Fluid Machines (EG 616 ME)

Ram C. Poudel Jets, Buckets & Wheel

Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Pulchowk Campus
December 18, 2012

Geometrical Relations for Nozzle Silt and damage

• Nature of silt
1.1dO – 1.3dO • Quartz rich with quartz content generally 65%-95%
• PPM content high: 5000 to 20000 in monsoon
2dO – 2.4dO • Freshly broken fine conical particles
dO • Damaged areas
• Pelton Nozzle & Spear
• Pelton Runner bucket
0.8dO – 0.9dO • Development of design where silt erosion is inherently
minimized.
1.2dO – 1.4dO
5dO – 9dO

Design for Long Performance Life INTERNAL NOZZLE (30-22.5 design)

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 Mean Diameter of Pelton Runner

Mean diameter or
Pitch circle diameter:
Dwheel

Circumferential
velocity of the wheel,
Uwheel

U wheel  2 gH
INTERNAL NOZZLE (45-25 design)
U wheel  Kuwheel 2 gH

Conditions for Maximum Power

Dwheel N wheel
  V jet  cos  i  U b   U wheel  K uwheel 2 gH 
P  m  U b  V jet  cos  i  U b  kb 
  cos180   e   60
   cos  i  





 Ub 
 cos  i  V 

 N wheel 
60 K uwheel 2 gH 

Q  d 2jet ,VC K v1 2 gH 
P  m 
Ub   Ub
  cos  i  

 kb 
jet  
 cos 180   e   Dwheel 4
V jet V jet  cos  i 
 
   
 

Define, Blade Speed Ratio as Cb  V


Ub
 
P  turbineQgH  gH
 2
4
 
d jet ,VC K v1 2 gH turbine
jet

   cos  i  Cb   P
P  m  Cb   cos  i   Cb  kb 
  cos180   e   N wheel  
   cos  i   
P Ns 
Cb
0 4
gH 5


 60 K u wheel 2 gH 

  2

 turbinegH d jet ,VC K v1 2 gH  Path Lines of Jet
   4 

 Dwheel 
   
 
Ns 
4
gH 5

 60 K uwheel 2 
   2 
Ns     2turbine d jet ,VC K v1 

  D wheel 
  4 

 60 K uwheel  d jet ,VC

Ns    turbineK v1 
 2   Dwheel
4 5
Vj,O dO
2
C 
D 

turbine   N s2   wheel  For maximum efficiency
K u2  K v1 
 jet ,VC 
d 
wheel

2
 Multi Jets & Wheel diameter to jet diameter
7 Six Nozzles Zone

5 Four Nozzles Zone

Two Nozzles Zone

3

Log10Ns
2
Single Nozzle Zone

1
4 10 50 100
Log10H

Optimal values of Wheel diameter to jet diameter Experimental values of Best values of Wheel diameter to jet
30
diameter

25 Dwheel /djet,VC 6.5 7.5 10 20

20

Ns (rpm) 35 32 24 10
Dwheel 15 turbine 0.82 0.86 0.89 0.90
d jet
10

N P
0
Ns  5 P in hp, H in meters and N in rpm
4
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 H
Ns

For maximum efficiency, the ratio should be from 11 to 14.

The highest ratio used in the world is 110 (Kt. Glauraus Power
House in Switzerland).

Specifications of this Pelton wheel are:

Matching of Buckets & Wheel
Power 3000HP (2.24MW) Speed: 500 rpm
Dwheel= 5.36m djet,VC=48.77mm
Head =1,650 m
P
N wheel
 500  3000
Ns    2.6
4
gH 5 4
16505

3
Experimental values of Best values of Wheel diameter to jet The Bucket of A Pelton Wheel
diameter
• A Pelton Wheel is a work generating animal (An Elephant).
Dwheel /djet,VC 6.5 7.5 10 20 • Basic diet is Hydro Potential energy (calorific Value).
• Intake System efficiently converts Potential Energy into
Ns (rpm) 35 32 24 10 Kinetic Energy (ATP).
• Bucket convert kinetic energy into shaft energy (The
turbine 0.82 0.86 0.89 0.90 Muscles)
• How to select the size and number of Muscles Required by a
Specific Pelton Turbine.
N P
Ns  5 P in hp, H in meters and N in rpm
4
H

Geometry of Wheel, Bucket & Jet Interactions Number of buckets

• The number of buckets for a given runner must be determined so

that no water particle is lost.
d
• Minimize the risks of detrimental interactions between the out
flowing water particles and the adjacent buckets.
w • The runner pitch is determined by the paths of;
– the bucket tip (diameter Dpelton),
– the Wheel diameter (DWheel).
• and the relative paths of the water particles stemming from the
upper (A-A’)and lower (B-B’) generators of the jet.
• The bucket pitch must be selected so that no particle stemming
from the lower generator of the jet can escape the runner without
A encountering any bucket.
dj,O, Vj,O
A’
B B’

Bucket Duty Cycle Zones of Bucket Duty Cycle

• i) Approach of the tip to the jet (θj < −40◦).

