TURBINES & Axial flow machines

UNIT - 3 Section (12.5)

TURBINES (Dynamic machine to extract energy from fluid)

1. Reaction (Static pressure changes) : Converts both Flow & Kinetic energy - Axial flow or propeller turbine (Kaplan, Bulb) - Radial or Mixed flow (Francis turbine) 2. Impulse: (Static pressure unchanged) Converts only Kinetic energy -Tangential flow on buckets (Pelton)

Francis turbine (Radial)

An axial flow machine

Axial flow (Kaplan) Turbine (Reaction)

Axial flow Bulb (propeller) Turbine (Reaction)

Used for very low head, high volume flow Ideal for tidal power plant
Annapolis Royal uses one of these

Francis Turbine (Mixed flow) (Reaction)

PELTON WHEEL

Axial Flow Machines (12.2.2)

Here fluid flows parallel to the machine axis Propeller, air circulator, table fan are examples of axial flow pump/fan It is also used extensively in turbines Axial flow machines gives high flow at low head. For high head series of impellers (blades) are mounted in series. Guide or static vanes are used in-between to guide the flow for optimum efficiency Its impellers are designed to give constant axial velocity at all radius but varying head.

Axial Flow Machines

Fluid enters and leaves at the same radial distance giving u1= u2 ; Vn1 = Vn2 Eq.(8) is valid here. So we can write u2 (u2 Vn 2 cot 2 ) u 2 uVn cot 2 (14) H= =
g g g

Eq. 14 suggests that head varies from axis to periphery. Axial flow fans are designed to have same velocity at all radius. Can you suggest how to do this?

Axial Flow Turbine

Power developed ~ Flow rate x Head available Axial flow turbines allow large flow and therefore work with low velocity or low head Guide vanes gives free vortex type whirl to water (Vt ~ R-1) To handle large flow rates blades are large Blade velocity (u ~ R) increases with radius, but fluid velocity (Vt ~ R-1) To cater for this difference the runner blades are twisted making larger angle at the tip For max. efficiency blades are designed such that tangential component of exit velocity, Vt1 is zero P = r Q(u2Vt2 u1Vt1) = r Q u2Vt2 Specific speed for this type of turbine is 400- 800 rpm

Multi blade Reaction Turbine

Radial/Mixed flow Turbine (Reaction)

(FRANCIS TURBINE)
In a reaction turbine (hydraulic, steam, or gas), a part of the head is converted into KE in stationery guide vanes Static pressure changes in the runner Used for low head high flow application It can be mixed flow or radial type It gives high efficiency but is unsuitable for high head Specific speed for such turbine is 10-110

IMPULSE TURBINE
High velocity jet discharging at atmosphere pressure hits the buckets turning the turbine Momentum change is through change in flow direction No velocity change It requires high head As jet velocity is depends on the head (v ~ H0.5) So it is unsuitable for low head Ideal Specific speed is 1- 10 rpm

Velocity diagram of impulse turbine

Power developed (Impulse turbine)

Jet velocity V1 = Cv(2gH)0.5 Tangential velocity at entry, Vt1=V1= Vr1+u at exit Vt2 = u Vr2cos b2; Euler Eq. Energy transfer/mass = (u Vt1- u. Vt2) Substituting, P = (rQ)u[Vr1+u (u Vr2cos b2)] = (rQ)u(V1 u)(1+ k.cos b2) where k = (Vr2/Vr1). Ideally velocity does not change in impulse turbine blades giving k =1, but some loss may occur Efficiency of runner = Power/Kinetic energy of jet = (rQ)u(V1 u)(1+cos b2)/[(rQ) V12/2] = (2u/ V12)(V1 u) (1+cos b2)

Turbine selection
In turbine the dependent variable is BHP output which depends on Q, H, n & D Specific speed Nsp compares output with Head Nsp = N(rpm) (BHP)0.5/[{Hft))1.25] Optimum efficiency of turbine depends on its specific speed

Problem on Pelton wheel

A pelton wheel driven by two similar jets transmits 3750 kW to the shaft when running at 375 rpm. The head from the reservoir level to the nozzles is 200 m and there 10% loss in head for flow through the pipelines and nozzles. The jets are tangential to a 1.45m diameter circle. The relative velocity decreases by 10% as the water traverses the buckets, which are so shaped that they would, if stationery, deflect the jet through 1650. Neglecting windage losses, find: (a) the efficiency of the runner and (b) the diameter of each jet [Ans: 93.3%, 157 mm]

Home work
An axial flow fan has a hub diameter of 1.5 m and tip diameter of 2 m. It rotates at 18 rad/s and, when handling 5 m3/s of air, develops a theoretical head equivalent to 17 mm of water. Determine the blade outlet and inlet angles at the hub and at the tip. Assume that the velocity of flow is independent of radius and that the energy transfer per unit length of blade is constant. Air density = 1.2 kg/m3 and water density = 1000 kg/m3 [11.40, 15.10, 19.50, 48.60] (Douglas p-719)