• The KSFM Journal of Fluid Machinery
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.19-29
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• 2014

In addition to the development of micro hydro turbine, the challenge in micro hydro turbine design as sustainable hydro devices is focused on the optimization of turbine runner blade which have decisive effect on the turbine performance to reach higher efficiency. A multi-objective optimization method to optimize the performance of runner blade of propeller turbine for micro turbine has been studied. For the initial design of planar blade cascade, singularity distribution method and the combination of the Bezier curve parametric technology is used. A non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II(NSGA II) is developed based on the multi-objective optimization design method. The comparision with model test show that the blade charachteristics is optimized by NSGA-II has a good efficiency and load distribution. From model test and scale up calculation, the maximum prototype efficiency of the runner blade reaches as high as 90.87%.

• Journal of the Society of Naval Architects of Korea
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• v.59 no.3
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• pp.183-191
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• 2022

A design method for a propeller type rim-driven axial-flow turbine for a micro-hydropower system is presented. The turbine consists of pre-stator, impeller and post-stator, where the pre-stator plays a role as a guide vane to provide circumferential velocity to the on-coming flow, and the impeller as a rotational power generator by absorbing angular momentum of the flow. BEM(Blade Element Method), which is based on the turbine Euler equation, is employed to design the pre-stator and impeller blades. NACA 66 thickness form and a=0.8 mean camber line, which is widely accepted as a marine propeller blade section, is used for the pre-stator and turbine blade section. A CFD method, derived from the discretization of the RANS equations, is applied for the analysis of the designed turbine system. The design conditions of the turbine is confirmed by the CFD calculation. Turbine characteristic curve is calculated by the CFD method, in order to provide the performance characteristics at off-design operation conditions. The proposed procedures for the design of a propeller type rim-driven axial-flow turbine are established and confirmed by the CFD analysis.

• The KSFM Journal of Fluid Machinery
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.25-32
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• 2014

The main objective of this study is to validate the performance characteristics of newly developed micro propeller turbine based on experimental model test. For this purpose, Measurements of efficiency and cavitation tests with variations on the guide vane opening, blade rotational speed, head and load are carried out according to the IEC standard for model testing. From the tests and scale up calculation, the maximum prototype and model efficiency of the runner blade reaches as high as 90.87 % and 90.27 % respectively. Test results show that good cavitation behavior is covered in the range of output 50kW and 100 kW.

• The KSFM Journal of Fluid Machinery
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.45-56
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• 2015

This paper aims to develop a submerged propeller turbine for micro hydropower plant which allows to sustain high values of efficiency in a broad range of hydrological conditions (H=2~6 m, $Q=0.15{\sim}0.39m^3/s$). The two aspects to be considered in this development are mechanical simplicity and high-efficiency operation. Unlike conventional turbines that have spiral casing and gear box, this is directing driving and no spiral casing. A 10 kW class turbine which has the most high potential of the power generation has been developed. The most important element in the design of turbine is the runner blade. The initial blade is designed using inverse design method and then the runner geometry is modified by classical hydraulic method. The design process is carried out in two steps. First, the blade shape is fix and then other components of submerged propeller turbine are designed. Computational fluid dynamics analyses based on the Navier-Stokes equations have been used to obtain overall performance data for the blade and the full turbine, respectively. The results generated by performance parameters(head, guide vane opening angle and rotational speed) variations are theoretically analysed. The evaluation criteria for the blade and the turbine performances are the pressure distribution and flow's behavior on the runner blades and turbine. The results of simulation reveals an efficiency of 91.5% and power generation of 10.5kW at the best efficiency point at the head of 4m and a discharge of $0.3m^3/s$.

• Composites Research
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.16-22
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• 2021

Polyurethane foam (PUF) can be manufactured in soft, semi-rigid, and hard forms, so it is used in various fields industrially. Among them, rigid PUF has excellent mechanical properties and low thermal conductivity, and is used as a thermal insulation material for buildings and as a cold insulation material in the natural gas transportation field. In this field, there is a steady demand on higher mechanical strength and lower thermal conductivity. In this study, a rigid PUF was manufactured, and the microstructure and physical properties were studied according to the impeller type (propeller, dispersed turbine) of the agitator. Through FE-SEM and Micro-CT analysis, it was confirmed that the average pore size of the foam manufactured with the dispersed turbine was 21.5% smaller than that of the pore made by the propeller. The compressive strength was improved by 15.4%, and the thermal conductivity decreased by 3.1% in the foam with small pores. This result can be utilized for fabricating PUF composites.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.387-394
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• 2020

A parametric study of a 2.5 kW class propeller type micro hydraulic turbine was performed. In order to analyze the internal flow characteristics in the hydraulic turbine, three dimensional Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations with shear stress transport turbulence model were used and the hexahedral grid system was used to construct computational domain. To secure the reliability of the numerical analysis, the grid dependency test was performed using the grid convergence index method based on the Richardson extrapolation, and the grid dependency was removed when about 1.7 million nodes were used. For the parametric study, the axial distance at shroud span (L) between the inlet guide vane and the runner, and the inlet and outlet blade angles (β₁, β₂) of the runner were selected as the geometric parameters. The inlet and outlet angles of the runner were defined in the 3 spans from the hub to tip, and a total of 7 geometric parameters were investigated. It was confirmed that the outlet angles of the runner had the most sensitive effect on the power and efficiency of the micro hydraulic turbine.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.314-321
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• 2020

In this work, a preliminary design of an inlet guide vane and runner for developing a 2.5 kW hydraulic turbine was conducted by using computational fluid dynamic analysis. Three-dimensional Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations with shear stress transport turbulence model were used to analyze the fluid flow in the hydraulic turbine. The hexahedral grid system was used to construct computational domain, and the grid dependency test was performed to obtain the optimal grid system. Velocity triangle diagram considering the flow angles of the inlet guide vane and runner was analyzed to obtain a basic geometry of the inlet guide vane and runner. Through modification of the preliminary design, the hydraulic performances of the turbine have improved under overall drop conditions. Especially, the efficiency and power of the turbine increased by 0.95% and 1.45%, respectively, compared to those of the reference model.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2007.05b
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• pp.2839-2844
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• 2007

Micro hydraulic power generation of which the output is less or equal to a 100kW is attracting considerable attention. This is because of its small, simple, renewable, and abundant energy resources. By using a small hydropower generator of which main concept is based on using the different water pressure levels in pipe lines, energy which was initially wasted by use of a reducing valve at the end of the pipeline, is collected by turbine in the hydropower generator. A propeller shaped hydroturbine has been used in order to use this renewable pressure energy. In this study, in order to acquire basic design data of tubular type hydraulic turbine, output power, head, efficiency characteristics due to the flow coefficient are examined in detail. Moreover influences of pressure and velocity distributions with the variations of runner vane angle on turbine performance are investigated by using a commercial CFD code.