ME 313E

Fundamentals of Mechanical Engineering

Mohd. Mahfuzur Rahman

Lecturer
Department of Mechanical Engineering
SUST
 The device in which the kinetic, potential or
intermolecular energy held by the fluid is converted
in the form of mechanical energy of a rotating
member is known as a turbine .
 A turbine is a rotary mechanical device that extracts
energy from a fast moving flow of water, steam, gas,
air, or other fluid and converts it into useful work.
 A turbine is a turbo-machine with at least one
moving part called a rotor assembly or runner, which
is a shaft or drum with blades attached.
 Moving fluid acts on the blades so that they move
and impart rotational energy to the rotor.
-
• In an Impulse turbine, fast moving fluid is fired
through a narrow nozzle at the turbine blades to
make them spin around.
• The blades of an impulse turbine are usually
bucket-shaped so they catch the fluid and direct it
off at an angle.
• In an impulse turbine, the fluid is forced to hit the
turbine at high speed.
• Types-
 Pelton turbine
 Turgo turbine
 Cross flow turbine
• The flow of water is tangential to
the runner. So it is a tangential
flow impulse turbine.

• A Pelton’s runner consists of a

single wheel mounted on a
horizontal shaft.

• Water falls towards the turbine

through a pipe called penstock
and flows through a nozzle.

• As the water jet hit the bucket-

blades, the direction of water
velocity is changed to follow the
contours of the bucket.
• Water impulse energy exerts
torque on the bucket and wheel
system, spinning the wheel; the
water stream itself does a "u-
turn" and exits at the outer sides
of the bucket.
• A spear rod which has a spear
shaped end can be moved by a
hand wheel.
• This movement controls the flow of
water leaving the nozzle, before it
strikes the bucket(vane)
  The bucket or vane is so
shaped that when the water
strikes, it gets split into two and
gives it an impulse force in the
centre of the bucket. This
bucket is also known as splitter
bucket.
 A portion of the outermost part of each bucket
is cut out so that the majority of the jetcan
pass through the bucket that is not aligned
with the jet (bucket n +1) to reach the most
aligned bucket (bucket n). In this way, the
maximum amount of momentum from the jet
is utilized.

 Higher rotational speed
 Smaller runner
 Can cope with a large
range of flows

But
 Needs complex manifold
 May make
control/governing
complex
A Francis turbine consists of the following main parts:

Spiral casing: The spiral casing around the runner of the turbine is known as the volute casing or scroll case.
Throughout its length, it has numerous openings at regular intervals to allow the working fluid to impinge on
the blades of the runner. These openings convert the pressure energy of the fluid into momentum energy
just before the fluid impinges on the blades. This maintains a constant velocity despite the fact that
numerous openings have been provided for the fluid to enter the blades, as the cross-sectional area of this
casing decreases uniformly along the circumference.

Stay vanes/ Guide vane: The primary function of the guide and stay vanes is to convert the pressure energy
of the fluid into the momentum energy. It also serves to direct the flow at design angles to the runner
blades.

Guide Blade:Runner blades are the heart of any turbine. These are the centers where the fluid strikes and
the tangential force of the impact causes the shaft of the turbine to rotate, producing torque. Close
attention in design of blade angles at inlet and outlet is necessary, as these are major parameters affecting
power production.

Draft tube: The draft tube is a conduit that connects the runner exit to the tail race where the water is
discharged from the turbine. Its primary function is to reduce the velocity of discharged water to minimize
the loss of kinetic energy at the outlet. This permits the turbine to be set above the tail water without
appreciable drop of available head.
What is Kaplan Turbine?
Kaplan Turbine is an axial flow reaction turbine with adjustable blades. It is capable of
working at low head and high flow rates very efficiently which is impossible with Francis
turbine. The working range of head at which the Kaplan turbine works more efficiently is 10
to 70 m.
1. Scroll Casing
It is a spiral type of casing that has decreasing cross section area. The water first enters into the scroll casing and then it moves through it to the
guide vanes and finally to the runner blades. It protects the runner, runner blades guide vanes and other internal parts of the turbine from an
external damage.

2. Guide Vanes and Guide Mechanism

Guide vanes are used to direct the water to the runner blades smoothly by decreasing its swirl velocity. If guide vanes is absent than the turbine
can not work efficiently and its efficiency decreases. The guides are adjustable in Kaplan turbine. Its opening and closing depends upon the
demand of power requirement. In case of more power output requirements, it opens wider to allow more water to hit the blades of the rotor
and when low power output requires it closes itself to cease the flow of water.

3. Runner and Runner Blades

Runner is the rotating part of the turbine or we can say that it is the heart of the Kaplan turbine. Its shaft is connected to the shaft of the
generator. The runner of the this turbine has a large boss on which its blades are attached and the the blades of the runner is adjustable to an
optimum angle of attack for maximum power output. The blades of the Kaplan turbine has twist along its length.

Why twist is given to the blades of the runner in Kaplan turbine?

The runner blades has twist along its length in order to have always optimum angle of attack for all cross section of blades to achieve greater
efficiency.

4. Draft Tube
It is a tube which is used to increases the pressure of the fluid or water that exits the turbine. It has increasing cross section area. Draft tube is
used only in reaction turbine. It increases the pressure of the water that leaves the runner blades. Since the water at exit of the turbine has very
low pressure and if its pressure is not increased than the back flow of the tail race water takes which can damage the turbine. So to increase the
pressure of the exiting water we uses draft tube. It converts the kinetic energy of the water into pressure energy as it passes through draft tube
and the pressure of the water increases. The draft tube has to increases the pressure of the water upto such an extent that it must always
greater than the pressure of tail race water and prevents the back flow of water from the tail race to the turbine. If it does not happens than
cavitation may results and causes damage to the turbine.
Pelton Wheel----------- High head
Francise turbine--------Moderate head
Kaplan turbine---------- Low head turbine
- Theodore Roosevelt