REPORT TITLE: Kaplan

turbine

2019-2020

Department: ‫ميكانيك‬
Student Name: ‫داليا شاكر كحيط‬
Stage: ‫الثالث‬
Study: ‫صباحي‬
College of Engineering
Class: ‫عام‬
Mustansiriyah University
Course Name: ‫الثاني‬
Email: daliashaker99@gmail.com
 ‫الميكانيك‬ ‫قسم الهندسة‬ ‫كلية الهندسة – الجامعة المستنصرية‬

A : ‫ الشعبة‬/ ‫الثالث‬ : ‫المرحلة‬ ‫داليا شاكر كحيط‬ : ‫االسم‬

Kaplan turbine has another name is propeller turbine is a

turbine which has adjustable blades to achieve efficiency
over a wide range of flow and water level. It was an
evolution of Francis Turbine. It works on the principle of
axial flow. In axial flow turbines, the water flows through
the runner along the direction parallel to the axis of
rotation of runner. It is also known as propeller turbine
and evolved from Francis Turbine. This turbine can work
efficiently at low head and high flow rates which was not
possible with Francis Turbine.it has main part{(1) Scroll
Casing. 2) Guide Vane Mechanism. . 3) Runner Blades.4 4)
Draft Tube}.the Kaplan turbine has specific speed in
range 300 to 100 rpm .this turbine is best suited when a
large quantity of water is available at low head .this
turbine in which the water flows parallel to the axis of
rotation .the shaft of turbine is vertical and the lower end
of the shaft is made larger to from the boss or the hub .a
number of vanes are fixed to the boss .when the vanes
are composite with the boss the turbine is called
propeller turbine .when the vanes on the boss are
adjustable is called Kaplan turbine

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A : ‫ الشعبة‬/ ‫الثالث‬ : ‫المرحلة‬ ‫داليا شاكر كحيط‬ : ‫االسم‬

Kaplan Turbine is an axial reaction flow turbine and has

adjustable blades. If water flows parallel to the axis of
the rotation of the shaft, the turbine is known as the
axial flow turbine. And if the head of the inlet of the
turbine is the sum of pressure energy and kinetic energy
during the flow of water through a runner a part of
pressure energy is converted into kinetic energy, the
turbine is known as reaction turbine. For the axial flow
reaction turbine, the shaft of the turbine is vertical. The
lower end of the shaft is made larger which is known as a
hub or boss. The vanes are fixed on the hub and hence
hub acts as a runner for axial flow reaction turbine. It was
developed in 1913 by the Austrian professor Viktor
Kaplan. The Kaplan turbine was an evolution of the
Francis turbine. Its invention allowed efficient power
production in the low head application that was not
possible with Francis turbine. Kaplan turbine is now
widely used throughout the world for high-flow, low
head power production. The Kaplan turbine is an axial
flow reaction turbine because the water is moving in the
axial direction.

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A : ‫ الشعبة‬/ ‫الثالث‬ : ‫المرحلة‬ ‫داليا شاكر كحيط‬ : ‫االسم‬

A Kaplan turbine is basically a propeller with adjustable

blades inside a tube. It is an axial-flow turbine, which
means that the flow direction does not change as it
crosses the rotor. Figure 1 shows a simplified Kaplan
turbine.

Figure 1 – Basic layout of a Kaplan turbine

The inlet guide-vanes can be opened and closed to
regulate the amount of flow that can pass through the
turbine. When fully closed they will stop the water
completely and bring the turbine to rest. Depending on
the position of the inlet guide-vanes they introduce
differing amounts of ‘swirl’ to the flow, and ensure that
the water hits the rotor at the most efficient angle for the
highest efficiency. The rotor blade pitch is also
adjustable, from a flat profile for very low flows to a
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A : ‫ الشعبة‬/ ‫الثالث‬ : ‫المرحلة‬ ‫داليا شاكر كحيط‬ : ‫االسم‬

heavily-pitched profile for high flows (see Figure 2). This

adjustability of both inlet guide-vanes and rotor blades
means that the flow operating range is very wide (a
characteristic from the inlet guide-vanes) and the turbine
efficiency is high and the efficiency curve very flat (a
characteristic from the adjustable rotor blades allowing
optimum alignment of the blade to the oncoming flow).

