Numerical Simulation of Water Flow through a Nano-Hydraulic Turbine of Waterfall-Type by Particle Method

Abstract

This study simulates the flow through an impulse-type small-scale hydraulic turbine utilizing a waterfall of extra-low head. The two-dimensional Moving Particle Semi-implicit (MPS) method is employed for the simulation. The fluid is discretized by particles, and the flow is computed by the Lagrangian calculation for the particle motion. When the distance between the particles discretizing the waterfall of a width <svg style="vertical-align:-0.0pt;width:10.6125px;" id="M1" height="11.175" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 10.6125 11.175" width="10.6125" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,.062,11.113)"><path id="x1D435" d="M594 511q0 -122 -171 -157l1 -2q158 -33 158 -159q0 -52 -34.5 -95t-90.5 -65q-76 -33 -217 -33h-223l8 28q63 5 79.5 19t26.5 72l83 426q9 48 -2.5 60t-77.5 17l6 28h259q195 0 195 -139zM499 509q0 59 -37 83t-91 24q-36 0 -51 -9q-17 -9 -22 -44l-35 -195h62&#xA;q82 0 128 37t46 104zM481 199q0 71 -48 102.5t-121 31.5h-56l-37 -201q-11 -58 7.5 -77t80.5 -19q76 0 125 44.5t49 118.5z" /></g> </svg>, <svg style="vertical-align:-3.3907pt;width:11.0375px;" id="M2" height="16.450001" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 11.0375 16.450001" width="11.0375" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,.062,12.162)"><path id="x1D459" d="M238 681l-124 -585q-7 -31 4 -31q10 0 37.5 18.5t49.5 41.5l16 -22q-40 -48 -89.5 -81.5t-76.5 -33.5q-42 0 -16 122l105 488q7 32 0 41t-39 9h-35l5 26q35 3 71 13t58 17.5t26 7.5q14 0 8 -31z" /></g> <g transform="matrix(.012,-0,0,-.012,4.637,16.25)"><path id="x30" d="M241 635q53 0 94 -28.5t63.5 -76t33.5 -102.5t11 -116q0 -58 -11 -112.5t-34 -103.5t-63.5 -78.5t-94.5 -29.5t-95 28t-64.5 75t-34.5 102.5t-11 118.5q0 58 11.5 112.5t34.5 103t64.5 78t95.5 29.5zM238 602q-32 0 -55.5 -25t-35.5 -68t-17.5 -91t-5.5 -105&#xA;q0 -76 10 -138.5t37 -107.5t69 -45q32 0 55.5 25t35.5 68.5t17.5 91.5t5.5 105t-5.5 105.5t-18 92t-36 68t-56.5 24.5z" /></g> </svg>, is set at <svg style="vertical-align:-3.3907pt;width:84.462502px;" id="M3" height="16.450001" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 84.462502 16.450001" width="84.462502" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,.062,12.162)"><use xlink:href="#x1D459"/></g> <g transform="matrix(.012,-0,0,-.012,4.637,16.25)"><use xlink:href="#x30"/></g> <g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,10.975,12.162)"><path id="x2F" d="M368 703l-264 -866h-60l265 866h59z" /></g><g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,17.978,12.162)"><use xlink:href="#x1D435"/></g><g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,33.175,12.162)"><path id="x2264" d="M531 71l-474 214v50l474 215v-56l-416 -184l416 -183v-56zM531 -40h-474v50h474v-50z" /></g><g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,47.879,12.162)"><use xlink:href="#x30"/></g><g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,56.039,12.162)"><path id="x2E" d="M113 -12q-24 0 -39.5 16t-15.5 42q0 24 16 40.5t40 16.5t40 -16.5t16 -40.5q0 -26 -16 -42t-41 -16z" /></g><g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,59.914,12.162)"><use xlink:href="#x30"/></g><g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,68.074,12.162)"><path id="x38" d="M249 635q70 0 116 -43t46 -105q0 -46 -28 -80q-22 -25 -80 -64q62 -35 97 -75t35 -99q0 -81 -63 -131t-135 -50q-83 0 -137.5 45.5t-54.5 123.5q0 52 45 95q29 28 89 64q-109 62 -109 155q0 66 50.5 115t128.5 49zM238 603q-42 0 -67.5 -31t-25.5 -72q0 -50 32.5 -79.5&#xA;t98.5 -62.5q61 48 61 124q0 59 -29.5 90t-69.5 31zM248 20q46 0 76.5 33.5t30.5 89.5q0 50 -39 85.5t-110 71.5q-81 -54 -81 -137q0 -67 35.5 -105t87.5 -38z" /></g><g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,76.233,12.162)"><path id="x34" d="M456 178h-96v-72q0 -51 12.5 -62.5t72.5 -16.5v-27h-256v27q65 5 78 17t13 62v72h-260v28q182 271 300 426h40v-407h96v-47zM280 225v295h-2q-107 -148 -196 -295h198z" /></g> </svg>, the flow can be simulated with the sufficiently high spatial resolution, and the rotor performance can also be favorably predicted. The present simulation also successfully analyzes the effect of the rotational speed of rotor on the flow and the turbine performance.