Numerical modelling of the intake parts of small hydropower plants.

conference paper

English

The efficiency of hydropower plants is significantly affected by the design of intake parts. To design optimal shape of the intake parts of small hydropower schemes it is possible to use experimental and/or numerical research. Experimental research for small hydropower plants seems to be very expensive while numerical research is much cheaper and less time consuming. Numerical research can even produce a number of variants of different shapes in a very short time. In the Czech republic plenty of small hydropower plants have been recently additionally built at existing weirs and dams. Hence, a special attention must be given to the evaluation of velocity field distribution just behind the turbine inlets. It is useful to use numerical research for those situations. For computation the inlet parts 2D or 3D model could be used. The numerical simulation is usually performed as steady state viscous and turbulent flow and k-e turbulence model is used. The comparison of 2D and 3D model is carried out to show at which conditions and with which accuracy it is possible to use more simple 2D modelling technique.

numerical modelling, small hydropower

DRÁB, A., JANDORA, J., ŘÍHA, J.

2001

21. 6. 2001

A.A.Balkema

Netherlands

90-5809-195-3

Hydropower in the New Millennium

361

370

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