LMH Laboratory for Hydraulic Machines

Turbine Engineering for Hydropower Plants

Prof. François Avellan

francois.avellan@epfl.ch

Itaipu Power Plant

 LMH Laboratory for Hydraulic Machines

Scope
 Basic Concepts
 Turbine Specific Energy
 Specific Speed
 Specifications
 Pelton Turbines
 Francis Turbines
 Outlook
Unit 4

Turbine Engineering for Hydropower Plants 2

LMH Laboratory for Hydraulic Machines

Hydroelectric Power Plant:

Storage or Run-of-River Power Station

Turbine Engineering for Hydropower Plants 3

 LMH Laboratory for Hydraulic Machines

Hydropower: Turbine Driving an Electrical

(Synchronous) Generator
dω
 Machine Power Output J× T Tel
=+ (N ⋅ m )
  dt

P= ω ⋅ T (W) T

 Available Hydraulic Power ω
Ph
= ρQ × E (W) gHI  gH I
   
J kg m3 J QI  QI
s
×
m3 s kg I I
 Turbine Efficiency E  gHI − gH I ( J ⋅kg ) −1

η T × Ph ; η T ≤ 100 % 
P= Ph ρQ × E
=
 Driving Power Defined as Positive : =ρQ × ( gHI − gH I )
P≥0
Basic Concepts 4
 LMH Laboratory for Hydraulic Machines

Rotating train dynamics

dω
 Rotating train angular momentum equation J = T + Tel
dt
 Synchronous conditions : T = −Tel (N ⋅ m )
dω
 Power failure : runaway speed Tél . =⇒
0 T 0
=>
dt
 Synchronous speed relation :
 fgrid : Grid frequency
 zp : Number of poles 2 × fgrid
 n : Rotating frequency n= (Hz )
zp

fgrid = 16 23 Hz; 50 Hz; 60 Hz

Basic Concepts 5 5
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Discharge - Head Chart

of Hydropower Plant Capacity

Ph ρQ × gH
=

Basic Concepts 6
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Definition of State Variables A2 

n2
Σ
 Mean Flow Local Specific
 Energy
p C2
h=
t
ρ
+ g ×Z +
2
+ Cste (  )
J ⋅ kg -1

V
 Gravity  C1 On Σ
Potential Kinetic
Pressure
 
 Discharge: Extensive Variable  C ⋅n =0
  n1 A
Q  ∫ C ⋅ ndA ( m3
⋅ s −1
) 1 ∂V= A1 ∪ Σ ∪ A2
A

 Mean Flow Specific Energy: Intensive Variable:

⌠
2  
Ph p C C ⋅n
gH  =
ρQ



ρ
+ gZ + 
2  Q
dA ≥ 0 ( )
J ⋅ kg -1

⌡
A

Basic Concepts 7
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Hydraulic System:
Specific Energy and Discharge Budgets
gH1 
 A1 gH2
Q1  A2 
Q2

 Specific Energy Budget

 Steady Flow ?
 Straight Stream Lines, free of Secondary Flow
gH
=1 gH2 + ∑ ( gHr )i
1÷2
 Flow Budget
 Discharge Q1 = Q2
 Discharge Velocity A1 × C1 = A2 × C2
Basic Concepts 8
 LMH Laboratory for Hydraulic Machines

Runner/Impeller Specific Energy Transfer

 Traversing Discharge
Qt (m3 ⋅ s -1 )

ω  Transferred Specific Energy

1 gH1 − gH1 =Et ± Erb ( )

J ⋅ kg -1

1  Power Transfer
Pt = ρQt Et ( W )
Qt  Drive: Turbines
Brillant Extension Project, British Columbia, Canada, P>0
Kaplan Turbine CAD Model, PF2 EPFL Test Rig
 Brake: Pumps, Propellers
P <0
Turbine Specific Energy 9
 LMH Laboratory for Hydraulic Machines

p C2
gH = + gZ +
ρ 2
( )
J ⋅ kg -1

 Specific Energy
Transfer


Reaction

 p1 p1   C12 C 12 
Et =  −  +  −  + [gZ1 − gZ 1 ] ± Erb
ρ ρ   2 2   
   Water Wheel Loss
Displacement Impulse

