Analysis of Hydraulics Power Characteristics According to Changable Design Conditions for Francis Turbines

프란시스 터어빈의 설계조건 변동에 따른 수력학적 특성해석

Among many other alternative energy resources, small scale hydropower has been brought into attention as a reliable source of energy today, which had been relatively neglected since 1960s. Present low head of Francis turbines and small scale hydroturbines, however, have limitations in the minimum required head and flow rate for efficient operation. This study attempts to develope the Francis turbine which is expected to run efficiently even in very low head and small flow rate, so that the limitations on the conventional small scale hydropower could alleviated and competition with other alternative energy sources in the changable design conditions could attained. The Francis turbine of a new concept was designed based on changable design conditions, hydrodynamics and theory of power transmission. The result of the study shows that two stages runner is more efficient, cheaper in construction, faster responding, and easier maintaining than single stage runner of Francis turbine