BGMEA University of Fashion and Technology

Department of Textile Engineering

MECH 2102 Elements of Mechanical Engineering (Lab)
Experiment No.-6

1. Title
To study the constructional features and working procedure of Francis Turbine.

2. Objectives
a) To study the constructional details of a Francis turbine.
b) To study the working procedure and of a Francis turbine.

3. Apparatus
I. Model of Francis Turbine.
3.1 Francis Turbine Specifications:
 Type –Reaction Turbine
 Type of Flow- Mixed (Radial and Axial)
 Head- Medium 40 to 600 m
 Specific speed- Medium 50 to 250
 Shaft position-Mainly vertical (if may be horizontal also)
 Discharge-Medium
 RPM: 75 to 1000
 Power output: Few KW to 800 MW

4. Theory
4.1 Turbine
Turbines are subdivided into impulse and reaction machines.
 Impulse Turbine: In the impulse turbines, the total head available is converted into the kinetic
energy. This is usually accomplished in one or more nozzles
 Reaction Turbine: In the reaction turbines, only some part of the available total head of the fluid is
converted into kinetic energy so that the fluid entering the runner has pressure energy as well as
kinetic energy. The pressure energy is then converted into kinetic energy in the runner.

4.2 Francis Turbine

The Francis turbine is a type of reaction turbine that was developed by James B. Francis. They operate in a
water head from 40 to 600 m and are primarily used for electrical power production. The electric generators
which most often use this type of turbine have a power output which generally ranges just a few kilowatts up
to 800 MW.
4.3 Application of Francis Turbine
i) Francis turbine is the most widely used turbine in hydro-power plants to generate electricity.

Page 1 of 4
 BGMEA University of Fashion and Technology
Department of Textile Engineering
MECH 2102 Elements of Mechanical Engineering (Lab)
Experiment No.-6

ii) Mixed flow turbine is also used in irrigation water pumping sets to pump water from ground for
irrigation.
iii) It is efficient over a wide range of water head and flow rate.
iv) It is most efficient hydro-turbine.

4.4 Components of the Francis Turbine

i) Spiral Casing
ii) Stay Vanes
iii) Guide Vanes
iv) Runner
v) Runner Blades
vi) Draft Tube

4.4.1 Spiral Casing

Most of these machines have vertical shafts although some smaller machines of this type have horizontal shaft.
The fluid enters from the penstock (pipeline leading to the turbine from the reservoir at high altitude) to a
spiral casing which completely surrounds the runner. This casing is known as scroll casing or volute. The
cross-sectional area of this casing decreases uniformly along the circumference to keep the fluid velocity
constant in magnitude along its path towards the stay vane. This is so because the rate of flow along the fluid
path in the volute decreases due to continuous entry of the fluid to the runner through the openings of the stay
vanes.

4.4.2 Stay Vanes

Water flow is directed toward the runner by the stay vanes as it moves along the spiral casing, and then it
passes through the guide vanes. Stay vanes remain stationary at their position and reduces the swirling of water
due to radial flow, as it enters the runner blades. Thus, making turbine more efficient.

4.4.3 Guide Vanes

Guide vanes are not stationary, they change their angle as per the requirement to control the angle of striking
of water to turbine blades to increase the efficiency. They also regulate the flow rate of water into the runner
blades thus controlling the power output of a turbine according to the load on the turbine.
Page 2 of 4
 BGMEA University of Fashion and Technology
Department of Textile Engineering
MECH 2102 Elements of Mechanical Engineering (Lab)
Experiment No.-6

4.4.4 Runner

It is the main part of the turbine that has blades on its periphery. During operation, runner rotates and produces
power. For a mixed flow type Francis Turbine, the flow in the runner is not purely radial but a combination of
radial and axial. The flow is inward, i.e. from the periphery towards the centre. The main direction of flow
changes as water passes through the runner and is finally turned into the axial direction while entering the draft
tube.
4.4.5 Runner Blades

The performance and efficiency of the turbine is dependent on the design of the runner blades. In a Francis
turbine, runner blades are divided into 2 parts. The lower half is made in the shape of small bucket so that it
uses the impulse action of water to rotate the turbine. The upper part of the blades uses the reaction force of
water flowing through it. These two forces together make the runner to rotate.

4.4.6 Draft Tube

After passing through the turbine runner, the exiting fluid still has appreciable kinetic energy. To recover some
of this kinetic energy the flow enters an expanding area (diffuser) called draft tube, which slows down the flow
speed, while increasing the pressure prior to discharge into the downstream water. Therefore, the primary
function of the draft tube is to reduce the velocity of the discharged water to minimize the loss of kinetic
energy at the outlet. This permits the turbine to be set above the tail water without any appreciable drop of
available head. Moreover, careful design of draft tube is vital, otherwise cavitation can occur inside the tube.

4.5 Working Principle

Water enters the turbine through spiral casing, and starts entering the runner blades, passing through stay vanes
and guide vanes, as it moves along the length of casing the decreasing cross-section area of the spiral casing
makes sure that the pressure energy of water would remain uniform along its length, as a portion of water is
also entering the runner blades, which would reduce its flow rate along the length of the casing.

The stay vanes being stationary at their place, removes the swirls from the water, which are generated due to
flow through spiral casing and tries it to make the flow of water more linear to be deflected by adjustable guide
vanes. The angle of guide vanes decides the angle of attack of water at the runner blades thus make sure the
output of the turbine. Guide vanes also controls the flow rate of water in-to the runner blades thus acting
according the load on the turbine.

Page 3 of 4
 BGMEA University of Fashion and Technology
Department of Textile Engineering
MECH 2102 Elements of Mechanical Engineering (Lab)
Experiment No.-6

The runner blades are stationary and can-not pitch or change their angle so it’s all about the guide vanes which
controls the power output of a turbine.

Further-more, the upper part of runner blades is designed in such a way that they use the pressure difference
between the opposite faces of a blade created by water flowing through it, same as the airfoil uses the pressure
difference to generate lift force. And the remaining part of the blade is designed like a small bucket, which
makes use of water’s kinetic energy. Thus, runner blades make use of both pressure energy and kinetic energy
of water and rotates the runner in most efficient way. The water coming out of runner blades would lack both
the kinetic energy and pressure energy, so the draft tube is used to recover the pressure as it advances towards
tail race.

5. References
 John F. Douglas, Fluid Mechanics, 5th ed., Pearson.
 Yunus A. Çengel, John M. Cimbala, Fluid Mechanics: Fundamentals and Applications, 1st ed.,
McGraw-Hill

Page 4 of 4