CFD Analysis of the Runaway Stability of a Model Pump-Turbine

The relations between the runaway stability characteristics and the flow patterns inside the runner of pump-turbine are supposed to be close and should be studied. The runaway processes of a model pump-turbine at four guide-vane openings (GVOs) were simulated by the three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics. The results show that the runaway stability characteristics for the pump-turbine are different at different GVOs. For the small GVOs, the turbine characteristic trajectory undergoes damped oscillations; however, for large GVOs, the turbine characteristic trajectory settles into an un-damping oscillation. The evolution features of the reverse flow vortex structures (RFVS) at the runner inlet during the runaway oscillations have distinct patterns between the small and large GVOs. For small GVOs, the RFVSs only locate at the mid-span; however, for the large GVOs, the location of the RFVSs switches back and forth between the mid-span section and the hub side when the turbine passes in and out the turbine braking mode. The changes of RFVS at the runner inlet dominate the energy transfer among the hydraulic, mechanical and dissipation energies during the transient processes, and therefore affect the stability of hydraulic system.