Validation of deep part load dynamic stresses for axial runners

Abstract

Abstract To accommodate renewable energy production and load demand variability, hydropower plant owners need to increase their operating range regardless of their units’ original design load envelop. When this increased operating range is an issue for the fatigue life of the old runners, solutions need to be found with the design of a new runner to sustain those new challenging loads of the increased operating range. In recent years, many papers have been published to show the challenging loads on Francis runners at speed-no-load and deep part load conditions. Andritz demonstrated a good numerical prediction capability for stress levels at deep part load conditions for Francis runners. However, for axial units, very little has been published. Very recently, some papers showed good predictability by CFD of the flow behavior at deep part load including the vortices present at those conditions. This paper demonstrates the prediction capability of the numerical tools by comparing strain gage measurements on an axial runner to CFD-FEA stress predictions. The measurement campaign was conducted conjointly by the unit owner and the manufacturer for research purposes. In the deep part load operating zone under the effect of columnar vortices, frequency analysis of the measured vibrations and strain gage signals confirmed the flow behavior predicted by CFD, and the measured dynamic strain amplitudes were well predicted. Numerical prediction of dynamic stress in the complete range from 0-100% power of the measured unit as well as detection of high vibration zones was successful.