Journal of Scientific & Industrial Research

Vol. 64, April 2005, pp. 256-261

Deformation of outer distributor cone in bulb turbine due to cavitation A case

study
N Kuppuswamy* and R Rudramoorthy
Department of Production Engineering, PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore 641 004
Received 29 September 2004; accepted 06 February 2005
Deformation of outer distributor cone in the bulb turbine due to cavitation is reported. Top and bottom sides of the
outer distributor cone enlarged in size from the initial dimensions at the time of erection of the turbine. The left and right
hand side dimensions reduced from the erection data. The geometry of outer distributor cone became elliptical after
operating machine for 28,000 h. Repairs and reconditions are made on the outer distributor cone to bring the unit into
service. The same tendency of deformation is also observed at 28,000 h of working of the machine after the first recondition.
Equations derived are useful to predict the condition of the outer distributor cone after a specified period of operation.
Results showed that the approach is very efficient and solutions are very accurate. The developed approach proved to be
very helpful to bulb turbine design engineers in both design and modification of outer distributor cone.
Keywords: Bulb turbine, Distributor cone, Guide vanes, Cavitation
IPC Code: G 10 K 13/00

Introduction
Dynamics of cavitation forces have been studied
for several decades. The studies on cavitation
phenomenon become more important due to the
demand of high performance of turbines and other
hydraulic equipments. The acoustic noise of
cavitation is the primary attributable to the acoustic
emissions from cavity collapses, as a bubble collapse
generates an acoustic pulse and proved that both the
shape of spectrogram and peak amplitude location
varied with plant cavitation number [p]1-3. There are
three distinct regions found in the occurrence of
bubble ring cavitation4. Guide vane openings (below
55%) in the hydraulic turbines have proved that
severe entire cavitation occurred and performance of
the turbines declined5-8. The unsteadiness of a sheet
cavity is strongly correlated with the unsteady
pressure signature9. Some non-linear numerical
models are developed to assess non-equilibrium
effects in cavitating flow10,11. The cavitation erosion is
found to be proportional to the impact of pressure
waves created by cavitation12-14. In the present study,
the authors extended previous studies and used an
analytical solution. Excellent results are obtained and
__________
*Author for correspondence
Tel: +91-422-2572177 / 2572477 / 5344277
Fax: +91-422-2573833
Email: kuppuswamynks@yahoo.co.in

the approach proved to be a useful tool for turbine

design engineers in outer distributor cone analysis and
design.
Bulb Turbine
Bulb turbine is developed for low head power
generation in the small power developments. Turbines
are made almost horizontal shaft machines to improve
their performance. Generators are coupled in the same
turbine shaft and are housed inside the watertight bulb
casing. The water flows all over the unit and these
types of generating units are normally utilized for
exploring heads up to 25m. Bulb turbine is horizontal
shaft type, with movable wicket gates and adjustable
runner blades (Fig. 1). The rotating part of generator
and turbine is supported by two guide bearings. The
turbine supports consist of fixed parts embedded in
concrete.
The outer and inner distributor cones are made of
mild steel (JIS: G3101, SS41) having following
constituents and characteristics: C, 0.21; Si, 0.30; Mn,
0.60; S, 0.045; P, 0.045 %; yield strength, 250 Mpa;
ultimate strength, 430 Mpa; BHN, 146; and
elongation, 17%. The outer distributor cone is
connected to the outer stay cone and to the discharge
ring, at the upstream and downstream sides,
respectively, by means of bolts. The inner distributor
cone is flange-connected with the inner stay cone at

KUPPUSWAMY & RUDRAMOORTHY: DEFORMATION OF OUTER DISTRIBUTOR CONE IN BULB TURBINE

257

Fig. 1 Bulb turbine

upstream side, and with the inner turbine cone at

downstream side. The surface of the distributor cones
where the wicket gates are moved is spherically and
accurately machined to keep close working clearance.
Sixteen wicket gates (guide vanes), assembled
between the outer and inner distributor cones, control
the water entering into the runner with minimum
hydraulic losses. The wicket gates, uniform in shape,
are made with fabricated plate steel and outer stem is
made of carbon steel. The sealing faces of each wicket
gate is accurately machined and finished to minimize
water leakage through the gates and all gates are
interchangeable. The outer and inner gate stems have
18-8 Cr-Ni stainless overlay and are provided with oilless metal made spherical bearings, as a combined
guide and thrust bearing, and suitable seals.
The turbine is provided with two oil pressureoperated servomotors having a sufficient capacity to
supply the force necessary to operate the wicket gates,
with minimum oil pressure, under the maximum head.
Pressure oil is supplied from the pressure oil system
of the governor. The servomotor cylinders are bolted
on the foundation of the turbine pit. In addition to the
governor pressure oil system, an independent
emergency pressure oil system is also provided to
close the wicket gates from any position in the event
of failure of the governor.

