Francis Turbine

P S Vignesh Pillai (MEE22012)

 What is a Francis turbine?

• The inward flow reaction turbine having

radial discharge at outlet is known as
Francis Turbine.
• In the modern Francis Turbine, the water
enters the runner of the turbine in the
radial direction at outlet and leaves in the
axial direction at the inlet of the runner.
• Thus the modern Francis Turbine is a
mixed flow type turbine.
Working Principle of
Francis Turbine
• Water first enters the runner of the Francis Turbine
through guide vanes, adjustable for flow control.
• The Initial entry involves low velocity and high pressure.
The passage over vanes shifts the pressure to velocity,
converting hydraulic energy to kinetic energy.
• This resultant kinetic energy drives the rotation of the
turbine wheel.
• The water exiting moves through the draft tube, gradually
widening and submerging to generate a suction head at
the runner exit. The suction head facilitates the smooth
transition of water into the tailrace.
 The major components of the
Francis turbine include:
• Scroll Casing
• The scroll casing serves as the inlet for water into the turbine, allowing
high-pressure water from the reservoir or dam to pass through. To ensure
efficient striking of the turbine blades, the water's circular movement is
controlled by gradually reducing the casing's diameter, maintaining
uniform pressure and momentum for striking the runner blades
effectively.

• Guide Vanes
• The adjustable guide vanes control the angle of water striking the turbine
blades, optimizing efficiency. They also regulate the flow rate of water into
the runner blades, allowing the turbine's power output to be adjusted
based on the load.
• Runner Blades
• The design of the runner blades directly impacts the
turbine's performance and efficiency. In a Francis turbine,
the runner blades are divided into two parts: the lower
half is shaped like small buckets, utilising impulse action
for rotation, and the upper part utilising the reaction force
of water flow. The combination of these forces facilitates
the rotation of the runner.
• Draft Tube
• The draft tube is to address the pressure difference at
the exit of the runner. As the pressure is generally lower
than atmospheric pressure, the tube gradually increases
in the area to discharge water from the turbine's exit to
the tail race. This ensures smooth water flow and
prevents direct discharge into the tail race.
Important relations for Francis Turbines

1. The ratio of width of the wheel to its diameter is given as n=B1/D1.The value
of n varies from 0.10 to 0.40.

2. The flow ratio is given as, and varies from 0.15 to

0.30

3. The speed ratio is given as, and varies from 0.6

to 0.9.
THANK YOU