MEF341

PrimeMoversandFluidMachines
BITS Pilani
K K Birla Goa Campus

Dr. Sandesh S. Chougule

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Hydraulics Turbines

BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus

Hydroelectric Power Plant

BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus

Efficiencies of a Turbine
Hydraulic efficiency

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 Mechanical efficiency

Volumetric efficiency

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 Overall efficiency

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Classifications of Hydraulic Turbines

According to action of flow

Impulse turbines
Reaction Turbines

According to direction of flow

Tangential flow
Radial flow
Axial flow
Mixed flow
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According to Head and Quantity of water

High head (150 m to 2000 m)

Medium head (30 m to 150 m)
Low head (< 30 m)

According to Specific speed

Low specific speed (10 to 50)

Medium specific speed (50 to 250)
High specific speed (> 250)
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Impulse and Reaction Turbines

In an impulse turbine, all the available energy of water is
converted into kinetic energy or velocity head by passing it
through a contracting nozzle provided at the end of
penstock.
The runner revolves freely in air.
The water is in contact with only a part of the runner at a
time and throughout its action on the runner and its
subsequent flow to the tailrace, the water is at atmospheric
pressure.
Eg. Pelton wheel, Girard turbine, Banki turbine, Jonval,
Turgo-impulse wheel etc

BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus

 In reaction turbine, at entrance of the runner, only part of

the available energy of water is converted into kinetic
energy and substantial part remains in the form of pressure
energy.
As water flows through the runner the change from
pressure to kinetic energy takes place gradually.
As such the pressure at the inlet of turbine is much higher
than the pressure at outlet and it varies throughout the
passage of water through turbine.
The difference of pressure between the inlet and the outlet
of runner is called reaction pressure and these turbine is
known as reaction turbines.
Eg. Thomson, Francis, Propeller, Kaplan, Fourneyron etc.
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BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus

Pelton Turbine

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Introduction

Named after the designer Mr. A. Pelton in California at

1810

Impulse turbine- as there is no pressure drop across the

buckets

Suitable for high heads of about 100-500m

Requires comparatively less quantity of water

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Schematic Diagram

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Working

Water supplied is from a high head through a long

conduit called penstock.
The water is accelerated in nozzle and the head is
converted into velocity and discharges at high speed in
the form of a jet at atmospheric pressure
The jet strikes buckets attached to the rim of a rotating
wheel (runner)
Impact of water on buckets produce a force which
causes the wheel to rotate by supplying a torque on the
shaft
water discharged at relatively low speed falls into lower
reservoir or tail race

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Nozzle Assembly

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 Power produced by turbine proportional to QxH

where Q : Volume flow rate
H : effective head
Since H cannot be varied easily, Q (cross sectional area x
velocity of flow is varied)
For wheel speed to be maintained constant, jet velocity is
not varied.
Cross sectional area is varied using a spear valve
Spear valve is actuated to and fro as per the power
demand

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Deflector

Sometimes, need arises for immediate closure of nozzle.

If flow is reduced suddenly, high back pressure waves
will be generated on penstock pipes

Deflector alters the jet trajectory

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Runner with Buckets

Undercuts are provided so that the jet bye-passes the inclined blades
which are obstructing the jet to strike the blade which is vertical in
position

 Usually more than 15 buckets

Each bucket is split vertically into two parts by a splitter
that has a sharp edge at the center
Striking jet of water is divided into two parts by the splitter
each part of jet flows sideways round the smooth inner
surface of the bucket and leaves it with a relative velocity
almost opposite in direction of the original jet
Notch at the edge of outer rim of each bucket ensures a
loss free entry of the jet into the buckets.
Bucketofpeltonturbine

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 Maximum change in momentum is obtained when the jet is

180
But angle is restricted to 165 so that the fluid leaving one
bucket does not strike back the succeeding bucket
Buckets are made of special bronze- steel alloys with
Nickel, Chromium or stainless steel.
Buckets are properly polished for smooth change in
direction and the formation of low pressure pockets caused
due to erosion are avoided
Buckets can be bolted construction( for large turbines) or
of single cast