Cavitation at Guide Vane Moving Zone

The bulb turbine is a horizontal shaft axial flow
turbine. The machine delivers 16.5 MW of power
under a gross head of 7 m at a discharge of 270
m3/sec. To avoid the cavitation, the turbine runner
centre is kept at a depth of 5.0 m below the tailrace
water level. The diam of runner is 6.250 m, therefore,
the suction head on the machine is 1.875 m at the
minimum tailrace water level and is 4.375 m at the
maximum tailrace water level.
When both the machines are operated at full load,
there is 4.375 m of water column standing over and
above turbine the runner. Further, the tailrace channel
is formed to discharge the turbine outlet into the
existing river course. In bulb turbines, outer and inner
distributor cones form a conical tapered water flow
path. The guide vane assembly is housed inside the
distributor cones (Figs 2 & 3) with a designed
clearance of 1.25 to 2.25 mm with the outer
distributor cone and 1.50 to 3 mm with the inner
distributor cone. As the growth of bubbles and their
collapse take place at a high speed in the guide vane
moving areas at low guide vane opening, due to
higher velocity of water flow, the damage to the
distributor cone is largely due to cavitation force.

J SCI IND RES VOL 64 APRIL 2005

258

Deformation of Outer Distributor Cone

The guide vane clearances are measured in the
eight turbines. The clearances measured on the inner
distributor indicate a maximum gap of 5 mm at guide
vanes 1and 16 at the top and between guide vane 8
and 9 at the bottom. The left hand and right hand side
guide vane clearances measured at guide vanes 4, 5
and 12, 13 respectively show almost zero mm. The
contact clearance between guide vanes 3, 4, 5 and 11,
12, 13 has increased abnormally to an average of 10
mm from the designed value of zero mm.

Force distribution on the outer distributor cone at

water filled up conditions of turbine operations is:
Standby condition, 235; Operating condition, 326;
and Rejection condition, 220 t.
Guide Vane Clearances
The cavitation forces act inside the outer and inner
distributor cone assembly. The cavitation forces are
due to low-pressure region created during low guide
vane openings inside the distributor cone assembly.
When forces are within elastic limits, deformation of
distributor cone is elastic. But when forces exceed the
elastic limit, the deformation is permanent.
The equation for the guide vane top clearance for
condition-1 (Fig. 4) has been derived using Matlab
software as:
a = -0.0003b2 + 0.0675b + 2.2652
where a = Clearance in mm in the Top direction,
b = Number of hours worked in 1000.
The equation for the Top clearance for condition-2
(Fig. 4) has been derived as:

Fig. 2 Guide vane assembly

c = -0.0025d2 + 0.0953d + 2.2501

Fig. 3 Upstream view of runner vane and guide vane assembly

KUPPUSWAMY & RUDRAMOORTHY: DEFORMATION OF OUTER DISTRIBUTOR CONE IN BULB TURBINE

259

where c = Clearance in mm in the Top direction and

d = Number of hours worked in 1000.
The clearances obtained by solving these equations
are compared with the measured clearances (Fig. 4).
The clearances measured at the top for condition-1
vary linearly with the number of hours worked
whereas the top clearances for condition 2 is drooping
downwards due to residual stresses induced at the top
of outer distribution cone after the break down of
machine.
The equation for the guide vane bottom clearance
for condition-1 (Fig. 5) has been derived using
Matlab software as:
Fig. 4 Guide vane clearance at top

e = -0.0024f2 + 0.1320f + 2.1686

where e = Clearance in mm in the bottom direction,
f = Number of hours worked in 1000.
The equation for the bottom clearance for
condition-2 (Fig. 5) has been derived as:
g = -0.0015h2 + 0.0786h + 3.8531

