Flow behaviors in a Kaplan turbine runner with different tip clearances. (May 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ma, Yue; Qian, Bing; Feng, Zhiguo; Wang, Xuan; Shi, Guangtai; Liu, Zongku; Liu, Xiaobing
• Is Part Of: Advances in mechanical engineering. Volume 13:Number 5(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-05
• Subjects: Kaplan turbine -- tip clearance -- flow behavior -- TLV -- vortex; Mechanical engineering -- Periodicals; 621.05
• DOI: 10.1177/16878140211015879
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1687-8132

Abstract

Tip clearance between the runner blade tip and shroud in a Kaplan turbine is inevitable, and the tip leakage flow (TLF) and tip leakage vortex (TLV) induced by the tip clearance have a considerable effect on the flow behaviors. To reveal the effect of the tip clearance on the flow characteristics, based on the Reynolds time-averaged Navier-Stokes (N-S) equation and the shear stress transfer (SST) k-ω turbulence model, the three-dimensional turbulence flow in a Kaplan turbine is simulated using ANSYS CFX. Meanwhile, the flow laws in the tip clearance are emphatically analyzed and summarized. Results show with the increase of the tip clearance, the negative pressure region in the blade suction side (SS) middle, the SS near the blade tip and the blade tip becomes more and more obvious. In the meantime, the flow behaviors on the blade pressure side (PS) are relatively stable, and the flow separation on the SS near blade tip merges. The larger the tip clearance is, the more obvious the flow separation phenomenon displays. In addition, the TLV is a spatial three-dimensional spiral structure formed by the entrainment effect of the TLF and main flow, and as the tip clearance increases, the TLV becomes more obvious.