1

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY

Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment
UNIVERSITY OF JOHANNESBURG
Doornfontein Campus

PELTON TURBINE LAB REPORT

By
SEABATALITHAKONG
(220066882)

Turbo Machines 3B (TRMMIB3)

B.ENG TECH: Mechanical Engineering

LECTURER: Mr. P. SIMELANE

Date: 07/10/2022
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STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY
I Seabata Lithakong state that this written report is my own original analysis. The secondary
materials used, whether electronic or written, have been carefully defined and referenced
according to the type of reference used by the Department of Mechanical and Industrial
Technology of the University of Johannesburg. I agree that plagiarism is a serious offence and
there will be appropriate disciplinary action. I reviewed all the plagiarism and comparison policies
as illustrated in Turbo Machines 3B (TRMMIB3) learner’s guide

Student’s signature: S. lithakong Date: 7/10/2022

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AKNOWLEDGEMENT
I was able to finish this report thanks to the help of our instructors. I am grateful to Mrs.
Mahomed Mushina and other instructors for their supervision during the experiment. You all
helped us with such kindness and compassion, and we were able to complete the experiment
because of your assistance. I am especially grateful to Mr. P. Simelane, our lecturer, for his advice
and assistance in turbo machine module.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY .............................................................................................................. 2
AKNOWLEDGEMENT ............................................................................................................................... 3
1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................ 6
1.1. AIM ............................................................................................................................................... 7
1.2. BACKGROUND/ THEORY ........................................................................................................ 7
1.3. ASSUMPTIONS ......................................................................................................................... 10
2. APPARATUS ..................................................................................................................................... 11
3. PROCEDURE ..................................................................................................................................... 12
4. EXPERIEMENT RESULTS............................................................................................................... 13
5. ANALYSIS OF RESULTS ................................................................................................................ 14
5.1. GRAPHS ..................................................................................................................................... 15
5.2. RESULTS DESCUSION ............................................................................................................ 16
6. CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................................... 17
7. REFERENCES ................................................................................................................................... 17
8. APPENDICES .................................................................................................................................... 18
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List of figures

Figure 1:Schematic of an impulse turbine [2]. ............................................................................... 6

Figure 2:Nozzle and Flow Arrangement [3] ................................................................................... 7
Figure 3:Runner and Buckets of Pelton Wheel [3]. ........................................................................ 8
Figure 4:Pelton Turbine Model With Casing [3]. ........................................................................... 8
Figure 5:Pelton turbine parts [3] ..................................................................................................... 9
Figure 6:FM62 Pelton turbine...................................................................................................... 11
Figure 7:Torque vs Speed graph. .................................................................................................. 15
Figure 8:Head vs Speed graph. ..................................................................................................... 15
Figure 9:Efficiency vs Speed Graph. ............................................................................................ 16
Figure 10: Torque simple calculation ........................................................................................... 18
Figure 11:Head sample calculations ............................................................................................. 18
Figure 12:Break power sample calculations ................................................................................. 19
Figure 13:Efficiency sample calculations ..................................................................................... 19

List of tables

Table 1:Pelton turbine results. ...................................................................................................... 13

Table 2:Results from calculations. ................................................................................................ 14
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1. INTRODUCTION
Power plants that produce hydroelectricity use water turbines. Installations with high head use
Pelton turbines [1]. Impulse turbines include Pelton turbines. In an impulse turbine, water's
potential energy is transformed into kinetic energy by forcing it through one or more open-air
nozzles [1]. In this manner, atmospheric pressure water reaches the turbine rotor. The turbine
rotor receives the tremendous kinetic energy [1]. Additionally, the water exits at an atmospheric

The difference between the response and impulse types of turbines is how the head is converted.
The fluid fills the reaction turbine's blade passageways, while the pressure drops, or head change
takes place inside the runner [2]. The water head from a nozzle is first transformed into a high-
velocity jet by an impulse turbine, which then strikes the buckets at one location as they pass past
[2]. As a result of the runner tunnels not being filled, the jet flow past the buckets is basically at
constant pressure [2]. Impulse turbines are best used when the head is high, and the power is low
[2]. An impulse turbine was employed as the Pelton turbine in this experiment. A stationary
input nozzle, a runner, and a casing are the three fundamental parts of the Pelton turbine, as
depicted in Figure 1 [2]. The runner consists of several buckets set on a wheel that rotates. The
jet provides momentum as it hits the buckets [2]. The buckets are designed so that the flow is
split in half and have a nearly 180° relative velocity vector [2].

