Flow-Feedback Method for Mitigating the Vortex Rope in Decelerated Swirling Flows

2013 ◽  
Vol 135 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Constantin Tănasă ◽  
Romeo Susan-Resiga ◽  
Sebastian Muntean ◽  
Alin Ilie Bosioc
Keyword(s):  
Swirling Flow ◽  
Flow Instability ◽  
Pressure Fluctuations ◽  
Water Injection ◽  
Operating Regime ◽  
Experimental Investigations ◽  
Vortex Rope ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Wall Pressure Fluctuations ◽  
Hydraulic Turbines

When reaction hydraulic turbines are operated far from the design operating regime, particularly at partial discharge, swirling flow instability is developed downstream of the runner, in the discharge cone, with a precessing helical vortex and its associated severe pressure fluctuations. Bosioc et al. (2012, “Unsteady Pressure Analysis of a Swirling Flow With Vortex Rope and Axial Water Injection in a Discharge Cone,” ASME J. Fluids Eng., 134(8), p. 081104) showed that this instability can be successfully mitigated by injecting a water jet along the axis. However, the jet discharge is too large to be supplied with high pressure water bypassing the runner, since this discharge is associated with the volumetric loss. In the present paper we demonstrate that the control jet injected at the inlet of the conical diffuser can actually be supplied with water collected from the discharge cone outlet, thus introducing a new concept of flow feedback. In this case, the jet is driven by the pressure difference between the cone wall, where the feedback spiral case is located, and the pressure at the jet nozzle outlet. In order to reach the required threshold value of the jet discharge, we also introduce ejector pumps to partially compensate for the hydraulic losses in the return pipes. Extensive experimental investigations show that the wall pressure fluctuations are successfully mitigated when the jet reaches 12% of the main flow discharge for a typical part load turbine operating regime. About 10% of the jet discharge is supplied by the plain flow feedback, and only 2% boost is insured by the ejector pumps. As a result, this new approach paves the way towards practical applications in real hydraulic turbines.

scholarly journals Manipulation of the swirling flow instability in hydraulic turbine diffuser by different methods of water injection

2018 ◽  
Vol 180 ◽  
pp. 02090 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pavel Rudolf ◽  
Jiří Litera ◽  
Germán Alejandro Ibarra Bolanos ◽  
David Štefan
Keyword(s):  
Swirling Flow ◽  
Flow Instability ◽  
Draft Tube ◽  
Water Injection ◽  
Hydraulic Turbine ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Francis Turbine ◽  
Necessary Condition ◽  
Vortex Rope ◽  
Wide Range

Vortex rope, which induces substantial pressure pulsations, arises in the draft tube (diffuser) of Francis turbine for off-design operating conditions. Present paper focuses on mitigation of those pulsations using active water jet injection control. Several modifications of the original Susan-Resiga’s idea were proposed. All modifications are driven by manipulation of the shear layer region, which is believed to play important role in swirling flow instability. While some of the methods provide results close to the original one, none of them works in such a wide range. Series of numerical experiments support the idea that the necessary condition for vortex rope pulsation mitigation is increasing the fluid momentum along the draft tube axis.

Unsteady Pressure Analysis of a Swirling Flow With Vortex Rope and Axial Water Injection in a Discharge Cone

2012 ◽  
Vol 134 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alin Ilie Bosioc ◽  
Romeo Susan-Resiga ◽  
Sebastian Muntean ◽  
Constantin Tanasa
Keyword(s):  
Draft Tube ◽  
Partial Discharge ◽  
Pressure Fluctuations ◽  
Water Injection ◽  
Water Jet ◽  
Francis Turbine ◽  
Experimental Investigations ◽  
Vortex Rope ◽  
Conical Diffuser ◽  
Jet Control

The variable demand of the energy market requires that hydraulic turbines operate at variable conditions, which includes regimes far from the best efficiency point. The vortex rope developed at partial discharges in the conical diffuser is responsible for large pressure pulsations, runner blades breakdowns and may lead to power swing phenomena. A novel method introduced by Resiga et al. (2006, “Jet Control of the Draft Tube in Francis Turbines at Partial Discharge,” Proceedings of the 23rd IAHR Symposium on Hydraulic Machinery and Systems, Yokohama, Japan, Paper No. F192) injects an axial water jet from the runner crown downstream in the draft tube cone to mitigate the vortex rope and its consequences. A special test rig was developed at “Politehnica” University of Timisoara in order to investigate different flow control techniques. Consequently, a vortex rope similar to the one developed in a Francis turbine cone at 70% partial discharge is generated in the rig’s test section. In order to investigate the new jet control method an auxiliary hydraulic circuit was designed in order to supply the jet. The experimental investigations presented in this paper are concerned with pressure measurements at the wall of the conical diffuser. The pressure fluctuations’ Fourier spectra are analyzed in order to assess how the amplitude and dominating frequency are modified by the water injection. It is shown that the water jet injection significantly reduces both the amplitude and the frequency of pressure fluctuations, while improving the pressure recovery in the conical diffuser.

