Fluid–Structure Coupling Analysis of the Stationary Structures of a Prototype Pump Turbine during Load Rejection

Abstract

During the load rejection transient process of the prototype pump turbine units, the pressure fluctuations of the entire flow passage change drastically due to the rapid closing of guide vanes. The extremely unsteady pressure distribution in the flow domains including the crown chamber and the band chamber may cause a strong vibration on the stationary structures of the unit and result in large dynamic stress on the head cover, stay ring and bottom ring. In this paper, the numerical fluid dynamic analysis of the entire flow passage of a reversible prototype pump turbine during load rejection was performed. The flow characteristics in the runner passage, crown chamber, band chamber, seal labyrinths and balance tubes are analysed. The corresponding unsteady flow-induced dynamic behaviour of the head cover, stay vanes and bottom ring was investigated in detail. The analysed results show that the total deformation of the inner edge of the head cover closed to the main shaft is larger than that of other stationary structures of the unit during the load rejection. The maximum stress of the stay ring is larger than that of the head cover and the bottom ring and the maximum equivalent stress is located at the fillet of the stay vane trailing edge. The fluid–structure coupling calculation method and the analysed results can provide guidance for the design of stationary components of hydraulic machinery such as pump turbines, Francis turbines and centrifugal pumps with different heads.