Development of a design methodology for hydraulic turbine guide vanes and its application in francis turbines

Today, as the need for sustainable energy increased, hydraulic energy has become more important. Francis turbines are commonly used in hydropower generation since they have a wide operating range. The main components of Francis turbines are spiral case, stay vanes, guide vanes, runner and draft tube. The dimensions of these components are mainly based on turbine head and discharge. In this study, the design parameters of guide vanes, which control the discharge entering the turbine, are changed and the effects of these changes on the flow are examined. Firstly, the guide vanes of two turbines having different head and discharge values are designed using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) with the help of empirical and theoretical formulas enhanced before. Using these geometries, various design parameters are altered in accordance with several criteria and the results for two turbines are compared.