Investigation on the influence of bucket’s flow patterns on energy conversion characteristics of Pelton turbine

Abstract

Efficient energy conversion can improve Pelton turbine unit efficiency and bring higher economic benefits. However, the reasons that influence the energy conversion characteristics of the Pelton turbine have not been effectively revealed. The main reason is the lack of systematic research on the change process of flow patterns in the bucket and its relationship with the energy conversion characteristics. Experimental and numerical simulation studies of a Pelton turbine were conducted. The change process of the flow patterns from when the jet enters the bucket to when it is completely discharged is analyzed and three main flow patterns in the buckets are summarized. Through energy characteristic analysis, it was found that during the power change process of the bucket, the flow rate entering the bucket and the velocity moment at the inlet of the bucket shows a trend of first increasing and then decreasing, while the velocity moment at the outlet of the bucket and flow loss show an opposite trend, resulting in the most sufficient energy conversion when the jet is perpendicular to the bucket. The basic topology of the bucket energy conversion process is constructed to effectively understand the Pelton turbine's energy conversion characteristics.