Design for intermittent operation and high ramping rates

 


Project overview

Research Prog'm: Future Hydropower Plants 
Project acronym: RenewHydro RP1.2
Type:            Research program
Finance:         Research Council of Norway
TRL:             1 - 8

Start:           01 January 2025
End:             31 December 2032
Project ID:      0123456789
Project cost:    3+ Million Euro
Project leader:  Jonas Bergmann-Paulsen, NTNU
Partners:        NTNU (EPT, IBM and IEL), NINA, SINTEF
Work packages:   RP1.2
Website:         https://www.ntnu.no/renewhydro
Email:           jonas.bergmann-paulsen@ntnu.no


RenewHydro is the largest research project (research center) in the Waterpower laboratory, where the research activities span over eight years. Research program 1.2 is highly valuable for future energy need and the Waterpower laboratory has key role with two PhD students with dedicated focus on "Develop innovative, economically and environmentally sustainable technology for enhanced hydropower flexibility". The research activities focus on Francis-99 turbine at TRL 3 - 5 in the laboratory. The research objective of the work is "Design for intermittent operation and high ramping rates". We aim to develop technology that allow more flexibility and optimal solution for providing energy flexibility. The scientific focus will be on increasing the flexibility by allowing turbines to operate at the extreme load condition, including the no-load and runaway. Key challenge is the fatigue loading on the turbine blades at extreme load conditions, where the amplitudes are stochastic and vey high. Therefore, accurate prediction of such amplitudes is challenging. This is highly related to the flow condition in the turbine vaneless space and the blade channel. The Waterpower laboratory aims to recruit two PhD students during the project period, the research work will start from TRL 3 and will be taken to TRL 5, depending on available resources. Furthermore, all activities in the laboratory will strongly collaborate with the other partners within RP1.2 to obtain state-of-the-art knowledge related to other connected components of the turbine, e.g., generator, environment, dam and energy market. Input from the other partners will be valuable for the suitable estimation of turbine operating pattern.

In this project, we investigate the pressure and velocity filed in the vaneless space, including the rotor-stator interactions. We are intending to carry out the Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) measurements in the vaneless space of the existing model Francis-99 runner in the Waterpower laboratory.

Primary objective: Investigate the pressure and velocity field at flexible operating conditions of Francis turbine.

Secondary objectives: (1) Study pressure and velocity field in the vaneless space at start-stop conditions of the turbine. (2) Study pressure and velocity field in the vaneless space at no-load conditions of the turbine.

 

Project team

Chirag Trivedi is leading the all activities related to RP1.2 project in NTNU and Waterpower laboratory. Chirag Trivedi has more than 15 years of experience on Francis turbine and reversible pump-turbines. In addition coordinating the activities and supervising the students, he is also involved in both numerical and experimental work as well as developing the test rig for this project.


Francesco Albicini is a PhD candidate working full-time in this research project from March 2025. Francesco is aimed to study unsteady blade loading during the intermittent operations of the Francis turbine in the laboratory. He will study unsteady pressure loading, strain and stress on the turbine blades. Finally, he will use this data to develop rainflow counting algorithm for the intermittent operations to estimate the fatigue damage on the blades and potential inception of crack on the blades.


Anker Moi Pedersen is writing master thesis on transient operation of Francis turbine. Anker started master thesis in January 2025, and he will focus on numerical simulations with dynamic mesh. Anker aims to move the guide vanes from no-load position to the part-load position of the Francis-99 turbine in the Waterpower laboratory. Anker investigate the unsteady flow conditions in the vaneless space that will enable experimental investigations using PIV later.


Mikal Høie Tjølsen is writing master thesis on transient operation of Francis turbine. Mikal started master thesis in January 2025, and he will focus on numerical simulations with dynamic mesh. Mikal aims to move the guide vanes from the part-load to the best efficiency point of the Francis-99 turbine in the Waterpower laboratory. Mikal investigate the unsteady flow conditions in the vaneless space that will enable experimental investigations using PIV later.

Progress

party popper KICK OFF

The FME RenewHydro is officially started with the kick off meetings. It was organized for two days, the first day focused on generic activities and the second days was focused on more scientific work specific to the research programs.