Assessment of the Impact of Pressure Changes in the Flow Path on the Biological Safety of an Axial Hydraulic Turbine with Increasing Thickness of the Impeller Blade

The issues of improving the environmental safety of energy facilities, in particular small hydroelectric power plants, which make it possible to effectively use local energy resources, including the ones for remote and autonomous consumers, are considered. With the increasing number of small hydroelectric power plants in the world, there is a need to ensure their biological safety in order to reduce the impact on the biological environment of reservoirs. Currently, a number of technical solutions are available, in particular for impellers of hydraulic turbines, which allow reducing possible negative consequences for the environment. However, these proposals are mainly aimed at combating the physical impact of a collision with the mouth, while matters related to energy efficiency and other types of negative impacts, such as barotrauma, remain open. The present article examines the effect of blade thickness on efficiency and biosafety when exposed to a pressure drop. The impeller of an axial hydraulic turbine was created and tested for the study. With the help of CFD and the BioPA technique, the dependences of survivability on different blade thicknesses were determined, and the dependence of the efficiency of a hydraulic turbine on survivability, calculated from the pressure drop, at different blade thicknesses was obtained. The obtained results show the importance of creating biologically safe impellers of hydraulic turbines, taking into account various quality indicators, in order to obtain both effective and safe solutions. 

1. Koukouvinis Ph. F., Anagnostopoulos J. (2023) State of the Art in Designing Fish-Friendly Turbines: Concepts and Performance Indicators. Energies. 16 (6), 2661. https://doi.org/10.3390/en16062661.

2. Volkov A. V., Lyapin V. Yu., Druzhinin A. A., Biryulin M. A., Tkach M., Kachanov I. V., Ernandes P. G. (2023) Methods for Rendering Biosafety of Elements in Flow Paths of Hydraulic Turbines. Thermal Engineering, (11), 932–938. https://doi.org/10.1134/S00406015 23110125.

3. Amaral S. V., Watson S. M., Schneider A. D., Rackovan J., Baumgartner A. (2020). Improving Survival: Injury and Mortality of fish Struck by Blades with Slanted, Blunt Leading Edges. Journal of Ecohydraulics, 5 (2), 175–183. https://doi.org/10.1080/24705357.2020.1768166.

4. Stephenson J. R., Gingerich A. J., Brown R. S., Pflugrath B. D., Deng Z., Carlson Th. J., Langeslay M. J., Ahmann M. L., Johnson R. L., Seaburg A. G. (2010) Assessing Barotrauma in Neutrally and Negatively Buoyant Juvenile Salmonids Exposed to Simulated Hydro-Turbine Passage Using a Mobile Aquatic Barotrauma Laboratory. Fisheries Research, 106 (3), 271–278. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fishres.2010.08.006.

5. Lampert W. (1976) Experiments on the Resistance of Fish to Rapid Increase in Hydrostatic Pressure. Journal of Fish Biolog, 8 (5), 381–383. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8649.1976. tb03966.x.

6. Foye R. E., Scott M. (1965) Effects of Pressure on Survival of Six Species of Fish. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, 94 (1), 88–91. https://doi.org/10.1577/1548-8659 (1965)94[88:eoposo]2.0.co;2.

7. Guo T., Zhang J., Luo Z. (2021) Analysis of Channel Vortex and Cavitation Performance of the Francis Turbine under Partial Flow Conditions. Processes, 9 (8), 1385. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr9081385.

8. Kumar P., Saini R. P. (2010) Study of Cavitation in Hydro Turbines – A Review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 14 (1), 374–383. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2009.07.024.

9. Wang L., Cui J., Shu L., Jiang D., Hiang Ch., Li L., Zhou P. (2022) Research on the Vortex Rope Control Techniques in Draft Tube of Francis Turbines. Energies, 15 (24), 9280. https://doi.org/10.3390/en15249280.

10. Brijkishore, K. R., Prasad V. (2021) Prediction of Cavitation and Its Mitigation Techniques in Hydraulic Turbines–A Review. Ocean Engineering, Vol. 221, 108512. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oceaneng.2020.108512.

11. Ivashechkin V. V., Medvedeva J. A. (2022) Optimization of the Operation of Groundwater Intakes Using Two-Column Wells. Energetika. Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii i Energeticheskikh Ob’edinenii SNG = Energetika. Proceedings of CIS Higher Education Institutions and Power Engineering Associations, 65 (5), 451–462. https://doi.org/10.21122/1029-7448-2022-65-5-451-462 (in Russian).

12. Veremenyuk V. V., Ivashechkin V. V., Krytskaya V. I. (2024) Hydraulic Calculation Methodology for Group Well Water Intakes with Paired Prefabricated Water Pipelines. Energetika. Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii i Energeticheskikh Ob’edinenii SNG = Energetika. Proceedings of CIS Higher Education Institutions and Power Engineering Associations, 67 (3), 268–280. https://doi.org/10.21122/1029-7448-2024-67-3-268-280 (in Russian).

13. Odeh M. M. (1998) A Computer Expert System for the Analysis and Design of Cavitating Control [Dissertation]. Utah State University – Logan, Utah. 127.

14. Tullis J. P. (1989) Fundamentals of Cavitation. Hydraulics of Pipelines – Pumps, Valves, Cavitation, Transients. New York, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 119–132.

15. Veremenyuk V. V., Ivashechkin V. V., Krytskaya V. I. (2020) The Borehole Water Intakes Mathematical Models with a Branched and Circular Connection Schemes for Prefabricated Water Conduits. Energetika. Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii i Energeticheskikh Ob’edinenii SNG = Energetika. Proceedings of CIS Higher Education Institutions and Power Engineering Associations, 63 (6), 563–580. https://doi.org/10.21122/1029-7448-2020-63-6563-580 (in Russian).

16. Veremenyuk V. V., Ivashechkin V. V., Krytskaya V. I. (2023) Simulation of the Operation ofa Borehole Groundwater Intake with an Annular Prefabricated Conduit. Energetika. Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii i Energeticheskikh Ob’edinenii SNG = Energetika. Proceedings of CIS Higher Education Institutions and Power Engineering Associations, 66 (3), 289–300. https://doi.org/10.21122/1029-7448-2023-66-3-289-300 (in Russian).

17. Long X., Xu M., Wang J., Zou J., Ji B. (2019) An Experimental Study of Cavitation Damage on Tissue of Carassius Auratus in a Jet Fish Pump. Ocean Engineering, 174, 43–50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oceaneng.2019.01.052.

18. Čada G.F., Coutant Ch. C., Whitney R.R. (1997) Development of Biological Criteria for the Design of Advanced Hydropower Turbines. Idaho, US Department of Energy. Available at: https://www1.eere.energy.gov/wind/pdfs/doewater-10578.pdf.

19. Richmond M. C., Serkowski J. A., Ebner L. L., Sick M., Brown R. S., Carlson T. J. (2014) Quantifying Barotrauma Risk to Juvenile Fish during Hydro-Turbine Passage. Fisheries Research, 154, 152–164. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fishres.2014.01.007.

20. Bevelhimer M., Pracheil B. M., Fortner A. M., Saylor R., Deck K. L. (2019) Mortality and Injury Assessment for Three Species of Fish Exposed to Simulated Turbine Blade Strike. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 76 (12), 2350–2363. http://doi.org/10.1139/cjfas-2018-0386.