Investigations Of Pressure Pulsations In A Model Of Draft Tube Of Hydraulic Turbine Caused By Vortex Rings

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 25-32
Author(s):  
Sergey Skripkin ◽  
Mikhail Tsoy ◽  
Sergey Shtork ◽  
Pavel Kuibin
Keyword(s):  
Vortex Ring ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Draft Tube ◽  
Hydraulic Turbine ◽  
Vortex Rings ◽  
Experimental Investigations ◽  
Visualization Technique ◽  
Vortex Rope ◽  
Hydro Turbine ◽  
Hydraulic Turbines

Current work is devoted to experimental investigations of behavior of precessing vortex rope in a draft tube model of hydraulic turbine. We used combination of stationary and freely rotating swirlers as a hydro turbine model. Such construction provides velocity distribution on the draft tube inlet close to distribution in natural hydraulic turbines operated at non-optimal conditions. The phenomenon of precessing vortex rope reconnection with further formation of vortex ring was founded in this experimental research using high-speed visualization technique. Synchronization of highspeed visualization and pressure measurements allowed us to relate pressure shock on the draft tube wall with vortex ring moving along wall.

THE PHYSICAL ORIGIN OF SEVERE LOW-FREQUENCY PRESSURE FLUCTUATIONS IN GIANT FRANCIS TURBINES

2005 ◽  
Vol 19 (28n29) ◽  
pp. 1527-1530 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.-K. ZHANG ◽  
Q.-D. CAI ◽  
J.-Z. WU ◽  
Y.-L. WU ◽  
S.-H. LIU ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Swirling Flow ◽  
Pressure Fluctuations ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Francis Turbine ◽  
Navier Stokes ◽  
Physical Origin ◽  
Navier Stokes Equation ◽  
Power Stations ◽  
Hydraulic Turbines ◽  
Hydrodynamic Stability Theory

The physical origin of severe low-frequency pressure fluctuation frequently observed in Francis hydraulic turbines under off-design conditions, which greatly damages the structural stability of turbines and even power stations, is analyzed based on the hydrodynamic stability theory and our Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equation simulation (RANS) of the flow in the entire passage of a Francis turbine. We find that spontaneous unsteady vortex ropes, which induce severe pressure fluctuations, are formed due to the absolute instability of the swirling flow at the conical inlet of the turbine's draft tube.

Excitation Models for Buffeting of Cylinder Bundles in Parallel Flow

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Radu Pomiˆrleanu
Keyword(s):  
Swirling Flow ◽  
Spectral Characteristics ◽  
Pressure Fluctuations ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Parallel Flow ◽  
Rod Bundles ◽  
Wall Pressure Fluctuations ◽  
Flow Geometry ◽  
Model Predictions ◽  
Selection Of

In this paper, the effect of several models representing the state of the art in wall-pressure fluctuations statistics were applied to the geometry of square rod bundles with P/D = 1.33, and used together with the random vibration theory to yield the spectral characteristics of rod vibration. Comparison of model predictions with experimental data representing rod acceleration allowed the selection of Efimtsov model as better suited for the rod bundles flow geometry and low frequency range. Further assimilating the mixing-vanes induced swirling flow as a disturbance to the parallel flow, two corrections were proposed based on comparison of measured vibration characteristics of vaned and vaneless bundles.

Experimental Evidence of Hydroacoustic Pressure Waves in a Francis Turbine Elbow Draft Tube for Low Discharge Conditions

2009 ◽  
Vol 131 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge Arpe ◽  
Christophe Nicolet ◽  
François Avellan
Keyword(s):  
Pressure Fluctuation ◽  
Swirling Flow ◽  
Draft Tube ◽  
Flow Direction ◽  
Pressure Fluctuations ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Hydropower Plant ◽  
Francis Turbine ◽  
Scale Model ◽  
Vortex Rope

