Journal of Emerging Trends in Engineering and Applied Sciences: Research Areas

Abstract:
This paper presents the effect of available head on the performance of a Tablespoon Buckets Pelton wheel. A Pelton-wheel is a hydro-mechanical energy conversion device that converts the hydraulic energy of elevated water into mechanical works. It does this by the impulsion of the jet of water on a series of moving blades called buckets. This mechanical work can be further converted into other forms of energy such as electrical energy by means of an electrical generator. The kinetic energy of the water jet is directed tangentially at the buckets of a Pelton wheel. The Water-jet strikes each bucket�s convex profile and gets split into two halves. All the jet energy is used in propelling the rim of the bucket wheel. Invariably, some water jet misses the buckets and passes onto the tail race without doing any useful work. This hydro device is a good source of hydro-electrical energy conversion for a high water head. At the available designed head of 35 m, the velocity of the jet was 25.68 m/s and the velocity of the wheel was 12.5 m/s, giving rise to a turbine hydraulic efficiency of 92.6%. It was observed that as the available head increases, there are corresponding increases in the velocity of the jet and velocity of the wheel respectively in the Pelton wheel. The results of this tablespoon buckets Pelton wheel were in good agreement with the results of the standard Rajput Pelton wheel impulse turbine analysis. This is evidenced in the matching trends of their velocities and efficiencies for both analyses.

Keywords: Tablespoon, Pelton, Wheel, Impulse, Turbine, Power, Generation

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