Abstract
This study presents the design and implementation of different types of manifolds (sampling system) to measure water flow properties (velocity, pressure, and temperature) through the high- and low-pressure section of a Francis-type low head hydraulic turbine (LHT of 52 m) to calculate it is efficiency using the Thermodynamic Method (TM). The design of the proposed manifolds meets the criteria established in the “International Electrotechnical Commission—60041” Standard for the application of the TM in the turbine. The design of manifolds was coupled to the turbine and tested by the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) application, under the same experimental conditions that were carried out in a power plant, without the need for on-site measurements. CFD analyses were performed at different operating conditions of volumetric flow (between values of 89.67 m3/s and 35.68 m3/s) at the inlet of turbine. The mechanical power obtained and the efficiency calculated from the numerical simulations were compared with the experimental measurements by employing the Gibson Method (GM) on the same LTH. The design and testing of manifolds for high- and low-pressure sections in a low head turbine allows for the constant calculation of efficiency, avoiding breaks in the generation of electrical energy, as opposed to other methods, for example, the GM. However, the simulated (TM) and experimental (GM) efficiency curves are similar; therefore, it is proposed that the design of the manifolds is applied in different geometries of low-head turbines.
Highlights
The “International Electrotechnical Commission—60041” (IEC—60041) Standard establishes various test development methods to determine the hydraulic performance of different hydraulic turbomachinery, such as the Reel method, Pitot tubes, and PressureTime, among which is the Thermodynamic Method TM
Based on the location of the manifolds in the input and output sections, the proposed design of manifolds to measure properties of the main flow of a Francis-type low-head hydraulic turbine meet with the requirements suggested by the IEC—60041 Standard to carry out the Thermodynamic Method (TM) employing Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)
Using a mixing chamber inside the draft tube allows for a direct measurement of temperature in the principal flow at the outlet
Summary
The “International Electrotechnical Commission—60041” (IEC—60041) Standard establishes various test development methods to determine the hydraulic performance of different hydraulic turbomachinery, such as the Reel method, Pitot tubes, and PressureTime ( called Gibson), among which is the Thermodynamic Method TM. This method allows, in a hydroelectric power station, for the measurement of flow properties extracted in the high- and low-pressure section (inlet and outlet of the turbine or pump, respectively), to calculate the hydraulic efficiency of the turbomachinery. This method is less invasive compared to others, for example, the Pressure-Time method ( called the Gibson method). The application of TM instead of the Gibson method aims to avoid damage in any component of the hydraulic turbine, such as the penstock, valves, or distributor It allows for the calculation of continuous efficiency by simultaneously measuring the interest variables without stopping power energy generation
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