Francis-Type Reversible Turbine Field Investigation During Fast Closure of Wicket Gates

Flexible electricity demand and variability of the electricity produced by wind turbines and photovoltaic affect the stable operations of power grids. Pump-turbines are used to stabilize the power grid by maintaining a real-time electricity demand. Consistently, the machines experience transient conditions during the course of operation, such as start-up, load acceptance, load rejection, and shutdown, which induce high amplitude pressure pulsations and affect operating lifespan of the components. During the closure of the wicket gates, the transient flow characteristics is analyzed for a Francis-type reversible pump-turbine in generating mode by three-dimensional (3D) numerical simulation with a moving mesh technique and using detached eddy simulation (DES) turbulent model. Mesh motion is carried out in the region of wicket gates during the load rejection by a moving, sliding mesh, which makes dynamic flow simulation available, instead of building various steady models with different guide vanes angles. The transient flow characteristics are illustrated by analyzing the flow, torque, and pressure fluctuations signals by frequency and time-frequency analyses. The flow field analysis includes the onset and strengthening of unsteady phenomena during the turbine load reduction. The flow pattern in return channel maintained a quite stable flow field, whereas the flow pattern in the runner and draft tube emphasized its instability with the flow rate decreased. Influence of 3D unsteady flow structures on runner is determined, and its evolution is characterized spectrally during fast closure of wicket gates.