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Numerical Simulation and Validation of a High Head Model Francis Turbine at Part Load Operating Condition

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Abstract

Hydraulic turbines are operated over an extended operating range to meet the real time electricity demand. Turbines operated at part load have flow parameters not matching the designed ones. This results in unstable flow conditions in the runner and draft tube developing low frequency and high amplitude pressure pulsations. The unsteady pressure pulsations affect the dynamic stability of the turbine and cause additional fatigue. The work presented in this paper discusses the flow field investigation of a high head model Francis turbine at part load: 50% of the rated load. Numerical simulation of the complete turbine has been performed. Unsteady pressure pulsations in the vaneless space, runner, and draft tube are investigated and validated with available experimental data. Detailed analysis of the rotor stator interaction and draft tube flow field are performed and discussed. The analysis shows the presence of a rotating vortex rope in the draft tube at the frequency of 0.3 times of the runner rotational frequency. The frequency of the vortex rope precession, which causes severe fluctuations and vibrations in the draft tube, is predicted within 3.9% of the experimental measured value. The vortex rope results pressure pulsations propagating in the system whose frequency is also perceive in the runner and upstream the runner.

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Abbreviations

BEP:

Best efficiency point

D:

Diameter of runner, m

GVO:

Guide vane’s opening, degree

FFT:

Fast Fourier transform

f:

Observed frequency, Hz

fn :

Runner rotational frequency, Hz

f*:

Normalised frequency, minus

frh :

Rheingans (vortex rope) frequency, Hz ≡ f/3.6

g:

9.821465 m/s2, as tested and measured at NTNU

H:

Head, m

N:

Sampling length

n:

Runner speed, rev/s

nED :

Speed factor [−], \({\text{n}}_{\text{ED}} { = }\frac{\text{nD}}{{\sqrt {{\text{gH}}_{\text{M}} } }}\)

ns :

Specific speed [−], \({\text{n}}_{\text{s}} = \frac{{\left( {{\text{n}}_{\text{P}} \frac{\uppi }{180}} \right)\sqrt {{\text{Q}}_{\text{P}} } }}{{\left( {2{\text{gH}}_{\text{P}} } \right)^{{\frac{3}{4}}} }}\)

Δp:

Pressure difference across the turbine, Pa

\({\tilde{\text{p}}}\) :

Acquired pressure signal, kPa

\({\bar{\text{p}}}\) :

Mean pressure, kPa

\({\text{p}}_{{}}^{ *}\) :

Fluctuating pressure, kPa

p:

Pressure, kPa, harmonic order (1, 2,…)

P:

Power, MW

Q:

Flow rate, m3/s−1

qED :

Discharge factor [−], \({\text{q}}_{\text{ED}} { = }\frac{\text{Q}}{{{\text{D}}^{2} \sqrt {{\text{gH}}_{\text{M}} } }}\)

R:

Runner inlet radius, m

GVO:

Guide vane’s opening, degree

RSI:

Rotor stator interactions

RVR:

Rotating vortex rope

TS:

Time step

TKE:

Turbulence kinetic energy

t:

Time, s

UPW:

Upwind

X:

Discrete quantity

\(\overline{\text{X}}\) :

Average value

λ:

Wavelength, m

α:

Angular vane/blade position, degree

ω:

Angular velocity, rad/s

ηh :

Hydraulic efficiency, %

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, 247667, India

    Rahul Goyal & Bhupendra Kumar Gandhi

  2. Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway

    Chirag Trivedi

  3. Division of Fluid and Experimental Mechanics, Department of Engineering Sciences and Mathematics, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, Sweden

    Michel J. Cervantes

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  1. Rahul Goyal
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  2. Chirag Trivedi
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  3. Bhupendra Kumar Gandhi
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  4. Michel J. Cervantes
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Correspondence to Bhupendra Kumar Gandhi.

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Goyal, R., Trivedi, C., Kumar Gandhi, B. et al. Numerical Simulation and Validation of a High Head Model Francis Turbine at Part Load Operating Condition. J. Inst. Eng. India Ser. C 99, 557–570 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40032-017-0380-z

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