Turbine Testing Laboratory and its Role in Hydropower Development

Abstract

With the increase in project developers, manufacturers and independent power producers, there is increasing demand for the quality, performance and reliability of the components and system. Occasionally there are disputes between these parties in term of life and efficiency. Normally, local manufacturers adopt foreign design, which may not be best for the local condition due to several reasons. One prominent example of such problem is sand erosion of turbines and other components. In the absence of test facilities in the country, there is not signifi cant contribution in design, modifi cation and performance analysis of hydro power turbines in Nepal.The Turbine Testing Laboratory of capacity 300 kW is proposed at Kathmandu University, which can test scaled model oflarge size turbines. The activities in the Turbine Testing Laboratory are: Performance testing of hydraulic turbines, pumps and other hydro-mechanical components, Developments of new turbines, education and training, and applied research to solve problems of hydropower industry.Turbine Testing Laboratories have played significant role in development of hydropower in several countries. The proposed laboratory at Kathmandu University is also expected to contribute for hydropower development in Nepal.Key words: Hydraulic turbine; Test laboratory; Turbine performance; Sand erosionDOI: 10.3126/hn.v5i0.2496Hydro Nepal Vol. 5, July 2009 Page:66-70