Application of CFD to the design of the runner of a propeller turbine for small hydroelectric power plants

Abstract

A procedure for the design of the runner of a pico hydraulic propeller turbine according to the specific conditions of water potential of the site of operation is presented based on a theoretical and technical analysis. For this purpose the main characteristics of the runner are determined and data such as the suction head, the rated flow, and the occurring forces are established during the design. Modern engineering tools such as Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) are utilized for predicting the flow and Computer Aided Engineering software (CAE) for the design verification. The Runner of the Propeller Turbines (RPT) designed can be a viable option for electricity generation in not interconnected zones (NIZ) of the national interconnected electric system in developing countries and can be manufacture locally.