Performance Analysis of Francis Turbines by CFD

CFD을 이용한 프란시스 수차의 내부유동 해석

The conventional method to assess turbine performance is its model testing which becomes costly and time consuming for several design alternatives in design optimization. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has become a cost effective tool for predicting detailed flow information in turbine space to enable the selection of best design. In the present paper, Francis turbine of commercial small hydropower plants which is under 70kw is investigated. Solutions are investigated with respect to the hydraulic characteristics against an outward angle of guide vane, the number of guide vane and head (inlet velocity). By suitable modification of the runner shape, low pressure zone on the leading edge can be reduced. If the entire runner is to be optimized in this manner, flow simulation tests have to be carried out on a series of different geometrical shape.