Pressure pulsation of Francis turbine under variable water head and load conditions
Liu Dengmu
Zhou Ye
Wang Shangkun
Song Hao
Sun Longyue
Gao Zhongxin
Jiang Cuiwei
Lu Zhiyang
Li Shangqi
Li Xiaochao
Abstract：[Background]The growth in installed capacity of green energy has exerted growing operational pressure on the national power grid.Hydropower stations play a vital role in grid regulation.However,long-term operation under suboptimal conditions triggers pressure pulsation and other faults in hydropower units,causing component damage and deteriorating operational performance.[Objective]This paper analyzes the effects of pressure pulsation on operating unit under variable water head and load conditions.[Method]We collected on-site operational parameters to obtain pressure pulsation data,as well as spindle swing and vibration measurements of the operating unit across different water head and load scenarios.[Result]The results show that intense pressure pulsation occurs in the medium-load region.As the water head rises,the range of severe pressure fluctuation shifts toward higher load levels.Spindle swing amplitude is positively correlated with pressure pulsation.Furthermore,pressure pulsation in the unit's tail water area is more pronounced and highly susceptible to load variation.[Conclusion]Therefore,the unit should preferably operate at loads above 80%rated load.When operating far from the optimal working point,pressure pulsation and spindle swing intensify,raising the risk of component failure and lowering unit efficiency.
Keywords：Francis hydro-turbinepressure fluctuationshaft runoutvibrationexperiment
Publication Date：2026-08-31
Online Publishing Date：2026-09-12(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：10( 64-73 )