Figure 2 – Kaplan turbine rotor blade positions

The nose cone on a Kaplan turbine is important hydro-
dynamically to reduce losses and prevent the formation
of a core ‘rope vortex’, and also provides the space for
the complex blade pitching mechanism inside. The draft
tube is also a critically important part. Although a static
fabricated part, the geometry of the draft tube is
carefully designed to extract any remaining kinetic
energy from the flow by reducing the water pressure
after the rotor. There are variants of Kaplan turbines that
only have adjustable inlet guide-vanes or adjustable rotor
blades, which are known as semi-Kaplan’s. Although the
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 ‫الميكانيك‬ ‫قسم الهندسة‬ ‫كلية الهندسة – الجامعة المستنصرية‬

A : ‫ الشعبة‬/ ‫الثالث‬ : ‫المرحلة‬ ‫داليا شاكر كحيط‬ : ‫االسم‬

performance of semi-Kaplan’s is compromised when

operating across a wide flow range, for applications
where the flow does not vary much they can be a more
cost-effective choice. Figure 3 below shows how the
efficiency varies across the operating flow range for a
full-Kaplan (curve A), a semi-Kaplan with adjustable
blades (curve B) and a semi-Kaplan with adjustable inlet
guide-vanes (curve D). It also shows the efficiency curve
for a propeller turbine (a Kaplan with fixed blades and
fixed inlet guide-vanes (curve C).

-
Figure 3 – Kaplan turbine efficiency curve comparison

Kaplan turbines could technically work across a wide

range of heads and flow rates, but because of other
turbine types being more effective on higher heads, and
because Kaplan’s are relative expensive, they are the
turbine of choice for lower head sites with high flow
rates. Typically they are used on sites with net heads
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A : ‫ الشعبة‬/ ‫الثالث‬ : ‫المرحلة‬ ‫داليا شاكر كحيط‬ : ‫االسم‬

from 1.5 to 20 metres and peak flow rates from 3 m3/s to

30 m3/s. In the UK this tends to be on lowland rivers with
low heads (1.5 to 5 metres) and relatively high flow rates
(up to 30 m3/s). Such systems would have power outputs
ranging from 75 kW up to 1 MW. The smallest good
quality Kaplan turbines available have rotor diameters of
600 mm, though these tend to be prohibitively
expensive, at least a very low heads, so generally
speaking the smallest rotors are 800 mm. The largest
rotors available have 3 to 5 metre diameters. For even
larger sites multiple-turbines tend to be used rather than
increasing the diameter further. Kaplan turbines are
available in three basic configurations; vertical axis,
horizontal axis (also called S-turbines) and bulb turbines.
The commonest orientation currently being installed in
the UK (at least by Renewables First) is vertical axis.
Vertical-axis Kaplan’s have the advantage of requiring the
smallest footprint or land-take. A typical layout is shown
in Figure 4. The Kaplan turbine is built into the concrete
structure, with the inlet volute (basically a snail shell
shaped pipe that wraps around the inlet guide-vanes and
distributes the water equally around the whole
circumference) and draft tube cast into the concrete at
the construction phase. So critical is the perfect geometry
of the intake volute and draft tube that it is normal
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A : ‫ الشعبة‬/ ‫الثالث‬ : ‫المرحلة‬ ‫داليا شاكر كحيط‬ : ‫االسم‬

practice for the turbine manufacturer to supply the

wooden formwork for these parts to be used by the civil
engineering contractor.

Figure 4 – Cross-section of a typical vertical-axis Kaplan

turbine system

Horizontal axis or ‘S-turbines’ and bulb turbines are

technically slightly more efficient than vertical axis
Kaplans because the inlet flow does not have to change
direction so should have lower hydraulic losses. In reality
there is no discernible difference, so the decision on the
orientation is normally made through choice of supplier
and price. S-turbines do require a larger system footprint
which can be a disadvantage in space-constrained sites. A
typical S-turbine layout is shown in Figure 5.

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A : ‫ الشعبة‬/ ‫الثالث‬ : ‫المرحلة‬ ‫داليا شاكر كحيط‬ : ‫االسم‬

Figure 5 – Cross-section of a typical horizontal axis S-

turbine Kaplan turbine system
Bulb Kaplan turbines have all of the drive system and
generator accommodated inside a streamlined ‘bulb’ that
sits within the main flow. They are only practical on large
hydro projects where it is physically possible for a person
to climb down into the bulb for maintenance and are
normally used on large systems only. A typical cross-
section is shown in Figure 6.

