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HYDRAULIC MACHINES AND

FLUID POWER LAB

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STUDY OF TURBINES

Hydraulic machine is an energy converter. If it converts

hydraulic energy into mechanical energy then it is called turbine. If the
machine transforms mechanical energy into hydraulic energy, it is
called a pump.
The mechanical energy developed by the turbine can be
converts into electrical energy by coupling the turbine with an electric
generator. The electrical energy which is obtained from the hydraulic
energy is known as hydroelectric power.

CLASSIFICATION
Hydraulic turbines are classified as follows,
1. According to the type of energy at inlet:
a. Impulse or velocity turbines and,
b. Pressure or Reaction turbines

IMPULSE TURBINES
In the impulse turbines the entire available potential head are
converted into kinetic energy by passing water through a nozzle under
atmospheric pressure. The jet of water coming through the nozzle
strikes over the blade of the runners. After it doing to work, the water
is discharged into open tail race. As the water flows over vanes, the
pressure in atmospheric from inlet to outlet of the turbine. When it is
necessary to transfer energy available at high head, the impulse
turbine is preferred.
Eg:- Pelton wheel, Turgo turbine, etc.
REACTION TURBINES
In reaction turbines, water enters the wheel under pressure and
flows over the vanes, and hence the wheel of the turbine runs full.
Since the flow from the inlet to tail race in under pressure, an air tight
casing is necessary for releasing the water into tailrace, because of the
creation of vacuum pressure in the turbines. In those turbines, the
water at inlet possess kinetic energy as well as pressure energy.
Eg:- Francis and Kaplan turbine

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2. According to the direction of flow through runner:

a. Tangential flow turbines: In this type of turbines, the water

strikes the runner in the direction of tangent to the wheel.
Example: Pelton wheel turbine.
b. Radial flow turbines: In this type of turbines, the water strikes
in the radial direction. Accordingly, it is further classified as,

i. Inward flow turbine: The flow is inward from periphery to

the centre (centripetal type). Example: old Francis turbine.
ii. Outward flow turbine: The flow is outward from the centre
to periphery (centrifugal type). Example: Fourneyron
turbine.
iii. Axial flow turbine: The flow of water is in the direction
parallel to the axis of the shaft. Example: Kaplan turbine and
propeller turbine.

c. Mixed flow turbine: The water enters the runner in the radial
direction and leaves in axial direction. Example: Modern
Francis turbine.

3. According to the head at inlet of turbine:

a. High head turbine: In this type of turbines, the net head varies
from 150m to 2000m or even more, and these turbines require
a small quantity of water. Example: Pelton wheel turbine.
b. Medium head turbine: The net head varies from 30m to 150m,
and also these turbines require moderate quantity of water.
Example: Francis turbine.
c. Low head turbine: The net head is less than 30m and also these
turbines require large quantity of water. Example: Kaplan
turbine.

4. According to the specific speed of the turbine:

The specific speed of a turbine is defined as, the speed of a

geometrically similar turbine that would develop unit power when
working under a unit head (1m head).

a. Low specific speed turbine: The specific speed is less than 50.
(Varying from 10 to 35 for single jet and up to 50 for double
jet) Example: Pelton wheel turbine.

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b. Medium specific turbine: The specific speed is varies from 50

to 250. Example: Francis turbine.
c. High specific turbine: the specific speed is more than 250.
Example: Kaplan turbine.

PELTON WHEEL
Pelton wheel is a tangential flow impulse turbine. It is the most
efficient type of impulse turbine which is extensively used for very
high head installations. Water is taken into the turbine through a
penstock pipe fitted with a nozzle at the end. Water comes out of the
nozzle in the form of jet. The jet of water strikes the buckets in the
direction tangential to the wheel. The main parts of the Pelton turbine
are,
1. Nozzle and flow regulating arrangement
2. Runner with buckets – A circular disc, on the periphery of which
a number of buckets evenly spaced are fixed. The shape of the
bucket is of a double hemispherical cup or bowl with a dividing
wall (Known as splitter) in its centre.
3. Casing
4. Braking jet – To stop the runner in a short time a small nozzle is
provided which directs the jet of water on the back of the vanes.

FRANCIS TURBINE
Francis turbine is an inward flow reaction turbine, having radial
discharge at outlet. The modern Francis turbine has a mixed flow in
which the water enters the runner of the turbine in the radial direction
at outlet and leaves in the axial direction at the inlet of the runner. In
Francis turbines only a part of the net head is transformed into kinetic
energy. At inlet and the rest of the head remains in the form of
pressure energy. This pressure is difference is developed between
entrance and exit of the runner. This difference of pressure is known
as reaction pressure and it is responsible for the running of the
reaction turbines.
KAPLAN TURBINE
The Kaplan turbine is an axial flow reaction turbine in which the
flow of water is parallel to the shaft. This turbine is suitable for where
a large quantity of water at low head is available. It is more compact
than Francis turbine, and runs faster and maintain high efficiency.

