Investigation of the fluid-structure dynamics during transient operation of Francis turbines - Tr-FRANCIS

水力发电占加拿大发电量的60%。在过去的20年里，水电生产已经发展，以适应市场放松管制和在电网中引入间歇性能源。因此，水轮机启动顺序的数量和在空载条件下旋转备用的时间都增加了。这些变化加剧了结构问题，除其他外，导致转轮叶片后缘出现疲劳裂纹，从而导致产量损失和维护成本增加。拉瓦尔大学液压机械实验室(LAMH)与水力机械联盟(ANDRITZ Hydro、GE Renewable Energy、福伊特水力、EDF和魁北克水力)的成员已同意开展Tr-Francis研究项目，旨在研究混流式水轮机在瞬变和空载状态下的流体-结构相互作用。这一竞争前项目也得到InnovéE赠款机构的支持，将为参与的工业合作伙伴的研发部门提供知识、工具和方法，以优化涡轮机设计或操作，以便在不影响机器寿命的情况下增加灵活性。这反过来可能会简化电网中新能源的整合。**通过流体力学、流体-结构相互作用和振动方面的研究人员之间的合作，Tr-Francis的主要目标是：**“通过测量和模拟，识别、描述和参数化在启动序列和空载运行期间影响中水头混流式水轮机转轮寿命的流动诱导激励。”**调查将集中在代表140兆瓦生产单元的缩小模型水轮机上。通过新的测量和模拟，Tr-Francis将提供对安装最广泛的类型的水轮机中复杂的流体-结构相互作用的独特见解。

Hydro-electricity represents 60% of the electricity produced in Canada. In the last 20 years hydro-electricity production has evolved to accommodate market deregulation and the introduction of intermittent energy sources on the power grid. Hydraulic turbines thus saw an increase in the number of start sequences and in the amount of time spent in no-load conditions for spinning reserve. Those changes exacerbated structural problems leading, among other, to fatigue cracks at the trailing edges of the runner blades and consequently to production losses and increased maintenance cost. The Laboratory of Hydraulic Machines (LAMH) form Laval University along with the members of the Consortium on Hydraulic Machines (ANDRITZ Hydro, GE Renewable Energy, VOITH Hydro, EDF and Hydro-Québec) have agreed to undertake the Tr-FRANCIS research project aimed at studying fluid-structure interactions during transient and no-load regimes in Francis turbines. This pre-competitive project, supported also by the InnovÉE grant agency, will provide the R&D departments of the participating industrial partners with knowledge, tools and methodologies to optimize turbine designs or operation in order to increase flexibility without penalizing the machine life. This may in turn ease the integration of new energy sources on the power grid.**Through collaboration between researchers in hydrodynamic, fluid-structure interaction and vibration, Tr-FRANCIS main objective is to:**"Identify, describe and parametrize, through measurements and simulations, the flow induced excitations influencing the lifetime of medium head Francis turbine runners during start-up sequences and no-load operation."**Investigations will focus on a scaled down model turbine representing a 140 MW production unit. Through novel measurements and simulations, Tr-FRANCIS will provide a unique insight into the complex fluid-structure interactions in the most widely installed type of hydro-turbine.************