• The KSFM Journal of Fluid Machinery
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.11-19
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• 2015

Recently, the cross flow turbines attract more attention for their good performance over a large operating regime at off design point. This study employs a very low head cross flow turbine, which has open inlet duct and has barely been studied before, to investigate the performance of the cross flow turbine with air suction from the rear part of the runner. Unlike conventional cross flow turbines, a draft tube is attached to the outlet of runner to improve the turbine performance. Water level and pressure in the draft tube are monitored to investigate the influence of air suction. Torque at local blade passage of three parts of runner is examined in detail under the conditions of different air suction. Consequently, it is found that with proper air suction in the runner chamber, the water level in the draft tube gradually drops to Stage 2 of the runner and the efficiency of the turbine can be raised by 10%. Overall, the effect of air-layer on the performance of the turbine is considerable.

• The KSFM Journal of Fluid Machinery
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.67-71
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• 2014

Recently, the cross flow turbine attracts more and more attention for its good performance over a large operating regime at off design point. This study adopts a very low head cross flow turbine that has barely been studied before, and investigates the effect of air layer on the performance of the cross flow turbine. As open duct is applied in this study and free surface model is used between the air layer and water, an engineering definition of efficiency, instead of traditional definition of efficiency, is used. As torque at the runner fluctuates up and down at a reasonable limit, statistical method is used. Pressure and water volume fraction contours are shown to present the characteristics of air-water flow. With constant air suction in the runner chamber, the water level gradually drops below the runner and efficiency of the turbine can be raised by 10 percent. All considered, the effect of air layer on the performance of turbine is considerable.

• The KSFM Journal of Fluid Machinery
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.19-26
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• 2014

The cross flow turbine attracts more and more attention for its relatively wide operating range and simple structure. In this study, a novel type of micro cross flow turbine is developed for application to a step in an irrigational channel. The head of the turbine is only H=4.3m and the turbine inlet channel is open ducted type, which has barely been studied. The efficiency of the turbine with inlet open duct channel is relatively low. Therefore, a guide nozzle on the turbine inlet is attached to improve the performance of the turbine. The guide nozzle shapes are investigated to find the best shape for the turbine. The guide nozzle plays an important role on directing flow at the runner entry, and it also decreases the negative torque loss by reducing the pressure difference in Region 1. There is 12.5% of efficiency improvement by attaching a well shaped guide nozzle on the turbine inlet.