EE-455 (Power Generation)
LECTURE NOTES
HYDRAULIC TURBINES
Hydraulic turbine:
A mechanical device that converts Potential Energy (P.E) stored in water to useful shaft work.
Classification of Hydraulic Turbines:
a. According to the water head: Low Head Hydraulic Turbine (2-15m), Medium Head
Hydraulic Turbine (16-70m), High Head Hydraulic Turbine (71-500m), Very High Head
Hydraulic Turbine (> 500 m)
b. According to the placement of the turbine’s shaft: Horizontal Shaft & Vertical Shaft
turbines.
c. According to the turbine’s Specific Speed: Hydraulic turbines can also be classified on the
basis of their specific speed (NS). The specific speed can be treated as a dimensionless
number. For hydraulic turbines, the specific speed ranges from 4 to 1100. It is given by the
following equation:
where N is the normal working speed of the turbine in rpm (rev/ min)
P is the power output of the turbine in kW
H is the net water head in m
d. According to the name of the inventor/ patent holder of the turbine: Kaplan Turbines &
Francis Turbines are named after their inventors, namely, James. B. Francis and Dr. Victor
Kaplan.
e. According to the nature of water jet acting on the turbine: Based on this classification
there are two types of turbines; Impulse Turbines & Reaction Turbines.
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PELTON WHEEL
Impulse Turbine
High Head Turbine
Horizontal Shaft Turbine
v (m/s)
The water jet strikes the bucket in a tangential direction and the bucket velocity is given by:
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A PELTON WHEEL can also be a multiple water-jet turbine as represented in the figure below.
References
[1] Power Plant Engineering by PK Nag (Third Edition) ISBN: 978-0-07-064815-9
[2] Evans Engineering
http://evans-engineering.co.uk/images/tangenital_main.jpg
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EE-455 (Power Generation)
LECTURE NOTES
HYDRAULIC TURBINES
Multi-jet Hydraulic Turbines: To calculate the specific speed of a Multi-jet Hydraulic Turbine, the
following equation can be used:
It is evident from the above equation that the specific speed of a hydraulic turbine with multiple
jets will be higher as compared to a single-jet hydraulic turbine. Hence, multiple water jets are
used to increase a turbine’s specific speed.
A Multi-jet Pelton Wheel Hydraulic Turbine
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Pelton Wheel Equations:
v (m/s)
A Single-jet Pelton Wheel Hydraulic Turbine
The water jet strikes the bucket in a tangential direction and the bucket velocity is given by:
The water-jet leaving the nozzle has a velocity given by the following equation:
H is the water head in m
g is the acceleration due to gravity 9.81 m/s2
CV is the velocity coefficient (0.97 – 0.99)
The water-jet leaving the nozzle has kinetic energy (K.E) given by the following equation:
Please note that the above equation gives kinetic energy per unit weight.
Reference
[1] Power Plant Engineering by PK Nag (Third Edition) ISBN: 978-0-07-064815-9
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EE-455 (Power Generation)
LECTURE NOTES
HYDRAULIC TURBINES
Definition of Specific Speed:
The specific speed of a Hydraulic Turbine is defined as the speed of a geometrically similar turbine
which produces 1 KW of power when operating under a head of 1 m.
Where, N is the normal working speed of the turbine in rpm (rev/ min)
P is the power output of the turbine in kW
H is the net water head in m
Note: Substituting P = 1 kW and H = 1m in the above equation makes N s = N
Scale Ratio Equation for Hydraulic Turbines:
The scale ratio equation is used to calculate the diameter and speed of a full-scale prototype
turbine, if the diameter and speed of a geometrically similar model turbine are known.
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Where, Dm is the diameter of the model turbine in m.
DP is the diameter of the prototype turbine in m.
Nm is the speed of the model turbine in rpm.
Np is the speed of the prototype turbine in rpm.
Example Problem:
Tests conducted on a one-fifth scale model of a Francis turbine under a head of 1.5 m indicated that
it could develop 5 kW power at 450 rpm. Determine the speed and power of a full sized turbine
while working under a head of 30 m.
Example problem was solved in class (refer to page 723 of the text book).
Reference
[1] Power Plant Engineering by PK Nag (Third Edition) ISBN: 978-0-07-064815-9
