Investigation of the Flow in Pelton Turbinesand the Influence of the Casing

Abstract

At the institute for waterpower and pumps at the University of Technology Vienna we do a lot of research work observing the flow in the casing and the buckets of Pelton turbines. One interest of our research is to find criteria to estimate the influence of the splash water distribution in the casing on the turbine efficiency. Knowing the splash water distribution it is further possible to develop methods to provide visual documentation of the flow in and around the buckets from the beginning to the end of interaction.Our measurements have been done on a single jet Pelton turbine with a runner pitch diameter of 420 mm. Our research shows that the casing has great influence to the operation of a Pelton turbine and so it is very important to include the casing as an important factor in all investigations. Aluminum honeycombs have been successful to bring the splashing water under control and to make good visual documentations of the flow.