Pelton, Francis and Kaplan turbines extract energy from water.
Impulse turbines (Pelton) convert head into a high-speed jet striking buckets; reaction turbines (Francis, Kaplan) have pressure drop across runners. Choice depends on head and flow: Pelton for high head, Kaplan for low head. Specific speed guides selection.
A mountain hydro plant with 500 m head uses Pelton wheels.
Hydraulic turbines convert water head into shaft power, so the choice of turbine type depends on head and flow.
Pelton, Francis and Kaplan turbines extract energy from water.
Hydraulic turbines convert water head into shaft power, so the choice of turbine type depends on head and flow.
The Pelton wheel, which uses a high-speed jet that strikes buckets, and it works efficiently at high head and low flow.
The Kaplan turbine, with adjustable blades, works well at low head and high flow rates.
Typical applications include choosing a Pelton wheel for a high-head mountain hydro scheme, selecting a Francis turbine for a medium-head river dam and specifying a Kaplan turbine for a low-head run-of-river plant.
Study "Cavitation and NPSH" first (topic 65 of 105 in Thermodynamics & Fluids). It covers the groundwork this topic builds on.
Efficiency up to 90–95%. Governor and nozzles. Draft tube.
A mountain hydro plant with 500 m head uses Pelton wheels.
The next topic is "Fans and compressors", which builds directly on this one.
It is classed as Intermediate in Thermodynamics & Fluids (topic 66 of 105). It is an intermediate topic. Work through the beginner topics in Thermodynamics & Fluids first.
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