Creation of Optimal Design of Runner Oil System of Kaplan Hydro-Turbines

Abstract

The main objectives of the reconstruction are stated. Those are: increase of the service life of the hydro-turbines of Dnipro Cascade, enhancement of their efficiency, power, and environmental safety, extension of the power control range of the hydro-power plants, assurance of the reliability and improvement of the operating safety of their equipment and structures, meeting the environmental requirements, improvement of the quality of the generated electric power after control system rehabilitation. The article deals with and analyses the chronology of the creation of the optimal design for a vertical Kaplan hydro-unit oil piping taking into consideration the half a century operational experience and stages of hydro-turbine modernization for Dnipro-2 HPP. The experience in improvement of the hydro-unit and oil head system control design is generalized, from the unified solution to the creation of the all-new design. The methods of the oil system rod machining and preliminary control are amended. The temperature control of the automatic unit shutdown in case of heating of oil head bushes is introduced into the control system. The oil piping installation method is improved and step-by-step checking of the oil piping installation centering is introduced. As a result of implementation of a package of design and process engineering solutions, the optimal design of the oil piping of improved reliability was created. It decreased the unscheduled downtime of the units and cut expenses on their maintenance providing the cyclic recurrence recommended by the standards for the operation of the oil pressure device pumps and thus, decreased the electric power consumption for balance-of-plant needs. The objects of the implementation of the developed oil piping design are given

Keywords

• kaplan hydro-turbine
• oil piping
• oil head
• runner rods
• runner servomotor
• self-aligning rings