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Casing

Prevents splashing of water

Guides water to flow through the tail race
Provides housing and support to the thrust bearings and
shaft

Since the buckets are symmetrical, side or axial thrusts

produced by water in each half is balanced

Provides safety against accidents

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Indian Scenario

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Analysis of Pelton Wheel Turbine

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Work done by Pelton Wheel

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BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus

Eq. (1)

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.Eq. 2

.Eq. 3

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Eq. 4

Eq. 5

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BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus

Problem 1:
Two jet strike the buckets of a pelton wheel, which is
having shaft power as 15450 kW. The diameter of each jet
is given as 200 mm. If the net head on the turbine is 400
m. Find overall efficiency of the turbine. Take Kv = 1.0

BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus

BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus

BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus

Problem 2:
A Pelton wheel has a mean bucket speed of 10 m/s with a jet of water flowing at the
rate of 700 liters/s under a head of 30 m. The bucket deflect the jet through an
angle of 1600. Calculate the power given by water to the runner and hydraulic
efficiency of the turbine. Assume co-efficient of velocity as 0.98

BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus

BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus

BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus

Design of Pelton Wheel Turbine

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Design of Pelton wheel means the following data is to be

determined :

Diameter of the jet (d)

Diameter of wheel (D)

Width of the buckets which is = 5 d

Depth of the buckets which is = 1.2 d

Number of buckets on the wheel

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Problem 1
A Pelton wheel is to be designed for a head of 60m when
running at 200 rpm. The Pelton wheel develops 95.64 kW
shaft power. The velocity of the buckets = 0.45 times the
velocity of the jet, overall efficiency = 0.85 and co-efficient
of the velocity is equal to 0.98

BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus

BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus

BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus

Problem 2
The three jet Pelton turbine is required to generate 10,000
kW under net head of 400 m. The blade angle at outlet is 150
and reduction in the relative while passing over the blade is
5%. If the overall efficiency of the wheel is 80%, Kv = 0.98
and speed ratio = 0.46, then find: (i) the diameter of the jet,
(ii) Total flow in m3/s and (iii) force exerted by a jet on the
buckets. If the ratio of jet not to be less than 10, find the
speed of the wheel for frequency of 50 Hz/sec and the
corresponding wheel diameter.
[Ans. (i) 125mm, (ii) 3.18 m3/s, (iii) 94.05 kN, (iv) 600 rpm]

BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus

Problem 3:
A Pelton wheel turbine is to be designed for following specifications:
Shaft power = 11,772 kW;
Head = 380 m;
Speed = 750 rpm;
Overall efficiency = 86%.
Jet diameter is not to exceed one-sixth of the wheel diameter.
Determine:
(i) The wheel diameter [Ans. 0.989 m]
(ii) The number of jets required [Ans. 2]
(iii) Diameter of jet [Ans. 0.165m]
Take Kv1= 0.984 and Ku1=0.45
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Problem 4
The following data is related to a Pelton wheel turbine:
Head at base of the nozzle = 80 m
Diameter of jet = 100 m
Discharge of the nozzle = 0.30 m3/s
Power at the shaft = 206 kW
Power absorbed in Mechanical resistance = 4.5 kW
Determine (i) Power lost in nozzle [Ans. 16.59 kW ],
(ii) Power lost due to hydraulic resistance in
the runner. [Ans. 8.35 kW ]

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Problem 5:
A Pelton wheel nozzle, for which Cv= 0.97, is 400 m below
the water surface of a lake. The jet diameter is 0.6 m, its
length is 4 km and f = 0.0032. The buckets , deflect the jet
throgh 1650 and they run at 0.48 times jet speed, bucket
friction reducing the relative velocity at outlet by 15% of
relative velocity at inlet . Mechanical efficiency = 90%. Find
the flow rate and shaft power developed by the turbine.
[Ans. Q = 0.419 m3/s, SP = 1194 kW ]
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Problem 6
Determine the power given by the jet of water to the runner
of a pelton wheel which is having tangential velocity a 20
m/s. The net head on the turbine is 50 m and discharge
through the jet water is 0.03 m3/s. The side clearance
angle 150 and take Kv= 0.975.
[Ans. 12.43 kW ]

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