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Numerical Study of Flow Behaviour in the Buckets of Pelton Turbine Using Open FOAM

Abstract:

The growth of the energy sector based on the creation and repowering of hydroelectric plants has been remark¬able due to their high efficiency, low environmental impact and generation of employment opportunities in Ec¬uador. Several hydroelectric power plants were installed, ranging from 500 KW to 1 MW, in rural areas contrib¬uting to their economic growth, and the hydraulic Pelton type turbine was the most implemented at those hy¬droelectric plants. Therefore, an optimized bucket model has been developed based on previous modelling and current working conditions of a commercial Pelton type turbine. This bucket was simulated using the PIMPLE algorithm together with the kw-SST turbulence model within the OpenFOAM software. Furthermore, the appli¬cation of the Arbitrary Coupled Mesh Interface (ACMI) approach, and its advantages, over the Arbitrary Mesh Interface (AMI) approach fordata transfer between stationary and rotating meshes were evaluated. Finally, the results obtained with both methods were compared and the reproduction of the phenomenon was confirmed to a high approximation based on previous studies and experimental data.