Abstract
The pumped storage plant operates with quick change of the discharge as well as quick changes between pump mode and turbine mode. This study focuses on the cavitation analysis of a pump-turbine model because in turbo-machinery, cavitation can reduce the performance and shorten service life. The pump-turbine model system consists of 7 blades, 20 stay vanes (including tongue) and 20 guide vanes. This study adopts the Rayleigh-Plesset model as a cavitation model, which illustrates cavitation by using the air volume fraction method. The pump mode and turbine mode at the operating condition of partial loading, normal and excessive loading are analyzed to investigate the cavitation performance of the pump-turbine. It was observed that this pump-turbine design showed very good cavitation characteristics with no cavitation bubbles in all operating conditions. Overall value of air volume fraction of both mode at different operating condition are lower than 1, which confirms low possibility of cavitation occurrence at current situation.