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A : ‫ الشعبة‬/ ‫الثالث‬ : ‫المرحلة‬ ‫داليا شاكر كحيط‬ : ‫االسم‬

Figure 6 – Cross-section of a typical bulb Kaplan turbine

system
Figure 7 below shows an HSI horizontal-axis Kaplan
turbine with a 1 metre diameter rotor being lifted into
position. Figure 8 shows an S-turbine in operation. If you
would like to work with Renewables First on a Kaplan
turbine hydro project

Figure 7 – Ossberger horizontal-axis Kaplan turbine being

lifted into position

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 ‫الميكانيك‬ ‫قسم الهندسة‬ ‫كلية الهندسة – الجامعة المستنصرية‬

A : ‫ الشعبة‬/ ‫الثالث‬ : ‫المرحلة‬ ‫داليا شاكر كحيط‬ : ‫االسم‬

As shows in the figure the various component of the

turbine the turbine is enclosed by casing called the scroll
casing which receives the water from the mains .from the
scroll casing the water is directed to the runner blades
through guiding passages .as water flows along the
runner vanes it remains at the same distance from the
axis of rotation and hence the turbine is parallel flow
turbine
Let De=diameter of the runner .
Db=diameter of the boss.
The discharge of the turbine is given by
𝝅
𝑸 = (𝑫𝒆𝟐 − 𝑫𝒃 𝟐 )𝑽𝓕
𝟒

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A : ‫ الشعبة‬/ ‫الثالث‬ : ‫المرحلة‬ ‫داليا شاكر كحيط‬ : ‫االسم‬

The inlet and outlet diagrams are generally drawn

corresponding to the inlet tips1 and 2 at the extreme
edge of the runner blades .
Peripheral velocity at inlet (1)= Peripheral velocity at
outlet (2)
𝝅𝑫𝒆𝑵
𝝂 = 𝝂𝟏 =
𝟔𝟎

Special features of the turbine are the following:

I. Inlet area of the runner=outlet area of runner
𝝅
𝑸 = (𝑫𝒆𝟐 − 𝑫𝒃𝟐 )
𝟒
II. Velocity of flow at inlet = Velocity of flow at outlet
III. Peripheral velocity at inlet and out are equal
𝝅𝑫𝒆𝑵
𝝊 = 𝝊𝟏 =
𝟔𝟎
IV. Ignoring frictional resistance ,the relative velocity at
inlet and outlet are equal
𝓥𝒓 = 𝓥𝒓𝟏
V. The inlet vane angle 𝜽 at generally obtuse
VI. Ratio of runner diameter to hub diameter
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A : ‫ الشعبة‬/ ‫الثالث‬ : ‫المرحلة‬ ‫داليا شاكر كحيط‬ : ‫االسم‬

𝑯
= + 𝟎. 𝟑𝟖
𝟐𝟐𝟎

𝝊
VII. Speed ratio =
√𝟐𝒈𝑯
𝓥𝓕
VIII. Flow ratio=
√𝟐𝒈𝑯
𝑩𝑯𝑷
IX. Overall efficiency = 𝟏𝟎𝟎𝟎𝑸𝑯
( )
𝟕𝟓

Fig shows the inlet and outlet diagram for the runner

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A : ‫ الشعبة‬/ ‫الثالث‬ : ‫المرحلة‬ ‫داليا شاكر كحيط‬ : ‫االسم‬

The water after imparting its energy to the turbine is

discharge into the draft tube .the draft deliver the
water to tail race

Number of blades: in a propeller of Kaplan turbine

the number of runner blades is 3 to 6. In some
exceptional case 8blades have also been provided.

A Kaplan Turbine is consisted of:

 Scroll casing
 Guide vane mechanism
 Hub with vanes or Runner of the turbine
 Draft Tube

The scroll casing is a spiral type of casing that decreases

the cross-section area. First, the water from the
penstocks enters the scroll casing and then moves to the
guide vanes. From the guide vanes, the water turns
through 90° and flows axially through the runner. The
scroll casing protects the runner, runner blades, guide

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A : ‫ الشعبة‬/ ‫الثالث‬ : ‫المرحلة‬ ‫داليا شاكر كحيط‬ : ‫االسم‬

vanes and other internal parts of the turbine from

external damage to the turbine.

