EXPERIMENT NO.

7
Performance and Analysis of Pelton Turbine on Multi Turbine Test
Set.
Equipment:

• Multi Turbine Test Set

Figure 1: Multi Turbine Test Set.

Figure 2: Multi Turbine Test Set labelling.

Specifications:
Pelton Wheel
• Dimensions: net 750 x 600 x 650, packed 0.171 m3
 • Weight: net 14 kg, packed 20 kg
• Number of buckets: 16
• Nozzle area: variable – 162 mm2 when fully open
• Radius of runner to jet impact position: 56.6 mm
• Maximum speed: approximately 1800 rpm
• Speed at maximum efficiency (approximately 80%): approx. 1200 rpm
Introduction:
The Pelton wheel is an impulse type water turbine. This is only hydraulic turbine of the
impulse type now in common use and is named after Lester A. Pelton (1829-1908), the
American engineer. It is an efficient machine, particularly well-suited to high head. The rotor
consists of a circular disc with several (seldom less than 15) spoon-shaped ‘buckets’ spaced
round its periphery. One or more nozzles are mounted so that each directs a jet along a of
each bucket is a ‘’splitter’ ridge, which divides the oncoming jet into two equal portions and,
after flowing round the smooth inner surface of the bucket, the fluids leave it with a relative
velocity almost opposite in direction to the original jet. The notch in the outer rim of each
bucket prevents the jet to the preceding bucket being intercepted too soon; it also avoids the
deflection of the fluid towards the center of the wheel as the bucket first meets the jet.

The maximum change of momentum of the fluid – and hence the maximum force driving the
wheel round - would be obtained if the bucket could deflect the fluid through 180º. In
practice, however, the deflection is limited to about 165º if the fluid leaving one bucket is not
to strike the back of the following one. It was invented by Lester Allan Pelton in the 1870s.
The Pelton wheel extracts energy from the impulse of moving water, as opposed to water's
dead weight like the traditional overshot water wheel. Water leaving those wheels typically
still had high speed, carrying away much of the dynamic energy brought to the wheels.

The Pelton turbine consists of three basic components as shown in Figure: a stationary inlet
nozzle, a runner and a casing. The runner consists of multiple buckets mounted on a rotating
wheel. The jet strikes the buckets and imparts momentum. The buckets are shaped in a
manner to divide the flow in half and turn its relative velocity vector nearly 180°.
 Figure 3: Pelton wheel.

A Pelton turbine mounts on the 3-kW pump and turbine test set base unit. The case in which
the Pelton turbine is mounted is transparent. Water leaves a nozzle and heats the buckets. An
adjustable spear valve controls the discharge by varying the diameter of the jet from the
nozzle. The centrifugal pump on the base unit supplies water to the nozzle. Water from the
turbine discharges back into the base unit tank and recirculates. The turbine shaft connects to
the base unit dynamometer. This measures torque and speed.

Working Principle:
An impulse turbine first converts the water head through a nozzle into a high-velocity jet,
which then strikes the buckets at one position as they pass by. The runner passages are not
fully filled, and the jet flow past the buckets is essentially at constant pressure. Impulse
turbines are ideally suited for high head and relatively low power. The Pelton turbine used in
this experiment is an impulse turbine.

Nozzles direct forceful, high-speed streams of water against a rotary series of spoon-shaped
buckets, also known as impulse blades, which are mounted around the circumferential rim of
a drive wheel—also called a runner. As the water jet impinges upon the contoured bucket-
blades, the direction of water velocity is changed to follow the contours of the bucket. Water
impulse energy exerts torque on the bucket-and-wheel system, spinning the wheel; the water
stream itself does a "U-turn" and exits at the outer sides of the bucket, decelerated to a low
velocity. In the process, the water jet's momentum is transferred to the wheel and thence to a
turbine. Thus, "impulse" energy does work on the turbine.
For maximum power and efficiency, the wheel and turbine system is designed such that the
water jet velocity is twice the velocity of the rotating buckets. A very small percentage of the
water jet's original kinetic energy will remain in the water, which causes the bucket to be
emptied at the same rate it is filled, and thereby allows the high-pressure input flow to
continue uninterrupted and without waste of energy. Typically, two buckets are mounted
side-by-side on the wheel, which permits splitting the water jet into two equal streams. This
balances the side-load forces on the wheel and helps to ensure smooth, efficient transfer of
momentum of the fluid jet of water to the turbine wheel.
Experimental Procedure:
Before conducting any experiment, it is necessary to do the following checking to avoid any
misused or malfunction equipment.
1. Please make sure that the water tank is filled with water up to at least 50% of the full
tank.
2. Switch on the main power supply located on the control panel. The instruments
should light up.
3. For the Francis turbine experiment, limit the centrifugal pump speed to 2500 RPM.
4. For the Pelton turbine experiment, limit the centrifugal pump speed to 2500 RPM.

Pelton Turbine Installation:

1. The bench shall be ready as shown in Figure.

Figure 4: Bench.

2. Check the O‐ring is placed as shown at Figure.

3. Place the turbine housing as shown in the Figure.

Figure 6: Turbine Housing.

4. Place the union but not to tighten it. (Check the alignment of the shaft coupling to the
DC motor before tighten it).

Figure 7: Union.

5. Tighten the turbine housing to the bench.

6. Place the mechanical guard to cover the coupling.

Figure 9: Mechanical guard.

7. Lastly, plug the tube to the pneumatic plug and the Pelton. Turbine is ready for
testing.

Figure 10: Ready turbine for testing.

Effect of Fixed Spear Valve Settings under Varied Load Conditions:

• Open the bleeding valve to ensure no air contained in the tube that is connected to the
input spear valve pressure transmitter. Once the air is released, closed the valve
immediately.

• Set the spear valve to be fully opened by turning the knob away from the water jet
direction.

• Turn on the load switch L1 by flicking up the switch while the rest of the load switch
remains off (L2-L5 switch pointing downward). Observe the changes and record
down all the parameters shown on the panel.

• Repeat step 5 by varying the load switch combination in at least 8 different

• Repeat step 4-6 by varying the spear valve opening in at least 3 different opening
positions.
Results and Discussion:

1. Calculate the following:

Observations:

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 LAB REPORT

Prepare the Lab Report as below:

OBJECTIVE:

APPARATUS:

PROCEDURE:
(Note: Use all steps you studied in LAB SESSION of this lab to write procedure
and to complete the experiment)
DISCUSSION:

Q1.: How can we calculate the turbine speed?

Q2.: Explain the mechanism of multi turbine?

Conclusion /Summary