Experimental analysis of the swirling flow in a Francis turbine draft tube: Focus on radial velocity component determination

2010 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 321-335 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvain Tridon ◽  
Stéphane Barre ◽  
Gabriel Dan Ciocan ◽  
Laurent Tomas
Keyword(s):  
Radial Velocity ◽  
Velocity Component ◽  
Experimental Analysis ◽  
Swirling Flow ◽  
Draft Tube ◽  
Francis Turbine ◽  
Radial Velocity Component

Effect of Freestream Radial Velocity Component on Hydrodynamic Analysis of Propellers

1983 ◽  
Vol 27 (02) ◽  
pp. 131-134
Author(s):  
Terry Brockett
Keyword(s):  
Mathematical Model ◽  
Radial Velocity ◽  
Performance Prediction ◽  
Velocity Component ◽  
Additional Term ◽  
Radial Component ◽  
Radial Velocity Component ◽  
Hydrodynamic Analysis ◽  
The Mathematical Model ◽  
Wake Fields

For wake fields with circumferential averages that include a small radial component, an additional termarises in the mathematical model used for design or performance prediction of propellers that has been previously overlooked. This term arises from the boundary condition that the blade is impenetrable and is a function of only geometry and the inflow radial velocity component. This simple additional term is shown to be important for the example considered, leading to a variable change in camber and a pitch reduction.

scholarly journals Manipulation of the swirling flow instability in hydraulic turbine diffuser by different methods of water injection

2018 ◽  
Vol 180 ◽  
pp. 02090 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pavel Rudolf ◽  
Jiří Litera ◽  
Germán Alejandro Ibarra Bolanos ◽  
David Štefan
Keyword(s):  
Swirling Flow ◽  
Flow Instability ◽  
Draft Tube ◽  
Water Injection ◽  
Hydraulic Turbine ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Francis Turbine ◽  
Necessary Condition ◽  
Vortex Rope ◽  
Wide Range

Vortex rope, which induces substantial pressure pulsations, arises in the draft tube (diffuser) of Francis turbine for off-design operating conditions. Present paper focuses on mitigation of those pulsations using active water jet injection control. Several modifications of the original Susan-Resiga’s idea were proposed. All modifications are driven by manipulation of the shear layer region, which is believed to play important role in swirling flow instability. While some of the methods provide results close to the original one, none of them works in such a wide range. Series of numerical experiments support the idea that the necessary condition for vortex rope pulsation mitigation is increasing the fluid momentum along the draft tube axis.

On the Use of the Squire-Long Equation to Estimate Radial Velocities in Swirling Flows

2006 ◽  
Vol 129 (2) ◽  
pp. 209-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michel J. Cervantes ◽  
L. Håkan Gustavsson
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Conditions ◽  
Radial Velocity ◽  
Swirling Flow ◽  
Draft Tube ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Swirling Flows ◽  
Laser Doppler Velocimeter ◽  
Test Case ◽  
Swirl Number ◽  
Experimental Values

A method to estimate the radial velocity in swirling flows from experimental values of the axial and tangential velocities is presented. The study is motivated by the experimental difficulties to obtain this component in a draft tube model as evidenced in the Turbine-99 IAHR∕ERCOFTAC Workshop. The method uses a two-dimensional nonviscous description of the flow. Such a flow is described by the Squire-Long equation for the stream function, which depends on the boundary conditions. Experimental values of the axial velocities at the inlet and outlet of the domain are used to obtain the boundary conditions on the bounded domain. The method consists of obtaining the equation related to the domain with an iterative process. The radial velocity profile is then obtained. The method may be applied to flows with a swirl number up to about Sw=0.25. The critical value of the swirl number depends on the velocity profiles and the geometry of the domain. The applicability of the methodology is first performed on a swirling flow in a diffuser with a half angle of 3deg at various swirl numbers, where three-dimensional (3D) laser Doppler velocimeter (LDV) velocity measurements are available. The method is then applied to the Turbine-99 test case, which consists in a model draft tube flow where the radial inlet velocity was undetermined. The swirl number is equal to Sw=0.21. The stability and the convergence of the approach is investigated in this case. The results of the pressure recovery are then compared to the experiments for validation.

scholarly journals Pulsar Wind Nebulae

1996 ◽  
Vol 160 ◽  
pp. 393-399 ◽  
Author(s):  
James M. Cordes
Keyword(s):  
Neutron Stars ◽  
Radial Velocity ◽  
Velocity Component ◽  
Pulsar Wind Nebulae ◽  
Radial Velocity Component ◽  
Ram Pressure ◽  
Pulsar Wind ◽  
Pulsar Winds

AbstractI discuss pulsar wind nebulae for which ram pressure from the neutron star’s motion is a key element of the morphology. These PWN are tools for determining the pulsar distance, radial velocity component, and interaction of pulsar winds with surrounding media. The Guitar Nebula pulsar (B2224+65) also represents a ‘smoking gun’ for velocity kicks from asymmetric supernovae or other rocket effects. The detectability of wind nebulae from pulsars and from as-yet unknown neutron stars is discussed.

