Reaction Turbines

 A reaction turbine is a pressure turbine i.e. the

water enters the wheel under pressure after
passing through the guide vanes.
 At the outlet of turbine, the pressure is
atmospheric or below atmospheric if the
discharge is taken through a draft tube into the
tail race. Owing to this difference of pressure, the
water flows through the vanes of the turbine
towards the outlet. Thus difference of pressures
exist throughout the runner.
Reaction Turbines
 The difference of pressure between guide vanes
and the runner, called reaction pressure, is
responsible for the motion of the runner.
Therefore, such a turbine is also called a reaction
turbine.
 As the water passes through the vanes, pressure
energy is continuously converted into the velocity
energy which is transferred to the wheel and it
rotates.
 Finally, water is discharged into the tailrace
through the draft tube, which is a closed tube of
enlarging cross section, the other end of which is
submerged in the tailrace.
Evaluation of Reaction Turbines
 The power produced by a turbine is proportional
to QH. If the demands permits, we would like to
produce as much as possible from a unit. If the
water is available in abundance at high altitudes,
obviously we can produce as much power as
desired. The design criteria will only be limited
by mechanical considerations of the turbine i.e.
material, space etc and not by hydraulic
considerations.
Evaluation of Reaction Turbines
 But is it possible to increase Q to any extent in a
turbine to get high power?
 In case of Pelton turbines, it is observed that the
impulse wheel gives best performance or highest
efficiency when its speed ratio is approximately
0.46
i.e
Evaluation of Reaction Turbines
 This means, for low heads H, either D or N has to
be reduced to maintain this constant speed ratio.
But N, speed of the runner, cannot be decreased
as the turbines are to be coupled with high speed
electric generators. Thus, diameter of the runner
D has to be reduced. With limited size of the
runner, discharge through the nozzle will also be
limited. Hence, Pelton turbines become
unsuitable for low heads.
Evaluation of Reaction Turbines
 This limitation of Pelton or impulse turbines led
to the investigations of some other type of
turbines. As a result, reaction turbine came into
existence in which water is admitted all around
the turbine runner under pressure and turbine
functions under a difference of pressure between
the inlet and the outlet. For such a type of
turbine, it has been found that speed ratio can be
increased safely to a higher value to have larger
wheels that will admit high flow to pass through
them.
Francis Turbine
 A Francis turbine is a mixed flow turbine in which
the water enters at the circumference of the
runner and travels towards the axis of the runner.
Finally, it comes out axially along the shaft.
 It operates under medium heads and requires
medium quantity of flow.
 The water through the guide vanes and then
through runner vanes, transferring its energy to
the runner.
 Finally, the water is discharged into the tailrace
through a draft tube.
Main components
A Francis turbine has the following main components
 Penstock
 Scroll Casing
 Guide Mechanism
 Runner and runner vanes
 Draft tube
Penstock
 It is the waterway used to carry the water from the
reservoir to the turbine. At the inlet of the penstock,
trashracks are used to prevent the debris from going
into the turbine.
ScItrios ltlheCcaassining garound the
turbine wheel and it
evenly distributes the water around the
circumference of the wheel. It is also called spiral
casing.
 Cross section gradually decreases to maintain
velocity and pressure, maximum at the entrance
to zero at the tip.
 Usually made of steel or concrete and is water tight
Scroll Casing
Guide Mechanism
 It has a guide wheel consisting of guide vanes. The
guide vanes are to facilitate smooth and eddiless
flow. Each guide vane can be moved on its pivot
centre, thus changing the area of flow into the
runner. This regulates the flow to meet the varying
requirements of demand.
 Material for the guide vanes is usually cast steel.
Guide Mechanism
Runner and Runner Vanes
 Runner is a circular wheel having radial vanes (radial
curved) installed on it

