Alin Bosioc

Unsteady Pressure Analysis of a Swirling Flow With Vortex Rope and Axial Water Injection in a Discharge Cone

The variable demand of the energy market requires that hydraulic turbines operate atvariable conditions, which includes regimes far from the best efficiency point. The vortexrope developed at partial discharges in the conical diffuser is responsible for large pres-sure pulsations, runner blades breakdowns and may lead to power swing phenomena. Anovel method introduced by Resiga et al. (2006, “Jet Control of the Draft Tube in FrancisTurbines at Partial Discharge,” Proceedings of the 23rd IAHR Symposium on HydraulicMachinery and Systems, Yokohama, Japan, Paper No. F192) injects an axial water jetfrom the runner crown downstream in the draft tube cone to mitigate the vortex rope andits consequences. A special test rig was developed at “Politehnica” University of Timi-soara in order to investigate different flow control techniques. Consequently, a vortexrope similar to the one developed in a Francis turbine cone at 70% partial discharge isgenerated in the rig’s test section. In order to investigate the new jet control method anauxiliary hydraulic circuit was designed in order to supply the jet. The experimentalinvestigations presented in this paper are concerned with pressure measurements at thewall of the conical diffuser. The pressure fluctuations’ Fourier spectra are analyzed inorder to assess how the amplitude and dominating frequency are modified by the waterinjection. It is shown that the water jet injection significantly reduces both the amplitudeand the frequency of pressure fluctuations, while improving the pressure recovery in theconical diffuser. [DOI: 10.1115/1.4007074]Keywords: decelerated swirling flow, vortex rope, water injection method, unsteadypressure, experimental investigation

Flow-Feedback Method for Mitigating the Vortex Rope in Decelerated Swirling Flows

When reaction hydraulic turbines are operated far from the design operating regime, particularly at partial discharge, swirling flow instability is developed downstream of the runner, in the discharge cone, with a precessing helical vortex and its associated severe pressure fluctuations. Bosioc et al. (2012, “Unsteady Pressure Analysis of a Swirling Flow With Vortex Rope and Axial Water Injection in a Discharge Cone,” ASME J. Fluids Eng., 134(8), p. 081104) showed that this instability can be successfully mitigated by injecting a water jet along the axis. However, the jet discharge is too large to be supplied with high pressure water bypassing the runner, since this discharge is associated with the volumetric loss. In the present paper we demonstrate that the control jet injected at the inlet of the conical diffuser can actually be supplied with water collected from the discharge cone outlet, thus introducing a new concept of flow feedback. In this case, the jet is driven by the pressure difference between the cone wall, where the feedback spiral case is located, and the pressure at the jet nozzle outlet. In order to reach the required threshold value of the jet discharge, we also introduce ejector pumps to partially compensate for the hydraulic losses in the return pipes. Extensive experimental investigations show that the wall pressure fluctuations are successfully mitigated when the jet reaches 12% of the main flow discharge for a typical part load turbine operating regime. About 10% of the jet discharge is supplied by the plain flow feedback, and only 2% boost is insured by the ejector pumps. As a result, this new approach paves the way towards practical applications in real hydraulic turbines.

Unsteady Simulations of the Flow in a Swirl Generator, using OpenFOAM

This work presents numerical results, using OpenFOAM, of the flow in the swirl flow generator test rig developed at Politehnica University of Timisoara, Romania. The work shows results computed by solving the unsteady Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes equations. The unsteady method couples the rotating and stationary parts using a sliding grid interface based on a GGI formulation. Turbulence is modeled using the standard k-e model, and block structured wall function ICEM-Hexa meshes are used. The numerical results are validated against experimental LDV results, and against design velocity profiles. The investigation shows that OpenFOAM gives results that are comparable to the experimental and design profiles. The unsteady pressure fluctuations at four different positions in the draft tube is recorded. A Fourier analysis of the numerical results is compared whit that of the experimental values. The amplitude and frequency predicted by the numerical simulation are comparable to those given by the experimental results, though slightly over estimated.