FIGURE 1:SCHEMATIC OF AN IMPULSE TURBINE [2].

The power generated as the jet is redirected by the moving buckets is the main characteristic of an
impulse turbine [2].
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1.1. AIM
The objective was to ensure complete understanding of the conversion of measured units of
quantity of those factors required to compute turbine performance.

1.2. BACKGROUND/ THEORY

The Pelton Turbine is a type of tangential flow impulse turbine in which water pressure energy is
transformed into kinetic energy to create a high-speed water jet, which then tangentially strikes
the wheel to cause it to rotate [3]. Pelton Wheel is another name for it.

Pelton Turbine parts and Their Functions

Different parts and their functions of Pelton turbine are as follows [3].

➢ Nozzle and Flow Regulating Arrangement.

The penstock, at the end of which a nozzle is attached, is used to transfer the water from
the source. A high-speed water jet can be created using this nozzle [3]. An adjustable
needle spear is set up inside the nozzle to control the water jet it produces [3]. The spear
will advance and recede in an axial direction. Moving it forward will cause the flow to
decrease or stop, while moving it backward will cause the flow to grow [3].

FIGURE 2:NOZZLE AND FLOW ARRANGEMENT [3]

➢ Runner and Buckets.

A Pelton turbine is made up of a runner, which is a circular disc on the edge of which several
buckets are fixed with uniform spacing in between, and both double hemispherical and double
ellipsoidal bucket shapes are used while mounting them [3]. For each bucket, a splitter wall is
available, which divides the bucket into two equal sections, therefore depending on the head of
the Pelton turbine's inlet, the buckets are typically composed of bronze, cast iron, or stainless
steel [3].
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FIGURE 3:RUNNER AND BUCKETS OF PELTON WHEEL [3].

➢ Casing.

The Casing encloses the entire system of runner and buckets, as well as the inlet and braking jets,
and the Pelton turbine's casing does not engage in any hydraulic functions, although it does stop
water from sprinkling while it is in operation and facilitate water discharge to the tail race [3].

FIGURE 4:PELTON TURBINE MODEL WITH CASING [3].

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➢ Braking Jet.

The amount of water impacting the runner decreases until it is eliminated when the nozzle is
fully closed by sliding the spear forward. However, the runner keeps spinning for a considerable
amount of time due to inertia [4]. Using a small nozzle that directs the water jet into the back of
the vanes, the runner can be stopped in a snap. Breaking jet is the name given to this waterspout
[4].

FIGURE 5:PELTON TURBINE PARTS [3]

Formulas used in experiment calculations

Head(H)

𝑃 …... (1)
𝐻=
𝜌𝑔
𝑃 → 𝐼𝑛𝑙𝑒𝑡 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒(𝑃𝑎)

𝑘𝑔⁄
𝜌 → 𝑊𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦 ( 𝑚3 )

𝑔 → 𝐴𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛(𝑠⁄𝑚2 )
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Break power (𝑷𝑩 )

2𝜋𝑁𝑇 …… (2)
𝑃𝐵 =
60
𝑁
→ 𝑇𝑢𝑟𝑏𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑒𝑙 𝑟𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑒𝑑(𝑟𝑝𝑚)
𝑇 → 𝐴 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑒𝑙 𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑞𝑢𝑒(𝑁𝑚)

Torque(T)

𝑇 = 𝐹𝑟 ……. (3)

𝐹 → 𝐵𝑟𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒(𝑁)

𝑟 → 𝑇𝑜𝑟𝑞𝑢𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑚(𝑚) = 0.045𝑚

Hydraulic power (𝑷𝑯 )

𝑃𝐻 = 𝜌𝑔𝐻𝑄 ……. (4)

2
𝑄 → 𝑊𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒 (𝑚 ⁄𝑠)
Efficiency (𝜼𝟎 )

𝑃𝐵 ……. (5)
𝜂0 = × 100
𝑃𝐻

1.3. ASSUMPTIONS
The following are some of assumptions used in Pelton turbines [2].
➢ The speed of the exiting jet is assumed to be zero.
➢ Assuming that the entire available head is converted into jet velocity.
➢ Assume negligible angular momentum for the exiting jet.
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2. APPARATUS
For the this experiment the FM62 Pelton turbine, FM6X software, and FM62 are all installed.
Throughout, the control valve must be left open. The spear valve needs to be fully opened and
left open throughout the experiment. The software's pump speed control will be used to adjust
the volume flow rate. The figure below shows the pelon turbine

FIGURE 6:FM62 PELTON TURBINE.