 Runner vanes have a smooth surface and are shaped

to ensure that water enters and leaves without shock

 Made of iron or stainless steel and are keyed to the

shaft
Runner and Runner Vanes
Draft Tube
 Water flows from the runner to the tail race through a
tube called draft tube
 Usually diverging in cross section and is fully airtight
 Takes water from the runner to the tail race
Example-1: What will be the increase in power and efficiency of a
reaction turbine producing 500 kW, under a head of 6m and a
discharge of 10 m3/s, if its draft tube of cylindrical cross section of
diameter 1.75m is replaced by a tapered one having an outlet
diameter of 2m. Assume efficiency of the draft tube 92%.
Solution:
H=6m
P = 500 kW
Q = 10 m3/s
ηd = 0.92
Do = 1.75 m
Dd = 2 m
Example-1
Example-1
 Kaplan Turbine
 Invented by Prof. Viktor Kaplan of Austria during 1913 – 1922.
 The Kaplan is of the propeller type, similar to an airplane propeller.
 The difference between the Propeller and Kaplan turbines is that
the Propeller turbine has fixed runner blades while the Kaplan
turbine has adjustable runner blades.
 The kaplan's blades are adjustable for pitch and will handle a great
variation of flow very efficiently.
 The kaplan turbine, unlike all other turbines, the runner's blades
are movable.
 The application of Kaplan turbines are from a head of 2m to 30m.
Comparison with other turbines
 Pelton turbines are tangential flow impulse turbines
operate above a head of 200m and low discharge.
low specific speed of 8.5 to 30 for single jet and 30
to 51 for two or more jets.
 Francis turbine is a mixed flow reaction turbine
operate under a head of 30 to 200m and
medium discharge specific speed of 51 to
255.and has minimum slow rate
 Kaplan turbine is axial flow reaction turbine operate
under a head of 2 to 30m and large discharge. a
high specific speed of 255 to 860.
Major Parts of A Kaplan Turbine
Parts of kaplan turbine
The main part of kaplan turbine are
 Scroll casing
 Guide vanes mechanism
 Runner of turbine
 Draft tube
 Scroll casing:The water from penstock enters scroll
casing and surrounds the runner.It provides an even
distribution of water around the circumference of the
turbine runner maintaining the constant velocity for
the water distributed
 Stay ring:The function of stay ring is to direct the water
from scroll casing to guide vanes.
 Guide vanes:The guide vanes direct the water at an
appropriate angle and regulates the quantity of
water supplied to the runner
 Runner blades:The blades are attached to the hub and
so shaped that water flows axially through the runner
Operation of kaplan turbine
 The water from the penstocks enters the scroll casing and
then moves to the guide vanes.
 From the guide vanes, the water turns through 90° and
flows axially through the runner.
 For Kaplan Turbine, the shaft of the turbine is vertical.
The lower end of the shaft is made larger and is called
‘Hub’ or ‘Boss’.
 The vanes are fixed on the hub and hence Hub acts as
runner for axial flow turbine.
Important parameters for kaplan turbine
 The peripheral velocity at inlet and outlet are equal u1=u2=
∏DoN/60 were Do is outer dia of runner
• Velocity of flow at inlet and outlet are equal
Vf1=Vf2
• Area of flow at inlet = area of flow at outlet
A = (∏/4)(Do2-Db2) ,Db is diameter of hub
• Specific speed of kaplan turbine is given by
Ns = N√P/H5/4 were P is shaft power in KW
• Discharge Q=A*Vf1
• Overall efficiency is given by ηo=P/(ρ*g*Q*H/1000)
Draft tube:
 A Draft tube connects the runner exit to tail race.
 It is a pipe of gradually increasing area used for
discharging water from exit of turbine to tail race.
 By using draft tube, the kinetic energy rejected at the
outlet of turbine is converted to useful pressure
energy.
 The turbine may be placed above the tail race and
hence it can be inspected properly.
Types of Draft tubes:
The following are the important type of draft tube which is
used are
a. Conical draft tubes
b. Single elbow tubes
c. Moody spreading tubes and
d. Elbow draft tube with circular inlet and
rectangular outlet.
 The conical draft tubes and moody spreading draft
tubes is more efficient.
Types of Draft-Tubes
Draft-Tube Theory
Efficiency of Draft-Tube
Problems
 A water turbine has a velocity of 6m/s at the
entrance to the draft-tube and a velocity of 1.2M/s
at the exit.
For friction losses of 0.1 m and a tail water 5m below
the entrance of the draft-tube, find the pressure at the
entrance.
 A conical draft-tube having diameter at the top as
2.0 m and pressure head at 7m of water (vacuum),
discharges water at the outlet with a velocity of
1.2M/S at the rate of 25 cu.m/s. if the atmospheric
pressure head is 10.3 m of water and losses between
the inlet and outlet of the draft-tube is negligible,
find the length of the draft-tube immersed in water.
Total length of tube is 5m.
𝑝1
𝜌𝑔 = 𝑝𝑎 − 5 1.834 − 0.0734 − 0.1 = −6.6606
𝜌𝑔
−
5m

Y=?
𝑉1 = 25𝑚 3 /𝑠 7.9𝑚
=
𝜋2.0 2/4 𝑠
7.92 1.22
7 = 10.3 − 𝐻𝑠 + − −0
2𝑔 2𝑔
𝑦 = 5 − 𝐻𝑠 = 7.9 2
1.22
𝐻𝑠 = 10.3 − 7 + −
2𝑔 −0
2𝑔
 It is defined as the speed of a turbine which is identical in
shape, geometrical dimensions, blade angles, gate
opening, etc. with the actual turbine but of such a size
that it will develop unit power when working under unit
head.
 The specific speed is used in comparing the different
types of turbines as every type of turbine has different
specific speed.
Significance of Specific Speed
Problems
 A turbine develops 7225kW under a head of 25
meters at 135rpm, calculate the specific speed of the
turbine and state the type of the turbine

 A turbine is to operate under a head of 25m at 200rpm.

The discharge 9 cumec. If the efficiency is 90%, determine; s

1357225
𝑁𝑠 = 5/4
25
= 203 75