Unsteady pressure measurements and numerical investigation of the jet control method in a conical diffuser with swirling flow

The paper presents our numerical results and experimental measurements for swirling flow with precessing vortex rope into a conical diffuser with water jet control. A test rig was designed and developed at Politehnica University of Timisoara in order to investigate different flow control techniques. Consequently, a vortex rope like in Francis turbine cone at 70% partial discharge is generated into the test rig section. The jet control method is experimentally investigated in order to mitigate the vortex rope and its associated pressure fluctuations. The unsteady pressure is recorded in 8 transducers flush mounted on the wall of the test section at different values of the jet discharge. The amplitude and frequency of the vortex rope is obtained based on unsteady pressure measurements using Fourier analysis. The 3D computational domain corresponds to the test rig section. The three-dimensional full unsteady turbulent computation is performed with jet control for different values of discharge. In numerical simulation, the unsteady pressures are obtained on the cone wall at the same positions as those in experimental investigation. Consequently, the amplitude and frequency of the vortex rope are computed and validated with experimental data. As a result, the amplitude and frequency are diminished if the water jet discharge is increased.

Experimental and numerical investigation of the precessing helical vortex in a conical diffuser, with rotor-stator interaction

The flow unsteadiness generated in a swirling apparatus is investigated experimentally and numerically. The swirl apparatus has two parts: a swirl generator and a test section. The swirl generator includes two blade rows, one stationary and one rotating, is designed such that the emanating flow resembles that of a Francis hydro turbine operated at partial discharge. The test section consists of a conical diffuser similar to the draft tube cone of a Francis turbine. A new control method based on a magneto rheological brake is employed in the rotating section, runner, in order to produce several swirling flow regimes. The LDV measurements are performed along three survey axes in the test section. The measured mean velocity components and its fluctuating parts are used to validate the results of unsteady numerical simulations, conducted using the FOAM-extend-3.0 CFD code. A dynamic mesh is used together with the sliding General Grid Interfaces (GGI) to mimic the effect of the rotating runner. The delayed detached eddy simulation method, conjugated with the Spalart-Allmaras turbulence model (DDES-SA), is applied to achieve a deep insight about the ability of this advanced modeling technique and the physics of the flow. The RNG k-epsilon model is also used to represent state-of-the art of industrial turbulence modeling. Both models predict the mean velocity reasonably well while DDES-SA presents more realistic flow features at the highest and lowest rotational speeds. The highest level of turbulence occurs at the highest and lowest rotational speeds which DDES-SA is able to predict well in the conical diffuser. The special shape of the blade plays more prominent role at lower rotational speeds and creates coherent structures with opposite sign of vorticity. The vortex rope is captured by both turbulence models while DDES-SA presents more realistic one at higher rotational speeds.

Unsteady pressure measurements of decelerated swirling flow in a discharge cone at lower runner speeds

The decelerated swirling flow in the draft tube cone of hydraulic turbines (especially turbines with fixed blades) is responsible for self-induced instabilities which generates pressure pulsations that hinder the turbine operation. An experimental test rig was developed in order to investigate the flow instabilities. A new method was implemented to slow down the runner using a magneto rheological brake in order to be extended the flow regimes investigated. As a result, the experimental investigations are performed for 7 operating regimes in order to quantify the flow behaviour from part load operation to overload operation. The unsteady pressure measurements are carried out on 4 levels in the cone. The unsteady pressure measurements on the cone wall consist in quantifying of three aspects: i) the pressure recovery coefficient obtained based on mean pressure provides the energetic assessment on the draft tube cone; ii) the unsteady quantities (dominant amplitude and frequency) are determined revealing the dynamic behaviour; iii) the plunging and rotating components of the pressure pulsation. As a result, this new method helps us to investigate in detail the flow instability for different operating regimes and allows investigating various flow control solutions.

