Reaction turbines

Prof. Dr. Ir. Harinaldi, M.Eng

Mechanical Engineering Department
Faculty of Engineering University of Indonesia
 REACTION TURBINES
The functioning of reaction turbines differs from impulse
turbines in two aspects.

1. In the impulse turbine the potential energy available is

completely converted to kinetic energy by the nozzles
before the water enters the runner. The pressure in
the runner is constant at atmospheric level.

In the case of reaction turbine the potential energy is

partly converted to kinetic energy in the starter guide
blades. The remaining potential energy is gradually
converted to kinetic energy and absorbed by the
runner. The pressure inside the runner varies along
the flow.
2. In the impulse turbine only a few buckets are engaged by the jet at
a time. In the reaction turbine as it is fully flowing all blades or
vanes are engaged by water at all the time. The other differences
are that reaction turbines are well suited for low and medium
heads (300 m to below) while impulse turbines are well suited for
high heads above this value.
Also due to the drop in pressure in the vane passages in the
reaction turbine the relative velocity at outlet is higher compared to
the value at inlet. In the case of impulse turbine there is no drop in
pressure in the bucket passage and the relative velocity either
decreases due to surface friction or remains constant. In the case
of reaction turbine the flow area between two blades changes
gradually to accommodate the change in static pressure. In the
case of impulse turbine the speed ratio for best efficiency is fixed
as about 0.46. As there is no such limitation, reaction turbines can
be run at higher speeds.
 Radial Flow
Francis Turbine
Radial Flow – Francis Turbine
Construction of Francis Turbine
 Francis Turbine

Francis turbine is a radial inward flow turbine and is the most

popularly used one in the medium head range of 60 to 300 m.
Francis turbine was first developed as a purely radial flow
turbine by James B. Francis, an American engineer in 1849.
But the design has gradually changed into a mixed flow turbine
of today.

The main components are (i) The spiral casing (ii) Guide
vanes (iii) Runner (iv) Draft tube and (v) Governor
mechanism. Most of the machines are of vertical shaft
arrangement while some smaller units are of horizontal shaft
type.
Typical sectional and front view of
a modern Francis turbine.
Spiral Casing
The spiral casing surrounds
the runner completely. Its
area of cross section
decreases gradually around
the circumference. This leads
to uniform distribution of
water all along the
circumference of the runner.
Water from the penstock
pipes enters the spiral casing
and is distributed uniformly to
the guide blades placed on
the periphery of a circle. The
casing should be strong
enough to withstand the high
pressure.
 Guide Blades
Water enters the runner through the guide blades along the circumference. The
number of guide blades are generally fewer than the number of blades in the runner.
These should also be not simple multiples of the runner blades. The guide blades in
addition to guiding the water at the proper direction serves two important functions. The
water entering the guide blades are imparted a tangential velocity by the drop in
pressure in the passage of the water through the blades. The blade passages act as
a nozzle in this aspect.
The guide blades rest on pivoted on a ring and can be rotated by the rotation of the
ring, whose movement is controlled by the governor. In this way the area of blade
passage is changed to vary the flow rate of water according to the load so that the
speed can be maintained constant. The variation of area between guide blades is
illustrated in Fig. below.
 The Runner
The shape of the runner depends on the specific speed of the unit. These
are classified as:
(a) slow runner (b) medium speed runner (c) high speed
runner and (d) very high speed runner.

The shape of the runner and the corresponding velocity triangles are
shown in figure. The development of mixed flow runners was necessitated
by the limited power capacity of the purely radial flow runner. A larger exit
flow area is made possible by the change of shape from radial to axial
flow shape. This reduces the outlet velocity and thus increases efficiency.
As seen in the figure the velocity triangles are of different shape for
different runners.
It is seen from the velocity triangles that the blade inlet angle β1 changes
from acute to obtuse as the speed increases. The guide vane outlet angle
α1 also increases from about 15° to higher values as speed increases.
 In all cases, the outlet
angle of the blades are so
designed that there is no
whirl component of
velocity at exit (Vu2 = 0) or
absolute velocity at exit is
minimum.

