Component design for a hydraulic turbine test rig and verification study by experiments

Although improved numerical methods and computational fluid dynamics technique in turbine design, experiments are still popular to validate the performance and cavitation characteristic. There are a few laboratories specialized for model turbine tests. The significant effort is made by Hydraulic Turbine Design and Test Center of TOBB University of Economics and Technology supported by Ministry of Development to establish such a facility in Turkey. Given study introduces some design and test processes as a part of this effort. The test cell, which is required to accommodate the generator-bearing assembly and model turbines to be tested, is designed as a frame structure and validation work with finite element methods is accomplished. Conceptual design of a hydrostatic bearing that isolates generator from harmful forces of turbine runner is made. Stator of the generaor rotates freely on the hydrostatic bearing and it allows the measurement of torque respect to the international standards. Another aspect of the study is to have a measurement system that is consist of an arrm, a force transducer and calibration weights for the transducer. Length of the arm multiplied by the measured force gives the torque produced by the turbine runner.In the context of the thesis work, the model turbine of Kepez-1 HEPP that is under rehabilitation as a part of MILHES project supported by TUBITAK KAMAG is designed. Original technical drwaings of turbine parts and scanned point cloud are used to obtain 3d models of the turbine. By regarding manufacturing capabilities, design process is finalized and finite element work is made. After the validation, production unit starts processing. Test activities are another branch of this study. The hydrostatic bearing is put under funciton tests and pressure readings from flow dividers are recorded and presented. To determine capacity that could be reached by two pumps in serial or paralel, pump test are arranged. Test result as flow rate and pressure for different pump speeds are measured and noted as a part of this study. Finally, a methodology to determeine test conditions for different model turbines by defyning system curves before the model test. It includes a graph with axes as a flow rate and pressure and pump, loss and turbine curves on it. Keywords: Test cell, Hydrostatic bearing, Torque measurement, Model turbine design, Pump test