( J ⋅kg )-1

Turbine Specific Energy 10

 LMH Laboratory for Hydraulic Machines

Dimensional Analysis

 “Power Plant” Conditions

 Discharge
[Q] =L3T −1 (m3 ⋅ s-1 )
 Specific Energy
2 −2
ML T
E  gH I − gH I  = L2T −2 = ( J ⋅ kg -1 )
M
 Unit Characteristic
 Angular Speed
[ω ]=T −1 ( s-1 )
 Turbine/Pump Dimension
[D ] = L(m) …/…

Specific Speed 1111

 LMH Laboratory for Hydraulic Machines

Dimensional Analysis
(Contd)
 Dimensionless Angular Speed Condition
[ν ] = ω × Qα × E β  = M 0 × T 0 × L0
T 0 × L0 = T −1 × L3α T −α × L2 β T −2 β
 Yields Linear System
 Dimension of Time
−1 − α − 2β =0
 Dimension of Length
3α + 2β =0 1
1 −3 ω Q 2
 Solution= α = ; β =ν × …/…
2 4 1 3 3
π 2
2 4
E 4
Specific Speed 1212
 LMH Laboratory for Hydraulic Machines

Dimensional Analysis
(Contd)
 Discharge Coefficient  Discharge Factor
Cm Cm
ϕ= kCm =
U 2E
 Energy Coefficient  Speed factor
2E U
ψ= 2 kU =
U 1 2E
 Specific Speed ϕ 2
ν
= =
3
kU kCm
ψ4
 Unit Specific Speed 1
Q 2
 Rotating Speed N (min ) −1
nQ =N× 3
=157.7 ×ν ( S.I.)
Specific Speed H 4 1313
 LMH Laboratory for Hydraulic Machines

Selecting Hydraulic Turbines

Highest eff. ≈ 96% ÷ 97%
Head

Head = H (m )
Discharge
= Q (m ⋅ s )
3 −1

Speed = N (min ) −1

2 × fgrid
n= (Hz )
zp

Specific Speed
Specific Speed 14
 LMH Laboratory for Hydraulic Machines

Hydro Turbines International Market

 Breakdown by Types of Turbines

 1’038 GW Installed Capacity in 2012
Modernization Market Bulb
Pump- Pelton
2% 8%
Turbine
 1’000 GW to be built before 2050 12%
Greenfields Project
Kaplan
17%

Francis
61%

Turbine Specifications 15
 LMH Laboratory for Hydraulic Machines

Matching Turbine Specific Speed to Site Conditions

 Site Potential Specific Energy g ( ZB − ZB )

 Site Specific Energy gH1 − gH1 = g ( ZB − ZB ) − ∑ gHr ( J ⋅kg )-1

 Data Science: Flow Duration Statistics

1'000

 Average Discharge m /s 3

QInstal. (m ⋅ s )
3 -1 100
Total Flow

Diverted Flow

10

1
1 10 % 100
Percentage of time discharge was exceeded
Turbine Specifications 16
 LMH Laboratory for Hydraulic Machines

Matching Turbine Specific Speed to Site Conditions

1
1 Qinstal . 2
 Targeted Unit Specific Speed nQ = N 3
zunits
 Rated Head E = gH H4
 Specification of Unit Number zunits
2 fgrid × 60 s
 Specification of rotating frequency N =
zp
 Runaway Speed Limitation
 Limitation of Apparent Power per Poles
 Air cooling < 28 MVA < Water cooling < 35 MVA

Turbine Specifications 17
 LMH Laboratory for Hydraulic Machines

1'269 MW Bieudron Power Plant

3 Pelton Turbines
 500 MVA Generators
 428.5 min-1
 14 poles, 35.7 MVA/pole*
 Water Cooled
 423 MW Pelton*
Turbines, 5 injectors
 1'883 mWC Head*
 25 m3/s Discharge
 D1 = 3.993 m
 ~28 t Runner Mass
Pelton Turbines 18
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Impinging Jet on Pelton Buckets

FVPM Flow Numerical Simulations

Christian VESSAZ, EPFL Doctoral Thesis N° 6470, 2014

Pelton Turbines 19
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Silt Erosion Needle

