Prediction of the Pressure Pulsation in a Draft Tube for a Part Load Condition Using the LES Approach

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olivier Pacot ◽  
Chisachi Kato ◽  
Yang Guo ◽  
Yoshinobu Yamade
Keyword(s):  
Load Condition ◽  
Francis Turbine ◽  
Sharp Change ◽  
Back Side ◽  
Vortex Rope ◽  
Part Load ◽  
Eddy Simulation ◽  
Computational Mesh ◽  
Large Eddy ◽  
Lift And Drag

The present paper focuses on the vortex rope that arises when operating a model Francis turbine at a part load condition: 65% of the Best Efficiency Point (BEP). The investigation is performed numerically using the Large Eddy Simulation (LES) approach with the Dynamic Smagorinsky Model (DSM). Such approach and turbulence model are implemented in the overset finite element open source code, FrontFlow/blue (FFB). Furthermore, a cavitation model is implemented allowing computations for non-cavitating and cavitating conditions. Thanks to the use of the K supercomputer, located at Kobe in Japan, and to the use of large computational mesh (123 million elements), it is shown that the frequency of the precession of the vortex rope as well as the head can be accurately computed. However, the predicted amplitude of the fluctuation did not fully agree with the experiment. Differences in a particular region near the back side of the elbow are about 35%. A comparison between the variation of the size of the vortex rope and the swirl number has been investigated and showed a clear relation. The location of the vortex rope and the minimum of the pressure were also investigated and showed that they do not fully share the same location. Furthermore, in a preliminary study to the computation of the cavitating vortex rope, computations of the flow around a Clark-11.7% hydrofoil under cavitation condition and for angles of attack of 2° and 8° are carried out. The results showed the common issue for this computation, i.e. the sharp change of the lift and drag coefficients could not be accurately predicted. Currently underway are the computation of the cavitating vortex rope. The effect of the cavitation on the vortex rope will be studied and reported at a later stage.

Numerical Simulation of Pressure Vibrations in a Francis Turbine Draft Tube With Air Admission

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Renfang Huang ◽  
An Yu ◽  
Xianwu Luo ◽  
Bin Ji ◽  
Hongyuan Xu
Keyword(s):  
Draft Tube ◽  
Load Condition ◽  
Flow Simulation ◽  
Rotation Frequency ◽  
Francis Turbine ◽  
Stable Operation ◽  
Hydraulic Efficiency ◽  
Operation Condition ◽  
Vortex Rope ◽  
Part Load

The pressure vibrations in a draft tube are harmful for the stable operation for a Francis turbine at part load conditions. In this paper, air admission is proposed to depress those pressure vibrations. The unsteady flow in a Francis turbine, whose hydraulic performance has been tested experimentally, is simulated at a part load operation condition. The flow simulation is conducted using RANS methods coupling with SST k-ω turbulence model. The results indicate the pressure vibrations in the turbine are reasonably predicted by the present numerical method. Based on the calculations, the dominant pressure vibration component for a hydro turbine operated at part-load condition is caused by the vortex rope in draft tube, and its frequency is near 0.2 times of the runner rotation frequency. The frequencies of pressure vibration do not change by air admission, and the pressure vibration amplitude decreases with the air admission. Further, the depression effect for pressure vibration would be improved if air admission is from the crown holes instead of the spindle hole. The results also indicate that the turbine hydraulic efficiency changes periodically with the pressure vibration induced by vortex rope in turbine draft tube, would be degraded with air admission from the spindle hole, and improved with air admission from the crown holes. With the increase of air admission, the turbine hydraulic efficiency would improve. The present research will be helpful for the safe operation of Francis turbines.

Large Eddy Simulation of Francis Turbine Flow Fields under Small Opening Condition

2013 ◽  
Vol 444-445 ◽  
pp. 281-285 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tao Guo ◽  
Jun Zhou ◽  
Xiao Nan Liu
Keyword(s):  
Kinetic Energy ◽  
Large Eddy Simulation ◽  
Turbulent Kinetic Energy ◽  
Guide Vane ◽  
Francis Turbine ◽  
Scale Model ◽  
Unstable Flow ◽  
Small Opening ◽  
Eddy Simulation ◽  
Large Eddy

The vibration intensity is strong in Francis turbine occurred under the small opening conditions, such as Lijia Gorges and Three Gorges project. In paper we use large eddy simulation (LES) method base on Vreman SubGrid-Scale model to study the generation and evolution process of turbulence flow, capturing the details of the flow structures and the dissipation of the turbulent kinetic energy. The SIMPIEC algorithm is applied to solve the coupled equation of velocity and pressure. The result shows that the small guide vane opening conditions deviate the optimal conditions most. So some unstable flow characters been induced. Such as the turbulent kinetic energy of fluid in guide vanes zone, the blade passage and the draft tube are very strong. The unstable flow phenomenon including the swirl, flow separation, interruption and vortex strip. It can be deduced that the vibration of unit is induced by these flow characteristic.