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The water from the penstock enters the scroll casing and then
moves to the guide vanes. The water while gliding over the vanes
exerts some force on the shaft of the turbine, which cause the shaft to
revolve. The main parts of a Kaplan turbine are,
1. Scroll casing
2. Guide vanes mechanism
3. Hub with vanes or runner of the turbine, and
4. Draft tube.

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STUDY OF HYDRAULIC PUMPS

In general, a pump may be defined as a machine, when driven
from some external source lifts water or some other liquid from a
lower level to a higher level. It converts mechanical energy into
pressure energy. Classifications of pump is listed in the figure.
1. CENTRIFUGAL PUMP
The pump which raises water or a liquid from a lower level to a
higher level by the action of centrifugal force is known as a centrifugal
pump. These pumps have an impeller with radial curved vanes. They
rotate at a very high speed and covert the velocity head into the
pressure head on the delivery side. To work a centrifugal pup, it must
be primed. After the pump is primed, the delivery valve kept closed
and the electric motor is started to rotate the impeller. After normal
speed of the impeller is attained, the delivery valve is opened and then
the liquid is continuously sucked upto the suction pipe, liquid passes
through the eye of the impeller, finally delivered to the place where is
necessary.
The main parts of centrifugal pump are,
i. Impeller
ii. Casing - Types of casing are a) volute b) vortex and
c) diffuser.
The casing has a spiral shape in which the cross-sectional
area gradually increases from the tongue towards the delivery
end it maintain a constant mean velocity and increase the
pressure head at the outlet.
iii. Section pipe with foot valve and strainer.
iv. Delivery pipe - A check valve is provided in the delivery pipe
near the pump in order to protect the pump from water hammer
and also to regulate the water from the pump.

2. RECIPROCATING PUMP
These derives their name from reciprocating a lead of piston
inside the cylinder. In reciprocating pump, the mechanical energy is
converted into hydraulic energy by sucking the liquid into a cylinder.
In the cylinder, a piston is reciprocating which exerts a thrust on the
liquid and increases its pressure (hydraulic) energy.
The main parts of reciprocating pump are,

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i. A cylinder with a piston, piston rod, connecting rod and a crank.

ii. Suction valve and delivery valve :- There are relative
valve, in which suction valve allows the liquid that suction pipe
to the cylinder, and the delivery valve allows the liquid from
cylinder to delivery pipe.
iii. Suction pipe.
iv. Delivery pipe.
In reciprocating pumps, when the crank starts rotating, the
piston moves to and fro motion inside the cylinder. During the
backward motion of piston, the liquid enter into the cylinder through
suction pipe via suction valve. Due to the creation of partial vacuum
inside the cylinder on the forward motion of the piston, the suction
valve closes, the delivery tube opens and the liquid is forced out from
the cylinder through the delivery pipe. A reciprocating pump is also
called a positive displacement pump, as it discharges a definite
quantity of liquid during the displacement of its piston. This is why, a
reciprocating pump is ideally suitable for grouting operations in dam
foundations.
3. GEAR PUMP
An external gear pump, in its simplest form, consists of two
identical intermeshing spur wheels working with a fine clearance
inside the casing. The wheels are so designed, that they form a fluid
tight joint at the point of contact as shown in Figure. One of the wheels
is keyed to the driving shaft, and the other revolves as a driven wheel.
The pump is first filled with the liquid before it is starts: As the gears
rotate, the liquid is trapped in between their teeth and is flown to the
discharge end round the casing. The rotating gears build up sufficient
pressure to force the liquid into the delivery pipe. A little consideration
will show, that each tooth of the gear acts like a piston or plunger of a
reciprocating pump to force liquid into the discharge pipe.
4. LOBE PUMP
A lobe type pump resembles with a gear pump in action. There
are many designs of lobe rotary pumps. But the wheels have usually
two or three lobes, and sometimes even more. In all cases, the action
remains the same.
The lobes are so designed, that they from a fluid tight joint at the
point of contact. As the lobes rotate, the liquid is trapped in the pockets
formed between the lobes and casing. The lobes build up sufficient

