Kaplan Turbine

By Dr Laith Ayad
 Kaplan Turbine
• It is a reaction type water turbine. Unlike Francis turbine, in Kaplan turbine,
the water flows parallel to the axis of the rotation of the shaft, thus it is
known as axial flow turbine.
• Kaplan turbine is useful when large amounts of water is available at low
head.
 Main parts of Kaplan turbine
• Scroll casing
• Guide vane mechanism
• Hub or runner of the turbine
• Draft tube
• The difference between Kaplan turbine and propeller turbine is that the
vanes are fixed in the propeller turbine, while in Kaplan turbine the vanes are
adjustable.
 Francis vs Kaplan

Francis
Radial flow
Number of runner blades 16-20
Runner blades constant profile
Low efficiencies
Guide vanes adjustable to change flow rate
Kaplan
Axial flow
Number of runner blades 4-6
Twisted blades (profile changes along
length of the blade
High efficiencies
Both guides vanes and propeller blades
adjustable to control flow rate
 Pelton vs Kaplan

Francis Kaplan
Impulse type Reaction type
Axial flow Axial flow
Nozzle (fixed) Guide vanes (adjustable)
Specific speed (ω< I) Specific speed (ω> 2.3)
Buckets have same profile Blades twisted for higher efficiency
Parameter
Relations for Kaplan
Relation
Turbine
Reaction force

Whirl velocity of the flow

Power output
Maximum power is achieved when Vu2 =0

Work done per unite weight

Overall efficiency

Flow rate
 Example 1
• EX. 6: A Kaplan turbine develops 5900 kW under an effective head of 5 m.
Its speed ratio is 2 and flow ratio is 0.6 and the diameter of the boss
(Do)=0.35 times the external diameter (D1) of the runner. Overall efficiency
of the turbine is 90%. Calculate the diameter of the runner and also the
specific speed.
Solution Example 1
‫‪Solution Example 1‬‬

‫مالحظة ‪:‬‬
‫‪d1 = Do‬‬
‫الذي هو قطر الشفت‬
‫اما ‪ D1‬فهو القطر الخارجي (‪)Runner diameter‬‬
‫‪Solution Example 1‬‬

‫مالحظة ‪ :‬خطاء في التعويض (‪)H=5m‬‬