scholarly journals Cavitating vortices in the guide vanes region related to the pump-turbine pumping mode rotating stall

2017 ◽  
Vol 813 ◽  
pp. 012043
Author(s):  
U Ješe ◽  
A Skotak ◽  
J Mikulašek
Keyword(s):  
Rotating Stall ◽  
Pump Turbine ◽  
Guide Vanes ◽  
Pumping Mode

scholarly journals Numerical Study of Pump-Turbine Instabilities Under Pumping Mode Off-Design Conditions

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Uroš Ješe ◽  
Regiane Fortes-Patella ◽  
Matevž Dular
Keyword(s):  
Power Plants ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Guide Vane ◽  
Characteristic Curve ◽  
Rotating Stall ◽  
Electrical Network ◽  
Pump Turbine ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Pumping Mode ◽  
And Performance

Pumped storage power plants, using reversible pump-turbines, are a great solution to maintain the stability of an electrical network. The continuous operating area of reversible pump-turbines machines is usually delimited by cavitation or a hydraulic instability called hump phenomena at part load. If the machine operates under these off-design conditions, it might be exposed to vibrations and performance losses. The paper focuses on the numerical analysis of the pumping mode regime and pays special attention to the prediction of the hump shaped characteristic curve and associated rotating stall. The investigations were made on a high head pump-turbine design (nq=27) at model scale for four different guide vane opening angles and a wide range of flow rates. Numerical simulations were performed and analyzed in LEGI and were compared to the global experimental data, provided by Alstom Hydro.

Experimental Evidence of Rotating Stall in a Pump-Turbine at Off-Design Conditions in Generating Mode

2011 ◽  
Vol 133 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vlad Hasmatuchi ◽  
Mohamed Farhat ◽  
Steven Roth ◽  
Francisco Botero ◽  
François Avellan
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Pressure Fluctuations ◽  
Frequency Component ◽  
Rotating Stall ◽  
Image Processing Technique ◽  
Scale Model ◽  
Pump Turbine ◽  
Guide Vanes ◽  
Radial Pump ◽  
Generating Mode

An experimental investigation of the rotating stall in reduced scale model of a low specific speed radial pump-turbine at runaway and turbine brake conditions in generating mode is achieved. Measurements of wall pressure in the stator are performed along with high-speed flow visualizations in the vaneless gap with the help of air bubbles injection. When starting from the best efficiency point (BEP) and increasing the impeller speed, a significant increase of the pressure fluctuations is observed mainly in the wicket gates channels. The spectral analysis shows a rise of a low frequency component (about 70% of the impeller rotational frequency) at runaway, which further increases as the zero discharge condition is approached. Analysis of the instantaneous pressure peripheral distribution in the vaneless gap reveals one stall cell rotating with the impeller at sub-synchronous speed. High-speed movies reveal a quite uniform flow pattern in the guide vanes channels at the normal operating range, whereas at runaway the flow is highly disturbed by the rotating stall passage. The situation is even more critical at very low positive discharge, where backflow and vortices in the guide vanes channels develop during the stall cell passage. A specific image processing technique is applied to reconstruct the rotating stall evolution in the entire guide vanes circumference for a low positive discharge operating point. The findings of this study suggest that one stall cell rotates with the impeller at sub-synchronous velocity in the vaneless gap between the impeller and the guide vanes. It is the result of rotating flow separations developed in several consecutive impeller channels which lead to their blockage.

Suppression of hump characteristic for a pump-turbine using leading-edge protuberance

2019 ◽  
Vol 234 (2) ◽  
pp. 187-194 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guo Zhiwei ◽  
Wang Chihang ◽  
Qian Zhongdong ◽  
Luo Xianwu ◽  
Xia Weipeng
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Data ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Wave Guide ◽  
Good Qualitative Agreement ◽  
Three Dimensional Flow ◽  
Pump Turbine ◽  
Guide Vanes ◽  
Pumping Mode ◽  
Dynamics Method

The application of wave guide vanes with bio-inspired leading-edge protuberances to the hump characteristic of a pump-turbine is examined in this study. Numerical simulation with a shear-stress transport turbulence model is used to calculate the three-dimensional flow in a pump-turbine in pumping mode. Three tubercle amplitudes of 0.02c, 0.04c, and 0.08c (c is chord length), and three spanwise wavenumbers (2/s, 4/s and 8/s, s is the length of span) for guide vanes are especially considered. The results obtained show that the simulated performances of original guide vanes are found to be in good qualitative agreement with experimental data, supporting the validation of the computational fluid dynamics method. For different wave guide vanes with leading-edge protuberances, it is shown that the hump characteristic of the pump-turbine in pumping mode is effectively improved. This is due to improved flow fields below the tongue in view of entropy production and vector field. The energy loss can be clearly compared through the entropy distribution for different locations of the guide vanes, and it is improved for the wave guide vanes with bio-inspired leading-edge protuberances. For current pump-turbine, the optimal amplitude and wavenumber are found to be around 0.04c and 4/s.

