Kaplan Turbine A Bonneville Dam Kaplan turbine after 61 years of service The kaplan turbine is a propeller type water turbine that has adjustable blades. It was developed in 1913 by the Austrian professor Viktor Kaplan. The kaplan turbine was an evolution of the francis turbine. Its invention allowed efficient power production in low head applications that was not possible with francis turbines. Kaplan turbines are now widely used throughout the world in high flow, low head power production. Developement Victor Kaplan obtained his first patent for an adjustable blade propeller turbine in 1912. But the development of a commercially successful machine would take another decade. Kaplan struggled with cavitation problems, and in 1922 abandoned his research for health reasons. In 1919 Kaplan installed a demonstration unit at Podebrady, Czechoslovakia. In 1922 Voith introduced an 1100 HP kaplan turbine for use mainly on rivers. In 1925 an 8 Mw unit went on line at Lilla Edet, Sweden. This marked the commercial success and wide spread acceptance of kaplan turbines. Theory of operation Kaplan Turbine Schematic The Kaplan turbine is an inward flow reaction turbine, which means that the working fluid changes pressure as it moves through the turbine and gives up its energy. The design combines radial and axial features. The inlet is a scroll shaped tube that wraps around the turbine's wicket gate. Water is directed tangentially, through the wicket gate, and spirals on to a propeller shaped runner, causing it to spin. The outlet is a specially shaped draft tube that helps decelerate the water and recover kinetic energy. The turbine does not need to be at the lowest point of water flow, as long as the draft tube remains full of water. A higher turbine location, however, increases the suction that is imparted on the turbine blades by the draft tube. The resulting pressure drop may lead to cavitation. Variable geometry of the wicket gate and turbine blades allow efficient operation for a range of flow conditions. Kaplan turbine efficiencies are typically over 90%, but may be lower in very low head applications. Current areas of research include CFD driven efficiency improvements and new designs that raise survival rates of fish passing through. Applications Kaplan turbines are widely used throughout the world for electrical power production. They cover the lowest head hydro sites and are especially suited for high flow conditions. Inexpensive micro turbines are manufactured for individual power production with as little as two feet of head. Large Kaplan turbines are individually designed for each site to operate at the highest possible efficiency, typically over 90%. They are very expensive to design, manufacture and install, but operate for decades. Variations Propeller Turbine Runner The Kaplan turbine is the most widely used of the propeller-type turbines, but several other variations exist: Propeller turbines have non-adjustable propeller vanes. They are used in low cost, small installations. Commercial products exist for producing several hundred watts from only a few feet of head. Bulb or Tubular turbines are designed into the water delivery tube. A large bulb is centered in the water pipe which holds the generator, wicket gate and runner. Tubular turbines are a fully axial design, whereas Kaplan turbines have a radial wicket gate. Pit turbines are bulb turbines with a gear box. This allows for a smaller generator and bulb. Straflo turbines are axial turbines with the generator outside of the water channel, connected to the periphery of the runner. S- turbines eliminate the need for a bulb housing by placing the generator outside of the water channel. This is accomplished with a jog in the water channel and a shaft connecting the runner and generator. See also Hydroelectricity Hydropower Tidal power Turbine Water turbine External links Toshiba Turbines Micro Propeller Turbine Most Popular Articles: Music    Musical Instruments    Guitar    Classical Music    History    Music Definition    Country Music    Rock Music    Pop Music    Hip Hop    Rap    DJ    Video Games    Casino Games    Poker    Blackjack    Casinos    Real Estate    Loan    Auction    eBay    Marketing    Search Engine Optimization    File Sharing    MP3    Music Industry    Kazaa    Internet    Supermodel    Fashion    Fashion Designers    Erotica    Modeling    Clothing    Boots    Shoes    Diamond Engagement Rings    Diamond    Rugs    Gospel Music    Affiliate    E-Commerce    Radio This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License at http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html You may copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license. You must provide a link to http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html To view or edit this article at Wikipedia go to http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaplan_Turbine