Ge Renewable Technologies

Lionel Martinez

Claude Beral

Jean-Bernard Houdeline

Geoffrey Darona

Sébastien Ruiz

The invention concerns a method for starting a hydroelectric turbine () in a pumping mode, said turbine being provided with a runner () mechanically coupled to a shaft line () and a variable speed electric motor connected to a grid, a distributor () comprising guide vanes to control a flow of water to said runner, the method comprising:

Method for starting a turbine in a pump mode

A hydraulic turbine includes a rotor with a runner, which is concentrically surrounded by a stator, whereby the runner comprises a plurality of runner blades arranged and distributed in a ring around a rotor axis, and each runner blade extends between a runner crown and a runner band; whereby the stator comprises a plurality of guide vanes arranged and distributed in a ring around the rotor axis, and each guide vane extends between an upper stator ring and a lower stator ring; and whereby a predetermined clearance is provided at least between the runner band and the lower stator ring. A substantial reduction of pressure pulsations in the vane-less gap between said runner blades of said runner is achieved by substantially increasing said predetermined clearance.

Growing community of inventors

Grenoble, France

Lionel Martinez