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Background
This project is motivated by challenges in the
hydropower industry, where the demand for
more flexible power control of each machine
can cause wear and unscheduled shutdowns.
This may result from cavitation, vibration and
pressure pulsations due to resonances in the
water conduit system.
With focus on water quality and gas content,
this study will investigate the effect of free gas
and cavitation. It will also include flow control
solutions with free gas to achievemore favorable
operating conditions.
A draft tube water injection system is installed
on the unit, in addition to an original air suction
system. The visual investigation will be carried
out in combination with cavitation intensity
measurements. At the same time, the effects of
thewater injection systemand the air systemwill
also be examined, both with regard to cavitation
and pressure pulsations in the draft tube.
This is an industrial PhD project with Flow
Design Bureau (FDB), supported by The
Research Council of Norway.
INDUSTRIAL PHD
Department of Energy and
Process Engineering
2015-2018
Consequence and
Active Use of Free Gas
in Hydro Power
Supervisor:
Torbjørn K. Nielsen
Co-supervisor:
Morten Kjeldsen
Ingrid K. Vilberg
Plexiglass windows are installed on the draft tube of
Svorka power plant (25 MW), operated by Statkraft
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