Ge Renewable Technologies

Guillaume Boutet-Blais

Laurent Bornard

Michel Sabourin

Sebastien Beaulieu

David Allan Scott

A hydraulic turbine includes a runner having a shaft, a runner crown, and a runner tip. Blades are fixed to the runner crown and are rotatable around an axis of rotation in operation of the hydraulic turbine, each blade including a leading edge and a trailing edge. A first chamber is located between the runner crown and a stationary head cover, or within head cover. A second chamber is located in the runner tip. A passage for water is defined between the first chamber and the second chamber. The runner crown has an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion having a larger diameter than the lower portion such that a channel is defined between the upper and lower portions. The channel has a circular shape and a circular symmetry around the axis of rotation and leads to a discharge region below the runner.

Hydroturbine runner crown with balancing slots

Aerating system for the runner of a hydraulic turbine, the runner comprising a plurality of blades, such that inter-blade canals are configured between each pair of blades for the admission of air in the water flow circulating through the hydraulic turbine, such that the aerating system comprises at least one hydrofoil located in the inter-blade canal of the runner contacting the pair of blades configuring the inter-blade canal where the hydrofoil is located, such that the hydrofoil has a non-axis symmetrical profile, and such that at least one of the blades in contact with the hydrofoil comprises an aerating canal delivering air to the hydrofoil.

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Sorel-Tracy, Canada

Guillaume Boutet-Blais