INTRODUCTION TO WATER TURBINES

Water turbines are the hydraulic machines that convert hydraulic energy into mechanical energy which in turn is converted into electrical energy.

Developed in early 19th century and were widely used  for industrial power prior to electrical grids

Are mostly found in dams to generate electric power from water kinetic energy.

  

         
    
Initially used as water wheels which had one main 
shortcoming,itslarge  size, which limits the flow rate and head
that can be harnessed. 



—Transformation of water wheels to modern water turbines
took almost one hundred years.
—Development occurred during industrial revolution using
scientific principles and method.

•    —The word “turbine” was introduced by Claude Burdin in the 19th century and is derived from Latin word for whirling or a vortex
•   The main difference between early water turbines and water wheels is a swirl component of the water which passes energy to a spinning rotor which allows the turbine to be smaller than a water wheel of the same power.
•   ——They could process more water by spinning faster and could harness much greater heads

TIMELINE

 —Earliest known water turbines date back to Roman Empire.

Two helix turbine mill sites of almost identical design werefound at Chemtou and Testour, modern day Tunisia dating back to late 3rd and 4th century AD.

Johann Segner developed  a reactive water turbine (Segner Wheel) in the mid 18th century in the Kingdom of Hungary. Had horizontal axis and was a precursor to modern day water turbines.

1.      —In 18th century, a Dr Barker invented a similar reaction hydraulic turbine like Segner wheel  that became popular as lecture hall demonstration

•     —The only surviving examples of this type used in power production , dating from 1851, is found at Hacienda Buena Vista in Ponce, Puerto Rico

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—1820 :- Jean Victor Poncelet developed  an inward flow turbine

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—1826 :- Benoit Fourneyron developed an outward flow turbine. that achieved a speed of 2300 rev/min, developing about 50 kW with an efficiency of 80%

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—1844 :- Uriah A. Boyden developed an outward flow turbine that that improved on the performance of Fourneyron turbine. Its runner shape was similar to that of Francis turbine

1849 :- James B Francis improved the inward flow reaction to over 90% efficiency. He  conducted sophisticated tests and developed engineering methods for water turbine known as Francis Turbine - first modern day water turbine also known as radial flow turbine —All common hydraulic machines until 19th century were mostly reaction machines   Fig:- Francis Turbine

1866:- California millwright Samuel Knight invented a machine (impulse or tangential turbine) that took the impulse system to a new level . Inspired by high pressure jet systems used in hydraulic mining in the gold field . He developed a bucketed wheel which captured the energy of free jet , which had converted a high head of water to kinetic energy 

Lester allan Pelton

——1879 :- Lester Pelton experimenting with knight wheel developed a Pelton wheel which exhausted the water to the side eliminating some energy loss of the knight  wheel which exhausted some water back  against the center of the wheel 

1890 :- modern fluid bearing was invented , now universally used to support heavy water turbine spindles

—1913 :- Viktor Kaplan created the Kaplan turbine, a propeller type machine, an evolution of Francis turbine but revolutionized the ability to develop low head hydro sites

—At a later date Kaplan improved his turbine by means of swiveling blades, which improved the efficiency of the turbine appropriate to the available flow rate and head