Variation of runner shapes and inlet

velocity triangles with specific speed
 The runner blades are of
doubly curved and are
complex in shape. These
may be made separately
using suitable dies and
then welded to the rotor.
The height of the runner
along the axial direction
(may be called width also)
depends upon the flow
rate which depends on
the head and power
which are related to
specific speed.
Slow speed and high speed runner shapes

As specific speed increases the width also increase accordingly. Two

such shapes are shown in figure above runners change the direction and
magnitude of the fluid velocity and in this process absorb the momentum
from the fluid.
Velocity Triangle
Euler Equation:
W U1C x1  U 2C x 2 
E 
mg g
Flow velocities:
Q
C r1 
2r1b1
Q
Cr 2 
2r2b2
b  runner height
 W U1Cx1  U 2Cx 2  W = mgE = mgh =
E  (meter)
Fh = kerja (Nm)
mg g

 Fx  mC x 2  C x1 

W= U = rω  ω = U/r

For Power Machine (Turbine)

W= <0
For Working Machine (Pump)

W= >0
 Axial Flow
Francis Turbine
Axial Flow – Kaplan Turbine
Construction of Kaplan Turbine
Velocity Triangle
Euler Equation:
W U C x1  C x 2 
E 
mg g

For zero whirl at exit:

E  UCx1 g

Cx1  U  Ca cot 180o  1 
 U  Ca cot 1

E
U 2
 UCa cot 1 
g
Flow velocities: Cr1  Cr 2  Ca
4Q
Cr1  Cr 2  Ca 

 D2  d 2  Note:
U is evaluate at mean diameter ( Dm )
D  diameter to blade tip
d  hub diameter Dm  D  d  2 U  Dm N  60
Installation
Net Head Across Turbine
 Net head (H) is the different in the
total head between the inlet flange
and the tail water level
 Net head (H) is not equal to Gross
head (H1)
Total head across turbine
 
H   p0  p3 g  V02  V32 2 g  Z 0  Z 3  ; p3  0 ( gauge) ; Z 3  0
 
H  p0 g  V02 2 g  Z 0  V32 2 g

Relation: net head and gross head

h fp  frictional head loss in pipeline
H  H1  h fp  V32 2 g
hg  frictional head loss in guide vanes
Energy given to the runner hd  frictional head loss in draft tube
E  W mg  H  hd  hg  hr hr  frictional head loss in runner
V32 2 g  residual kinetic energy
Losses and Efficiency
Energy balance through the turbine
P  Pm  Pr  Pc  Pl  Ps
Ps = shaft power output Pc = casing and draft tube loss
Pm= mechanical loss Pl = leakage loss
Pr = runner loss P = water power available

Runner Loss
Pr  gQr hr hr  frictional head loss in runner
Qr  flow rate through runner
Qr  Q  q q  flow rate leakage
Leakage Loss
Pl  gqH r H r  total head across the runner

Casing and draft tube Loss

Pc  gQhc hc  head loss in casing and draft tube

Energy balance becomes:

gQH  Pm  g hr Qr  hcQ  H r q   Ps
Losses and Efficiency
Overall Efficiency
shaft output power Ps
o  
fluid power available at inlet flange gQH

Hydraulic efficiency

H 
power received by runner

 Ps  Pm 
fluid power available at inlet flange gQH
For maximum efficiency
U1C x1
H 
gQH
Flow Ratio

Vradial
flow ratio 
2gH
Characteristics Curves
Characteristics Curves

Comparison of hydraulic turbine efficiencies

 Draft Tube
The turbines have to be installed a few meters above the flood water
level to avoid inundation. In the case of impulse turbines this does not
lead to significant loss of head. In the case of reaction turbines, the
loss due to the installation at a higher level from the tailrace will be
significant. This loss is reduced by connecting a fully flowing
diverging tube from the turbine outlet to be immersed in the tailrace at
the tube outlet. This reduces the pressure loss as the pressure at the
turbine outlet will be below atmospheric due to the arrangement. The
loss in effective head is reduced by this arrangement. Also
because of the diverging section of the tube the kinetic energy
is converted to pressure energy which adds to the effective
head. The draft tube thus helps (1) to regain the lost static head due
to higher level installation of the turbine and (2) helps to recover part
of the kinetic energy that otherwise may be lost at the turbine outlet. A
draft tube arrangement is shown in figure different shapes of draft
tubes is also shown in figure below.
Draft Tube
The head recovered by the draft tube will equal the sum of
the height of the turbine exit above the tail water level and
the difference between the kinetic head at the inlet and
outlet of the tube less frictional loss in head.

