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Influence of the Blade Hub Geometry on the Performance of Low-Head Axial Flow Turbines

Singh, Punit and Nestmann, Franz (2012) Influence of the Blade Hub Geometry on the Performance of Low-Head Axial Flow Turbines. In: JOURNAL OF ENERGY ENGINEERING-ASCE, 138 (3). pp. 109-118.

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)EY.1943-7897.00000...

Abstract

The influence of geometric parameters, such as blade profile and hub geometry on axial flow turbines for micro hydro application remains poorly characterized. This paper first introduces a holistic theoretical model for studying the hydraulic phenomenon resulting from geometric modification to the blades. It then describes modification carried out on two runner stages, of which one has untwisted blades and the other has twisted blades obtained by modifying the inlet hub. The experimental results showed that the performance of the untwisted blade runner was satisfactory with a maximum efficiency of 68%. However, positive effects of twisted blades were clearly evident with an efficiency rise of more than 2%. This study also looks into the possible limitations of the model and suggests the extension of the experimental work and the use of computational tools to conduct a progressive validation of all experimental findings, especially on the flow physics within the hub region and the slip phenomena. The paper finally underlines the importance of developing a standardization philosophy for axial flow turbines specific for micro hydro requirements. DOI:10.1061/(ASCE)EY.1943-7897.0000060. (C) 2012 American Society of Civil Engineers.

Item Type: Journal Article
Publication: JOURNAL OF ENERGY ENGINEERING-ASCE
Publisher: ASCE-AMER SOC CIVIL ENGINEERS
Additional Information: Copyright for this article belongs to ASCE-AMER SOC CIVIL ENGINEERS, RESTON, USA
Keywords: Hydropower;Low head;Turbines;Blade twist;Experimentation;Optimization;Slip phenomena
Department/Centre: Division of Mechanical Sciences > Divecha Centre for Climate Change
Date Deposited: 22 Jan 2013 06:21
Last Modified: 22 Jan 2013 06:21
URI: http://eprints.iisc.ac.in/id/eprint/45678

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