The Characteristics Research of Tube Vortex Based on Large Eddy Simulation

2011 ◽  
Vol 121-126 ◽  
pp. 3657-3661
Author(s):  
Dun Zhang ◽  
Yuan Zheng ◽  
Ying Zhao ◽  
Jian Jun Huang
Keyword(s):  
Large Eddy Simulation ◽  
Turbulent Flow ◽  
Complex Geometry ◽  
Initial Conditions ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Flow Simulation ◽  
Computational Method ◽  
Francis Turbine ◽  
Eddy Simulation ◽  
Large Eddy

Numerical simulation of three-dimensional transient turbulent flow in the whole flow passage of a Francis turbine were based upon the large eddy simulation(LES) technique on Smargorinsky model and sliding mesh technology. The steady flow data simulated with the standard k-εmodel was used as the initial conditions for the unsteady simulation. The results show that LES can do well transient turbulent flow simulation in a Francis turbine with complex geometry. The computational method provides some reference for exploring the mechanism of eddy formation in a complex turbulent of hydraulic machinery.

LES investigation on vortex dynamics of transient sheet/cloud cavitating flow using different vortex identification methods

2020 ◽  
pp. 2150111
Author(s):  
Shuheng Qu ◽  
Jinping Li ◽  
Huaiyu Cheng ◽  
Bin Ji
Keyword(s):  
Vortex Dynamics ◽  
Cavitating Flow ◽  
Vortex Identification ◽  
Cavitation Model ◽  
Identification Methods ◽  
Vortex Interactions ◽  
Eddy Simulation ◽  
Large Eddy ◽  
Lift And Drag ◽  
Criterion Method

The sheet/cloud cavitating flow always contains complex multiscale vortex structures generated by the cavity cloud shedding and collapsing. In this study, the transient sheet/cloud cavitating flow around a Clark-Y hydrofoil is numerically investigated using the Large Eddy Simulation (LES) method coupled with the Zwart–Gerber–Belamri (ZGB) cavitation model. The simulation accurately reproduces the unsteady cavitation evolution process, and the predicted time-averaged lift and drag coefficients, total vapor volume variation and velocity distribution agree fairly well with the experimental measurements. The cavitation vortex dynamics are studied in detail with different vortex identification methods including the vorticity method, the [Formula: see text]-criterion method, the [Formula: see text] method, the [Formula: see text] method and the Liutex method. The vortex identification ability of the different methods in the transient sheet/cloud cavitating flow is also discussed. Generally, the Liutex method combines the advantages of the other methods and can accurately identify both the vortex position and strength. Further analysis of cavitation-vortex interactions demonstrates that the cavity cloud shedding and collapsing have a pronounced influence on the vortex structure.

Generation of Twin Vortex Rope in the Draft-Tube Elbow of a Francis Turbine During Deep Part-Load Operation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Hossein Khozaei ◽  
Arthur Favrel ◽  
Toshitake Masuko ◽  
Naoki Yamaguchi ◽  
Kazuyoshi Miyagawa
Keyword(s):  
Linear Correlation ◽  
Draft Tube ◽  
Pressure Fluctuations ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Model Tests ◽  
Francis Turbine ◽  
Deep Part ◽  
Swirl Number ◽  
Vortex Rope ◽  
Part Load

Abstract This paper focuses on the generation of twin vortex rope in the draft-tube elbow of a Francis turbine at deep part-load operation through analyzing the results of model tests along with numerical simulations. Model tests, including pressure fluctuations measurements, are conducted over 10 speed factors. By considering the frequency of the pressure fluctuations with respect to the swirl intensity at the runner outlet, the part-load operating range is divided into three regimes, with two clear transitions between each occurring at swirl numbers 0.4 and 1.7. For operating conditions with a swirl number S>0.4, a linear correlation between the frequency of the precessing vortex core and the swirl number is established. During deep part-load regime (S>1.7), low-frequency pressure fluctuations appear. Their frequency feature another linear correlation with the swirl number. Unsteady CFD simulation of the full domain is performed to elucidate the generation mechanisms of the low-frequency fluctuations. By tracking the center of the vortical structures along the draft-tube, generation of three vortices in the elbow responsible for the pressure fluctuations at the lowest frequency is highlighted: the main PVC hits the draft-tube wall in the elbow resulting in its break down into three vortices rotating with half the rotational speed of the PVC. Two of the vortices rotate with opposite angular position, constituting a structure of twin vortices. The periodic rotation of these three vortices in the elbow induces the low-frequency pressure fluctuations.

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.

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