An Indirect Measurement Methodology to Identify Load Fluctuations on Axial Turbine Runner Blades

Smooth integration of intermittent energy sources, such as solar and wind power, into the electrical grid induces new operating conditions of the hydraulic turbine by increasing the off-design operations, start/stops, and load variations. Therefore, hydraulic turbines are subject to unstable flow co...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 20; no. 24; p. 7220
Main Authors: Soltani Dehkharqani, Arash, Engström, Fredrik, Aidanpää, Jan-Olov, Cervantes, Michel J.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 16.12.2020
MDPI
Subjects:
Alternative energy sources
axial strain
bending strain
Cavitation
Fluid Mechanics
Hydraulics
Hydroelectric power
indirect measurement
load fluctuation on the runner
Machine Design
Maskinkonstruktion
pressure measurement
Pressure transducers
prototype Kaplan turbine
strain measurement
Strömningslära
torsion strain
Turbines
load fluctuation on the runner
axial strain
pressure measurement
strain measurement
torsion strain
indirect measurement
bending strain
prototype Kaplan turbine
ISSN:1424-8220, 1424-8220
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Smooth integration of intermittent energy sources, such as solar and wind power, into the electrical grid induces new operating conditions of the hydraulic turbine by increasing the off-design operations, start/stops, and load variations. Therefore, hydraulic turbines are subject to unstable flow conditions and unfavorable load fluctuations. Predicting load fluctuations on the runner using indirect measurements can allow for optimized operations of the turbine units, increase turbine refurbishment time intervals, and avoid structural failures in extreme cases. This paper investigates an experimental methodology to assess and predict the flow condition and load fluctuations on a Kaplan turbine runner at several steady-state operations by performing measurements on the shaft in the rotating and stationary frame of references. This unit is instrumented with several transducers such as miniature pressure transducers, strain gages, and proximity probes. The results show that for any propeller curve of a Kaplan turbine, the guide vane opening corresponding to the minimum pressure and strain fluctuations on the runner blade can be obtained by axial, torsion, and bending measurements on the shaft. Torsion measurements on the shaft could support index-testing in Kaplan turbines particularly for updating the cam-curve during the unit operation. Furthermore, a signature of every phenomenon observed on the runner blade signals, e.g., runner frequency, rotating vortex rope components, and rotor-stator interaction, is found in the data obtained from the shaft.
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ISSN:1424-8220
1424-8220
DOI:10.3390/s20247220