Computational analysis of a cross flow turbine performance

Mechanical Engineering Department, Facultad de Minas, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, sede Medellín, Colombia

^* Corresponding author: varuizgo@unal.edu.co

Abstract

In the electrical energy generation context in Colombia, the water resources represent the 64% of the potential generated according to UPME in the 2015 year; becoming into a solution to the growing energy demand and to the supply of energy in non-interconnected zones. The cross-flow turbines as Michell-Banki type, become an efficient and economically attractive choice. This paper shows the fluiddynamic performance of a laboratory’s model turbine under several operating conditions. The development of this analysis is supported by the results of experimental tests, uses the computational fluid dynamics as a tool for modelling, estimate, and analyse the turbine behaviour under different operating conditions, with ANSYS-Fluent software; the computational model considers the most important geometric aspects of the turbine and the opening percentage effect of the guide blade. The water flow through the rotor is approach through a turbulence model as κ – ε type. The numerical study results agree satisfactorily with the turbine performance observed in the laboratory.