ME401A LAB REPORT

Experiment Number : 1 Batch Number : 1

Name : Dinesh Bhakar 170253

Date experiment was done on : 04/02/2021

Date of submission of report : 06/02/2021

Francis Turbine

OBJECTIVE:
1. To understand how Francis Turbine efficiency varies with load for a fixed guide vane
position.

2. To understand how Francis Turbine efficiency alters with guide vane position.

INTRODUCTION:
Francis turbine is a type of hydraulic turbine which is used to convert hydraulic energy of
water into mechanical energy. This mechanical energy is further used for different purpose
like electricity generation. Francis turbine is a type of reaction turbine i.e. here pressure is
not remaining same throughout the turbine. Francis turbine is named on James B. Francis.
He developed inward radial flow reaction turbine called as Francis turbine. Later on, some
modification was made on it then it is called as modern Francis turbine. In modern Francis
turbine water enters the turbine runner radially and leaves axially through its centre. Due to
this reason some time, it is known as mixed flow reaction turbine.
 Schematic view and velocity diagram of Francis Turbine

APPARATUS:
Francis turbine setup, Tachometer (for R.P.M. measurement), Stopwatch.

EXPERIMENTAL SETUP:

Setup of Francis turbine

 Different Position of Guide Vane

WORKING PRINCIPLE:
Francis turbine blades are designed in such a way that one portion of the blade design creates the
pressure difference between the opposite faces of the blade when water flows through it, and the
remaining portion’s blade design use the impulse force of water hitting it and this combined action
of pressure difference and impulse force generates enough power to get turbine moving at a
required speed. Thus, there would be a decrease in both kinetic energy and potential energy of
water at exit, then what it has when it enters the turbine.

Procedure:
1. Start the main power supply for the setup and turn on the pump.
2. The pump draws the water from the bottom tank and which acts as the input head to the
turbine. Thus the water flows through the turbine and shaft power is developed at the output
of the turbine.
3. Set the guide vane angle to a particular degree and take the reading.
4. Note down the input pressure and find the volumetric flow rate by measuring the time taken
to fill 10 liters of water. The product of input pressure and volumetric flow rate gives the input
power.
5. Load is applied to the turbine shaft using a band brake. The force is measured from the spring
balance and multiplied with the radius to get the torque
6. The RPM of the shaft is measured using a digital tachometer which indicates the yd speed
using the reflection from the silver-strip on the output shaft. Therefore torque times rotational
speed gives the output power.
 7. Efficiency of the turbine if found from input by output and plot the performance curves.
Repeat steps 5 and 6 for different loads.
8. Repeat the entire procedure (from steps 3-7) for three different guide vane angle setting.

RESULTS
OBSERVATION TABLE
● Vane Position = 5o

Pressure = 0.30 bar, Volume = 20 L, Time = 32.16 secs, Phyd = 18.66W

Reading T1 (N) T2 (N) Speed (RPM) Force (N) Torque (Nm) Power (W) Efficiency (η)

1 0.4 0.1 1375 0.3 0.0075 1.079922 5.787361

2 0.8 0.2 1234 0.6 0.015 1.938361 10.38779
3 1.1 0.3 1080 0.8 0.02 2.261945 12.12189
4 1.5 0.4 890 1.1 0.0275 2.563014 13.73534
5 2 0.5 580 1.5 0.0375 2.277653 12.20607
6 2.3 0.6 390 1.7 0.0425 1.735728 9.301867

● Vane Position = 10o

Pressure = 0.28 bar, Volume = 20 L, Time = 30.84 secs, Phyd = 18.16 W

Reading T1 (N) T2 (N) Speed (RPM) Force (N) Torque (Nm) Power (W) Efficiency (η)

1 0.5 0.1 1200 0.4 0.01 1.256636 6.923614

2 0.9 0.2 1020 0.7 0.0175 1.869246 10.29888
3 1.3 0.3 880 1 0.025 2.303833 12.69329
4 1.7 0.4 600 1.3 0.0325 2.042034 11.25087
5 2 0.5 410 1.5 0.0375 1.610065 8.870881
6 2.3 0.6 315 1.7 0.0425 1.401935 7.724157
 ● Vane Position = 15o

Pressure = 0.26 bar, Volume = 20 L, Time = 28.99 secs, Phyd = 17.94 W

Reading T1 (N) T2 (N) Speed (RPM) Force (N) Torque (Nm) Power (W) Efficiency (η)

1 0.5 0.1 1250 0.4 0.01 1.308996 7.296521

2 1 0.2 1000 0.8 0.02 2.094393 11.67443
3 1.5 0.3 790 1.2 0.03 2.481856 13.8342
4 1.9 0.4 580 1.5 0.0375 2.277653 12.69595
5 2.2 0.5 380 1.7 0.0425 1.691223 9.427105
6 2.5 0.6 220 1.9 0.0475 1.094321 6.099891

SAMPLE CALCULATION
Vane position = 5o, Pressure(p) = 0.30 bar, Volume(V) = 20 L, Time(T) = 32.16 secs

=> Volumetric flow rate(Q) = V/T = 20/32.16 = 0.622 L/s

=> Hydraulic Power (Phyd) = p*Q*105/1000 = 18.66 W

Now,
F = T2 - T1 = (0.4 - 0.1) N = 0.3 N, Diameter (D) = 0.05 m, Speed(s) = 1375 rpm
=> Torque (T) = F*D/2 = 0.3*0.05/2 Nm = 0.0075 Nm
=> Angular speed (ω) = s * 2π/60 = 1375*2*π/60 = 143.92 rad/s
=> Power (P) = T*ω = 0.0075 Nm * 143.92 rad/s = 1.078 W

=> Efficiency, η = P/Phyd = 1.078/18.66 = 5.78%

GRAPHS
DISCUSSION
● Volumetric flow rate increases with increasing guide vane position angle.
● The hydraulic power, Phyd, increases with increasing angle of guide vane position angle.

● Torque decreases with increase in speed for every guide vane position.

● Both power and efficiency first increase then decreases with the increase in speed for every
guide vane position.

CONCLUSION
● Francis turbine utilizes guide vane positions in order to direct the flow towards the runner
blades at a different angle and also controls the volumetric flow rate.
● The hydraulic power and maximum power output depend upon the guide vane position.
● Although the efficiency of a Francis turbine increases and then decreases for increasing
speed at a fixed vane position, the peak efficiency values for a vane position does not follow
a specific trend with increasing vane position angle.
 ● This turbine uses both the reaction and impulse force to generate power output better than
individual impulse turbine or reaction turbines could produce at same water head
conditions.

SOURCES OF ERROR
● Error in measuring the time from stopwatch.
● Parallax error in noting down the force values from spring balance and total volume filled.
● Beam from tachometer not held at silver strip location.