DATA REQUIREMENT FOR HYDROPOWER TURBINE SELECTION

What are the data required in selecting turbine for hydropower?

The turbine supplier should have the following information in order to select the best combination of size and type runner:

1. Head available, head range, and head duration.

2. Power and speed required to drive pump.

3. Description of fluid to be handled, including chemical composition and specific gravity.

4. Possibility of adding air to system. Turbine will operate satisfactorily without air, but air may be added to system to reduce pressure fluctuations (normally one-third of rpm in frequency) at part load and possibly to smooth unit operation at full load.

5. If corrosive fluid is to be handled, description of the materials required.

6. Controls from pumping process that will affect turbine operation. If speed is a controlling factor, the possibility of using a speed-varying device should be considered.

7. Back pressure on the turbine.

8. Noise-level trends for the turbine. Figure 1 illustrates noise levels recorded on some rather large turbine units. Ear protection is required for noise levels above 85 db.

FIGURE 1
Sound level readings taken 3 ft (0.9 m) from main shaft. Hydraulic losses are approximated output in kilowatts (1.00 turbine efficiency). (From L. F. Henry: “Selection of Reversible Pump/Turbine Specific Speeds.” Paper presented at meeting on pumped-storage development and its environmental effects, University of Wisconsin, September 1971.)