The most popular types of reaction turbines are Francis turbine, Propeller turbine, Gravity turbine, Bulb turbine, Kaplan turbine, Kinetic turbine, Straflo turbine, and Tube turbine.
Table of Contents
Complete List of Different Types of Reaction Turbines
- Francis turbine
- Propeller turbine
- Gravity turbine
- Bulb turbine
- Kaplan turbine
- Straflo turbine
- Tube turbine
Let’s have a look at these types of reaction turbines.
1. Francis turbine
This type of reaction turbine is basically an improved version of the propeller turbine, with water flowing radially and axially into the impeller. In the central section of a Francis turbine, the flow channel is usually embedded in a spiral housing with an internally adjustable inlet vane.
The rotors of Francis turbines typically have nine or more fixed blades. Water enters directly above and around the impeller and then falls to rotate the turbine. In addition to the corridor, other major components are suction tubes, sliders, and spirals. The
The latest cross-flow turbine is a low-cost alternative to the Francis volute turbine.
2. Propeller turbine
Propeller turbines include known types of reaction turbines. These turbines typically have 3-6 impeller blades and water is in constant contact with all these blades. The propeller turbine is installed only in places where the load and height are constant. At partial load, the energy efficiency curve of this turbine is very sharp and performance is degraded.
3. Gravity turbine
These types of reaction turbines convert gravity into rotational force. Gravity turbines convert the kinetic energy of gravity into electricity.
4. Bulb turbine
This turbine is a variant of the propeller turbine. In this reaction turbine assembly, the generator is enclosed and sealed in a streamlined watertight steel casing located in the center of the duct. The generator is driven using a variable pitch propeller at the downstream end of the valve.
For valve turbines, the direction of water entering and exiting is almost unchanged or very small. The compactness of this design provides more flexibility when designing a power plant.
5. Kaplan turbine
Kaplan turbines can achieve high efficiency under a variety of load conditions by properly adjusting the blades while driving. With the
Kaplan turbine, you can adjust the blade angle or impeller according to the power required. This allows the Kaplan turbine to operate in response to changes in load. This is the only reason why Kaplan turbines have full load efficiency and high partial load efficiency. However, this is not possible with propeller turbines.
6. Straflo turbine
Straflo turbines are axial flow turbines. Comes with a fixed blade. These types of reaction turbines have a generator outside the channel. The generator is directly coupled to the turbine runner. A tubular variable speed Straflo turbine is used in the Tidetec turbine design. This is a very famous type of reaction turbine, with nearly 100 existing equipment.
7. Tube turbine
In this type of reaction turbine, the penstock twists just before or after the flow path, allowing it to connect directly to the generator.
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