Large Eddy Simulation of the Rotating Stall in a Pump-Turbine Operated in Pumping Mode at a Part-Load Condition

2016 ◽  
Vol 138 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Olivier Pacot ◽  
Chisachi Kato ◽  
Yang Guo ◽  
Yoshinobu Yamade ◽  
François Avellan
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Large Eddy Simulation ◽  
Rotating Stall ◽  
Scale Model ◽  
Pump Turbine ◽  
Eddy Simulation ◽  
Large Eddy ◽  
Pumping Mode ◽  
Stall Cells ◽  
Reduced Scale

The investigation of the rotating stall phenomenon appearing in the HYDRODYNA pump-turbine reduced scale model is carried out by performing a large-scale large eddy simulation (LES) computation using a mesh featuring approximately 85 × 106 elements. The internal flow is computed for the pump-turbine operated at 76% of the best efficiency point (BEP) in pumping mode, for which previous experimental research evidenced four rotating stall cells. To achieve an adequate resolution near the wall, the Reynolds number is decreased by a factor of 25 than that of the experiment, by assuming that the flow of our interest is not strongly affected by the Reynolds number. The computations are performed on the supercomputer PRIMEHPC FX10 of the University of Tokyo using the overset finite-element open source code FrontFlow/blue with the dynamic Smagorinsky turbulence model. It is shown that the rotating stall phenomenon is accurately simulated using the LES approach. The results show an excellent agreement with available experimental data from the reduced scale model tested at the EPFL Laboratory for hydraulic machines. The number of stall cells as well as the propagation speed agree well with the experiment. Detailed investigations on the computed flow fields have clarified the propagation mechanism of the stall cells.

Measurement of Unsteady Flow in Pump-Turbine for Hydropower Using PIV Method

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nobuhiko Fukuda ◽  
Satoshi Someya ◽  
Koji Okamoto
Keyword(s):  
Rotational Speed ◽  
Velocity Measurement ◽  
Numerical Procedure ◽  
Hydraulic Turbine ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
High Time ◽  
Pump Turbine ◽  
Guide Vanes ◽  
Runner Blade ◽  
Wide Range

It is thought that the pressure fluctuation can occur due to the interaction between flow through guide vanes and flow into runner blades, resulting in a vibration of turbine and a blade cracking, in a hydraulic turbine operated in a wide range for flexible power demand. High accurate velocity measurement with high time/spatial resolution can help to clarify the mechanism of the interaction and to provide good experimental data for the validation of numerical procedure. So the aim of present study is to estimate the unstable velocity field quantitatively in the area between guide vanes and runner blades, using high time-resolved particle image velocimetry (PIV). Two types of velocity measurements were carried out, i.e., phase-locked measurement and high time sequential velocity measurement, in a pump-turbine model with 20 guide vanes and 6 runner blades. The characteristic of the flow field varied corresponding to the operating conditions such as flow rate and rotational speed. Opening angles of guide vanes were kept uniform. A clockwise vortex was generated at inside of the runner blade under smaller rotational speed. A counterclockwise vortex was separated at the backside of the runner blade under higher rotational speed. At any operating conditions, the velocity between guide vanes and runner blades oscillated periodically at the blade passing frequency.

scholarly journals Simulation and Experimental Investigation of the Stay Vane Channel Flow in a Reversible Pump Turbine at Off-Design Conditions

2017 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 94 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandro Erne ◽  
Gernot Edinger ◽  
Anton Maly ◽  
Christian Bauer
Keyword(s):  
Transient Flow ◽  
Guide Vane ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Rotating Stall ◽  
Design Flow ◽  
Flow State ◽  
Mean Flow ◽  
Load Range ◽  
Pump Turbine ◽  
Stall Inception

