Submitted By :Ashutosh Shrivastava (11BCL0051) Pushpesh Ranjan (11BCL0011) Yatharth Patel (11BCL0002) Karan Talwar (11BCL0025) Amrit Tayal

(11BCL0088)

The Kaplan turbine is a propeller-type water turbine which has adjustable blades similar to airplane propeller. It was developed in 1913 by the Austrian professor Viktor Kaplan to achieve efficiency over a wide range of flow and water level. Its invention allowed efficient power production in low-head applications that was not possible with Francis turbines. The head ranges from 1070 meters and the output from 5 to 120 MW. Runner diameters are between 2 and 8 meters. The range of the turbine is from 79 to 429 rpm. Kaplan turbines are now widely used throughout the world in high-flow, low-head power production

The Kaplan turbine can be divided in double and single regulated turbines. A Kaplan turbine with adjustable runner blades and adjustable guide vanes is double regulated while one with only adjustable runner blades is single regulated. The application of Kaplan turbines are from a head of 2m to 40m. The advantage of the double regulated turbines is that they can be used in a wider field The double regulated Kaplan turbines can work between 15% and 100% of the maximum design discharge. the single regulated turbines can only work between 30% and 100% of the maximum design discharge.

Essential for High Efficiency at low Heads

Section of Guide Wheel

Runner

The Kaplan Turbine is of the reaction type. The velocity of the water decreases steadily, entering the guide vanes, passing through the runner and final exit. The twist in water flow runs in parallel to the turbine shaft and to the fully admitted runner blades, where the pressure for energy conversion is reduced further. Special constructional measures are necessary to prevent cavitations. The water flow is regulated by adjustable guide vanes. To achieve optimum efficiency at varying flows, the runner blades are automatically adjusted in relation to the wicket gate position.

Cavitation occurs especially at spots where the pressure is low. In the case of a Kaplan turbine, the inlet of the runner is quite susceptible to it. At parts with a high water flow velocity cavitation might also arise. First it decreases the efficiency and causes crackling noises. The main problem is the wear or rather the damage of the turbines parts such as the blades. Cavitation does not just destroy the parts, chemical properties are also lost.

The Kaplan turbine is an inward flow reaction turbine, which means that the working fluid changes pressure as it moves through the turbine and gives up its energy. Power is recovered from both the hydrostatic head and from the kinetic energy of the flowing water. The design combines features of radial and axial turbines. The inlet is a scroll-shaped tube that wraps around the turbine's wicket gate. Water is directed tangentially through the wicket gate and spirals on to a propeller shaped runner, causing it to spin. The outlet is a specially shaped draft tube that helps decelerate the water and recover kinetic energy. Variable geometry of the wicket gate and turbine blades allow efficient operation for a range of flow conditions. Kaplan turbine efficiencies are typically over 90%, but may be lower in very low head applications

Kaplan turbines are widely used throughout the world for electrical power production. They cover the lowest head hydro sites and are especially suited for high flow conditions. Large Kaplan turbines are individually designed for each site to operate at the highest possible efficiency, typically over 90%.