Types of Reaction Turbines

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.

Complete List of Different Types of Reaction Turbines

  1. Francis turbine
  2. Propeller turbine
  3. Gravity turbine
  4. Bulb turbine
  5. Kaplan turbine
  6. Straflo turbine
  7. 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.

Francis turbine
Francis 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.

Propeller turbine
Propeller turbine

3. Gravity turbine

These types of reaction turbines convert gravity into rotational force. Gravity turbines convert the kinetic energy of gravity into electricity.

Gravity turbine
Gravity turbine

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.

Bulb turbine
Bulb turbine

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.

Kaplan turbine
Kaplan turbine

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.

Straflo turbine
Straflo turbine

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.

Tube turbine
Tube turbine

Thanks for reading my article on various Types of Reaction Turbines. If you have any thoughts, hit the comment box.

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