• The KSFM Journal of Fluid Machinery
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.46-52
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• 2015

Pump-turbine system is widely used by the hydropower industry for stabilizing the electrical grid in the vast growing economy of most developed countries. This study only investigates the Fluid-structure Interaction (FSI) analysis of the pump-turbine system at various operating conditions. The FSI analysis can show how reliable each component of the system is by providing the engineer with a better understanding of high stress and deformation points, which could reduce the lifespan of the pump-turbine. Pump-turbine components are categorized in two parts, pressurized static parts and movable stressed parts. The fixed parts include the spiral casing, top and bottom cover, stay vane and draft tube. The movable parts include guide vanes and impeller blades. Fine hexahedral numerical grids were used for CFD calculation and fine tetrahedral grids were used for structural analysis with imported load solution mapping greater than 90 %. The maximum equivalent stress are much smaller than the material yield stress, and the maximum equivalent stress showed an increasing tendency with the varying of operating conditions from partial to excessive at both modes. In addition, the total deformation of all the operating conditions showed a small magnitude, which have quite small influence on the structural stability. It can be conjectured that this system can be safely implemented.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.234-241
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• 2021

This paper contributes to the understanding of the effect of pulley on the performance of the vortex turbine in free water surface. The experimental work was to analyze the rotation, voltage and current of the turbine due to physical factors (vortex height, velocity, effective head, etc.) at flow rates ranging from 0.0069 to 0.0077 m³/s in the inlet channel. As a result, the experimental values showed that voltage, current and rotational speed of the vortex turbine decreased with increasing the pulley ratio regardless of the blade type. The efficiency of straight blade and twisted blade was 52 % at the gear ratio of 0.45, whereas the efficiency of small twisted blade was 54 % at the pulley ratio of 0.21. The highest amount of the energy generated by the water free vortex turbine occurred within a pulley ratio of 0.5. The efficiency of this vortex turbine was observed at 0.2 ~ 58 % depending on the pulley ratio.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.383-394
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• 2013

A sedimentation basin is used to remove suspended sediments which can cause abrasive and erosive wear on hydraulic turbines of hydropower plants. This sediment erosion not only decreases efficiency of the turbine but also increases maintenance costs. In this study, the three-dimensional numerical simulations were carried out on the overseas hydropower project. The simulations of flow and suspended sediment concentration were obtained using FLOW-3D computational fluid dynamics code. The simulations provide removal efficiency of a sedimentation basin based on particle sizes. The influence of baffles on the flow field and the removal efficiency of suspended sediments in the sedimentation basin has been investigated. This paper also provides the numerical simulations for sediment-induced density currents that may occur in the sedimentation basin. The simulation results indicate that the formation of density currents decreases the removal efficiency. When a baffle is installed in the sedimentation basin, the baffle provides intensive settling zones resulting in increasing the sediments settling. Thus the enhanced removal efficiency can be achieved by installing the baffle inside the sedimentation basin.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.121-129
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• 2020

This paper described a laboratory investigation of micro hydropower at lower head water in a free vortex flow. The vortex height, turbine rotation and torque for straight blade with inner curved edge, twisted blade and curved blade were investigated at the flow rate of 0.0069 ㎥/s in the inlet channel. The results showed that the optimum vortex strength occurred within the range of the diameter of basin to the outlet diameter ratios of 0.17~18.5. The power output and efficiency of straight blade were higher as compared to other blades. The highest amount of generated energy was 12.33 W, the torque was 0.91 N·m and the highest efficiency by considering effective head was 29.5 %, whereas the highest efficiency by considering vortex height was 80.5 % at the rotational speed of 132 rpm. The water vortex velocity of straight blade was about 2.8 times larger than the mean velocity in the inlet channel.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.314-319
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• 2006

In this paper, the friction and wear characteristics of contact type sealing unit far a water turbine have been presented. The sealing unit for a small hydropower generation is to stop a leakage of circulating water from an outside of an impeller to an inside of a rolling bearing. The friction heating between a seal ring and a seal seat may radically increase a surface temperature in which increase a power loss and wear on the rubbing surface. The surface wear strongly affect to the seal life of a mechanical face seal. In this study, the hardness of a stainless steel in which is a heat-treated is 892.8 in Victors hardness and the hardness of silicone carbide of SiC is 714.1 in Victors hardness. The surface hardness of a heat-treated stainless steel is 25% high compared with that of a ceramic material of SiC. The contact modes of rubbing surfaces are a dry friction, a water film friction and a mixed friction that is contaminated by a dust, silt, and moistures, etc. These two factors of a contact rubbing modes and a material property are very important parameters on the tribological performance such as a friction and wear between a seal ring and a seal seat in primary sealing unit. The experimental result shows that the surface hardness of a seal material is very important on the friction coefficient and a wear volume. Thus, the results recommend higher hardness of a seal material, which may reduce a friction loss and increase a wear life of primary seal components.

