Study of the effects of modified draft tube with inclined conical diffuser on draft tube and upstream region

Abstract

Various countermeasures including geometry optimization have been proposed and proved to have a huge impact on flow filed within the draft tube in order to mitigate the vortex rope and the induced pressure fluctuations for Francis turbine under part load operation. However, the effect of these approaches on the hydro-dynamics in upstream region still remains unclear, which is of great significance for the overall performance of the unit. This study aims to explore the influences of modified draft tube with inclined conical diffuser on the pressure fluctuations in whole flow passage. The results reveal that Generation-1 and Generation-2 draft tubes are effective in alleviating pressure fluctuations resided in the draft tube, but the former one would trigger a low-frequency pressure fluctuation with higher amplitude in the runner zone. In addition, the modified draft tube has a very limited effect on the high-frequency pressure fluctuations in the guide vane and vaneless areas. To eliminate the adverse effect of inclined conical diffuser, a design with a transitional section is put forward to smoothly connect the runner zone and inclined conical diffuser. This further developed Generation-2 draft tube presents a reasonably good performance in terms of improving flow stabilities, i.e. alleviating the pressure fluctuations not only in draft tube but also in upstream region such as runner zone. This study provides reference for obtaining a better mitigating effect on pressure fluctuations in the whole turbine flow passage.