• The KSFM Journal of Fluid Machinery
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.49-55
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• 2015

The pumped storage plant operates with quick change of the discharge as well as quick changes between pump mode and turbine mode. This study focuses on the cavitation analysis of a pump-turbine model because in turbo-machinery, cavitation can reduce the performance and shorten service life. The pump-turbine model system consists of 7 blades, 20 stay vanes (including tongue) and 20 guide vanes. This study adopts the Rayleigh-Plesset model as a cavitation model, which illustrates cavitation by using the air volume fraction method. The pump mode and turbine mode at the operating condition of partial loading, normal and excessive loading are analyzed to investigate the cavitation performance of the pump-turbine. It was observed that this pump-turbine design showed very good cavitation characteristics with no cavitation bubbles in all operating conditions. Overall value of air volume fraction of both mode at different operating condition are lower than 1, which confirms low possibility of cavitation occurrence at current situation.

• International Journal of Fluid Machinery and Systems
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.352-359
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• 2010

In recent years, the market has shown increasing interest in pump-turbines. The prompt availability of pumped storage plants and the benefits to the power system achieved by peak lopping, providing reserve capacity, and rapid response in frequency control are providing a growing advantage. In this context, there is a need to develop pumpturbines that can reliably withstand dynamic operation modes, fast changes of discharge rate by adjusting the variable diffuser vanes, as well as fast changes from pumping to turbine operation. In the first part of the present study, various flow patterns linked to operation of a pump-turbine system are discussed. In this context, pump and turbine modes are presented separately and different load cases are shown in each operating mode. In order to create modern, competitive pump-turbine designs, this study further explains what design challenges should be considered in defining the geometry of a pump-turbine impeller. The second part of the paper describes an innovative, staggered approach to impeller development, applied to a low head pump-turbine project. The first level of the process consists of optimization strategies based on evolutionary algorithms together with 3D in-viscid flow analysis. In the next stage, the hydraulic behavior of both pump mode and turbine mode is evaluated by solving the full 3D Navier-Stokes equations in combination with a robust turbulence model. Finally, the progress in hydraulic design is demonstrated by model test results that show a significant improvement in hydraulic performance compared to an existing reference design.

• The KSFM Journal of Fluid Machinery
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.20-28
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• 2015

The pump-turbine impeller is the key component of pumped storage power plant. Current design methods of pump-turbine impeller are private and protected from public viewing. Generally, the design proceeds in two steps: the initial hydraulic design and optimization design to achieve a balanced performance between pump mode and turbine mode. In this study, the 3D inverse design method is used for the initial hydraulic impeller design. However, due to the special demand of high performance in both pump and reverse mode, the design method is insufficient. This study is carried out by modifying the geometrical parameters of the blade which have great influence and need special consideration in obtaining the high performance on the both modes, such as blade shape type at low pressure side (inlet of pump mode, outlet of turbine mode) and the blade lean at blade high pressure side (outlet of pump mode, inlet of turbine mode). The influence of the geometrical parameters on the performance characteristic is evaluated by CFD analysis which presents the efficiency and internal flow results. After these investigations of the geometrical parameters, the criteria of designing pump-turbine impeller blade low and high sides shape is achieved.

• International Journal of Fluid Machinery and Systems
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.334-345
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• 2009

Pumped storage power plants are playing a significant role in the contribution to the stabilization of an electrical grid, above all by stable operation and fast reaction to sudden load respectively frequency changes. Optimized efficiency and smooth running characteristics both in pump and turbine operation, improved stability for synchronization in turbine mode, load control in pump mode operation and also short reaction times may be achieved using adjustable speed power units. Such variable speed power plants are applicable for high variations of head (e.g. important for low head pump-turbine projects). Due to the rapid development of power semiconductors and frequency converter technology, feasible solutions can be provided even for large hydro power units. Suitable control strategies as well as clear design criteria contribute significantly to the optimal usage of the pump turbine and motor-generators. The SIMSEN tool for dynamic simulations has been used for comparative investigations of different configurations regarding the power converter topology, types of semiconductors and types of motor-generators including the coupling to the hydraulic system. A brief overview of the advantages & disadvantages of the different solutions can also be found in this paper. Using this approach, a customized solution minimizing cost and exploiting the maximum usage of the pump-turbine unit can be developed in the planning stage of new and modernization pump storage projects.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.249-254
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• 2008