• New & Renewable Energy
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.35-46
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• 2020

Recently, turbines operating in hydro power plants are required to undergo renovation and modernization due to their age exceeding 30 years. In the process of renovation or modernization, a performance test of the scaled-down model is necessary to verify the performance of the real-size model. This model test method, with criteria that is similar to that of a real turbine, is the most economical and important method. Furthermore, the shapes of the runner and guide vane can be modified or replaced easily. However, during the process of modernization, the components with the spiral casing and draft tube are impossible to repair or replace because of the buried ground. Thus, in this study, numerical analysis is conducted to investigate the hydraulic performance based on the difference between the two-dimensional computer-aided design (CAD) shape and the real three-dimensional scan shape of the spiral casing and draft tube.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2007.06a
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• pp.617-620
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• 2007

The performance evaluation of the Samcheonpo small-hydropower plant constructed on the October 25th,2006, was carried out focused on the turbine and generator efficiency analysis by using the measurement data. The unreasonable and unrealistic efficiency results are occurred in some periods because of the data variability, uncertainty, and measurement errors and mistakes. Whereas, the big mismatch is the tidal elevation predicted in the design processes. The difference between the measured and estimated tidal elevation is obvious during the low water period. It should be considered and checked in depth on the efficiency analysis of the planned and constructing small-hydro power plants in other coastal areas.

• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
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• v.62 no.5
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• pp.632-638
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• 2013

In this study, we described voltage fluctuation characteristics of distribution line during starting and normal operation condition of the small hydro generators. Based on these theories, we scrutinized the starting and operating characteristics of induction generators installed in two small hydro power plants that is connected to the distribution line and researched necessary factors when selecting the generator type. The type of turbines and capacity of generators are different. One is below 1,000kW and the other is above 1,000kW. Two generators are tested during starting, and it acts as motor not generator at the instant that the machine is connected to the grid. After connecting to the grid, the machine rotates above synchronous speed before converting to the generator mode. Therefore the characteristic of the generator during starting is same as it of motor.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2010.11a
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• pp.137.1-137.1
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• 2010

For Indonesia, sustainable energy supply is an important factor to preserve the stable economic growth. One important strategy is development of renewable energy, which has not been fully exploited yet. The paper examines the potency of renewable energy in Indonesia. Currently, biomass composes 23% of total primary energy supply, while geothermal and hydropower has a combined share of 3%. But according to the overall potency of renewable energy, hydropower is found to have the highest available resource of 76 GW, followed by biomass and geothermal by 49.81 GW and 28.53 GW, respectively. Although the solar radiation is only at modest level ($4.80kWh/m^2/day$), the tropical all year sunlight can boost the competitiveness of solar photovoltaic and thermal application. As for wind energy, the average speed of 3-6 m/s requires the development of low speed wind turbine. The examination of electricity and petroleum product prices through international comparison for non-OECD countries shows fifth lowest price level for both of petroleum products and electricity for industrial use. As for household electricity price, Indonesia is placed the second among all the countries compared. The energy subsidy and price structure are examined in detail because it could be a source of hindrance to renewable energy promotion. The examination of renewable energy potency in this study could provide insights about recent development of renewable energy in Indonesia. As an outcome of policy examination, the price comparison analysis suggests Indonesia to reduce or even remove the energy subsidies in the long run. These findings can be utilized to formulate effective policies for renewable energy promotion.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.36 no.10
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• pp.1267-1274
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• 2012

A guide vane plays a key role in controlling the flow rate of water supplied to the turbine of a hydropower plant. It has been reported that guide vane bearing bushings are subjected to considerable wear, which requires them to be maintained. An ancillary service such as frequency control and black start causes cyclic low opening operation of the guide vanes. It is empirically well known that such operation increases the wear rate of the guide vane bearing bushing. In this study, the effect of low opening operation on the increasing wear of the guide vane bearing bushing is quantitatively assessed via finite element flow analysis, finite element stress analysis, and relative wear evaluation. As a result of the assessment, it is identified that the pressure applied on the guide vane surface increases and the contact length between the outer surface of the guide vane stem and the inner surface of the bearing bushing decreases with a decrease in the opening of the guide vane. In addition, low opening of the guide vanes results in an increase in the relative wear owing to the generation of high contact pressure on the bearing bushing surfaces.