• ii) Initial feeding process : (θj = −40◦...−10◦).
• iii) Entire separation of the jet (θj = −10◦...0◦)
• iv) Last stage of inflow (θj = 0◦...15◦)
• v) Last stage of outflow (θj = 15◦...50◦).
• vi) Series of droplets (θj = −50◦...∞).

Reference Position

4
 Sequence of Jet Bucket Interactions
Start of Jet Bucket Interactions
Dq50
Dq250

Dq350
Dq150

Minimum Number of Buckets

The axis of the jet falls on Pitch Circle

Dq450
d

2j
Dq550
1D
Dj,O, 1A
Vj,O 1C
1B

Minimum Number of Buckets

Minimum Number of Buckets
tj : Time taken by
the jet to travel lj

d tb: Time taken by d

first bucket to
w travel y w

2j  q+y q y q y

dj,O, Vj,O dO, Vj,O

1B 1C
1E lj

5
 • tj = lj/Vjet,O lj y
For better working tj < tb 
V j ,O w
• tb = y/w
D pelton sin  yRwheel U wheel D pelton sin 
 y
l j  Dpelton sin  V j ,O U wheel RwheelV j ,O
d
RW w The minimum allowable value of y
RP
U
w  wheel q
Rwheel y U wheel D pelton k  d 
dO,
Vj,O
y sin   u , wheel 21 +  sin 
V j ,O Rwheel kvO  Rwheel 
lj

d jet ,O
d jet ,O 1+
Dwheel
Rwheel + cos  
2d Maximum allowable angle between two successive buckets
cos   2 1+
R pelton Dwheel

 60 K uwheel 2 
Ns  

 turbineK v1 
d jet ,VC
q  2 y
d jet ,O  4 
 
 Dwheel
Rwheel + 360
cos   2 Minimum number of buckets z
Rwheel + d q
d
RW w Dr Taygun has suggested an empirical relation for z
d jet ,O RP
1+
Dwheel q y Dwheel
cos   dO,
z  0.5 + 15
2d Vj,O
1+ d jet ,VC
Dwheel lj

Bucket Power Distribution

Bucket Energy Distribution

Bucket Energy  Ek
h   k
Water energyinterscpetd by the bucket mwater gH

P(qj) Total Ej,k

2
1 3 5
4

6
 Geometric Details of Bucket Shape variations of Buckets

The hydraulic efficiency

depends more on the main
bucket dimensions (length
(A), width (B) and depth
(C)).
The shape of the outer part
of its rim or on the lateral
surface curvature also has
marginal effect on
hydraulic efficiency.

Design 1
Design 2

Break

External stroboscopic flow visualization

Geometrical Design of Pelton Wheel Bucket

Selection Best surface to Execute Perfect

Impulsive Action….

7
 BUCKET GEOMETRIC DEFINITIONS
Geometric Details of Bucket

The hydraulic efficiency

depends more on the main
bucket dimensions (length
(A), width (B) and depth
(C)).
The shape of the outer part
of its rim or on the lateral
surface curvature also has
marginal effect on
hydraulic efficiency.

Shape variations of Buckets Optimum bucket design

• At first, various combinations of the free design variables are
tested with the optimization method.
• This helps in assessing the relative importance of each one, as
well as to determine their variation ranges.
• Hydraulic efficiency depends more on the main bucket
dimensions (length, width and depth), than on the shape of the
outer part of its rim or on the lateral surface curvature.
• The optimization has to be carried out for all the free design
variables simultaneously.
• This practice enhances the time of design optimization, but at
the same time ensures that the resulting optimum design is
acceptable.
• The creation of evaluations using Artificial Intelligence Tool is
an option of the method to achieve faster convergence.

Number of Geometrical Options for Bucket Optimization of Bucket Geometry

Each evaluation is a combination of length, width and depth.

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 Parametric studies

• The developed methodology also facilitates the

investigation of the effect of any design parameter on the
runner efficiency, as well as the prediction of the turbine
behaviour at various operation conditions (e.g. different
head or rotation speed).
• Two important parametric studies are:
• In the first study the bucket size is varied by increasing or
reducing its main dimensions (length, width, depth) at the
same degree, so as the modified shapes remain similar to
the initial one.

