ME 413 Expt #5

PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS OF PELTON WHEEL

Purpose: To investigate the performance characteristics of an Impulse Turbine (Pelton wheel),

and compare with its ideal efficiency curve.
Apparatus: Armfield Hydraulic Bench, Armfield F1-25
Pelton turbine demonstration unit, stopwatch and tachometer.
The turbine demonstration unit sits on top of the hydraulic
bench, which circulates water from its reservoir through the
turbine. The flow rate is controlled by the spear valve (2),
and can be measured by means of a stopwatch and the
volumetric gage on the bench. The total water head (in
meters) at the turbine inlet is indicated by the pressure gage
(1). The slide rod and the lock screw (6) adjust the tension in
the belt below the spring balances (5). Rotation speed (in
RPM) is measured by a digital tachometer counting the
frequency of the marking on the surface of the brake drum on
the back side of the turbine.
For Lab Report: Sketch a schematic diagram of the
apparatus
Review of Theory
Apply the continuity equation and energy equation across a Pelton turbine to show that the ideal
power available is
Pi g Q H

where , Q = fluid density and flow rate, respectively.

H = total head change across the turbine, which is approximately same as the static
head change if the velocity head and elevation head changes are small.
Ideal Efficiency
Sketch a diagram of a Pelton bucket. Apply the Bernoulli equation to show that the ideal jet
V j 2 g H
velocity is:
Apply the momentum equation, neglecting viscous effects, to show that the ideal power output
from the Pelton wheel is:
P Q u (V j u ) (1 cos )

where = 180o
u 2 n r

is geometric deflection angle of the bucket,

is the linear velocity of the bucket
and r is the radial distance of the jet from the turbine axis.

Hence, the ideal efficiency is:

where

u
Vj

2 (1 cos ) (1 )

is the velocity ratio, also called the peripheral-velocity factor.

Actual Efficiency
The efficiency of the turbine can be found experimentally:

Pb
Pi

where Pb 2 n T is the output power applied on the brake,

and
is the torque acting on the brake at rotor speed n with the brake force F on
T F R
the brake drum with radius R.
Procedure
1. Turn on the pump on the hydraulic bench and fully open the control valve.
2. With the friction belt on the brake drum completely disengaged, adjust the needle valve at the
exit of the nozzle so that the total pressure head is about 20 m.
3. Record the time required to collect 40 l of water in the collection tank of the hydraulic bench.
4. Measure the rotation speed of the turbine with the tachometer.
5. Tighten the friction belt so that the difference in the tension of the two spring balances is
about 1 N.
6. Repeat step 4 and 5 until the maximum reading on the spring balance is reached, or the
rotation speed is zero.
Data
Radius from Turbine center to water jet: r = 5.5 cm.

Brake drum Radius: R= 3 cm.

Head at inlet: H = ______ m

Flow Rate: Q = _______ l/sec

Rot. Speed
(RPM)
n (Hz)
Friction
F (N)
Results
1. Plot both the ideal and actual efficiency curves versus u/Vj and compare.
2. Calculate the dimensionless flow coefficient, pressure coefficient and power coefficient
defined as follows:
CQ

Q
n D3

C p

p
n2 D2

CP

Pi
n3 D5

3. Plot actual efficiency, pressure coefficient and power coefficients versus flow coefficient.
Problem
Find the best flow coefficient for this turbine, and predict the flow rate, pressure head and the
power output for a geometrically similar turbine which is 10 times larger in dimension and
rotating at one-fifth of the speed.