Specific Energy

• The quantity of potential and kinetic

energy which 1 kilogram of the water
delivers when passing through the HPP
from an upper to a lower reservoir.

• The expression of the specific energy is

Nm/kg or J/kg and is designated as
m2/s2.
 Gross Head
H gr  z res  z tw

Hgr
zres

ztw
Reference line
Gross Specific Hydraulic Energy
The difference between the level of the
upper reservoir zres and the level of the tail
water ztw is defined as the gross head:

Hgr = zres - ztw [m]

The corresponding gross specific hydraulic

energy:
Egr  g  H gr [ J kg]
 Gross Power

Pgr  Q    Egr  Q    g  H gr
Where:
Pgr is the gross power of the plant [W]
 is the density of the water [kg/m3]
Q is the discharge [m3/s]
 Definition of heads
• Gross head (Hg):
– the difference between the head race level and
tail race level when no water is flowing
• Net head:
– also called effective head
– the head at the inlet of the turbine
• When water is flowing from head race to the
turbine, a loss of head due to friction between
the water and penstocks occurs as a major
losses Hn  H g  hf
 Classification of the turbines
Hydraulic turbines are classified based upon:
• Energy available at the inlet of the runner:
e.g. impulse and reaction turbine
• Direction of the flow through the runner:
e.g. tangential flow, radial flow, axial flow & mixed flow
• Head at inlet of turbine:
e.g. High head, medium head and low head
• According to specific speed:
e.g. low sp. speed, medium sp. speed & high sp. speed
• According to speed number:
e.g. low speed no., medium speed no. & high speed no.
 Impulse turbines
(Partial turbines)
The hydraulic energy of the impulse turbines are
completely converted to kinetic energy before
transformation in the runner

p1  p2 ; v1    v2 and w1  w2 (neglecting losses in buckets)

 Impulse turbines
(Partial turbines)

Turgo Pelton
 Reaction turbines
(Full turbines)
In the reaction turbines two effects cause the energy
transfer from the flow to mechanical energy on the turbine
shaft.

Firstly it follows from a drop in pressure from inlet to outlet

of the runner. This is denoted the reaction part of the
energy conversion.

Secondly changes in the directions of the velocity vectors

of the flow through the canals between the runner blades
transfer impulse forces. This is denoted the impulse part of
the energy conversion.
p1  p2 ; v1  v2 and w1  w2
 Reaction turbines
(Full turbines)

Francis Kaplan Bulb

 Impulse versus Reaction turbines
Aspects Impulse turbines Reaction turbines
Conversion The available fluid energy is Only a portion of the fluid energy is
of fluid converted in to K.E. by a transformed into K.E. before the fluid
energy nozzle enter the turbine runner
Change in The pressure remains After entering the runner with an
pressure & same (atm.) throughout the excess pr., water undergoes changes
velocity action of water on the both in velocity and pr. while passing
runner through the runner
Admittance Water may be allowed to Water is admitted over the
of water over enter a part or whole of the circumference of the wheel
the wheel wheel circumference
Role of No hydraulic function to Pr. at inlet to the turbine is much
casing perform; it only serves to higher than the pr. at outlet; unit has to
prevent splashing and to be sealed from atmospheric conditions
guide the water to the tail and therefore , casing is absolutely
race essential
 Impulse vs. Reaction turbines
contd..
Aspects Impulse turbines Reaction turbines
Relative velocity Either remaining constant or Due to continuous drop in pr.
of water reduces slightly due to during flow through the blade, the
friction relative velocity increase
Installation of unit Always installed above the Units may be installed above or
tail race. No draft tube is bellow the tail race and use of
used draft tube is made
Flow regulation By means of needle valve By means of guide vane
fitted into the nozzle assembly
Action on blades Blades are only in action Blades are in action all the time
when they are in front of the
nozzle
Extent to which Turbine does not run full Water completely fills all the
the water fills the and air has a free access to passages throughout the
turbine the buckets operation of the turbine
 Specific speed
Specific speed is the speed of geometrically similar turbine (i.e., a turbine
of identical in shape, dimensions, blade angles and gate opening etc.)
with the actual turbine but such a size that would develop unit power
when working under a unit head.
Where,
N p N = rpm, p = kW and H = m
Ns  5
4
H
Specific speed provides a basis on which different types of turbines can be
compared irrespective of their sizes, which is proportional to the speed of
rotation and inversely proportional to the head.
This mean that:
High speed Propeller type turbines (Kaplan turbine) are expected to have
high specific speeds than relatively low machine (Pelton turbines) and
the high head machines (Pelton) would have low value of specific
speed than the Francis and Kaplan units which operate under medium and
low head
Classification of the turbines based
upon specific speed
S.N. Type of turbine Head Specific % of load
range (m) speed (Ns) variation