Sequence of Jet Bucket Interactions

Dq50
Dq250

Vjet
Vjet
Ublade
Ublade
Dq350
Dq150

Vjet

Ublade

Vjet Vrel,jet,in Ublade

Vrel,jet,exit

9
 Distribution of Reaction
Measure of Reaction: Local Pressure Coefficient
p  patm
Cp 
1 U w 2
2

Driving Force
Cutout Leakage Losses

Non-Orthogonal Jet Bucket Interactions : Exit

Non-Orthogonal Jet Bucket Interactions : Entry Ublade

Vjet
Vrel,jet
Vjet

Ublade Vrel,jet Ublade

Vjet Ublade
Vrel,jet Vrel,jet Ublade Vjet Vrel,jet
Vjet
Vjet
Ublade
Vrel,jet

Vjet Vrel,jet

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Absolute and Relative Paths of Jet : Orthogonal Interactions Orthogonal Interactions U
Vri
Vai
Inlet Velocity Triangle
Vai
Vri
Vjet
Ublade

e U

e Ublade
Vre
Vrel,jet,exit Vjet,exit U

Vae Vre
Exit Velocity Triangle

Actual Velocity Triangles: Pelton Bucket

U
e i e i
Vae Vai Vri
Vre

Vai: Inlet Absolute Velocity

Vri: Inlet Relative Velocity
Vre: Exit Relative Velocity
Vae:Exit Absolute Velocity

i: Inlet Nozzle Angle.

i: Inlet Blade Angle.
e: Exit Blade Angle.
i: Exit Nozzle Angle.
d ,max   2 k cos e + 1 
Pb  mU Vre cos  e + Vri 

Concluding Remarks Empirical Geometry of Bucket Shape


III C
Pb   m Vai Vre cos  e + Vri 
II
IV

I V
d ,max    2 k cos e + 1 2 i
DW
S A

e

11
 Empirical Relations for Bucket Geometry

• A = 2.8 djet,VC to 3.2 djet,VC

• B = 2.3 djet,VC to 2.8 djet,VC
• C= 0.6 djet,VC to 0.9 djet,VC
i = 50 to 80
e is varied from section I to section V
• I: 300 to 460
• II: 200 to 300
• III: 100 to 200
• IV: 50 to 160
• V: 00 to 50

Influence of the Casing

Concluding Remarks on Pelton Wheel

P M V Subbarao
Professor
Mechanical Engineering Department

Understanding Present Concerns & Recent

Developments.….

Casing with Rectangular dome. Casing with cylindrical dome.

12
 Splash Water Distribution ANALYSIS OF THE LOSSES

• The losses in a Pelton turbine may be split up into the

following losses:
– losses in the jet because of friction, high turbulence, jet-divergence
and gravitation,
– losses in the runner because of friction in the buckets, entrance
losses,...,
– losses in the casing because of ventilation and splash water falling
into the runner and/or the jet,
– mechanical losses in the generator, bearings,...

Conditions for Maximum Power

Closing Remarks on Pelton Wheel Ub

Define, Blade Speed Ratio as Cb 
V jet
• The first scientifically developed concept and also patented    cos  i  Cb  
product. P  m  Cb   cos  i   Cb  kb 
  cos180   e  
• The only one option for high heads (> 600 m)    cos  i  
• Best suited for low flow rates with high heads (600m – P
0
2400 m). Cb
• A better choice for moderate heads with low flow rates.
cos  i D N V jet gH
• Easy to construct and develop, as it works at constant Cb,opt   U b,opt  wheel  
2 60 2 2
(atmospheric) pressure.
• Low rpm at moderate or marginal heads is a major Costly Generator or very small wheel ….
disadvantage.
If it is not possible to accommodate even bucket height???

Low Degree of Impulse Turbines A High Speed Impulse Turbine for Low heads

V jet  cos  i  U b
Vr ,i 
cos  i

V jet  cos  i  U b 
Vr ,e  kb  
 cos  i 
V  cos  i  U b 
U b  kb  jet  cos 180   e 
 cos  i 
Va ,e 
cos  e

13
 Turgo Turbine
The Turgo Turbine

• Turgo turbines were developed by Gilkes in 1919 and are a

development of the Pelton turbine.
• They can handle a higher flow rate than a physically
similar-sized Pelton turbine and the rotor is slightly
cheaper to manufacture.
• The main physical difference is that the water jet strikes
one side of the rotor and exits from the opposite side.
• Turgo turbine uses a fixed jet as opposed to a spear-jet.
• So it will only operate on a fixed flow rate.

Micro Hydro Plants with Turgo Wheel

Cross-flow Turbine Variations of Cross-Flow Turbines

14
 Turbine Specific Speed (rpm)

Specific Speed Pelton 10 – 30

Turgo 20 – 70
Crossflow 20 – 200
Francis 30 – 400
Propeller and Kaplan 200 - 1000

Generally, the turbine manufacturer specifies the

specific speed of its turbine.

Thank you!

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