Comparison between experimentally measured flow patterns for straigth and helical type graft

The long-term success of arterial bypass surgery is often limited by the progression of intimal hyperplasia at the anastomosis between the graft and the native artery. The experimental models were manufactured from glass tubing with constant internal diameter of 8 mm, fashioned into a straight configuration and helical configuration. The aim of this study was to determine the three-dimensional flow structures that occur at the proximal anastomosis under pulsatile flow conditions, to investigate the changes that resulted from variations in the anastomosis angle and flow division, and to establishing the major differences between the straight and helical graft. In the anastomosis domain, a strong region of recirculation is observed near the occluded end of the artery, which forces the flow to move into the perfused host coronary artery. The proximal portion of the host tube shows weak counter-rotating vortices on the symmetry plane. The exact locations and strengths of the vortices in this region are only weakly dependent on Re. A detailed comparison of experimentally measured axial velocity patterns for straight and helical grafts confirm the very strong nature of the secondary flows in the helical geometry. The helical configuration promotes the mixing effect of vortex motion such that the flow particles are mixed into the blood stream disal to the anastomotic junction.

Velocity and pressure fluctuations induced by the precessing helical vortex in a conical diffuser

The flow unsteadiness generated in the draft tube cone of hydraulic turbines affects the turbine operation. Therefore, several swirling flow configurations are investigated using a swirling apparatus in order to explore the unsteady phenomena. The swirl apparatus has two parts: the swirl generator and the test section. The swirl generator includes two blade rows being designed such that the exit velocity profile resembles that of a turbine with fixed pitch. The test section includes a divergent part similar to the draft tube cone of a Francis turbine. A new control method based on a magneto rheological brake is used in order to produce several swirling flow configurations. As a result, the investigations are performed for six operating regimes in order to quantify the flow from part load operation, corresponding to runaway speed, to overload operation, corresponding to minimum speed, at constant guide vane opening. The part load operation corresponds to 0.7 times the best efficiency discharge, while the overload operation corresponds to 1.54 times the best efficiency discharge. LDV measurements are performed along three survey axes in the test section. The first survey axis is located just downstream the runner in order to check the velocity field at the swirl generator exit, while the next two survey axes are located at the inlet and at the outlet of the draft tube cone. Two velocity components are simultaneously measured on each survey axis. The measured unsteady velocity components are used to validate the results of unsteady numerical simulations, conducted using the OpenFOAM CFD code. The computational domain covers the entire swirling apparatus, including strouts, guide vanes, runner, and the conical diffuser. A dynamic mesh is used together with sliding GGI interfaces to include the effect of the rotating runner. The Reynolds averaged Navier–Stokes equations coupled with the RNG k–e turbulence model are utilized to simulate the unsteady turbulent flow throughout the swirl generator.

LDV measurements of the velocity field on the inlet section of a pumped storage equipped with a symmetrical suction elbow for variable discharge values

The storage pumps are equipped with various types of inlet casings. The flow nonuniformity is generated by the suction elbows being ingested by the impeller leading to unsteady phenomena and worse cavitational behaviour. A symmetrical suction elbow model corresponding to the double flux storage pump was manufactured and installed on the test rig in order to assess the flow field at the pump inlet. The experimental investigations are performed for 9 discharge values from 0.5 to 1.3 of nominal discharge. LDV measurements are performed on the annular section of the pump inlet in order to quantify the flow non-uniformity generated by the symmetrical suction elbow. Both axial and circumferential velocity components are simultaneously measured on the half plane (180°) of the annular inlet section along to 19 survey axis with 62 points on each. The flow field on the next half plane is determined tacking into account the symmetry. As a result, the flow map on the pump inlet annular section is reconstructed revealing a significant variation of the circumferential velocity component. The absolute flow angle is computed showing a significant variation of ±38°.

Numerical simulation of the swirl generator discharge cone at lower runner speeds

The paper focuses on numerical analysis of hydrodynamic behavior in a discharge cone from a swirling flow generator when is operated at lower runner speeds. The swirl generator is used in laboratory instead of a turbine model in order to investigate different swirling flow configurations into a straight draft tube. The purpose for reducing the speed of the runner is to increase the investigation regimes. Numerical results have shown that reducing the speed of the runner from the swirl generator, we are able to obtain different flow configurations similar with a turbine model operated in a wide range of operating regimes.