Design of Kaplan Turbine
P M V Subbarao
Professor
Mechanical Engineering Department
Pure Axial Flow with Aerofoil Theory.
Selection of Kaplan Turbine
MORE ADAPTED TYPE OF TURBINA IN FUNCTION OF
THE SPECIFIC SPEED.
Specific Speed in
r.p.m.
Turbine type
Jump height in m
From 270 to 500
Slow Kaplan
50 to 15
From 500 to 800
Quick Kaplan
15 to 5
From 800 to 1100 Extra-quick Kaplan
Ns
Less than 5
N P
H
P in hp and H in meters.
Design of A Kaplan Turbine
Specific Speed of Kaplan Turbine
Using statistical studies of schemes, F. Schweiger and J. Gregory
established the following correlation between the specific speed
and the net head for Kaplan turbines:
39.827
N s 0.486
H
Ns
P in watts.
N P
H
The Schematic of Kaplan Turbine
Major Parts of A Kaplan Turbine
Ns
N P
H
P, in hp and H in meters.
Design of Guide Wheel
Degv
Degv
60kug 2 gH
V fgv k fg 2 gH
Q Degv BgvV fgv
Kug
Kfg
Kug
Kfg
Flow & Geometric Details of Guid Wheel Exit
Outlines of Kaplan Runner
a
b
Guide Vanes
Whirl Chamber
The space between guide wheel outlet and kaplan runner is
known as Whirl Chamber.
a=0.13 Drunner & b=0.16 to 0.2 Drunner.
Design of Kaplan Runner
Drunner
Dhub
Testing of Runner diameter selection
The runner diameter De can be calculated by the
following equation:
H
Drunner 84.5 0.79 1.602 nQE
60 n
0
.
0951
Drunner
Dhub 0.25
n
QE
nQE
2.294
H
n in rps
Runner diameter section
Q Q factor H D
2
runner
2
hub
The hub diameter Dhub can be calculated with the following equation:
Dhub 0.35 to 0.6 Drunner
Kug
Qfactor
Number of runner Vanes Vs Guide Wheel Diameter
Dge,
mm
10
12
14
16
<300
300
450
450
750
750 1200
1200
1600
18
20
24
1600
2200
2200 >4000
4000
DESIGN OF THE BLADE
Two different views of a blade
Hydrodynamics of Kaplan Blade
Distortion of the blade under ideal circumstances
The velocity triangles, which occur on the blade, play a significant
role in determining its distortion.
1 < 900
Uwheel
V ai
V ri
Vfi
Uwheel
Details of Blade
Arrangement
V ai
Uwheel
V ae
re
e = 900
Vfe
V ri
Vfi
Hydraulic Energy Diagram
Hm
Hre
Hri
Htotal
Hs
Inlet Velocity Triangles Vs Ns
High Specific Speed : Fast Francis Runner
Vwi
Vai
Vfi
Specifications of Runner
Slow Runner: Ns=60 to 120
to 250
Kui = 0.62 to 0.68
to
Bgv/Dmgv=0.04 0.033
Normal Runner: Ns = 120 180
to 32.50
Kui = 0.68 to 0.72
Bgv/Dmgv=0.125 to 0.25
Fast Runner: Ns = 180 to 300
to 37.50
Kui = 0.72 to 0.76
to
Bgv/Dmgv=0.25to 0.5
Design for Maximum Power Retrieval
Inlet Velocity Triangle
Uwheel
V ai
ri
Vfi
Specifications of the Runner
Velocity Triangles at Mean Runner Diameter
Radial Equilibrium
Radial Equilibrium Equation for
Incompressible Fluid Machine
dV f Vw d rVw
1 dp0
Vf
0
dr
dr
r
dr
To define the distortion of the blade, the velocity triangles of at least six
different radiuses of the blade are to be determined.
The angle of each radius gives conclusions on the distortion of the
blade.
The angles should be corrected for real hydraulics.
General Rules for Selection of Whirl Component
Free Vortex Whirl:
rV V f
0
r
C
V
r
V f constant
Forced Vortex Whirl :
V C r
V f C1 C2 r 2
Inlet Blade Distortion
Inlet Blade Distortion
Method for Real Kaplan
Define Half Travel Point of a fluid particle as
Vre
Vfi=Vfe
V
Vri
Vrwi Vrwe
2
The Tragflgeltheorie
V
Factual lift
Fideal lift
Vri
Characteristics of A Single Blade
Ideal Blade lift coefficient:
blade
Vre2 V2 2 g hatm H s hmin draft
2
KV
Vde2
2g
2
ae
draft: Efficiency of draft tube: 0.88 to 0.91
K : Profile characteristic number: 2.6 to 3.0
hmin=Head equivalent to minimum allowable pressure at
Runner exit.
The suction head
The suction head Hs is the head where the turbine is installed;
if the suction head is positive, the turbine is located above the trail
water;
if it is negative, the turbine is located under the trail water.
To avoid cavitation, the range of the suction head is limited.
The maximum allowed suction head can be calculated using the
following equation:
Hs
patm pvap
1.5241 n
2
de
H net
2g
1.46
QE
2
de
2 gH net
nQE
2.294
H
When the lifting coefficient is known, the sufficiency of ratio
l/t can be established as follows:
l gturbine H V flow 1
cos
2
t
V
U blade blade sin
Allowable values of angle of slip 2.5-- 3
The actual Lifting Coefficient
blade
b ,cascade
Drag Coefficient
b,cascade
drag
Actual Angle of Attack
b,a
Calculation of Actual Angle of Slip
arctan
dragblade
b ,a
Uwheel
Details of Blade
Arrangement
V ai
Uwheel
V ae
V re
e = 900
Vfe
V ri
Vfi
l
(maximum allowed) 0.9 to 1.05
t
Drunner
t
Z
Z : Number of blades : 8 to 24
Proportional to Specific Speed
Power Developed by the Runner
Power developed by a differential blade surface
dP d m U blade Vwi Vwe
Ptotal nblade
d
m
U
V
V
blade
wi
we
Ablade
