Evolution of Runner Forces during Simultaneous Pump-Trip Transient Process of Two Pump-Turbines

Abstract

To ensure no cavitation and water column separation in pump-turbines, the suction heights of pump-turbines in high-head pumped-storage hydropower stations have to be decreased to about –100 m, which leads to high pressure in the draft-tube. During the pump-trip transient process of pump-turbines, the positive water hammer wave in draft-tube superposing the initial high pressure may cause an imbalance of rotating parts and even a lifting-up accident. To quantify the runner forces, two typical transient processes, with and without guide-vane closure after the simultaneous power-off of the two pump-turbines in one hydraulic system, were simulated by using the one-dimensional and three-dimensional coupled (1D-3D) computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method. The results show that the maximum upward axial force on the runner during the process without guide-vane closure (runaway) is significantly higher than that during the process with guide-vane closure. Two significant maximum upward axial forces were observed during the runaway process, and they were around the zero and the valley speed moments. The main causes are the pressure decrease in the runner’s high-pressure zone owing to high-speed bypass flows, and the spiral-case negative water-hammer wave and draft-tube positive water-hammer wave caused by discharge rise. However, the draft-tube positive water hammer wave superposing the high pressure did not cause the maximum axial force. The above two moments of highest axial forces during the runaway process and the proper guide-vane closure rule deserve special attention in the design and operation phases.