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3. PROCEDURE
The following steps or procedure were followed during experiment.

➢ Verify that there is no brake force. Otherwise, press the zero button to reset it.
➢ Select the software's "Pump On" button. Select a 100% setting for typical operation.
➢ Check that the flow measurement data is stable after allowing the turbine to reach a
constant speed.
➢ If necessary, view the sensor readings in the IFD History pane.
➢ Choose an appropriate speed increment to provide 10 readings.
➢ Press "GO" to start recording a sample.
➢ When the readings have stabilized, increase the brake setting to reduce the turbine speed
by the specified increment before clicking "GO" to record a sample.
➢ Continue doing this until the turbine stalls.
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4. EXPERIEMENT RESULTS
TABLE 1:PELTON TURBINE RESULTS.
Break Setting Flow Rate Inlet Pressure Speed Break Force Turbine Head
Reading Q P n Fb H
% [l/miin] [kPa] [rpm] [N] [m]
1 0 18,76 232 3300 -0,16 23,65
2 0 18,63 233,4 3360 -0,12 23,79
3 0 18,74 231,7 3300 -0,06 23,62
4 0 18,69 232,5 3360 0,21 23,7
5 0 18,81 232 3300 0,23 23,65
6 0 18,76 231,7 3300 0,43 23,62
7 0 18,72 230 3300 0,5 23,44
8 0 18,75 231,1 3300 0,38 23,56
9 0 18,85 231,7 3300 0,48 23,62
10 0 18,82 230,3 3360 0,22 23,47
1 30 18,41 229,7 2700 0,74 23,42
2 30 18,38 230 2700 0,52 23,39
3 30 18,49 228,3 2640 0,71 23,3
4 30 18,6 228,3 2640 0,5 23,39
5 30 18,56 229,4 2760 0,52 23,3
6 30 18,69 228,6 2700 0,47 23,33
7 30 18,72 228,6 2640 0,48 23,33
8 30 18,79 229,1 2700 0,53 23,24
9 30 18,68 228,3 2640 0,81 23,27
10 30 18,54 229,4 2700 0,76 23,36
1 40 18,74 232 2040 1,68 23,65
2 40 18,66 231,1 2100 1,75 23,56
3 40 18,66 231,7 2160 1,57 23,62
4 40 18,71 232,8 2040 1,55 23,73
5 40 18,69 231,4 2160 1,52 23,59
6 40 18,57 232 2040 1,54 23,65
7 40 18,54 231,7 2040 1,69 23,62
8 40 18,49 232,5 2100 1,76 23,7
9 40 18,52 232,3 2040 1,55 23,68
10 40 18,54 231,1 2040 1,78 23,56
1 50 18,74 231,7 1380 2,5 23,62
2 50 18,81 231,4 1320 2,43 23,59
3 50 18,68 231,1 1320 2,56 23,56
4 50 18,78 231,4 1320 2,5 23,59
5 50 18,72 231,4 1320 2,66 23,59
6 50 18,84 232 1320 2,6 23,65
7 50 18,75 232 1320 2,6 23,65
8 50 18,71 230,8 1320 2,61 23,53
9 50 18,65 231,7 1320 2,45 23,62
10 50 18,57 231,7 1320 2,52 23,62
1 60 18,6 230,6 720 3,32 23,5
2 60 18,6 231,1 720 3,55 23,56
3 60 18,56 231,1 660 3,35 23,56
4 60 18,43 232 720 3,45 23,65
5 60 18,41 230,3 720 3,5 23,47
6 60 18,53 230,8 720 3,56 23,53
7 60 18,49 231,4 720 3,31 23,59
8 60 18,54 231,7 720 3,42 23,62
9 60 18,63 231,1 720 3,4 23,56
10 60 18,59 231,7 660 3,31 23,62
1 69 18,52 227,7 0 3,6 23,21
2 69 18,52 227,7 0 3,52 23,21
