Investigation on Combined Air and Water Injection in Francis Turbine Draft Tube to Reduce Vortex Rope Effects

2018 ◽  
Vol 141 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Moona Mohammadi ◽  
Ebrahim Hajidavalloo ◽  
Morteza Behbahani-Nejad
Keyword(s):  
Flow Rate ◽  
Draft Tube ◽  
Water Injection ◽  
Total Loss ◽  
Design Flow ◽  
Air Injection ◽  
Francis Turbine ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Operating Range ◽  
Two Fluids

In this paper, the effect of water, air, and their combined injection from two different injection points is studied in order to reduce vorticity effects in a draft tube of prototype turbine working at three operating points. The flow from spiral case to the end of draft tube is simulated using the shear stress transport k–ω turbulence and two-phase models. Using an appropriate validation method, acceptable results were obtained under the noninjection condition. To determine suitable number of points and inlet flow rate for air injection as well as the appropriate nozzle diameter for air and water injection, a new method which considers the ratio of total loss to the pressure recovery factor is used, in addition to using the traditional method which calculates the total loss in the draft tube. Comparing results of the three types of injections shows air injection in the operating range greater than 70% of turbine design flow rate, is much more effective than water injection or the combination of air and water injection. However, in the operating range below 70%, either water or air injections are not suitable, but combination of these two fluids can improve system performance.

Francis Turbine Operation at Excess Flow Rate Using Large Eddy Simulation: The Effect of Water Injection

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhannad Altimemy ◽  
Justin Caspar ◽  
Saif Watheq ◽  
Alparslan Oztekin
Keyword(s):  
Flow Rate ◽  
Draft Tube ◽  
Tube Wall ◽  
Temporal Structure ◽  
Pressure Fluctuations ◽  
Water Injection ◽  
Design Flow ◽  
Francis Turbine ◽  
Reduced Pressure ◽  
Large Eddy

Abstract High-fidelity Large Eddy Simulations (LES) were conducted to characterize the spatial and temporal structure of turbulent flows in an industrial-sized Francis turbine running at 120% of the design flow rate. Injection at a 4% and 8% flow rate is applied and investigated as a mitigation method for pressure-induced fluctuations along the draft tube. Contours of velocity and vorticity in the draft tube are presented to examine the effects of water injection. Probes placed alongside the draft tube measure the pressure signal and compare both operational regimes to characterize the pressure fluctuations. The intensity of pressure fluctuations along the draft tube wall is an order of magnitude smaller compared to that at the center. As the injection is applied, the intensity of the pressure fluctuations along the draft tube wall is increased while the intensity of pressure fluctuations in the center of the draft tube is reduced. Pressure probes in the center of the draft tube measure an 86% to 57% reduction in amplitude for 4% to 8% flow rate injection, respectively. There is a 30% to 40% increase in fluctuations along the wall for 4% to 8% flow rate injection, respectively. These changes in flow structure are due to the dissipation of the vortex rope as the injection is applied.

scholarly journals Effect of Air Injection on the Internal Flow Characteristics in the Draft Tube of a Francis Turbine Model

Processes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 1182
Author(s):  
Seung-Jun Kim ◽  
Yong Cho ◽  
Jin-Hyuk Kim
Keyword(s):  
Flow Rate ◽  
Draft Tube ◽  
Pressure Fluctuations ◽  
Flow Characteristics ◽  
Internal Flow ◽  
Air Injection ◽  
Low Flow ◽  
Francis Turbine ◽  
Navier Stokes ◽  
Vortex Rope

Under low flow-rate conditions, a Francis turbine exhibits precession of a vortex rope with pressure fluctuations in the draft tube. These undesirable flow phenomena can lead to deterioration of the turbine performance as manifested by torque and power output fluctuations. In order to suppress the rope with precession and a swirl component in the tube, the use of anti-swirl fins was investigated in a previous study. However, vortex rope generation still occurred near the cone of the tube. In this study, unsteady-state Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes analyses were conducted with a scale-adaptive simulation shear stress transport turbulence model. This model was used to observe the effects of the injection in the draft tube on the unsteady internal flow and pressure phenomena considering both active and passive suppression methods. The air injection affected the generation and suppression of the vortex rope and swirl component depending on the flow rate of the air. In addition, an injection level of 0.5%Q led to a reduction in the maximum unsteady pressure characteristics.

