Abstract-This research describes a methodology for the parametric design, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) aided analysis and manufacturing of a Francis type hydro turbine runner. A Francis type hydro turbine consists of five components which are volute, stay vanes, guide vanes, runner and draft tube. The hydraulic performance of the turbine depends on the shape of the components; especially on the shape of the runner blades. The design parameters for the other components are affected by the runner parameters directly. Runner geometry is more complex than the other parts of the turbine. Therefore; to obtain accurate results and meet hydraulic expectations, CFD analyses and advanced manufacturing tools are necessary for the design and manufacturing of the hydro turbine runner. The turbine runner design methodology developed is presented using an actual potential hydraulic power plant in Turkey.Index Terms-CFD, francis turbine, runner, design and manufacturing.

Francis type turbines are commonly used in hydropower generation. Spiral case, stay vanes, guide vanes, runner and draft tube are the main components of the turbine. Available net head and discharge values determine the initial dimensions of these parts according to theoretical and experimental data. In this study, a design methodology is described to optimize the design by integrating in-house Matlab codes and commercial CFD codes. CFD is widely used to solve complex three-dimensional (3D) flows occurring in these types of turbo machines. This paper discusses the basic principles of a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) aided design methodology applied to Francis turbines.

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In this study, three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analyses are performed to assess the thermal-hydraulic characteristics of a commercial Gasketed Plate Heat Exchangers (GPHEx) with 30 degrees of chevron angle (Plate1). The results of CFD analyses are compared with a computer program (ETU HEX) previously developed based on experimental results. Heat transfer plate is scanned using photogrammetric scan method to model GPHEx. CFD model is created as two separate flow zones, one for each of hot and cold domains with a virtual plate. Mass flow inlet and pressure outlet boundary conditions are applied. The working fluid is water. Temperature and pressure distributions are obtained for a Reynolds number range of 700–3400 and total temperature difference and pressure drop values are compared with ETU HEX. A new plate (Plate2) with corrugation pattern using smaller amplitude is designed and analyzed. The thermal properties are in good agreement with experimental data for the commercial plate. For the new plate, the decrease of the amplitude leads to a smaller enlargement factor which causes a low heat transfer rate while the pressure drop remains almost constant.