Hd = H + (V12 – V22)/2g – hf

where Hd is the gain in head, H is the height of turbine outlet

above tail water level and hf is the frictional loss of head.

Different types of draft tubes are used as the location

demands. These are (i) Straight diverging tube (ii) Bell
mouthed tube and (iii) Elbow shaped tubes of circular exit or
rectangular exit.
Draft Tube
 Bring the water pressure back to the pressure of the tailrace
 Remove the kinetic energy still existing at the runner outlet
Energy Equation between runner outlet and tailrace
p2 g  V22 2 g  Z 2  p3 g  V32 2 g  Z 3  hd
Z 3  0 ; p3 g  pa g  y
 
p2 g  pa g   y  Z 2   V22  V32 2 g  hd
  
p2 g  pa g  H s  V22  V32 2 g  hd  p2  pa

Efficiency of draft tube

net gain in pressure head
d 
velocity head at entrance of draft tube
 V22  V32 
  hd 
 
2g
V22
2g
Cavitation in Turbine
 Example
A Francis turbine has an inlet dia. of 1.4 m and rotation at 430
rpm. Water enters the runner without shocks with a flow vel. of
9.5 m/s and leaves the runner without whirl with an abs. vel. of
7 m/s. The difference between the sum of the static and
potential heads at entrance to the runner and at the exit from
the runner is 62 m. If the turbine develops 12,250 kW and has a
flow rate of 12 m3/s of water when the net head is 115 m, find :
(a) Abs. vel at entry to the runner & angle of inlet guide vane
(b) Runner blade entry angle
(c) Head loss in runner
A typical velocity diagrams at inlet and outlet, it shows Velocity
diagram for Francis runner. Generally as flow rate is specified
and the flow areas are known, it is directly possible to
calculate Vr1 and Vr2. Hence these may be used as the basis in
calculations. By varying the widths at inlet and outlet suitably
the flow velocity may be kept constant also.
Typical velocity diagrams at the tip and at th e hub are shown below
The diagram is in the axial and tangential plane instead of radial and
tangential plane as in the other turbines.

Typical velocity diagrams for Kaplan turbine

Solution:
Given: D1= 1.4 m; N = 430 rpm; Cr1= 9.5 m/s; C2 = 7 m/s; P = 12250 kW;
H = 115 m; Q = 12 m3/s ; Cx2 = 0

(a) Inlet velocity and inlet guide vane angle

Runner tip speed

U1  D1N  60   1.4430 60  31.5 m/s

Power
given to  U1C x1  U 2C x 2 
runner P  gQ   QU 1C x1
 g 
P 12250.103
 C x1   3  32.4 m/s
 
QU 1 10 1231.5
 Absolute inlet velocity
C1  Cr21  Cx21  9.52  32.42  33.8 m/s
Inlet guide vane angle
 Cr1   9.5 

1  arctan  
  arctan    16.3o

 Cx1   32.4 
(b) Runner blade entry angle
 Cr1   9.5 

1  arctan  
  arctan    84.6 o

 Cx1  U1   32.4  31.5 

(c) Head loss in runner

Head loss in runner = total head across runner – head transferred to runner
 p1  p2   C12  C22 
Total head across runner =       Z1  Z 2 
 g   2 g 
U1C x1
Head transferred to runner =
g
Head loss in runner
 p1  p2   C12  C22 
  Z1  Z 2   1 x1
UC
hr     
 g   2 g  g
However,
 p1  p2 
   Z1  Z 2   62 m
 g 
Thus,
 C12  C22  U1C x1
hr  62    
 2g  g
 33.82  7 2   31.532.4  
 62        13.69 m
 2 9.81   9.81 