HERI – Research Actions Database

Welcome to the HERI Research Actions Database. The database provides details of past and present research actions related to all aspects of hydropower. The database has been structured following the categorisation developed for the HYDROPOWER EUROPE research and innovation agenda, and Strategic Industry Roadmap.

The database contents have been collated from a variety of organisations working on research actions across all sectors of the hydropower industry. The information has been share freely and is available as open access. You can search the database or add details of new initiatives to the database via the buttons below.

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Active Flow Control system FOR improving HYDRaulic turbine performances at off-design Operation

Description

The overall objective of the AFC4Hydro research project is to design, implement and validate in full-scale water turbine an active flow control system that permit to increase efficiency and reduce the dynamics loads on the structure at any off-design operating conditions and during transient operations. Specifically, the system will modify the draft tube flow field to mitigate or supress the pressure fluctuations induced by the vortical flow which limits the operation of actual hydraulic machines. Special attention will be given to the flow instability leading to the formation of the vortex rope in the draft tube. A combination of two innovative technologies will be used in the draft tube: 1. injection of pulsating momentum (IPM) with a specific frequency, amplitude and phase by means of actuators; 2. injection of continuous momentum (ICM) in the form of water jets with controlled speed and orientation directed against the swirling flow. The IPM handles the problem at its source, while the ICM is the remedy when the problem arises. A structural health monitoring (SHM) system will be developed to continuously evaluate the performance of the turbine in real time and used as a feedback to adjust the flow control strategy with a specifically designed Controller. This closed loop configuration will permit to enhance the stability of the flow and decrease the level of unsteadiness also during transients such as ramp up and ramp down.

Organisations

  • Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)

Funding

  • European funding

Specific Funding Sources:
European Commission

Level of Action:

European

Applications

Small-hydro, Large-hydro, Run-of-the-River, Storage Hydropower, Pumped Storage

Keywords

Digitalization, Maintenance, Modeling / Simulation, Turbines

Areas of Research

Research and Innovation Agenda

  • Understanding and numerically predicting the power plant performance at off-design operating conditions
  • Enhancing computer models to optimise the control system structures, including in run-of-river power plants

Strategic Industry Roadmap

Last Updated: 22/02/2024 09:42

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AFC4Hydro

Call Number

H2020-LC-SC3-2018-RES-TwoStages

Project Number

814958

Start Date
2019
End Date
2023

Budget Range
€1,000,000 - €5,000,000

Project website

 

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Funded by
the European Union