Alstom Renewable Technologies

Alsom Technology Ltd

Ge Renewable Technologies

Michel Couston

Farid Mazzouji

Michel Sabourin

Claude Beral

Jacques Bremond

Sylvain Lavigne

Danièle Bazin

Jean Bernard Houdeline

Claire Segoufin

Daniele Bazin

This wheel comprises a plurality of vanes () arranged on a crown () and is equipped with a tip-forming member () attached to a central region () of the crown or hub of the wheel (), radially inside the vanes (), the crown defining a wet surface () for guiding a flow (E) passing between the vanes. The tip-forming member () is provided with at least one opening () for diverting a fraction (E) of the flow towards the internal volume (V) of this member. This member comprises a frustoconical annular skirt () and at least one fin () arranged in its internal volume (V) and able to modify the path of the flow fraction (E) entering this volume through the opening (). This fin () extends as far as the edge () of the skirt () which defines an outlet opening () of the member () for the flow fraction (E).

Francis-type hydraulic turbine wheel equipped with a tip-forming member, and method of reducing fluctuations using such a wheel

The invention relates to a wheel (R) of the Francis type that comprises a ring () with revolution symmetry about the rotation axis (Z) of the wheel (R), and curved blades () connected to the ring () and each having an outer peripheral edge () and an inner central edge (). The connection points (B, B) between the ring () and the inner central edges () of the blades () are located on a same circle (C) centered on the axis (Z). The connection points (A, A) between the ring () and the outer peripheral edges () of the blades () are located on at least two distinct circles (C, C) (D, D) centered on the axis (Z).

Wheel for a hydraulic machine, a hydraulic machine including such a wheel, and an energy conversion installation equipped with such a hydraulic machine

The invention relates to a hydraulic plant (I) that defines a path () for a forced water flow (E), and comprises at least one machine () of the turbine, pump or turbine-pump type, a member () provided with at least one deformable wall () and defining at least one closed volume (V) with variable dimensions. The plant also includes means () for supplying (Fg) the closed volume with a pressurized fluid. The member with a deformable wall () is mounted in a hydraulic duct () located downstream from a rotary portion () of the machine (). The deformable wall defines, locally and downstream from the rotary portion (), a modular section (S) for the flow (E) passage in the hydraulic duct (). According to the method of the invention, a pressurized fluid is injected (F) into a closed volume having variable dimensions (V) and defined by a member () provided in a hydraulic duct () located downstream from the rotary portion (), in order to modulate the passage section (S).

Energy conversion hydraulic plant and method for controlling such plant

A Francis runner and a hydraulic turbine equipped with such a runner, wherein the runner includes a ceiling, a belt, and blades which extend between the ceiling and the belt and which define liquid flow channels therebetween. A ratio (e/L) of a maximum thickness Ce) of each blade to an average developed length (L) of an average fibre of each blade is between 0.1 and 0.2. At a leading edge of each blade, the average fibre is oriented, over essentially an entire height of the leading edge, along a straight line (&#x394;), which forms an angle (&#x3b1;) greater than 90&#xb0; relative to a line (U) defining a direction of rotation of the leading edge of the runner.

Francis turbine

Growing community of inventors

Seyssins, France

Michel Couston