Performance prediction of the high head Francis-99 turbine for steady operation points

Abstract

Steady-state numerical investigations are still the reference computational method for the prediction of the global machine performance during the design phase. Accordingly, steady state CFD simulations of the complete high head Francis-99 turbine, from spiral casing to draft tube have been performed at three operating conditions, namely at part load (PL), best efficiency point (BEP), and high load (HL). In addition, simulations with a moving runner for the three operating points are conducted and compared to the steady state results. The prediction accuracy of the numerical results is assessed comparing global and local data to the available experimental results. A full 360°-model is applied for the unsteady simulations and for the steady state simulations a reduced domain was used for the periodic components, with respectively only one guide vane and one runner passage. The steady state rotor-stator interactions were modeled with a mixing-plane. All CFD simulations were performed at model scale with an in-house 3D, unstructured, object-oriented finite volume code designed to solve incompressible RANS-Equations. Steady and unsteady solver simulations are both able to predict similar values for torque and head in design and off-design. Flow features in off-design operation such as a vortex rope in PL operation can be predicted by both simulation types, though all simulations tend to overestimate head and torque. Differences among steady and unsteady simulations can mainly be attributed to the averaging process used in the mixing plane interface in steady state simulations. Measured efficiency agrees best with the unsteady simulations for BEP and PL operation, though the steady state simulations also provide a cost-effective alternative with comparable accuracy.