ME401A LAB REPORT

Experiment Number : 3
Group Number : B2
Names : Ritik Rohit 160576
Rochak Ranjan Parida 160578
Rohit Narayani 160587
Saboo Mahesh Satish 160595

Date experiment was done on : 02/09/2019

Date of submission of report : 09/09/2019

Francis Turbine

OBJECTIVE:
1. To understand how Francis Turbine efficiency varies with load for a fixed guide vane
position.
2. To understand how Francis Turbine efficiency alters with guide vane position.
INTRODUCTION:
Francis turbine is a type of hydraulic turbine which is used to convert hydraulic energy of
water into mechanical energy. This mechanical energy is further used for different purpose
like electricity generation. Francis turbine is a type of reaction turbine i.e. here pressure is
not remain same throughout the turbine. Francis turbine is named on James B. Francis. He
developed inward radial flow reaction turbine called as Francis turbine. Later on some
modification was made on it then it is called as modern Francis turbine. In modern Francis
turbine water enters into the turbine runner radially and leaves axially through its center.
Due to this reason sometime it is known as mixed flow reaction turbine.

Schematic view and velocity diagram of Francis Turbine

APPARATUS:
Francis turbine setup, tachometer, stopwatch
EXPERIMENTAL SETUP:

Setup of Francis turbine

WORKING PRINCIPLE:
Francis turbine blades are designed in such a way that one portion of the blade design creates the
pressure difference between the opposite faces of the blade when water flows through it, and the
remaining portion’s blade design use the impulse force of water hitting it and this combined
action of pressure difference and impulse force generates enough power to get turbine moving at
a required speed. Thus there would be a decrease in both kinetic energy and potential energy of
water at exit, then what it has when it enters the turbine.
 RESULTS
OBSERVATION TABLE
● Vane Position = 5​o
Pressure = 0.28 bar, Volume = 20 L, Time = 33 secs, P​hyd​ = 16.97 W

Reading F​1​ (N) F​2​ (N) Speed (RPM) Force (N) Torque (Nm) Power (W) Efficiency (η)

1 0 0 1290 0 0 0.00 0.00

2 0.1 0.5 1130 0.4 0.01 1.18 6.97

3 0.2 0.8 950 0.6 0.015 1.49 8.79

4 0.3 1.2 805 0.9 0.0225 1.90 11.18

5 0.4 1.6 620 1.2 0.03 1.95 11.48

6 0.5 1.8 480 1.3 0.0325 1.63 9.63

7 0.6 2.1 370 1.5 0.0375 1.45 8.56

8 0.7 2.3 190 1.6 0.04 0.80 4.69

9 0.8 2.5 160 1.7 0.0425 0.71 4.20

10 0.9 2.8 80 1.9 0.0475 0.40 2.34

● Vane Position = 10​o

Pressure = 0.26 bar, Volume = 20 L, Time = 30 secs, P​hyd​ = 17.33 W

Reading F​1​ (N) F​2​ (N) Speed (RPM) Force (N) Torque (Nm) Power (W) Efficiency (η)

1 0 0 1700 0 0 0.00 0.00

2 0.1 0.4 1570 0.3 0.0075 1.23 7.11

3 0.2 0.8 1350 0.6 0.015 2.12 12.23

4 0.3 1.2 1170 0.9 0.0225 2.76 15.90

5 0.4 1.6 1060 1.2 0.03 3.33 19.21

6 0.5 1.8 970 1.3 0.0325 3.30 19.05

7 0.6 2.1 870 1.5 0.0375 3.42 19.71

 8 0.7 2.3 780 1.6 0.04 3.27 18.85

9 0.8 2.5 500 1.7 0.0425 2.23 12.84

10 0.9 2.7 330 1.8 0.045 1.56 8.97

11 1 2.9 210 1.9 0.0475 1.04 6.03

12 1.1 3.1 130 2 0.05 0.68 3.93

● Vane Position = 15​o

Pressure = 0.26 bar, Volume = 20 L, Time = 28 secs, P​hyd​ = 18.57 W

Reading F​1​ (N) F​2​ (N) Speed (RPM) Force (N) Torque (Nm) Power (W) Efficiency (η)

1 0 0 1660 0 0 0.00 0.00

2 0.1 0.5 1500 0.4 0.01 1.57 8.46

3 0.2 0.8 1400 0.6 0.015 2.20 11.84

4 0.3 1.2 1190 0.9 0.0225 2.80 15.10

5 0.4 1.5 1040 1.1 0.0275 2.99 16.13

6 0.5 1.8 960 1.3 0.0325 3.27 17.59

7 0.6 2.1 720 1.5 0.0375 2.83 15.22

8 0.7 2.4 600 1.7 0.0425 2.67 14.38

9 0.8 2.5 470 1.7 0.0425 2.09 11.26

10 0.9 2.8 350 1.9 0.0475 1.74 9.37

11 1 3 250 2 0.05 1.31 7.05

12 1.1 3.2 190 2.1 0.0525 1.04 5.62

SAMPLE CALCULATION
Vane position = 5​o​, Pressure, p = 0.28 bar, Volume, V = 20 L, Time, T = 33 secs
=> Volumetric flow rate, Q = V/T = 20/33 L/s
=> Hydraulic Power, P​hyd​ = p*Q*10​5​/1000 = 16.97 W

Now,
F = F​2​ - F​1​ = (1.8 - 0.5) N = 1.3 N, D = 0.05 m, Speed, s = 480 rpm
=> Torque, T = F*D/2 = 1.3*0.05/2 Nm = 0.0325 Nm
=> Angular speed, ω = s * 2π/60 = 480*2*π/60 = 50.24 rad/s
=> Power, P = Tω = 0.0325 Nm * 50.24 rad/s = 1.63 W

=> Efficiency, η = P/P​hyd​ = 1.63/16.97 = 9.6%

GRAPHS
DISCUSSION
● Volumetric flow rate increases with increasing guide vane position angle.
● The hydraulic power, P​hyd​, increases with increasing angle of guide vane position angle.
● Torque decreases with increase in speed for every guide vane position.
● Both power and efficiency first increases then decreases with the increase in speed for
every guide vane position.

CONCLUSION
● Francis turbine utilizes guide vane positions in order to direct the flow towards the runner
blades at a different angles and also controls the volumetric flow rate.
● The hydraulic power and maximum power output depends upon the guide vane position.
● Although the efficiency of a Francis turbine increases and then decreases for increasing
speed at a fixed vane position, the peak efficiency values for a particular vane position does
not follow a specific trend with increasing vane position angle.
● This turbine uses both the reaction and impulse force to generate power output better than
individual ​impulse turbine or reaction turbines could produce at same water head
conditions.

SOURCES OF ERROR
● Error in measuring the time from stopwatch.
● Parallax error in noting down the force values from spring balance and total volume filled.
● Beam from tachometer not held at silver strip location.