3 69 18,37 228,3 0 3,56 23,27
4 69 18,27 228,3 0 3,57 23,27
5 69 18,31 227,2 0 3,57 23,16
6 69 18,24 227,7 0 3,57 23,21
7 69 18,22 229,1 0 3,55 23,36
8 69 18,25 227,5 0 3,54 23,19
9 69 18,25 228 0 3,57 23,24
10 69 18,12 227,7 0 3,56 23,21
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5. ANALYSIS OF RESULTS
TABLE 2:RESULTS FROM CALCULATIONS.
Torque, T Break power, Hydrolic power, Ph Efficiency
Reading Head, H [m] [Nm] Pb [W] [W] [%]
1 23,65 -0,0072 -2,49 72,54 -3,43
2 23,79 -0,0054 -1,90 72,46 -2,62
3 23,62 -0,0027 -0,93 72,37 -1,29
4 23,70 0,0095 3,33 72,42 4,59
5 23,65 0,0104 3,58 72,73 4,92
6 23,62 0,0194 6,69 72,45 9,23
7 23,44 0,0225 7,78 71,74 10,84
8 23,56 0,0171 5,91 72,23 8,18
9 23,62 0,0216 7,46 72,80 10,25
10 23,47 0,0099 3,48 72,22 4,82
1 23,42 0,0333 9,42 70,50 13,36
2 23,39 0,0234 6,62 70,29 9,41
3 23,30 0,0320 8,83 70,44 12,54
4 23,39 0,0225 6,22 71,13 8,74
5 23,30 0,0234 6,76 70,71 9,57
6 23,33 0,0212 5,98 71,29 8,39
7 23,33 0,0216 5,97 71,41 8,36
8 23,24 0,0239 6,74 71,40 9,44
9 23,27 0,0365 10,08 71,07 14,18
10 23,36 0,0342 9,67 70,81 13,66
1 23,65 0,0756 16,15 72,46 22,29
2 23,56 0,0788 17,32 71,88 24,09
3 23,62 0,0707 15,98 72,06 22,18
4 23,73 0,0698 14,90 72,59 20,53
5 23,59 0,0684 15,47 72,09 21,46
6 23,65 0,0693 14,80 71,81 20,62
7 23,62 0,0761 16,25 71,60 22,69
8 23,70 0,0792 17,42 71,65 24,31
9 23,68 0,0698 14,90 71,70 20,78
10 23,56 0,0801 17,11 71,42 23,96
1 23,62 0,1125 16,26 72,37 22,46
2 23,59 0,1094 15,12 72,55 20,83
3 23,56 0,1152 15,92 71,96 22,13
4 23,59 0,1125 15,55 72,43 21,47
5 23,59 0,1197 16,55 72,20 22,92
6 23,65 0,1170 16,17 72,85 22,20
7 23,65 0,1170 16,17 72,50 22,31
8 23,53 0,1175 16,24 71,98 22,55
9 23,62 0,1103 15,24 72,02 21,16
10 23,62 0,1134 15,68 71,71 21,86
1 23,50 0,1494 11,26 71,47 15,76
2 23,56 0,1598 12,04 71,65 16,81
3 23,56 0,1508 10,42 71,49 14,57
4 23,65 0,1553 11,71 71,26 16,43
5 23,47 0,1575 11,88 70,65 16,81
6 23,53 0,1602 12,08 71,29 16,94
7 23,59 0,1490 11,23 71,32 15,75
8 23,62 0,1539 11,60 71,60 16,21
9 23,56 0,1530 11,54 71,76 16,07
10 23,62 0,1490 10,29 71,79 14,34
1 23,21 0,1620 0,00 70,28 0,00
2 23,21 0,1584 0,00 70,28 0,00
3 23,27 0,1602 0,00 69,89 0,00
4 23,27 0,1607 0,00 69,51 0,00
5 23,16 0,1607 0,00 69,33 0,00
6 23,21 0,1607 0,00 69,22 0,00
7 23,36 0,1598 0,00 69,59 0,00
8 23,19 0,1593 0,00 69,20 0,00
9 23,24 0,1607 0,00 69,35 0,00
10 23,21 0,1602 0,00 68,76 0,00
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5.1. GRAPHS

Torque vs Speed
0,2000

0,1500
Torque[nm]

0,1000

0,0500

0,0000
3300
3300
3300
3300
3300
2700
2640
2760
2640
2640
2040
2160
2160
2040
2040
1380
1320
1320
1320
1320
720
660
720
720
720
0
0
0
0
0
-0,0500
Speed [rpm]

FIGURE 7:TORQUE VS SPEED GRAPH.

