The present work examines the effects of the radial protrusion of four cylindrical rods at different lengths within the flow field of a down-scaled turbine draft tube under part-load operating conditions. Four rods were placed on the same plane 90 degrees apart. The protrusion length was varied from zero to approximately 90 % of the draft tube radius. Time-resolved pressure measurements were performed to quantify the effect of the rod protrusion, using two pressure sensors at the same vertical level 180 degrees apart. Such sensor configuration enabled the decomposition of the signals into rotating and plunging components of the rotating vortex rope (RVR). The results show that different levels of mitigation are achieved for the rotating and plunging components depending on the protrusion length. The effects on the plunging component differ from the ones on the rotating component. The RVR plunging pressure pulsations slightly increase with the initial rod protrusion and then significantly drop after a certain length. On the contrary, the rotating component of the pressure pulsation amplitudes immediately decreases with the onset of rod protrusion. However, an optimum length is obtained in both cases where the highest mitigation occurs before reaching the maximum protrusion. This observation falls in line with the previous investigations conducted for oscillatory rod protrusions, further approving the point that a closed-loop controller should accompany the mitigation technique to achieve optimum mitigation.

The present paper investigates the rotating vortex rope (RVR) mitigation on an axial turbine model by the radial protrusion of four cylindrical rods into the draft tube. RVR mitigation is of particular interest due to the unfavorable pressure pulsations it induces in the hydraulic circuit that can affect turbine life and performance. The protrusion lengths, which were the same among the four rods, were varied according to a predefined sequence. The experiments were performed under four part-load regimes ranging from upper part load to deep part load. Time-resolved pressure measurements were conducted at two sections on the draft tube wall along with high-speed videography and efficiency measurement to investigate the effect of the mitigation technique on the RVR characteristics and turbine performance. The recorded pressure data were decomposed and studied through spectral analyses, phase-averaging, and statistical analyses of the RVR frequency and peak-to-peak pressure amplitude distributions. The results showed different levels of pressure amplitude mitigation ranging from approximately 10% to 85% depending on the operating condition, protrusion length, and the method of analysis. The hydraulic efficiency of the turbine decreased by a maximum of 3.5% that of the best efficiency point (BEP) with the implementation of the mitigation technique. The variations in the obtained mitigation levels and efficiencies depending on protrusion length and operating condition indicate the need for the implementation of a feedback-loop controller. Thus, the protrusion length can be actively optimized based on the desired mitigation target. 

The implementation of hydropower to stabilize electrical grids dictates more frequent off-design operations of these renewable energy resources. Flow instabilities under such conditions reduce the efficiency of hydro turbines. Part-load operation is particularly detrimental since the development of a rotating vortical structure termed rotating vortex rope (RVR) in the draft tube leads to periodic pressure pulsations that jeopardize turbine performance. This paper experimentally explores a novel solution involving the protrusion of flat plates into the turbine draft tube. Three flat plates equally separated by 120° were vertically installed on the draft tube wall. The plates were protruded up to 83% of the draft tube local radius under four different part-load conditions. Their impact was observed through time-resolved pressure measurements in the draft tube and vaneless space, as well as efficiency measurements. The results demonstrated successful RVR mitigation, achieving a maximum 85% reduction in pressure oscillation amplitudes. Protruding flat plates disrupted RVR periodicity and coherence, confining its orbit to the draft tube center. This approach proved particularly effective at lower part-load conditions, enhancing turbine hydraulic efficiency by increasing torque extraction. Reducing the adverse effects under part load, the proposed method appears promising in extending the operational range of hydraulic turbines.

Under off-design and transient operations of hydraulic turbines, these machines are subjected to harmful pressure fluctuations originating from the presence of vortical flow. These oscillations increase stress-induced fatigue damage on the turbine runner, shortening turbine life and reducing its reliability. This study investigates how cylindrical rods in the draft tube affect the runner blade strains and their consequent fatigue damage during transient and off-design steady-state operations. Different part-load conditions of an axial model turbine and two transients between speed-no-load and best efficiency point were experimentally studied using time-resolved pressure and runner blade strain measurements. The proposed adjustable flow control technique effectively reduced the runner damage, particularly at lower loads where reductions as high as 70% were obtained. In addition, draft tube pressure data were used for fatigue estimation, and a correlation with blade stress damage was observed at lower loads where high-amplitude load cycles occurred. The results showed that different protrusion lengths should be used function of the prevailing operating condition to obtain optimal damage reductions with lower efficiency penalties. Therefore, the proposed technique can provide an adjustable solution that mitigates off-design pressure oscillations and their consequent damage while limiting efficiency losses.

Increased utilization of hydraulic turbines as a regulatory tool for electrical grid stabilization forces some turbines to operate away from their design point, thus increasing wear and tear. In here, rotating vortex rope (RVR) mitigation by means of radial insertion of cylindrical rods in the draft tube is investigated experimentally on a 10 MW Kaplan turbine operating as a propeller. Pressure measurements in the draft tube, runner chamber and spiral casing, along with strain and acceleration measurements on the turbine shaft are performed to scrutinize the effectiveness of the mitigation system. Three part-load operating points are investigated, corresponding to 83%, 72%, and 68% of the guide vane servo stroke relative to the best-efficiency point opening. It is shown that the mitigation system dampens the harmful effects of the vortex rope at all operating points, especially at lower part-load conditions. Specifically, the pressure amplitude of the RVR fundamental mode inside the runner chamber reduces by 84%, 63%, and 73% at the three investigated operating points, relative to the amplitudes without mitigation. On the turbine shaft, the fundamental mode of the axial thrust oscillations at the RVR frequency reduces by 65%, 83%, and 95%. It is shown that the mitigation does not come with a high cost on the turbine time-averaged efficiency over the course of the measurements, the penalty being 2%, 2.5%, and 3.2% at the protrusion length where optimal mitigation is achieved at each operating point. For high-head machines, the penalty is expected to be lower since the relative importance of the draft tube diminishes for higher heads.