This is the only controlling part of the whole turbine.

which opens and closes depending upon the demand of
power requirement. When the more power output
requirements, it opens wider to allow more water to hit
the blades of the rotor. And when low power output
requires, it closes to cease the flow of water. When the
guide vanes are absent then the turbine cannot work
efficiently and so that the efficiency of the turbine
decreases.

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A : ‫ الشعبة‬/ ‫الثالث‬ : ‫المرحلة‬ ‫داليا شاكر كحيط‬ : ‫االسم‬

The term “Runner” in the Kaplan turbine plays an

important role. The runner is the rotating part of the
turbine in which helps in the production of electricity.
The shaft is connected to the shaft of the generator. The
runner of this turbine has a large boss on which its blades
are attached and the blades of the runner are adjustable
to an optimum angle of attack for maximum power
output. The blades of the Kaplan turbine have twist along
its length. Twist along its length in the Kaplan turbine is
provided because to have always the optimum angle of
strike for all cross-section of blades and hence to achieve
greater efficiency of the turbine.

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A : ‫ الشعبة‬/ ‫الثالث‬ : ‫المرحلة‬ ‫داليا شاكر كحيط‬ : ‫االسم‬

At the exit of the runner of Reaction Turbine, the

pressure available here is generally less than the
atmospheric pressure. The water at the exit cannot be
directly discharged to the tailrace. A tube or pipe is
gradually increasing area and this is used for discharging
water from the exit of the turbine to the tailrace. So, the
increasing area of the tube or pipe is called a Draft tube.
One end of the draft tube is connected to the runner
outlet and the other end is submerged below the level of
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A : ‫ الشعبة‬/ ‫الثالث‬ : ‫المرحلة‬ ‫داليا شاكر كحيط‬ : ‫االسم‬

water in the tail-race. The main important point is that

the Draft tube is used only in the Reaction turbine.

1. Simple Elbow Draft Tube

2. Elbow with the varying cross-section
3. Moody Spreading Draft Tube.
4. Conical Diffuser or Divergent Draft Tube

Fig.1.classification of draft tubes

Low head. This is simple in design. The incoming side and

outgoing side has the same cross-section. Efficiency 60%

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A : ‫ الشعبة‬/ ‫الثالث‬ : ‫المرحلة‬ ‫داليا شاكر كحيط‬ : ‫االسم‬

Inlet circular cross-section outlet rectangular cross-

section. Generally used in Kaplan Turbines. Efficiency
70%

It reduces the whirling action of water. It has one inlet

and two inlets Efficiency 88%

The cone angle is less than 10 degrees. If the cone angle

is more then there is a chance of cavitation. Efficiency
90%

The advantages of the Kaplan Turbine are listed below:

This turbine work more efficiently at low water head
and high flow rates as compared with other turbines.
This is smaller in size.
The efficiency of the Kaplan turbine is very high as
compares with other types of hydraulic turbines.
The Kaplan turbine is easy to construct
The space requirement is less.

Although there are some disadvantages of the Kaplan

Turbine and those are:

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A : ‫ الشعبة‬/ ‫الثالث‬ : ‫المرحلة‬ ‫داليا شاكر كحيط‬ : ‫االسم‬

The position of the shaft is only in the vertical

direction.
A large flow rate must be required.
The main disadvantages are the cavitation
process. which occurs due to pressure drops in
the draft tube.
The use of the draft tube and proper material
generally stainless steel for the runner blades
may reduce the cavitation problem to a greater
extent.

Here are some applications of Kaplan Turbine:

Kaplan turbines are widely used throughout the
world for electric power production. They cover
the lowest head hydro sites and are especially
suited for high flow conditions.
Inexpensive micro turbines are manufactured for
individual power production with as little as two
feet of head.
Large Kaplan turbines are individually designed
for each site to operate at the highest possible
efficiency, typically over 90%.
They are very expensive to design, manufacture
and install but operate for decades.

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A : ‫ الشعبة‬/ ‫الثالث‬ : ‫المرحلة‬ ‫داليا شاكر كحيط‬ : ‫االسم‬

https://www.energy.gov/eere/water/types-
hydropower-turbines
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/
types-of-steam-turbine
http://www.mechanicalwalkins.com/working-of-
kalpan-turbine
https://energyeducation.ca/encyclopedia/Kaplan_tu
rbine
https://savree.com/en/product/kaplan-bulb-
turbine/

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