Comparison of Axial Water and Air Injections in the Draft Tube of a Francis Turbine for RVR Mitigation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Subodh Khullar ◽  
Krishna M. Singh ◽  
Michel J. Cervantes ◽  
Bhupendra K. Gandhi
Keyword(s):  
Pressure Pulsation ◽  
Draft Tube ◽  
Water Injection ◽  
Air Injection ◽  
Flow Instabilities ◽  
Pressure Recovery ◽  
Francis Turbine ◽  
Tube Flow ◽  
Pressure Pulsations ◽  
Jet Injection

Abstract The presence of excessive swirl at the runner outlet in Francis turbines operating at part load leads to the development of flow instabilities such as the rotating vortex rope (RVR). The presence of RVR causes severe pressure pulsations, power swings, and fatigue damage in the turbine unit. Air and water injection in the draft tube have been reported to reduce the detrimental effects of RVR formation in the Francis turbines. Air injection is one of the oldest and most widely used methods. In contrast, water jet injection is a relatively new methodology. The present work reports the numerical simulations performed to compare the respective effectiveness of these methods to mitigate the RVR and the related flow instabilities. The efficacy of the two methods has been compared based on the pressure pulsations and pressure recovery in the draft tube cone. The results show that the air and water injection influence the draft tube flow field in different ways. Both air and water injection led to a reduction in pressure pulsation magnitudes in the draft tube cone. However, the air injection led to a negative pressure recovery while the water injection improved the draft tube action.

Flow Characterization of an Industrial Size Francis Turbine Operating at Ultra-Low Load – The Effect of Water Injection

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhannad Altimemy ◽  
Justin Caspar ◽  
Saif Watheq ◽  
Alparslan Oztekin
Keyword(s):  
Flow Rate ◽  
Pressure Fluctuations ◽  
Water Injection ◽  
Design Flow ◽  
Francis Turbine ◽  
Base Case ◽  
Slight Reduction ◽  
Injection Angle ◽  
Rotation Direction ◽  
Low Load

Abstract Large Eddy Simulations (LES) are carried out for a Francis turbine operating at an ultra-low load with and without injection. The flow rate of the turbine is 40% of the design value. The injection aims to improve turbine operation for the already unstable base case away from the design flow rate. Tangential water injection was introduced through the draft tube wall in the same and opposite runner rotation direction. The injection angle was varied (15°, 30°, 45° and 60°). Two water injection rates were applied at 4% and 8 % of the optimal design flowrate. While injection with the 4% rate and 30° in the opposite runner rotation direction helped reduce pressure fluctuations downstream of the injection inlets; no injection configuration could completely mitigate the power and pressure fluctuations. The injection was found to increase the amplitude of pressure fluctuations close to the injection inlets by 2 to 20 times the magnitude of fluctuations without injection. There was a slight reduction in mean power production (4–10% loss) by injection. The high amplitude fluctuations were observed in power signals with and without the injection.

Hydraulic Disturbance Method to Reduce the Pressure Fluctuation in Francis Turbine Draft Tube

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhangchao Li ◽  
Jinshi Chang ◽  
Xingying Ji ◽  
Wanjiang Liu ◽  
Zhe Xin
Keyword(s):  
Flow Rate ◽  
Pressure Fluctuation ◽  
Draft Tube ◽  
Water Injection ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Flow Simulation ◽  
Francis Turbine ◽  
Vortex Rope ◽  
Helical Vortex ◽  
Velocity Circulation

