
developed based on weak air-core vortices above hydraulic intakes Sajin and Marian lead the
study on free surface vortex by developing theoretical models of the vortex formed in a conical
basin.

• The vortex flow structure can be identified as air cavern (air core of the vortex), forced vortex
(area between the surface of the water vortex and free vortex), free vortex (area between
forced vortex and boundary layer) and boundary layer (water near the wall of basin).The
theoretical model of boundary layer thickness obtained by Sajin and Marian.
Blade Shape

• Much attention has been paid to the design of the turbine blades in cylindrical basin systems, with the aim of
increasing the efficiency of energy conversion. Variations in width, height, shape, curvature and the number of
blades have been investigated, but the simple design remains the most common in use and easiest to
manufacture. The positioning of the blades in the vortex has also been considered.
• The efficiency has been shown to decrease with an increase in the number of blades since they cause a greater
distortion in the vortex. The efficiency also decreases with increase in radii of the blades since the water velocities
at radii far away from the core are lower. Simple blade shapes The simple blade is rotated by the movement of the
water in the horizontal plane.
• The rectangular blade consists of a rectangular bladed fixed to the shaft. The number of blades varies with the
design, but studies have shown that performance improves with a lower number of blades. The curved blade is
also rectangular but curved to capture the force of the water better.
• The angled blade also captures energy from the vertical movement of the water. Baffled blades These are curved
blades with baffles at the top and bottom to further capture the water . Studies show that the optimum baffle size
is 30% of the closure. Larger baffle sizes tend to retain water and increase the inertia of the blade.
Blade Type

• Rectangular blade:
Minimum Efficiency
• Curved blade: Average
Efficiency
• Angled blade: Maximum
Efficiency

Fig.4 Angle blade with modified Inlet and outlet of the runner
 Experimental
Method
•In gravitation vortex type water turbine . In fig 1 This water
turbine mainly comprises a runner and a tank and generates
electricity from the gravitation vortex that occurs in the tank
when the water is drained. An overview of the runner is
illustrated in Figure 2, and its specifications are given in Table 1.
This runner has a centrifugal form, which is different from the
form of the paddle-type runner that has been used in previous
studies [9–12]. The blade inlet diameter (outer diameter) is D1 =
140 mm, blade outlet diameter (inner diameter) is D2 = 90 mm,
blade inlet width is b1 = 91 mm, blade outlet width is b2 = 91
mm, and number of blades is z = 20. Section B-B in Figure 2 is a
section at the centre of the blade width. The inner diameter of
the cylindrical tank is 490 mm, and the diameter of the hole at
the bottom of tank is 100 mm. In addition, the coordinate
system is defined as shown in Figure 1. The circumferential
angle θ is defined as θ = 0° on the positive y axis, and its positive
direction is counterclockwise.

Fig.5
Fig 6 Fig 7
Performance Observation

• Output voltage: 15-40KW

• Power output Min (Kw at head, flow rate) 2kw

• Power Output Max (Kw at Head, flow rate) 200kw

• Minimum required head : 1.5 m

• Min. Speed 40 rpm

• Blade tilt angle range (-14) to 14 degree

• Stainless steel type 304

Parameter Identification

•The first step is the identification of the parameters that affect the GWVPP. By going through the literature
review, input and output parameters are segregated on the basis of their behavior on the working of
GWVPP .The main assumptions, selected to solve it analytically, were as follows.
•The pressure and heat losses should be kept as negligible.
•The velocity is uniform along the length of the runner, with which the water strikes the runner.
•The flow in the water vortex should be considered inviscid and irrotational.
• Boundary conditions at inlet and outlet of system
• Inlet: Normal velocity with αair:0 andα water:1
•Outlet: Opening with opening pressure and αair:1 and αwater:0
• Upper surface: opening pressure and αair:1 and αwater:0
•The input parameters are inlet and outlet blade angles (α1 and α2), the inner and outer diameter of
runner, the height of the water source(H), volumetric flow rate (Q), the height of water inlet, and the upper
surface of the runner (h) and vortex radius (r). The output parameters are theoretical power and theoretical
efficiency. By setting some ranges, I came to know about the variation of trends between input and outputs.
 Calculations of Parameters

•In a water vortex, water swirls around an empty core, known as a vortex center, of decreasing radius as the vortex
height above the outlet plain reduces. In classical hydrodynamics, a free, irrotational vortex can be defined as a flow
pattern with streamlines in concentric circles. In reality, since all fluids have viscosity, no flow is truly irrotational.
However, flows can be successfully studied by assuming them to be inviscid and irrotational because of the negligible
viscous effects. In a free vortex, fluid particles do not rotate as they translate in circular paths around the vortex center.
For an irrotational vortex, the radial velocity vr of a water particle is zero, while the tangential
•velocity v0 is given:

