LMH Laboratory for Hydraulic Machines

L4: Pelton Turbine

Prof. Franois Avellan

francois.avellan@epfl.ch

Christian VESSAZ, "Finite Particle Flow Simulation of Free Jet Deviation by

Rotating Pelton Buckets", EPFL doctoral work N 6470, 2014

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Scope

Historical Background
Operating Principle
Special Issues
Bieudron Power Station
L4: Pelton Turbines

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Splitter Bucket Invention

by Lester A. Pelton (1831-1908)

Impulse Turbine

Head (300 m - 2'000 m)

Unit Power up to 420 MW

Efficiency up to 92%

1-6 injectors

Horizontal or Vertical shaft

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Patent Excerpt
Splitter Bucket

Hydraulic Machines

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Horizontal Shaft

Naturno (IT)
2 x 2 jets, 600 min-1 , 1'088 m, 5.77 m3/s, 55 MW, D1 = 2.26 m,
Do = 0.21 m, D2 = 0.22 m, B = 0.53 m, zb = 21.
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Vertical Shaft

San Agaton (VE)

6 jets, 225 min-1 , 350 m, 49.76 m3/s, 153 MW,
D1 = 3.33 m, Do = 0.464 m, D2 = 0.365 m, B = 1.11 m,
zb = 20.

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Pelton Turbine Layout

Hydraulic Machines

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Pelton Unit Layout

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Operating Principle
Impulse Turbine

Reaction

p1 p1 C12 C 12
Et + + [gZ1 gZ 1 ] Erb
=
2 2

Loss

Water Wheel
Displacement

Impulse

-1
J

kg
( )
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Operating Principle
Impulse Turbine
Energy Balance

C22
E=
+ Eri
2
i

-1

J
kg
( ) C2 =

2E (1 er )

C12 C 12
Et =
Erb
2 2
2
2
W1 + U1 ) (W1 + U1 )
(
=

Erb
2
2
Total Specific Rothalpy

U12 W12
U12 W12 p1
+ gZ1 +
= + gZ 1 +
= Cste

2
2

2
2

p1

W12 = W12

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Operating Principle
Impulse Turbine

Specific Energy Balance

Et =
=

2
(W1 + U1 )
2

2
(W1 + U1 )
2

W + 2W1 U1 + U12
2
1

Erb

W + 2W1 U1 + U12

2
=
W1U1 cos 1W1U1 Erb

2
1

Erb

=
(1 cos 1 ) (C1 U1 )U1 Erb
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Operating Principle
Impulse Turbine
Maximum specific energy

Et =
(1 cos 1 ) (C1 U1 )U1 Erb

1 =

2
C

max
1

E
=
Erb
C1
t
2
U1 =
2

Maximum Power

P=

D22

(1 cos 1 ) (C1 U1 )U1C1

4
1 =
2
3
D
C

max
2
1
P

C1
4 2
U1 =
2

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Needle Stroke Controls Power

Discharge

Q = zo A2C2
= zo

D22

C2

4
D22 ( s )
zo
2E (1 er )
4

Power

P ( s ) = zo

D22 ( s ) ( 2E (1 er ) )
4

3
2

2
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Jet Specific Speed

Jet Discharge

Q D22
=
zo
4

(1 er )2E

Specific Speed

o
=

30 ( 2E )

60

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(1 er )

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Optimum Speed

D2
2

(1 er ) (2E )
14

14

ND2
2E

2E (1 er )
C2
D1
U1 =
N =
2
30 2
2

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Jet Specific Speed

3
4

B2
1 er ) D2
(
Do
=
3 3.4 o
D1
2

3
4

5.5
5.0

1 er ) B2
(
=
2 ( 3 3.4 ) D1

B
2
1 D
1

3.6

B2
1 0.735
D1

4.5
4.0
3.5

0.10

0.20

0.30

0.40

0.50

B
D1
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Pelton Specific Issues

Silt Erosion

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Pelton Specific Issues

Silt Erosion: Hardcoating

Bucket

Needle

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Pelton Specific Issues

HVOF Hardcoating

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Successfully mitigating silt erosion

Uncoated after 4'000 h

SXH70-coated
after 3'000 h
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Pelton Special Issues: Dynamic Loading

Stress

B
a

a
c

J jet deviation
B bucket vibration
(5 to 10 MPa)
c Centrifugal stress
a Dynamic stress
<30 MPa for EDF, based
on statistics Life time
m Mean stress

Time t

Sellrain Silz runner measurement: 6 jets, 262 MW,

1'233 m Head

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Typical WHLER curve

min m a
R =
=
max m + a

Dynamic stress applied

a (N/mm2)

Cyclical load number

Samples for different steels of Pelton runners, in wet

atmosphere (curves not saturating)
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Grande Dixence Hydropower Scheme

400 Millions m3 Reservoir Storage Capacity: Maximum Value

LMH Laboratory for Hydraulic Machines

Grande Dixence Hydropower Scheme:

Generating Power Station:

Seasonal Operation
1'269 MW Bieudron
685 MW Nendaz-Fionnay
100 MW Chandoline

Collecting Water from 35

Glaciers
170 MW Pumping Power

400 Millions m3 Reservoir Storage Capacity: Maximum Value

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1'269 MW Bieudron Power Plant

3 Pelton Turbines

500 MVA Generators

428.5 min-1
14 poles, 35.7 MVA/pole
Water Cooled

423 MW Pelton
Turbines, 5 injectors
1'883 mWC Head
25 m3/s Discharge
D1 = 3.993 m
~28 t Runner Mass

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Power House

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION

http://lmh.epfl.ch/
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