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pressure to force the liquid into delivery pipe. The only drawback, in a
lobe type, is that its discharge is not so constant as that of a gear pump.
5. SELF-PRIMING PUMP
A self-priming pump consist of an open impeller mounted in the
casing such that there is a small clearance between the blades and the
side walls and also between the blade tips and the circumference of
the casing. In order to start for the first time, the casing is filled with
water upto a level where the suction pipe begins. The suction pipe
remains full of air. When the pump starts working, it draws air from
the suction pipe and a mixture of water and air is formed in the casing
which is discharged by the impeller into a widened portion known as
separator. Because of a large cross-sectional area of separator, the
water velocity decreases and the air is separated from the mixture and
escapes through the delivery pipe which should open to atmosphere
at its exit. The water free of air, comes back to the impeller from the
separator through the passage made by the fixed vane. The impeller
goes on revolving and the water is drawn up the suction pipe gradually
till whole of the air is evacuated from it by the formation of air water
mixture and the air separating out. The pump will then starts
functioning normally.
6. STAGE PUMP
A centrifugal pump containing two or more impellers is called a
multistage centrifugal pump or simply stage pump. The impellers may
be mounted on the same shaft or on different shafts. At each stage, the
fluid is directed to the center before making its way to the discharge
on the outer diameter. For higher pressures at the outlet, impellers can
be connected in series. For higher flow output, impellers can be
connected parallel.
A common application of the multistage centrifugal pump is
the boiler feed water pump. All energy transferred to the fluid is
derived from the mechanical energy driving the impeller. This can be
measured at isentropic compression, resulting in a slight temperature
increase (in addition to the pressure increase).
7. DEEP WELL PUMP
A deep well reciprocating pump is shown in figure. It has three
parts; Power head, cylinder drop pipe and pump rod. The power head
consists of a prime mover connected rotary motion to reciprocating
motion. The cylinder is placed in the well at the lowest expected water
level. The drop pipe transmits the water from the cylinder to the

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surface while the rod transmits the oscillatory motion from the power
head to the plunger. These pumps are widely used for oil wells.

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1. HYDRAULIC RAM
This is an automatic machine, which can lift a small quantity of
water to a greater height when a large quantity of water is available at
a smaller height, without using any external source of energy. This is
employed when some natural source of water like a spring or a steam
is available at some altitude. eg: in a hilly region. Work done by a. large
quantity of water in falling through small height is used to raise a small
part of it to a greater height. Action of water hammer makes it feasible.
The water starts flowing from the tank (A) to the chamber (E)
through the pipe (P) The waste valve (C) is opened and water flows
out through it. As the speed of water in the pipe (P) increases, the
dynamic pressure on the waste valve (C) increases, until it is greater
than the weight of the valve lid, which will suddenly close the valve lid.
This sudden closure of the valve brings the water in the pipe and
chamber suddenly to rest, which will increase the pressure, in the
chamber (E) This increase of pressure, in the chamber (E) lifts the
valve (F) and some water flows into the air a vessel (D) which will
compress the air in the air vessel, causing its pressure to increase. This
increased air pressure in the air vessel (D) closes the valve F and
forces up the water into the tank (B). When the momentum of the
water in the chamber (E) is destroyed, the waste valve (C) opens
which causes the flow of water from the tank (A) to recommence.
2. HYDRAULIC PRESS
It is a device, by which we can lift a larger load, by the application
of a comparatively much smaller force.
A hydraulic press in its simplest form consists of two cylinders, one
larger and the other smaller, connected to a chamber containing some
liquid. The larger cylinder contains a ram and the smaller contains a
plunger as shown figure. A small force acts on the plunger, in the
downward direction which presses the liquid below it. This pressure
is transmitted, equally in all directions and raises ram. The heavier
load placed on the ram, is then lifted up.
3. HYDRAULIC LIFT
It is a device to lift or bring down loads or passengers, from one
floor to another in a multi-storeyed building. Following are the two
types of hydraulic lifts:
1. Direct acting hydraulic lift, and

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2. Suspended hydraulic lift.

Direct Acting Hydraulic Lift
A direct acting hydraulic lift, in its simplest form, consists of a
cage (for placing the loads or standing passengers) firmly secured to
the top of a vertical ram, sliding in a fixed cylinder. There is a pipe
connection for supplying water, under a high pressure to the fixed
cylinder as shown in Figure.
The load, to be lifted, is placed in the cage of lift. The water under
high pressure, is made to enter in the fixed cylinder, which moves up
the sliding ram and the cage fixed to it.

4. HYDRAULIC JACK
A hydraulic jack uses a liquid, which is incompressible, that is
forced into a cylinder by a pump plunger. Oil is used since it is self-
lubricating and stable.
When the handle is pressed down, valve A is closed whereas
valve B is opened. The hydraulic fluid is forced into the large cylinder
and hence pushes the piston moving upward.
When the handle is raised, valve B will be closed while vale A
will be opened. Hydraulic fluid from the buffer tank will be suck into
the small cylinder. This process is repeated until the load is sufficiently
lifted up. The large piston can be lowered down by releasing the
hydraulic fluid back to the buffer tank through the release vale.

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HYDRAULIC AND PNEUMATIC SYMBOLS

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DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGG. GPTC KANNUR