Bucket

 Needle Severe Erosion

 Erosion Ripples
on Buckets
 ~2'500 Total Hours
of Operation

Silt Erosion of Turbine Components: 4 x 100 MW Pelton,

Pelton 900 m Head
Turbines 20
 LMH Laboratory for Hydraulic Machines

SPHEROS Finite Volume Particle Method Solver

Multi Scale Silt Laden Flow Erosion Simulation

Copper sample
Ø 3 mm slurry jet, 10 m/s

LEGUIZAMON Sebastián, EPFL Doctoral Student, CTI Project GPU-SPHEROS

Pelton Turbines 21
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Giga Hydropower Plants

are Francis Powered
Capacity Energy Capacity EPFL Model
Hydropower Plant Country (MW) (TWh) Factor Testing Type
Three Gorges China 22'500 98.5 0.50  Storage
Itaipú Brazil-Paraguay 14'000 98.3 0.80  Storage
Xiluodu China 13'860 57.1 0.47  Storage
Belo Monte Brazil 11'233 -  Run-of-River
Guri (Raúl Leoni) Venezuela 8'850 53.4 0.69  Storage
Tucurui Brazil 8'370 41.4 0.56  Storage
Grand Coulee USA 6'809 20.0 0.34  Storage
Longtan China 6'426 18.7 0.33  Storage
Xiangjiaba China 6'400 NA NA  Storage
Krasnoyarsk Russia 6'000 20.4 0.39  Storage
Robert Bourassa (LG2) Canada 5'616 26.5 0.54  Storage
Churchill Falls Canada 5'428 35.0 0.74  Storage

Tucurui Dam, Eletro Norte

Francis Turbines 22
 LMH Laboratory for Hydraulic Machines

Xiangjiaba Power Station

(Jinsha River, Yunnan)

 8 Francis Turbines
 825 MW Max. Power
 10.5 m Diameter
 ≈ 406 000 kg
What level of p fluctuations to be expected for a 800 MW turbine ? 23
LMH Laboratory for Hydraulic Machines

HYPERBOLE Turbine Case Study

Hill Chart and Operating Range
nED

QED

Deep Part Load Part Load Full Load

Francis Turbines 24
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Unsteady Flow in Francis Draft Tube

Müller et al., Experiments in Fluids n° 54 : 1514, 2013.

Alligné et al., Journal of Hydraulic Simon Pasche PhD Work, SNF GRANT N° 200021_149818
Research, Vol. 51, 6, 2010.

Francis Turbines 25
 LMH Laboratory for Hydraulic Machines

Machine Setting Level

 IEC 60193 Definitions

 Specific Energy
E  gHI − gH I > 0 ( J ⋅ kg −1
)
 Net Positive Suction
Specific Energy
 NPSE  gH − pv − gZ
I ref
ρ
( J ⋅kg )
−1

IEC 60193 Standard, "Hydraulic Turbines, Storage Pumps

and Pump-Turbines-Model Acceptance Tests".
 Setting Level
International Electrotechnical Commission; Geneva,
Nov. 1999. =hs Z ref − ZB

Turbine Specifications 26
 LMH Laboratory for Hydraulic Machines

HYPERBOLE
ERC/FP7-ENERGY-2013-1-Grant N° 608532
 HYdropower plants PERformance and flexiBle
Operation"towards Lean integration of new renewable
Energies
 Dynamic Assessment of Francis Turbines & Pump-Turbines
 42 Months, EUR 6.3 Mio
 EUR 4.3 Mio Supported by European Commission
 1st Sept. 2013 ÷ 28th Feb. 2017
 Consortium coordinated by EPFL

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 LMH Laboratory for Hydraulic Machines

HYdropower plants PERformance and flexiBle Operation

towards Lean integration of new renewable Energies
Surge Tank

Headwater reservoir

 Hydraulic Eng. Tailwater reservoir

 Mechanical Eng.
 Electrical Eng. HYPERBOLE
ERC/FP7-ENERGY-2013-1-Grant 608532
 System Approach 28
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System Approach Methodology

Francis Turbines 29
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HYPERBOLE Deep part load operating

conditions Q << QBEP
 Inter blades vortices

Francis Turbines page 30

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LMH Laboratory for Hydraulic Machines

Deep part load HYPERBOLE

Inter blades vortices
Visualization
 Hollow guide vanes
with window
 Boroscope
with swiveling prism DPL2: nED = 0.317

 High Speed Camera

 High intensity Xenon flash
 Compact power LED

Francis Turbines 31
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HYPERBOLE Deep part load

Inter blades vortices
 Flow Numerical Simulations

 Void Fraction 10% Isosurface

Francis Turbines 32
 LMH Laboratory for Hydraulic Machines

Hydroelectric Plants Generate

17% of the World Electricity

Luciano dos Santos, "Digital Disruption of Hydroelectricity", HYPERBOLE Conference, Porto, February 2-3, 2017 33
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THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION

http://lmh.epfl.ch/

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