Comparison of plate and aerofoil blade performance in open-flume turbines

This study compares the shape of a plate blade with an aerofoil blade using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to determine which blade shape is more suitable for use with open flume turbines (OFT) featuring the pico scale. The CFD method with six degrees of freedom (6-DoF) is used because it represents more precise flow patterns. Based on the simulation results, the boundary conditions of discharge are 40 L/s and 60 L/s; thus, plate blades have greater efficiency than aerofoil blades. This is because the pressure gradient at the leading edge of the plate blade is higher than that of the aerofoil blade. A high gradient pressure on the blade can augment the lift force, increasing the runner’s torque. Overall, the plate blade profile is suitable for OFT featuring the pico scale.