This work presents the assessment of the mean flow field and low frequency disturbances in the stay vane channel of a model pump turbine using transient numerical simulations and LDV-based measurements. The focus is laid on transient CFD simulations of characteristic flow states in the stay vane channel when operating at off-design conditions in pump mode. Experimental and numerical investigations obtained a shifting velocity distribution between the shroud and hub of the distributor when continuously increasing the discharge in the part-load range. Simulations captured the occurrence of this changing flow state in the stay vane channel reasonably well. A further increase of the discharge showed a uniformly redistributed mean flow of both hub and shroud side. Monitoring points and integral quantities from measurements and transient simulations were used to interpret the development of transient flow patterns in the stay vane channel at the operating point of strongest asymmetrical flow. During simulation and measurement, a dominant rotating stall inception was observed near the design flow of the pump turbine. At this point where the stall becomes severe, a high level of correlation between the signals of the upper and lower stalled flow in the stay vane channel was calculated. Further simulations for different guide vane positions predicted a strong influence of the guide vane position on the structure of rotating stall.

scholarly journals Distribution of Pressure Fluctuations in a Prototype Pump Turbine at Pump Mode

2014 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 923937 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuekun Sun ◽  
Zhigang Zuo ◽  
Shuhong Liu ◽  
Jintao Liu ◽  
Yulin Wu
Keyword(s):  
Mass Flow ◽  
Pressure Fluctuations ◽  
Dominant Frequency ◽  
Pump Mode ◽  
Pump Turbine ◽  
Guide Vanes ◽  
Path Direction ◽  
Mass Flow Rates ◽  
Operating Points ◽  
Spiral Casing

Pressure fluctuations are very important characteristics in pump turbine's operation. Many researches have focused on the characteristics (amplitude and frequencies) of pressure fluctuations at specific locations, but little researches mentioned the distribution of pressure fluctuations in a pump turbine. In this paper, 3D numerical simulations using SSTk − ω turbulence model were carried out to predict the pressure fluctuations distribution in a prototype pump turbine at pump mode. Three operating points with different mass flow rates and different guide vanes’ openings were simulated. The numerical results show how pressure fluctuations at blade passing frequency (BPF) and its harmonics vary along the whole flow path direction, as well as along the circumferential direction. BPF is the first dominant frequency in vaneless space. Pressure fluctuation component at this frequency rapidly decays towards upstream (to draft tube) and downstream (to spiral casing). In contrast, pressure fluctuations component at 3BPF spreads to upstream and downstream with almost constant amplitude. Amplitude and frequencies of pressure fluctuations also vary along different circumferential locations in vaneless space. When the mass flow and guide vanes’ opening are different, the distribution of pressure fluctuations along the two directions is different basically.

scholarly journals Experimental Research on the Rotating Stall of a Pump Turbine in Pump Mode

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 2426
Author(s):  
Xue ◽  
Liu ◽  
Lu ◽  
Gao ◽  
Meng
Keyword(s):  
Flow Field ◽  
Experimental Research ◽  
Flow Rate ◽  
Guide Vane ◽  
Rotating Stall ◽  
Dynamics Simulation ◽  
Positive Slope ◽  
Pump Mode ◽  
Pump Turbine ◽  
Pump Performance

The rotating stall is an unstable flow phenomenon of pump turbines in pump mode, which is of increasing concern to scientists and engineers working on pump turbines. However, at present, various studies are carried out based on CFD (computational fluid dynamics) simulation, while directly measured data and experimental research on flow fields are seldom reported. By utilizing PIV (particle image velocimetry) measuring equipment, the flow field within the guide vane zone of a low specific speed pump turbine in pump mode was measured. By measuring and analyzing the transient flow field, the evolutionary process of the rotating stall within the guide vane passages was determined. We found that for all three tested guide vane openings, regardless of whether the positive slope appeared or not, a pre-stall operating point was found for each opening in the process of decreasing the flow rate. The analysis of the loss within the flow field indicated that the dissipation-induced loss increased greatly after the rotating stall appeared. The pump performance curves at the three guide vane openings showed an inflection at the pre-stall point. When the flow rate is larger than that of the pre-stall point, the head of the pump turbine dramatically increases as the flow rate decreases. However, when the flow rate is smaller than the pre-stall point, such increases noticeably slows down.The research results showed that whether the positive slope on the pump performance curve occurred or not, instability caused by the rotating stall should be of great concern.

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