Erosive flow field investigation on guide vanes of Francis turbine – A systematic review

• Published in: Sustainable energy technologies and assessments 2022-10, Vol.53, p.102491, Article 102491
• Main Authors: Kumar Sahu, Rohit, Kumar Gandhi, Bhupendra
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Clearance Gap; Erosive wear; Francis turbine; Guide Vane; Horseshoe vortex; Leakage flow; Sediment
• ISSN: 2213-1388
• DOI: 10.1016/j.seta.2022.102491

Guide vanes of Francis turbine are being severely eroded while working with sediment laden water. The vane shape is generally aerodynamic for directing the flow to runner vanes with the effective transformation of pressure energy to kinetic energy. Suspended particles result in erosion of the spanwise surfaces, and leading and trailing edge side of the guide vane. The eroded portions showed the formation of secondary flow and horseshoe vortex along with increased leakage flow on guide vane surfaces. Flow turbulence generated through the guide vanes increases the flow instability in the main flow and reduces the hydraulic and mechanical efficiency of the turbine. This review focuses on the impact of sediment particles on erosive wear of guide vanes of Francis turbine. The investigated flow field around different guide vane profiles have also been summarized along with an estimation of erosion through field study, laboratory test setup, and numerical study. The review also focuses on the post erosion problems, vulnerable locations, research gaps, and the possible solutions, for mitigating the erosion of the guide vanes.