Hydrodynamic performance test of a turbopump for a liquid rocket engine is carried out. The turbopump is composed of an oxidizer pump, a fuel pump and a turbine, and the two pumps are driven by the turbine. In the test, water is used for the pumps as working media and air is used for the turbine. Performance parameters of pumps and a turbine are drawn, and a power balance between the pumps and the turbine are calculated. The calculation shows a good power balance, which implies that the pump component tests, the turbine component test and the assembly test are reliably performed. At the starting period of the test, pressure rise-flow rate curve of a pump gradually approaches the ideal curve which could be obtained by very slow starting.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2007.05b
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• pp.3323-3328
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• 2007

Conventional LPG pump for Liquified Petroleum injection(LPi) engine has been adopted vane type. But the BLDC type fuel pump for LPi system has complicated structure and its price is high. Therefore, as a alternative, this study has mainly focused on the development of turbine type LPG pump which has lower cost and simple structure than conventional BLDC type. To verify the possibility of substitute the performance tests were performed for each fuel pump. The comparative items were pressure settling time, variation of fuel outlet temperature and engine performance of hot restart ability. As a result, performances of turbine type LPG pump were equivalent or high comparing to the BLDC type all over the tests for different fuel composition.

• The KSFM Journal of Fluid Machinery
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.36-42
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• 2015

This is a study about one of the most widely used hydro machinery all over the world - pump-turbine. The system has an impeller which pumps water to an upper reservoir during the night and the same impeller acts as a runner for turbine mode during the day for providing stable electrical power to the grid. The internal flow analysis is investigated in this study to help understand how the water passes through the passage of the vanes and blades, providing the designer with useful information on the behavior of recirculation flows which could reduce the efficiency of the pump-turbine. The 100 kW pump-turbine model has H = 32 m, $Q=0.336m^3/s$ and $N=1200min^{-1}$. For this study there are 7 blades, 19 stay vanes and 20 guide vanes. From this study, it was observed that this pump-turbine design showed very good internal flow characteristics with no flow separation and no recirculation flows in normal operation mode.

• Journal of KSNVE
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• v.7 no.6
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• pp.1015-1023
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• 1997

Rotordynamic analysis of a multistage turbine pump using finite element method is performed to investigate the effects of seal wear on its system behavior. Stiffness and damping coefficents of the 2-axial grooved bearing are obtained as functions of rotating speed. Stiffness and damping coefficients of plane annuler seals are calculated as functions of rotating speed as well as seal clearance of seals become larger, these stiffness and damping coefficients decrease drastically so that there can be significant changes in whirl natural frequencies and damping characteristics of the pump rotor system. Although a pump is designed to operate with a sufficient seperation margin from the 1st critical speed, seal wear due to long operation may cause a sudden increase in vibration amplitude by resonance shift and reduce seal damping capability.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2004.04a
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• pp.1738-1743
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• 2004

Turbo-pump system, an essential component of liquid rockets and induced weapons, adopts a partial admission axial turbine which drives pump. And the turbine of a turbo-pump system is usually operated at supersonic condition due to its high loading chracteristics. Therefore, reseaches about flow and performance characteristics of a partial admission supersonic turbine must be preceeded to progress the aerospace and defense industries as well as the development of turbo-pump systems. In this study, flow characterisitics within blades of the partial admission supersonic turbine are numerically investigated by using Fine Turbo, a commercial CFD Code. Before performing the numercial analyses, to verify accuracy of the numerical result computed by Fine Turbo, I performed the comparison between the numerical results with J.J.Cho' experimental results. It is found that the numerical results show good agreement with the experimental results. Computations about the partial admission supersonic turbine have been performed to investigate flow characteristics including shock patterns. It is also found that the flow and performance of partial admission supersonic turbine are largely depend on shocks ocurred in the nozzle and at the leading edge of blades, expansion or compression at exit of nozzle and separations occurred in passage.

• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.58-66
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• 2015

This paper aims to compare the use of Centrifugal Turbine and Tesla Turbine in an application of Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) Machine using Isopentane as working fluid expanding. The working fluid has boiling point below boiling water and works in low-temperature sources between $80-120^{\circ}C$ which can be produced from waste heat, solar-thermal energy and geothermal energy etc. The experiment on ORC machine reveals that the suitability of high pressure pump for working fluid has result on the efficiency of work. In addition, Thermodynamics theory on P-h diagram also presented the effect of heat sources' temperature and flow rate on any work. Thus, the study and design on ORC machine has to concern mainly on pressure pump, flow rate and optimized temperature. Result experiment and calculate ORC Machine using centrifugal Turbine efficiency better than Tesla turbine 30% but Tesla Turbine is cheaper and easily structure. Further study on the machine can be developed throughout the county due to its low cost and efficiency.