For a Francis turbine, when operating at partial flow rate the fixed-pitch runner shows a strong swirl at the runner outlet which induces a helical vortex (so-called vortex rope) in the draft tube. The precessing vortex rope causes severe pressure fluctuation which effects the steady and secure operating of the turbine. Three-dimensional unsteady turbulent flow simulation with RNG k-ε turbulence model of complete flow passage of a model Francis turbine at partial discharge is performed. To verify the simulation, the model turbine is tested on the test rig at the Harbin Electric Machinery Co., Ltd. (HEC), China. An ideal result of the simulation is obtained. The simulation predicts the shape of the helical vortex successfully in the draft tube cone, and the predicted values of the pressure fluctuation frequencies and amplitudes agree well with the test data. The hydraulic disturbance method is introduced, i.e., injecting water with velocity circulation from the runner cone to reduce the pressure fluctuation in Francis turbine draft tube. The injected water with velocity circulation destroys the forming mechanism of vortex rope and eliminates the pressure fluctuation accordingly. The flow in the turbine with water injection is simulated, and it is indicated that with appropriate flow rate and velocity circulation water injection the pressure fluctuation in the draft tube is reduced effectively.

Influence of the velocity field at the inlet of a Francis turbine draft tube on performance over an operating range

2012 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 032008 ◽  
Author(s):  
R Susan-Resiga ◽  
S Muntean ◽  
T Ciocan ◽  
E Joubarne ◽  
P Leroy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Velocity Field ◽  
Draft Tube ◽  
Francis Turbine ◽  
Operating Range

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.

Air Injection by Self-Aspirating Impeller in Aerobic Fermentation

1975 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 94-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. A. AZI ◽  
A. G. MEIERING ◽  
C. L. DUITSCHAEVER ◽  
A. E. READE
Keyword(s):  
Flow Pattern ◽  
Flow Rate ◽  
Oxygen Transfer ◽  
Draft Tube ◽  
Air Flow ◽  
Air Injection ◽  
Vertical Flow ◽  
Rotor Speed ◽  
Air Flow Rate ◽  
Biological Tests

A novel fermentor is described in which aeration is achieved by air induction through a hollow impeller system: no air pump is required. Air flow into the vessel increased with rotor speed, impeller diameter and height of liquid above the impeller. Although longer impellers increased the air flow rate. oxygen transfer was favored by shorter impellers. The presence of a draft tube in the vessel creates a vertical flow pattern in the medium which increases gas hold-up and, therefore, oxygen transfer. Biological tests on the system using a mold and a yeast showed that performance compared favorably to conventional fermentor systems using separate aerators and agitators.

Long-Period Pressure Pulsation Estimated in Numerical Simulations for Excessive Flow Rate Condition of Francis Turbine

2014 ◽  
Vol 136 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenji Shingai ◽  
Nobuaki Okamoto ◽  
Yuta Tamura ◽  
Kiyohito Tani
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulations ◽  
Flow Rate ◽  
Draft Tube ◽  
Homogeneous Model ◽  
Francis Turbine ◽  
Computational Time ◽  
Condensation Process ◽  
Rate Condition ◽  
Long Period ◽  
Rotor Stator Interaction

A series of numerical simulations for a Francis turbine were carried out to estimate the unsteady motion of the cavity in the draft tube of the turbine under a much larger flow rate condition than the swirl-free flow rate. The evaporation and condensation process was described by using a simplified Rayleigh–Plesset equation. A two-phase homogeneous model was adopted to calculate the mixture of gas and liquid phases. Instantaneous pressure monitored at a point on the draft tube formed long-period pulsations. Detailed analysis of the simulation results clarified the occurrence of a uniquely shaped cavity and the corresponding flow pattern in every period of the pressure pulsations. The existence of a uniquely shaped cavity was verified with an experimental approach. A simulation without rotor-stator interaction also obtained long-period pulsations after an extremely long computational time. This result shows that the rotor-stator interaction does not contribute to the excitation of long-period pulsations.

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