The complex three-dimensional unsteady flow developing in the draft tube of a Francis turbine is responsible for pressure fluctuations, which could prevent the whole hydropower plant from operating safely. Indeed, the Francis draft tube is subjected to inlet swirling flow, divergent cross section, and the change of flow direction. As a result, in low discharge off-design operating conditions, a cavitation helical vortex, so-called the vortex rope develops in the draft tube and induces pressure fluctuations in the range of 0.2–0.4 times the runner frequency. This paper presents the extensive unsteady wall pressure measurements performed in the elbow draft tube of a high specific speed Francis turbine scale model at low discharge and at usual plant value of the Thoma cavitation number. The investigation is undertaken for operating conditions corresponding to low discharge, i.e., 0.65–0.85 times the design discharge, which exhibits pressure fluctuations at surprisingly high frequency value, between 2 and 4 times the runner rotation frequency. The pressure fluctuation measurements performed with 104 pressure transducers distributed on the draft tube wall, make apparent in the whole draft tube a fundamental frequency value at 2.5 times the runner frequency. Moreover, the modulations between this frequency with the vortex rope precession frequency are pointed out. The phase shift analysis performed for 2.5 times the runner frequency enables the identification of a pressure wave propagation phenomenon and indicates the location of the corresponding pressure fluctuation excitation source in the elbow; hydroacoustic waves propagate from this source both upstream and downstream the draft tube.

Unsteady vortical flow simulation in a Francis turbine with special emphasis on vortex rope behavior and pressure fluctuation alleviation

2017 ◽  
Vol 231 (3) ◽  
pp. 215-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xianwu Luo ◽  
An Yu ◽  
Bin Ji ◽  
Yulin Wu ◽  
Yoshinobu Tsujimoto
Keyword(s):  
Pressure Fluctuation ◽  
Swirling Flow ◽  
Draft Tube ◽  
Pressure Fluctuations ◽  
Flow Simulation ◽  
Vortical Flow ◽  
Francis Turbine ◽  
Vortex Rope ◽  
Spiral Vortex ◽  
Baroclinic Torque

Hydro turbines operating at partial flow conditions usually have vortex ropes in the draft tube that generate large pressure fluctuations. This unsteady flow phenomenon is harmful to the safe operation of hydropower stations. This paper presents numerical simulations of the internal flow in the draft tube of a Francis turbine with particular emphasis on understanding the unsteady characteristics of the vortex rope structure and the underlying mechanisms for the interactions between the air and the vortices. The pressure fluctuations induced by the vortex rope are alleviated by air admission from the main shaft center, with the water-air two phase flow in the entire flow passage of a model turbine simulated based on the homogeneous flow assumption. The results show that aeration with suitable air flow rate can alleviate the pressure fluctuations in the draft tube, and the mechanism improving the flow stability in the draft tube is due to the change of vortex rope structure and distribution by aeration, i.e. a helical vortex rope at a small aeration volume while a cylindrical vortex rope with a large amount of aeration. The preferable vortex rope distribution can suppress the swirl at the smaller flow rates, and is helpful to alleviate the pressure fluctuation in the draft tube. The analysis based on the vorticity transport equation indicates that the vortex has strong stretching and dilation in the vortex rope evolution. The baroclinic torque term does not play a major role in the vortex evolution most of the time, but will much increase for some specific aeration volumes. The present study also depicts that vortex rope is mainly associated with a pair of spiral vortex stretching and dilation sources, and its swirling flow is alleviated little by the baroclinic torque term, whose effect region is only near the draft tube inlet.

Numerical Calculation of Wall Pressure Fluctuations in a Centrifugal Fan

2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Velarde-Sua´rez ◽  
Rafael Ballesteros-Tajadura ◽  
Juan Pablo Hurtado-Cruz ◽  
Carlos Santolaria-Morros
Keyword(s):  
Pressure Fluctuations ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Power Spectra ◽  
Wall Pressure ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Numerical Code ◽  
Experimental Investigations ◽  
Centrifugal Fan ◽  
Wall Pressure Fluctuations ◽  
Flow Phenomena

In this work, a numerical code has been applied in order to obtain the wall pressure fluctuations at the volute of an industrial centrifugal fan. The numerical results have been contrasted using previous experimental investigations carried out in the same machine. A three-dimensional numerical simulation of the complete unsteady flow on the whole impeller-volute configuration has been carried out using the computational fluid dynamics code FLUENT®. This code has been employed to calculate the time-dependent pressure both in the impeller and in the volute. In this way, the pressure fluctuations in some locations over the volute wall have been obtained. The power spectra of these fluctuations have been calculated, showing an important peak at the blade passing frequency. The amplitude of this peak presents the highest values near the volute tongue, but the spatial pattern over the volute extension is different depending on the operating conditions. The code has successfully simulated the volute pressure fluctuations due to the aerodynamic field, capturing the main flow phenomena such as the jet-wake effects and the impeller-volute interaction.

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