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The Waterpower Laboratory at NTNU combines 100 years of experience with state-of-the-art facilities that are unique in Europe. It has played a leading role in the development of global hydropower, including efficient design of hydro turbines. One of the university’s oldest laboratories, it was built in 1917 on NTNU’s Gløshaugen campus in Trondheim, Norway, for research and development of mechanical equipment in the hydropower industry.

The Waterpower Laboratory holds centre of competence, i.e., Norwegian Hydropower Centre (NVKS), and a FME centre, i.e., Norwegian Research Centre for Hydropower Technology (HydroCen). The laboratory also conducts research projects financed by the European Commission and collaborates with several universities and industries across Europe.

The modern facilities include test rigs for Francis, Pelton and pump-turbines. The laboratory offers a high-pressure pumping system, a long conduit to investigate discharge measurement techniques. The laboratory is also equipped with the state-of-the-art test rig for the fluid structure interactions, cavitation, particle image velocimetry, and for the fundamental research on the boundary layer.

The Francis, Pelton and pump turbine test rigs enable model tests according to the standards of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). A unique flexibility of the Francis turbine test rig is that it can produce flow characteristics identical to a prototype for the transient measurements, such as load variation (both variable speed and discharge), start-stop, total load rejection, emergency shutdown and speed-no-load.

The laboratory offers research for master’s degree, PhD, postdoctoral and international researchers. Experimental, numerical (CFD and FSI) and analytical studies are conducted. The laboratory also provides a unique opportunity for PhD and postdoctoral researchers to design and develop a turbine their own way using in-house codes. The laboratory is responsible for providing knowledge for education related to hydropower and turbomachinery.  Scientific staff in the laboratory teaches courses for undergraduate, graduate and PhD students. The laboratory is actively involved in international collaboration with several universities and industries globally.

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Waterpower laboratory has own social media accounts, which are aimed to connect with the students, researchers, scientific staff and alumni. We recommend all students and researchers to connect us via one or several social media accounts depending on your choice . As a student or researcher, you spend between 1 and 5 years of your precious life. Therefore, it is good to connect us.

1. LinkedIn Alumni (https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8985352/)
2. LinkedIn Reseach (https://www.linkedin.com/company/waterpower-laboratory/)
3. LinkedIn Francis-99 (https://www.linkedin.com/groups/6924986/)
4. ReseachGate (https://www.researchgate.net/lab/Waterpower-Laboratory-Ole-Gunnar-Dahlhaug)
5. Facebook

Please note that the views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the NTNU.