Fe-analysis of stresses in a francis turbine runner at derbendikhan power station

Abstract

This paper investigates the hydraulic induced stresses in a complete Francis runner at Derbendikhan power station by using Finite Element Analysis (FEA). Computations of water pressure were carried out with appropriate boundary and specific turbine loadings conditions obtained from CFD analysis. FE-analysis was carried out to compute stress distribution in the runner blades. This paper discusses combination of fluid and structure model, furthermore, this paper also discusses the maximum stress location on the blade of the runner. The results show that the maximum stresses caused by the hydraulic forces are situated at the transition between the blades and the crown/band on the trailing edge. This explains why this region has been identified as a critical area for fatigue crack initiation in the Francis turbine runner. © 2013 WIT Press.