The above Figure 7 above shows the relationship between the torque and rotational speed. The
graph shows with use of polynomial trend that as speed decreases the torque the torque increases
and the speed reach zero, torque tends to be constant.

Head vs Speed
74,00
73,00
72,00
71,00
Head[m]

70,00
69,00
68,00
67,00
66,00
3300
3300
3300
3300
3300
2700
2640
2760
2640
2640
2040
2160
2160
2040
2040
1380
1320
1320
1320
1320
720
660
720
720
720
0
0
0
0
0

Speed[rpm]

FIGURE 8:HEAD VS SPEED GRAPH.

The Figure 8 above demonstrate the relationship between the speed and the head. Using
trendline, it is visible that as the sped decrease the water head decreases as well.
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Efficiency vs Speed
30,00

25,00

20,00
Efficiency[%]

15,00

10,00

5,00

0,00
3300
3300
3300
3300
3300
2700
2640
2760
2640
2640
2040
2160
2160
2040
2040
1380
1320
1320
1320
1320
720
660
720
720
720
0
0
0
0
0
-5,00

-10,00
Speed[rpm]

FIGURE 9:EFFICIENCY VS SPEED GRAPH.

The Figure 8 above shows how does the speed affect the efficiency of the turbine. As the speed
decreases the efficiency increases until it reaches the maximum, then decreases with the speed
again as demonstrated by the polynomial trendline.

5.2. RESULTS DESCUSION

The lab was carried out in accordance with the steps described in section 3. The readings were
then use in the calculations to produce the outcomes shown in section 4 of the report. With the
help of Microsoft Excel and the data from Table 1, which were tabulated in Table 2 in section 5, it
was found that as the rotational speed falls because of the applied braking force. This happens
because a Pelton turbine operates on the high head and low volume flow rate principle, according
to which it operates. The torque was seen to be inversely related to the turbine's rotational speed
in Figure 8:Head vs Speed graph.. The pattern shown in Figure 1is the result of the relationship
between the turbine's speed of rotation and its torque. The braking power rises while the
rotational speed falls, reaches a maximum, and then falls. According to equation 5, the braking
power is directly proportional to the overall efficiency, which causes the trend for the overall
efficiency shown in Figure 9 to occur. Despite appearing random at first glance, some of the
numbers have a pattern. This is due to readings that may have been made when the system wasn't
steady. The readings from the lab and calculations from the results. And calculations. Shows a
fluctuation value and this can bee seen on the graphs above.
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6. CONCLUSION
The lab was run in accordance with the instructions given. Following that, the readings were
recorded and used to produce the results. The accompanying tables and graphs are displayed
section 4 and section 5. Critical observations were made, and they were debated. In conclusion,
the lab was successful, and its goals were met.

7. REFERENCES

[1] N. I. O. T. CALICUT, "Nitc:FLUID MECHANICS AND FLUID MACHINERY-

EXPERIMENT ON PELTON TURBINE," [Online]. Available:
https://nitc.ac.in/dept/me/fmcfdlab/exp9.pdf. [Accessed 5 October 2022].

[2] Depo.btu, "Depo.btu:Pelton Turbine Experiment," [Online]. Available:

https://depo.btu.edu.tr/dosyalar/makine/Dosyalar. [Accessed 5 October 2022].

[3] Theconstructor, "Theconstructor: Pelton turbines-parts, working, and design aspects,"

[Online]. Available: https://theconstructor.org/practical-guide/pelton-turbine-parts-working-
design-aspects/2894/. [Accessed 5 October 2022].

[4] A. K. Dey, "learnmechanical:Pelton Wheel Turbine: Parts, Working, Efficiency,

Advantages, Disadvantages, Applications," [Online]. Available:
https://learnmechanical.com/pelton-wheel-turbine/. [Accessed 5 October 2022].
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8. APPENDICES

FIGURE 10: TORQUE SIMPLE CALCULATION

FIGURE 11:HEAD SAMPLE CALCULATIONS

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FIGURE 12:BREAK POWER SAMPLE CALCULATIONS

FIGURE 13:EFFICIENCY SAMPLE CALCULATIONS