Utilization of CFD tools in the design process of a Francis turbine

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2010
Okyay, Gizem
Francis type turbines are commonly used in hydropower generation. Main components of the turbine are spiral case, stay vanes, guide vanes, turbine runner and the draft tube. The dimensions of these parts are dependent mainly on the design discharge, head and the speed of the rotor of the generators. In this study, a methodology is developed for parametric optimization by incorporating Matlab codes developed and commercial Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) codes into the design process. The design process starts with the selection of initial dimensions from experience curves, iterates to improve the overall hydraulic efficiency and obtain the detailed description of the final geometry for manufacturing with complete visualization of the computed flow field. A Francis turbine designed by the procedure developed has been manufactured and installed for energy production.

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Citation Formats
G. Okyay, “Utilization of CFD tools in the design process of a Francis turbine,” M.S. - Master of Science, Middle East Technical University, 2010.