•Where Γthe circulation and r is is the radius of the water particle. Fig. 3 shows is the general formulation of inlet and
outlet velocity triangles for an impulse type turbine runner. In Fig. 3, u denotes the tangential velocity of runner, v is the
absolute velocity of
•the jet, R is the relative velocity of the jet with respect to the runner, vw is the whirl velocity, and subscript 1 is at the
inlet to the runner and 2 is at the exit ofthe runner. It is normally assumed that R1 = R2, with any losses in the runner
blade assumed to be negligible.
• In this type of impulse turbine, high velocity fluid
strikes the runner deflecting the fluid stream,
causing a change in momentum on the fluid and
exerting a reacting force on the turbine runner.
The GWVPP runner blade design was also carried
out using the same method. However, the water
flowing into a Pelton Wheel assumes that the
flow only moves in one direction. Conversely, in
the GWVPP the water will be moving in two
dimensions, horizontally and vertically. In order
to simplify analysis, it is possible to assume that
the most of the energy of a water vortex can be
harnessed horizontally and it is negligible on
vertical side. In an impulse turbine, the inlet jet
velocity is constant, however for the GWVPP the
inlet velocity varies across the radius of the
vortex, as described by (1). Therefore, the
velocity triangles shown in Fig. 3 vary across the
radius of the runner. Fig.8: Inlet and outlet velocity triangles for a typical impulse turbine runner.
 •The maximum power output for the blade can
be obtained with the following equation

•Where P shaft is the shaft output power, r is the

water density, Q is the water
•Flow rate, U is the tangential velocity, V1 is the
absolute inlet velocity, β is the deflected
•Angle for the water flow. Again, as the velocities
will vary across the runner radius, the output power
will need to be integrated to calculate it accurately.
•The flow of water in the turbine impinges on
the blade of turbine as shown in Fig. 4. If the
velocity of water is more than that of turbine
the water causes the runner to accelerate. Then
the water turbine would rotate and there is
relative motion between liquid and blade that
gives useful power.

Fig.9
The force of the water on the runner blade is given by the following equations:
F=√(Fx2 + Fy2)Fx=ρQrR2(cosγ+1)
Fy=ρQrR2sinγ
R1=V∘-u
Where F is the total force on the turbine blade, Fx and Fy are the reaction force due to the water
on the turbine blade in the x and y axis directions respectively, and γ is the included angle of the
turbine runner blade. Torque and efficiency of the turbine can be calculated from the following
equations
T=60Pshaft∕2πn

Phyd= ρQgH

P Phyd
η= shaft/

Where T is the output torque of the turbine, n is the rotational speed of the output shaft in rpm ,
Phyd is the hydraulic input power , g is acceleration due to gravity, H is head of water, and η is the
turbine efficiency.
These trends were come by using the impulse turbine equations. The velocity diagrams were
considered to find out the values of the velocity components of the turbine and the behavior of
the vortex flow. The angular velocity component (VΘ) is kept equal to zero. The total velocity of
the fluid is along with the tangential component (Vo).
The equations to calculate the velocity components are:
Vo = 0 Vθ = K + 2πr (1)
K =Q/h nt = 39√H/od
K denotes the vortex strength, r shows the vortex radius and Nt shows the rpm of the generator. Equation shows that
vortex strength is directly proportional to the volumetric flow rate. Equations for the inlet parameters of the blades given
below.
Vt = √2gH V1 = Vt + Vθ U1 = π ∗ OD ∗ nt/60 Vf1 = V1 sin α1 Vr1 = V1 cos α1
β1 = tan,1*Vf1/Vr1 − U1
Similarly, the equations for outlet are follows as
U2 = π ∗ ID ∗Nt/60 V2 = Vf2 = Vf1
β2 = tan,1(Vf2/U2) Vr2 = Vt cos β2
To calculate the radius of curvature of blade
R =(od)(od)-1(d)(d)/ 2* od * cos β1 ,In general, the basic relations of theoretical power theoretical efficiency in terms of basic
terms
P = ρQgH
η=39/60[([ 2g] + q ) (π*cosβ )]
CAD MODEL OF THE
PRODUCT
Fig 10 Side View of the Product
Fig 11 Top view of product
Fig 12 3D view of product
MESHING OF THE
PRODUCT
Fig 13 Meshing of the
Turbine
Fig 14 Meshing of the Casting
ANSYS SIMULATION OF THE
PRODUCT
( ANSYS SPACECLAIM )
Streamline flow of water inside the model
Movement of the water particles inside the model
GRAPH OF INLET PRESSURE AND OUTLET
VELOCITY
Outcome of Product

•We want energy for our society, to power households, hospitals and schools in remote
•areas where the local communities have little-to-no access to stable and reliable energy.
•We want to help the planet by installing renewable and reliable energy for our own energy consumption in our private property
or in a small community.
•We want sustainable profit by cutting energy costs and creating a new future-proof sustainable revenue stream for our
business.
•The main advantages of this type of power plant is the generation of electricity from ultra- low hydraulic pressure and it is also
environmental friendly. Since the hydraulic head requirement is as low as 1m, this type of power plant can be installed at a river
or a stream to generate electricity for few houses.
•At the discharge of the vortex, contaminants are evenly distributed through the water, which is also oxygenated,
leading to improved efficiency of natural micro-organisms to decompose the contaminants: hence, cleaner water
downstream.
•The increased contact area between the water and air results in better cooling evaporation during the warm
season, and a perimeter of ice insulates the water in the cold season--all the while the turbine continues gently
turning out the Watts.
•The temperature self-regulation capacity of the water is further enhanced by the concentration of the densest
water at the middle of the vortex. Since water is densest at 4°C, water which is warmer than 4°C tends to be cooled
when it is pulled into the vortex and cooler water is warmed by the mixing which the vortex causes. Biodiversity
downstream is enhanced by the stabler temperatures.
Work Plan
• Working on design - Jan & Feb

• Fabrication and Set up - Feb & April

• Testing - May

• Final Report - July

Thank You !