HYDRAULIC TURBINE

INTRODUCTION
• Hydraulic turbines are the machines which convert hydraulic
energy into mechanical energy. The mechanical energy
developed by a turbine is used in running an electric
generator which is directly coupled to the shaft of the
turbine. The generator develops electric power which is also
sometimes known as hydroelectric power. In general, a water
turbine consists of a wheel called runner which is provided
with specially designed blades or buckets. The water
prossessing large hydraulic energy when strikes the runner
and causes it to rotate.
 TYPES OF HYDRAULIC TURBINES

(i) IMPULSE OR VELOCITY TURBINES

(ii) REACTION OR PRESSURE TURBINES

IMPULSE OR VELOCITY TURBINES

• In the case of impulse turbine, all the available potential energy or head is
converted into kinetic energy or velocity head by passing it through a
contracting nozzle or by guide vanes before it strikes the buckets of the
turbine.
• The wheel revolves free in air and water is in contact with only a part of the
wheel at a time.
• The pressure of water all long is atmospheric.

• In order to prevent splashing and to guide the water discharged from the bucket
to the tail race, a casing is provided.
 Characteristic an impulse turbine

(i) The wheel passages are not completely filled.

(ii) The water acting on the wheel vanes is under atmospheric
pressure.
(iii) The water is supplied at a few points at the periphery of the wheel
(usually one point, occasionally two or more points).
(iv) Energy applied to the wheel is wholly Kinetic.
• An impulse turbine is essentially a low speed wheel and is used for
relative high heads, ordinarly beginning in the neighbourhood of 150
m and so far being limited to about 1000m, through a head of over
1770m has been utilised by impulse wheels in Switzerland.
 Examples of the impulse turbines
(i) Pelton Wheel turbine.
(ii) Turgo-impulse wheel turbine.
(iii) Girad turbine.
(iv) Banki turbine.
(v) Jonval turbine.

Out of these, the Pelton Wheel turbine is predominantly

used at present.
Pelton wheel turbine
Turgo-impulse turbine
Girard turbine
Banki turbine
Jonval turbine
 REACTION OR PRESSURE TURBINES
• In case of reaction turbine, only a part of the available potential
energy is converted into velocity head, at the entrance to the runner
and the balance that forms a substantial portion remains a pressure
head.
• The pressure at the inlet to the turbine is much higher than the pressure at
the outlet and it varies throught the passage of water through the turbine.
• Major part of the power is derived from the difference in pressure acting
on front and back of runner blades and only a minor part from the dynamic
action of velocity.
• The water being under pressure, the entire flow from head
race to tail race takes place in a closed conduit system and
the atmospheric air has no access to any point.
 Characteristic of Reaction Turbine
(i) The wheel passages are completely filled with water.
(ii) The water action on the wheel wheel is under pressure greater
than atmospheric.
(iii) The water enters all around the periphery of the wheel.
(iv) The energy in the form of both pressure and kinetic is utilised by
the wheel.
 Examples of the Reaction Turbine
(i) Fourneyron turbine
(ii) Thompson turbine
(iii) Propeller turbine
(iv) Francis turbine
(v) Kaplan turbine etc.

Out of these, Francis and Kaplan turbines are predominantly used

at present.
Fourneyron turbine
Thompson turbine
Propeller turbine
Francis turbine
Kaplan turbine
 Classification of turbines on the basis of
direction of flow of water in the runner
(i) Tangential flow turbine.
(ii) Radial flow turbine.
(iii) Axial flow turbine
(iv) Mixed flow turbine
• In the tangential flow turbine, the water strikes on the run along the
tangent to the part of rotation of the runner, such as in the Pelton
wheel turbine.
• In radial flow turbine, the water flows along the radial direction and
remains in a plane normal to the axis of rotation, as it passes through
the runner.
• The radial flow may be inward (i.e. is water entering the outer
circumference and flowing radially inward) such as in the Francis
turbine, Thomson turbine or Girad turbine.
• The floor may be out word (i.e. water entering at the centre and flow
radially outward), such as in Fourneyron turbine or Boyden turbine.
• In an axial flow turbine 0r parallel flow turbine, water enters and leaves the
runner along the direction parallel to the axis of the turbine shaft.
• Example of the type of flow arein Jonval turbine, Girad turbine, Propeller
turbine and Kaplan turbie.
• In the mixed flow turbine, water enters the runner at the outer periphery
in the radial direction and leaves it at the centre in the direction parallel to
the axis of the shaft. Example is modern Francis turbine.
CLASSIFICATION OF TURBINES ON THE
BASIS OF SPECIFIC SPEED
Table shows the suitability of types of turbine, head and specific speed

S. no. Head Types of turbine Specific

(meters) Speed
1 300 or more Pelton wheel (single jet) 10 - 35
2(a) 150 -300 Pelton or Franis 35 – 100
2(b) 200 – 300 Pelton wheel (multiple jets) 35 – 56
2(c) 150 -200 Francis turbine 60 – 100
3 60 – 150 Francis turbine 100 – 220
4(a) < 60 Francis, Kaplan or Propeller 220 -1000
4(b) 30 – 60 Francis turbine 220 – 300
4(c) 16 - 30 Kaplan turbine 300 – 1000
4(d) < 16 Kaplan or Propeller (for no load variation) 300 -1000
 SELECTION OF SUITABLE TYPE OF TURBINE
• selection of suitable type of turbine depends on the available head
and the quantity of water required.
• On this basis turbines may be classified as follows:-
(i) Low head turbine.
(ii) Medium head turbine.
(iii) High head turbine.
 LOW HEAD TURBINE

• Low head turbines are those which are capable of working under
head less and their heads less than 30 m (Example :- Propeller
Turbine and Kaplan turbine).
• Propeller turbine and Kaplan turbine used large quantity of water.
• Medium had turbines are capable of working under the heads
ranging from 30 to 150m.
• Modern Francis turbine is coming under this categories.
• High head turbines are those turbines which are capable of working
under very high head ranging from 150 to over 1000 metres.
• Impulse turbines are high head turbines and require
relatively less quantity of water.
• As far as possible, a turbine with highest permissible specific
speed should be chosen, which will not only with the
cheapest in itself but it selectively small size and high
rotational speed will reduce the size of the generation as
well as the power house.
• The specific speed cannot be increased indefinitely because
highest specific speed of turbine is generally more liable to
cavitation.
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