TUTORIAL

TURBOMACHINE: TURBINE
FLUID MECHANICS 2
MEC 442

1. Give at least two reasons why turbines often have greater efficiencies than do pumps.
2. Briefly discuss the main difference in the way that dynamic pumps and reaction turbines are
classified as centrifugal (radial), mixed flow, or axial.
3. What is a draft tube, and what is its purpose? Describe what would happen if
turbomachinery designers did not pay attention to the design of the draft tube.
4. Name and briefly describe the differences between the two basic types of dynamic turbine.
5. Discuss the meaning of reverse swirl in reaction hydroturbines, and explain why some
reverse swirl is desirable. Use an equation to support your answer. Why is it not wise to
have too much reverse swirl?
6. Prove that for a given jet speed, volume flow rate, turning angle, and wheel radius, the
maximum shaft power produced by a Pelton wheel occurs when the turbine bucket moves
at half the jet speed.
7. A Pelton wheel is used to produce hydroelectric power. The average radius of the wheel is
1.83 m, and the jet velocity is 102 m/s from a nozzle of exit diameter equal to 10.0 cm. The
turning angle of the buckets is = 165. (a) Calculate the volume flow rate through the
turbine in m3/s. (b) What is the optimum rotation rate (in rpm) of the wheel (for maximum
power)? (c) Calculate the output shaft power in MW if the efficiency of the turbine is 82
percent.
8. Some engineers are evaluating potential sites for a small hydroelectric dam. At one such site,
the gross head is 650 m, and they estimate that the volume flow rate of water through each
turbine would be 1.5 m3/s. Estimate the ideal power production per turbine in MW.
9. A Francis radial-flow hydroturbine is being designed with the following dimensions: r2 = 2.00
m, r1 = 1.42 m, b2 = 0.731 m, and b1 = 2.20 m. The runner rotates at n = 180 rpm. The
wicket gates turn the flow by angle 2 = 30 from radial at the runner inlet, and the flow at
the runner outlet is at angle 1 = 10 from radial. The volume flow rate at design conditions
is 340 m3/s, and the gross head provided by the dam is Hgross = 90.0 m. For the preliminary
design, irreversible losses are neglected. Calculate the inlet and outlet runner blade angles
2 and 1, respectively, and predict the power output (MW) and required net head (m). Is
the design feasible?
10. A Francis radial-flow hydroturbine has the following dimensions, where location 2 is the inlet
and location 1 is the outlet: r2 = 2.00 m, r1 = 1.30 m, b2 = 0.85 m, and b1 = 2.10 m. The
runner blade angles are 2 = 66 and 1 = 18.5 at the turbine inlet and outlet, respectively.
The runner rotates at n =100 rpm. The volume flow rate at design conditions is 80.0 m 3/s.
Irreversible losses are neglected in this preliminary analysis. Calculate the angle 2 through
which the wicket gates should turn the flow, where 2 is measured from the radial direction
at the runner inlet (Fig.Q9). Calculate the swirl angle 1, where 1 is measured from the
radial direction at the runner outlet (Fig. Q9). Does this turbine have forward or reverse
swirl? Predict the power output (MW) and required net head (m).
11. Discuss which dimensionless pump performance parameter is typically used as the
independent parameter. Repeat for turbines instead of pumps. Explain
12. A one-fifth scale model of a water turbine is tested in a laboratory at T = 20C. The diameter
of the model is 8.0 cm, its volume flow rate is 17.0 m3/h, it spins at 1500 rpm, and it
operates with a net head of 15.0 m. At its best efficiency point, it delivers 450 W of shaft
power. Calculate the efficiency of the model turbine. What is the most likely kind of turbine
being tested.
13. A group of engineers is designing a new hydroturbine by scaling up an existing one. The
existing turbine (turbine A) has diameter DA = 1.50 m, and spins at nA = 150 rpm. At its best
efficiency point, VA = 162 m3/s, HA= 90.0 m of water, and bhpA= 132 MW. The new turbine
(turbine B) will spin at 120 rpm, and its net head will be HB = 110 m. Calculate the diameter
of the new turbine such that it operates most efficiently, and calculate VB and bhpB.