Characteristics and Control of the Draft-Tube Flow in Part-Load Francis Turbine

2009 ◽  
Vol 131 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ri-kui Zhang ◽  
Feng Mao ◽  
Jie-Zhi Wu ◽  
Shi-Yi Chen ◽  
Yu-Lin Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Swirling Flow ◽  
Draft Tube ◽  
Flow Behavior ◽  
Load Condition ◽  
Francis Turbine ◽  
Tube Flow ◽  
Reversed Flow ◽  
Part Load ◽  
Axial Pressure Gradient ◽  
Flow Phenomena

Under part-load conditions, a Francis turbine often suffers from very severe low-frequency and large-amplitude pressure fluctuation, which is caused by the unsteady motion of vortices (known as “vortex ropes”) in the draft tube. This paper first reports our numerical investigation of relevant complex flow phenomena in the entire draft tube, based on the Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) equations. We then focus on the physical mechanisms underlying these complex and somewhat chaotic flow phenomena of the draft-tube flow under a part-load condition. The flow stability and robustness are our special concern, since they determine what kind of control methodology will be effective for eliminating or alleviating those adverse phenomena. Our main findings about the flow behavior in the three segments of the draft tube, i.e., the cone inlet, the elbow segment, and the outlet segment with three exits, are as follows. (1) In the cone segment, we reconfirmed a previous finding of our research group based on the turbine’s whole-flow RANS computation that the harmful vortex rope is an inevitable consequence of the global instability of the swirling flow. We further identified that this instability is caused crucially by the reversed axial flow at the inlet of the draft tube. (2) In the elbow segment, we found a reversed flow continued from the inlet cone, which evolves to slow and chaotic motion. There is also a fast forward stream driven by a localized favorable axial pressure gradient, which carries the whole mass flux downstream. The forward stream and reversed flow coexist side-by-side in the elbow, with a complex and unstable shear layer in between. (3) In the outlet segment with three exits, the forward stream always goes through a fixed exit, leaving the other two exits with a chaotic and low-speed fluid motion. Based on these findings, we propose a few control principles to suppress the reversed flow and to eliminate the harmful helical vortex ropes. Of the methods we tested numerically, a simple jet injection in the inlet is proven successful.

Experimental Evidence of Hydroacoustic Pressure Waves in a Francis Turbine Elbow Draft Tube for Low Discharge Conditions

2009 ◽  
Vol 131 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge Arpe ◽  
Christophe Nicolet ◽  
François Avellan
Keyword(s):  
Pressure Fluctuation ◽  
Swirling Flow ◽  
Draft Tube ◽  
Flow Direction ◽  
Pressure Fluctuations ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Hydropower Plant ◽  
Francis Turbine ◽  
Scale Model ◽  
Vortex Rope

The complex three-dimensional unsteady flow developing in the draft tube of a Francis turbine is responsible for pressure fluctuations, which could prevent the whole hydropower plant from operating safely. Indeed, the Francis draft tube is subjected to inlet swirling flow, divergent cross section, and the change of flow direction. As a result, in low discharge off-design operating conditions, a cavitation helical vortex, so-called the vortex rope develops in the draft tube and induces pressure fluctuations in the range of 0.2–0.4 times the runner frequency. This paper presents the extensive unsteady wall pressure measurements performed in the elbow draft tube of a high specific speed Francis turbine scale model at low discharge and at usual plant value of the Thoma cavitation number. The investigation is undertaken for operating conditions corresponding to low discharge, i.e., 0.65–0.85 times the design discharge, which exhibits pressure fluctuations at surprisingly high frequency value, between 2 and 4 times the runner rotation frequency. The pressure fluctuation measurements performed with 104 pressure transducers distributed on the draft tube wall, make apparent in the whole draft tube a fundamental frequency value at 2.5 times the runner frequency. Moreover, the modulations between this frequency with the vortex rope precession frequency are pointed out. The phase shift analysis performed for 2.5 times the runner frequency enables the identification of a pressure wave propagation phenomenon and indicates the location of the corresponding pressure fluctuation excitation source in the elbow; hydroacoustic waves propagate from this source both upstream and downstream the draft tube.

Unsteady vortical flow simulation in a Francis turbine with special emphasis on vortex rope behavior and pressure fluctuation alleviation

2017 ◽  
Vol 231 (3) ◽  
pp. 215-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xianwu Luo ◽  
An Yu ◽  
Bin Ji ◽  
Yulin Wu ◽  
Yoshinobu Tsujimoto
Keyword(s):  
Pressure Fluctuation ◽  
Swirling Flow ◽  
Draft Tube ◽  
Pressure Fluctuations ◽  
Flow Simulation ◽  
Vortical Flow ◽  
Francis Turbine ◽  
Vortex Rope ◽  
Spiral Vortex ◽  
Baroclinic Torque

Hydro turbines operating at partial flow conditions usually have vortex ropes in the draft tube that generate large pressure fluctuations. This unsteady flow phenomenon is harmful to the safe operation of hydropower stations. This paper presents numerical simulations of the internal flow in the draft tube of a Francis turbine with particular emphasis on understanding the unsteady characteristics of the vortex rope structure and the underlying mechanisms for the interactions between the air and the vortices. The pressure fluctuations induced by the vortex rope are alleviated by air admission from the main shaft center, with the water-air two phase flow in the entire flow passage of a model turbine simulated based on the homogeneous flow assumption. The results show that aeration with suitable air flow rate can alleviate the pressure fluctuations in the draft tube, and the mechanism improving the flow stability in the draft tube is due to the change of vortex rope structure and distribution by aeration, i.e. a helical vortex rope at a small aeration volume while a cylindrical vortex rope with a large amount of aeration. The preferable vortex rope distribution can suppress the swirl at the smaller flow rates, and is helpful to alleviate the pressure fluctuation in the draft tube. The analysis based on the vorticity transport equation indicates that the vortex has strong stretching and dilation in the vortex rope evolution. The baroclinic torque term does not play a major role in the vortex evolution most of the time, but will much increase for some specific aeration volumes. The present study also depicts that vortex rope is mainly associated with a pair of spiral vortex stretching and dilation sources, and its swirling flow is alleviated little by the baroclinic torque term, whose effect region is only near the draft tube inlet.

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