Flow Condition at the Suction Side of Turbines

The water discharges with the velocity c0 from the

impeller. The kinetic energy of the discharging water
is at point 0: c 2
E0 = 0
2
If the water would be discharged with this velocity c0
into the tail race, all the specific energy E0 would be
wasted. In order to reduce the wasted energy,
Francis and Kaplan Turbines have diffusers at their
suction side. These diffusers are known as 'Draft
Tubes'. The discharge velocity is reduced in the draft
tube from c0 to cs where normally cs = 1 to 2 m/s
Flow Condition at the Suction Side of Turbines

The wasted energy called 'discharge loss' is reduced

to c s2 / 2 . The draft tube takes, hence, part in the
energy conversion which generates mechanical
energy. By this reason the draft tube is considered as
part of the water turbine, even also in those cases
where the draft tube is not built as machine part but
as part of the turbine foundation.
Flow Condition at the Suction Side of Turbines

The opening angle of the draft tube should be e < 8o

to 12o. On the other hand, the impeller has to be
located near the level of the tail race, i.e. es should
be small in order to avoid cavitation. These two
conditions may demand that the draft tube has to be
designed as elbow type draft tube, especially if c0/cs
is large.
Flow Condition at the Suction Side of Turbines

The amount of kinetic energy which is 'recovered' in the

draft tube, i.e., which is not wasted into the tail race, is

c02 
cs2  Zs
Edraft tube =
2 2
inlet outlet draft
dynamic dynamic tube
head head loss

kg
c 02
= 2
where factor kg < 1
Flow Condition at the Suction Side of Turbines

Introducing the meridian and peripheral components

of c0 namely c0m and c0u, the last equation may be
written as

c 2
c 2
Edraft tube = km 0m  ku 0u
2 2
where the factors km and ku may have the following
empirical values:
km = 0.6 to 0.9 and ku = 0 to 0.1
Flow Condition at the Suction Side of Turbines

The empirically found very low value of the factor ku

indicates that only very little of the peripheral
component c0u can be transferred into pressure. The
discharge loss is therefore high if c0u is high. This is
for instance the case by Propeller Turbines (Fig.75)
with discharges below or above normal (c0mx≠ c0md;
Vx ≠ Vd):
Flow Condition at the Suction Side of Turbines
Flow Condition at the Suction Side of Turbines
The condition in regard to c0u is for the Francis
Turbine similar to those of the Propeller turbine. The
adjusting of the impeller vanes by Kaplan Turbines
may provide for a wide range of regulation (change in
Vx) a condition where c0u is nearly zero.
A more efficient draft tube recovers more energy
Edraft tube. As the static pressure at the outlet of the
draft tube is determined by the atmospheric pressure,
a more efficient draft tube will provide a lower static
pressure at the suction edge of the impeller vanes.
Consequently, a better draft tube will lead sooner to
cavitation at the turbine impeller.
Flow Condition at the Suction Side of Turbines
The static pressure condition at the point of the locally
lowest static pressure at the suction end of the impeller
may be prescribed in the same way as it was done in the
case of the pump.
The total energy at the tail race level is pA/r. The total
energy at the highest point of the suction edge of the
impeller vanes is (pA/r - g es) where contrary to the case
of the pump the loss Z of the suction pipe (here draft tube)
is not included as the draft tube is considered as part of
the turbine itself. Zs is considered by DW. This way of
counting Zs allows to distinguish between the influence on
the suction condition given by the turbine design which
includes the draft tube and the influence given by locating
the turbine in reference to the tail race level.
Flow Condition at the Suction Side of Turbines
DW may be expressed as in the case of the pump as

DW = λ1
w 02  λ c 02
2
2 2
Empirical values: l1= 0.16 l2= 0.7
l1, which is determined by the uniformity of the
velocity distribution at the suction end of the impeller
channel, is smaller than in the case of the pump
because the vane suction end may be sharpened
and the accelerated flow has a more uniform velocity
distribution
 Zs c 2
/2 
l2= 1 -  c2/2 c2/2 
 s
 0 0 
as Zs > 0 and cs < c0
Flow Condition at the Suction Side of Turbines
(Note: if Zs = 0 and cs = c0 then l1 is accordingly larger, so
that Estat-min is given by the level of point (1), see Fig. 76).
Like in the case of the pump, DW is a function of boa, l1
and l2.
Assuming the above mentioned empirical values of l1
and l2, the smallest value of DW is given
if (boa)opt ≈ 20o (for dr = 1)
The locally lowest static energy Estat-min follows as:
Estat-min = p A/ r - (ges+DW)
given by the location given by design of
turbine above turbine (including
tail race level draft tube)
Flow Condition at the Suction Side of Turbines
Flow Condition at the Suction Side of Turbines
No cavitation will occur if
Estat-min  pT /r or (Es) > DW
DW may be calculated either by assuming l1 and l2 or by
considering the empirically found value of Suction Number
for water turbines
n V
Sq = = 0.6 to 0.9 (and above)
 ΔW 
3/4

low high in regard to avoiding cavitation

The higher quality with higher values Sq can be obtained
easier for small turbines as large turbine have less friction
loss Zs in the draft tube (influence of the Reynolds number).
The over-all efficiency of large turbines is higher but they
are more exposed to cavitation than small turbines.
Flow Condition at the Suction Side of Turbines
Often, the designers of water turbines are determining DW
from the so-called Thoma's cavitation factor, s
s = DW/W =g DW/(g W) = Dh/H
However, s is a function of the Shape Number Ns (Fig.77).
Because (DW)0.75 = n V0.5/Sq where n = Nsh W0.75/V0.5
Hence DW/W = (Nsh/Sq) = f (Nsh) as Sq is nearly equal for
impellers with different values Nsh. As DW of turbines with
large shape number Nsh (large nV0.5) may become so great
that es becomes negative. In this case the turbine impeller
would have to be placed below the tail race level.
Flow Condition at the Suction Side of Turbines
Flow Condition at the Suction Side of Turbines

As such a turbine is accessible for repairs only with

difficulties, the placement of the turbine impeller
below the tail race level might be avoided if the
turbine is designed with the lower Shape Number.
But this means that the desire to build the
turbomachine with the highest possible Shape
Number in order to obtain a small machine and small
generator cannot always be fulfilled.