Fig. 5 Guide vane clearance at bottom

where g = Clearance in mm in the bottom direction

and h = Number of hours worked in 1000.
The clearances obtained by solving these curvefitting equations are compared with the measured
clearances (Fig. 5). The curves for the bottom
clearances at conditions 1 and 2 are almost parallel
due to the equal rate of deformation of outer
distributor cone.
The equation for the guide vane left hand side
(LHS) clearance for condition-1 (Fig. 6) has been
derived using Matlab software as:
i = -0.0028j2 + 0.0090j + 2.3947
where i = Clearance in mm in the LHS direction,
j = Number of hours worked in 1000.
The equation for the LHS clearance for condition-2
(Fig. 6) has been derived as:
k = 0.0017l2 - 0.0761l + 1.2634

Fig. 6 Guide vane clearance at left hand side (LHS)

where k = Clearance in mm in the LHS direction and

l = Number of hours worked in 1000.
The clearances obtained by solving these curvefitting equations are compared with the measured
clearances (Fig. 6). The rate of deformation of outer
distributor cone has been significantly reduced in
condition-2 as due to the stiffness welded at the LHS

J SCI IND RES VOL 64 APRIL 2005

260

Fig. 7 Guide vane clearance at right hand side (RHS)

to avoid rubbing of the guide vane numbers 3, 4 & 5

with inner surface of outer distributor cone.
The equation for the guide vane right hand side
(RHS) clearance for condition-1 (Fig. 7) has been
derived using Matlab software as:
m = -0.0035n2 + 0.0271n + 2.3411
where m = Clearance in mm in the RHS direction,
n = Number of hours worked in 1000.
The equation for the RHS clearance for condition-2
(Fig. 7) has been derived as:
o = 0.0010p2 - 0.0492p + 1.7595
where o = Clearance in mm in the RHS direction and
p = Number of hours worked in 1000.
The clearances obtained by solving these curvefitting equations are compared with the measured
clearances (Fig. 7). The rate of deformation of outer
distributor cone has been significantly reduced in
condition-2 as due to the stiffness welded at the RHS
to avoid rubbing of the guide vane numbers 11, 12 &
13 with inner surface of outer distributor cone.

Similarly, the clearance at 8th and 9th guide vanes

also increased to 5.1 mm from design value of 1.8
mm and showed a distortion in the bottom side of the
distributor cone assembly, which has been pulled
downwards by 3.3 mm. The clearances at the left side
guide vanes 4 and 5 have reduced to 0.02 mm from
the design value of 2.7 mm, which showed a
contraction of 2.68 mm. Similarly, a minimum
clearance of 0.02 mm has been recorded at guide
vanes 12 and 13 on the right side of the assembly and
a contraction about 2.88 mm has been noticed. Thus,
the entire distributor cone assembly has become
elliptical in distorted condition. The top and bottom
portions have elongated by 3 to 5 mm and the side
portions have contracted by 2.8 mm from the design
values. Another major problem noticed is the wide
openings between the guide vanes at fully closed
condition. These clearances are suppose to be zero at
closed condition but have increased abnormally to a
maximum value of 14.5 mm at the guide vanes 2, 3 14
and 15, which impose a very dangerous condition for
a hydro turbine where the machine could not be
stopped by applying the brake, due to heavy water
leakage passing through these guide vanes.
Conclusions
For the cavitation erosion phenomenon, the
pressure waves-impact mechanism is responsible for
the damage. The cavitation forces are caused by rapid
flows at the exit of guide vanes. This study gives
correlations between the distortion of outer distributor
cone and number of hours worked in the equations.
Similar type of distortion and cavitation pitting are
also observed again after reconditioning within
28,000 h. Results highlighted problems that are to be
taken into account during the process of design of
hydropower plants with bulb turbines.
References
1
2

Results and Discussion

After an operation of about 28,000 h, distributor
cone assembly has been found shattered with
cavitation forces. Distortion has been observed in the
contact and moving area of guide vanes. The moving
clearance for the 16th guide vane has increased to a
maximum of 5.8 mm from a design value of 2 mm.
The top portion of the outer distributor cone has lifted
up by 3.8 mm.

3
4
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