1 Pelton: Single jet 50 -1500 8 - 30 30-100

2 Pelton: Multi jet 50 - 1800 8 - 30 (per jet) 10 -100

3 Cross flow 5 - 200 10 - 80 30 -100

4 Turgo 50 - 200 10 - 80 30 -100
5 Francis 25 - 350 40 - 400 70-100
6 Propeller/Kaplan 2 - 40 300 - 900 80-100 /15 -100
7 Bulb or tubular 2 - 30 500 -1100 15 -100
 Speed number
*
 *
 *
Q

Where,
*Q 
Q 
* 
2 g  H 2 g  H

Geometric similar, but different sized turbines have the

same speed number
 Classification of turbines based
upon speed number
* < 0.22 0.2 < * < 1.25 * > 1.0

1.0 < * < 1.25 Francis/ Kaplan ???

Specific speed that is used to
classify turbines

Q
nq  n  0.75
H
 Specific speed that is used to
classify pumps
Q
nq  n 
H3 4

nq is the specific speed for a unit machine that is geometric similar to a

machine with the head Hq = 1 m and flow rate Q = 1 m3/s

Q
ns  333  n 
P3 4

ns is the specific speed for a unit machine that is geometric similar to a

machine with the head Hq = 1 m and uses the power P = 1 hp
 Reaction turbines
(Full turbines)

Francis Kaplan Bulb

Pelton turbines
• Large heads (from
100 meter to 1800
meter)
• Relatively small flow
rate
• Maximum of 6
nozzles
• Good efficiency over
a wide range
Jostedal, Norway

Kværner
Francis turbines
• Heads between 15
and 700 meter
• Medium Flow Rates
• Good efficiency
=0.96 for modern
machines
SVARTISEN
 Turbine Shaft
Governing Ring

Spiral Casing Upper Cover

Guide Vanes

Stay Ring

Labyrinth
Stay Vanes seals
Runner
Lower Cover
Svartisen Power Plant, Norway Draft Tube Cone
Kaplan turbines

• Low head (from 70

meter and down to 5
meter)
• Large flow rates
• The runner vanes can
be governed
• Good efficiency over
a vide range
 Kaplan turbine

Spiral Casing

Stay Vanes

Runner

Guide Vanes

Draft Tube Cone

 Problems
• Find the speed number & specific speed of a turbine
installed at a site, which develops 12,940 kW under a
head of 510 m when running at 300 rpm. Specify the
type of the turbine employed. Does this valid from both
approach?
• The turbine installed at one particular power house
develops 2.54 MW under a head of 29.9 m. Find the
specific speed of this turbine if it runs at 166.7 rpm.
Knowing the specific speed, what type of runner would
you select for such a turbine?
• An impulse turbine develops 1.865 MW under a head
70 m. What could be the maximum and minimum
speeds of the turbine with a single nozzle? What
speed would be the best for coupling to an alternator ?
How high a speed could a reaction turbine give?
 Selection of hydraulic turbines
• Specific speed
• Rotational speed
• Efficiency
• Part load operation
• Overall cost
• Cavitation
• Disposition of shaft
• Number of units
• Head
• Sediment erosion