MADAN BHANDARI MEMORIAL ACADEMY NEPAL

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
Bachelor in Civil Engineering

HYDROPOWER ENGINEERING
Chapter 8 : Hydro-mechanical and Electro-mechanical Equipment
Part 2: Reaction Turbine

Vijan Bhandari
Assistant Professor
Reaction Turbine
A type of turbine that uses the kinetic and potential energy of water to generate mechanical energy, which is
then converted into electrical energy

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 Francis Turbine
• A reaction turbine widely used in hydropower generation,
particularly for medium-head applications.
• Unlike impulse turbines, it utilizes both the pressure energy and
velocity of water for power generation.
• Water flows through the turbine with a combination of radial and
axial movements, ensuring efficient energy conversion.
Key Features:
• Operates efficiently under varying water flow and head conditions,
making it adaptable to different hydropower plants.
• Highly durable, with components designed to withstand high
pressures and water forces.
• Suitable for continuous, long-term operation with minimal
performance degradation.
• Plays a crucial role in renewable energy systems due to its ability
to handle large flow volumes.
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 Working of Francis Turbine
• Water enters the turbine through a spiral casing, which
evenly distributes the water around the runner.
• The stay vanes and guide vanes (or wicket gates) control the
flow of water, ensuring it reaches the runner at the correct
angle and velocity.
• As water strikes the curved blades of the runner, it loses
both pressure and velocity, transferring its energy to the
runner.
• The runner rotates, converting hydraulic energy into
mechanical energy.
• The water exits through the draft tube, which helps recover
remaining kinetic energy and maintains efficient flow to the
tailrace.
• The mechanical energy from the runner is transmitted via a
shaft to a generator, producing electricity.

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Key Components
1. Spiral Casing:
• Directs water evenly around the turbine runner.
• Designed to reduce energy loss and distribute flow uniformly.
• Made of materials that can withstand high pressure and resist corrosion.
2. Stay Vanes:
• Fixed structural components that stabilize the flow of water as it moves
from the casing to the guide vanes.
• Minimize turbulence and direct water efficiently to the guide vanes.
• Provide mechanical support to the structure, enhancing the durability of
the turbine.
3. Guide Vanes (Wicket Gates):
• Adjustable vanes that regulate the volume and direction of water
entering the runner.
• Operated automatically or manually to optimize performance under
varying load and flow conditions.
• Critical for maintaining efficiency and preventing cavitation.
Key Components
• 4. Runner:
• The rotating part of the turbine that directly interacts with the water to
extract energy.
• Consists of multiple curved blades designed to maximize energy transfer
from water.
• Durable and precisely engineered to handle high forces and reduce
hydraulic losses.
• 5. Draft Tube:
• A conical tube that discharges water from the runner to the tailrace while
recovering kinetic energy.
• Helps maintain a low-pressure area behind the runner, preventing
cavitation.
• Designed to minimize energy losses and ensure efficient water flow.
• 6. Shaft:
• Connects the runner to the generator, transmitting mechanical energy.
• Supported by bearings to reduce friction and ensure smooth rotation.
• Machined to high precision to prevent vibrations and operational
inefficiencies.
Advantages of Francis Turbines
• High efficiency over a broad range of operating conditions.
• Suitable for medium-head applications (20 to 300 meters).
• Compact design compared to impulse turbines.
• Capable of handling large flow rates.
• Long operational life with proper maintenance.
Limitations :
• Not ideal for extremely high or low-head conditions.
• Susceptible to cavitation if not designed or operated
correctly.
• Requires precise installation and maintenance for optimal
performance.
Applications
• Large-scale and medium-scale hydropower plants.
• Pumped storage hydropower systems.
• Industrial applications requiring reliable water energy
conversion.
Design of Francis Turbine
• See Class Notes:
1. A proposed hydropower having net head of 150m and discharge of
25 cumecs using Francis Turbine. Taking efficiency as 81%, calculate
the specific speed, turbine diameter and setting of turbine.
2. Select the size of Francis turbine for a site where the net head is
110m, discharge is 140𝑚3 /s having efficiency of 94%. Also
determine the elevation of turbine with reference to the water
surface in tailrace. Assume that the turbine will have to drive a 50-
cycle generator.
Scroll Case
• Spiral-shaped casing that surrounds the turbine,
ensuring efficient and controlled delivery of water
to the turbine blades.
• Guides water from penstock to turbine and
distribute evenly.
• The discharge decreases as water moves along the
casing.
• The area is maximum at entrance and decreases
gradually to maintain the constant velocity along
the path.
Tailrace
• Canal that carries water back to river from the powerhouse.
• The tail race should be designed in such a way that it is non silting (लेदो),
non scouring (removal of sediments) and head loss is minimum.
Draft tube
• Draft tube is an airtight pipe of gradually increasing area
which connects the outlet of runner to the tail race and is
completely submerged below water level.
• The primary function of draft tube is to reduce the velocity
of the discharged water to minimize the loss of kinetic
energy at the outlet by converting into useful pressure
energy.
• Draft tube allows negative head to be established at runner
outlet, thereby increasing net head on turbine.
• Due to negative net head, turbine can be placed above
tailrace which is easy for inspection and maintenance.
• In order to increase efficiency of turbine, velocity at exit of
draft tube has to be decreased as much as possible which is
achieved by increasing the cross sectional area gradually.
Type of Draft tube

Type Efficiency Space Requirement Application

Conical High High Vertical Turbines

Elbow Moderate Low Horizontal Turbines

Moody Spreading Very High Moderate High-Performance Turbines

Diverging/Flared Moderate Moderate Small/Medium Turbines

Conical Draft Tube
• Features:
• Straight, conical shape.
• Gradually increasing cross-sectional area.
• For maximum efficiency, the half angle must be less than 4 degree.
• Advantages:
• High efficiency in converting kinetic energy to pressure energy.
• Maximum Efficiency upto 90%.
• Limitations:
• Requires significant installation space.
• Applications:
• Used in vertical shaft turbines.
Elbow Draft Tube
• Features:
• Bent or elbow-shaped tube.
• Compact design.
• Advantages:
• Saves installation space.
• Suitable for horizontal shaft turbines.
• Limitations:
• Slightly lower efficiency compared to conical tubes. 60% only.
• Applications:
• Widely used in Kaplan and Francis turbines.
Moody Spreading Draft Tube
• Features:
• Curved with a gradually increasing cross-sectional area.
• Designed to minimize turbulence and energy losses.
• Advantages:
• High efficiency with controlled water flow.
• Limitations:
• Complex and costly to design and install.
• Applications:
• Used in high-performance turbines where efficiency is critical.
Elbow with Varying Cross Section
• Features:
• Straight tube with a consistent diverging angle.
• Simplistic design.
• Advantages:
• Easy to construct and maintain.
• Reduces water exit velocity effectively.
• Limitations:
• Requires careful angle design to avoid flow separation.
• Applications:
• Suitable for small and medium-sized turbines.
Draft Tube Theory
• See Class Notes: