Lecture 6

Performance of turbines, Similarity laws

Performance of turbines
Turbines are often required to work under varying conditions of head, speed, output and
gate opening. As such, in order to predict their behavior, it is essential to study the
performance of the turbine under varying conditions.
The head and output of the turbine may change. In this case, keeping the discharge
constant, the speed is adjusted so that the efficiency remains constant.
Keeping the head and the speed constant, the output may vary by adjusting the discharge.
These are the normal operating conditions, and the curves drawn for these conditions are
called operating characteristics curves.
Keeping the head and discharge constant, the speed may vary by adjusting the load on the
turbine. These conditions are possible only in the laboratories. The curves so obtained for
such conditions are known as main characteristics curves.
The head and speed may vary. This is common in turbines working under low heads.

Performance of Turbines under unit quantities

In order to predict the behaviour of a turbine working under varying conditions of head,
speed, and power, recourse has been made to the concept of unit.
The unit quantities give the speed, discharge and power for a particular turbine under a
head of 1m assuming the same efficiency. The following are the three important unit
quantities.
Unit speed
Unit power
Unit discharge

 Unit speed (Nu): The speed of the turbine, working under unit head (say 1m) is known as
unit speed of the turbine.
The tangential velocity is given by,

60

60

If H=1; then

Where, H = head of water, under which the turbine is working; N= speed of turbine under
a head, H; u= tangential velocity; Nu= speed of the turbine under a unit head.
Unit Power (Pu): The power developed by a turbine, working under a unit head (say 1m)
is known as unit power of the turbine.
Power developed by a turbine is given as,

2
/

If H=1; then, P=Pu

1

Thus,

Unit discharge (Qu): The discharge of the turbine working under a unit head (say 1m) is
known as unit discharge.

If, H=1; Then, Q=Qu;

1
Or,

Thus,

If a turbine is working under different heads, the behaviour of the turbine can be easily
known from the unit quantities.

Where H1, H2 are the heads under which a turbine works; N1,N2 are the corresponding
speeds; Q1,Q2 are the discharges, and P1,P2 are the power developed by the turbine,

Example 6.7: A turbine is to operate under a head of 25 m at 180 rpm. The discharge is
10 cumec. If the efficiency is 90%, determine the performance of the turbine under a
head of 20 m.
Solution: Data given: Head on turbine, H1=25 m; speed, N1=180 rpm; discharge, Q1 =10
cumec; overall efficiency,

90%

0.9;

Let, for the head of H2= 20 m, speed is N2, discharge is Q2, and power is P2.
Using the relation,

0.9

9.81 10 25

Therefore,

0.9 9.81 10 25

Using the relation,

180 20
25
161.0

10.0 20
25

2207.5

8.94

2207 20
25
1579.20

The concept of the specific turbine is useful for comparing the turbines of different types.
The performance of turbines under unit head gives us the comparison of turbines of the
same type.
A specific turbine is an imaginary turbine identical (identical in shape, geometrical
proportions, blade angles, gate openings, etc.,) with actual turbine, but reduced to such a
size that it develops one kW power under unit head.
The actual turbine under unit condition and specific turbine both work under unit head
(1m head), whatever the velocity triangle holds good for the actual turbine, will hold
good

for

specific

also.

Similarly,

Therefore,

Because,

turbine

In

other

words,

Assuming overall efficiency to be same, then,

The power of geometrically similar turbines working under the same head vary as the
square of the runner diameters.
Since, the specific turbine develops 1kW under a unit head, Ps=1, therefore,

But,

Therefore,

Further,

But ,

Therefore,

Or,

But,

Thus,

This value of Ns, the speed of the specific turbine is known as specific speed of the
turbine.
Example 6.8:- A turbine develops 10,000 kW under a head of 20 m at 150 rpm. What is
the specific speed? What would be its normal speed and output under a head of 25 m?
Solution: Power, P= 12000 kW; head, H=20 m; speed, N=150 rpm;
Using the relation for specific speed, we have,

15010000
20 /

354.65

To find normal speed under a head of 25m:

Using the relation,

150

25
20

167.7
To find normal output power:
Using the relation,

10000

25
20

13975.42.7

SIMILARITY LAWS
Similarity laws have been developed for characterizing turbine performance of units
of different size and type.
They provide a means of predicting performance based on the performance of models or
the performance of units of design similar to those that have already been built.
The fact that the similarity laws can be used is often referred to as the homologous nature
of turbines.
When turbines of different sizes are designed to have corresponding linear dimensions
with a common geometric ratio, the turbines are said to be homologous.
The power outputs, speeds and flow characteristics are proportional and they tend to have
equal efficiencies.
These similarity laws are developed and presented in a series of formulas that define the
turbine constants