Effect of Venturi System on Acceleration of Low-speed Water Flow at the Venturi Throat Installed at the Inlet of Hydro Turbine

Abstract

For a hydro turbine electricity generation system in river or bay, a venturi system could be applied to accelerate flow speed at the inlet of the turbine system in a flow field. In this study, a steady flow simulation was conducted to understand the effect of venturi system on the acceleration of current speed at the inlet of a hydro turbine system. According to the continuity equation, the flow speed is inversely proportional to the cross-section area in a conduit flow; however, it would be different in an open region because the venturi system would be an obstruction in the flow region. As the throat area is 1/5 of the inlet area of the venturi, the flow velocity is accelerated up to 2.1 times of the inlet velocity. It is understood that the venturi system placed in an open flow region gives resistance to the upcoming flow and disperses the flow energy around the venturi system. The result of the study should be very important information for an optimum design of a hydro turbine electricity generation system.