Determination of the effects of size parameters and lean angle on Bovet-based Francis turbine runner performance

Abstract

Abstract In global hydropower generation, the Francis turbine is widely used because of its ability to work efficiently in a wide range of conditions like varying head and flow rates. Turbine’s meridional profile can be developed using traditional design approaches, like the Bovet method which uses empirical relations based on hydrological factors, that can be refined through optimization. Runner performance evaluation considers factors such as efficiency, erosion resistance, resistance to cavitation, and many more. Adjusting design parameters can enhance a turbine’s performance at a particular site. In this paper, a Bovet-based Francis runner design was obtained for Damile Micro Hydro located at Pharping, Nepal and the effect of variation of size parameters and lean angle on the runner performance was investigated. Initially, In-house MATLAB codes were used to design 99 meridional profile of different sizes by changing the size parameters as indicated by Bovet method and numerical simulation was performed to select the best meridional profile based on efficiency. After obtaining best meridional profile, the effect of lean angle was studied by varying it from -10° to 10°. Among the 99 designs based on different sizes, the simulation results indicate that the maximum efficiency was found to be 92.3% whereas the minimum efficiency was found to be 87.84%. The corrected lean angle of -5° showed the maximum efficiency and better pressure distribution along the blade.