EXPERIMENT NO: 4

(REACTION TURBINE)

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Exp. 4: Reaction turbine

OBJECTIVE:

To study the characteristics curves of a reaction turbine.

KEYWORDS
Reaction turbine, hydraulic turbine

OVERVIEW:
Turbines are used in hydroelectric power plants to generate power from reservoirs of water.
Choices of turbines are determined by their characteristics curves based on the potential
energy available in the water and the amount of power to be generated.

Figure 1: Reaction Turbine Demonstration unit

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Exp. 4: Reaction turbine

The set up of the experiment consist of the following components:

8 6

Turbine housing

10

Shaft seal

Water Feed Connection

11

Braking belt

Braking device with torque sensor

12

Belt pulley

Speed sensor

13

Guide pulley

Base plate

14

Tensioning bolt

Base plate bolts

15

Bolted bearing

Turbine runner

16

Impeller shaft

Guide pulley

Signal processing

Figure 2: Reaction Turbine Demonstration Unit

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Exp. 4: Reaction turbine

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4
Figure 3 Braking Device

Figure 4 Turbine

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Exp. 4: Reaction turbine

PROCEDURES :
1.

Start-up Procedure.

1.

Fill in the Reservoir Tank with Water up to the desired level. ( Consult
Lecturer / Technician. )
** Ensure that the Water Inlet Valve for the Reservoir Tank is already
opened.

2.

Switch on PC in order to start Windows Program as well as which at

the same time will start the analysis software.
** Ensure the plug for the PC is already in the socket and the switch is
already on.
** Make sure your hand is dried in order to avoid from electrocution.

3.

If at the beginning, the monitor screen menu seems to be static or not

responding, straightaway press F1.

4.

When the password menu pop-up, simply click OK. Do not insert any
password.

5.

Click HM 280.03 at the Desktop Menu.

6.

Click HM 288 software for Radial Flow Reaction Turbine.

7.

Switch on the Interface Module.

** Ensure the plug for the Interface Module is already in the socket
and the switch is already on.
** Please make sure that your hand is dried in order to avoid from
electrocution.

8.

From the HM 288 software menu for Radial Flow Reaction Turbine,
create your own filename in order to record data, for e.g, Test.AFD.
** Ensure you keep on creating new filename each time before you
start with new experiment or measurement.

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Exp. 4: Reaction turbine

2.

Experimental Procedures.

1.

Switch on the pump.

** Ensure the plug for the pump is already in the socket.
** Do not switch on the socket if your hand is not totally dried.
** Also please make sure that the Regulator Valve for the pump is
already fully open.

2.

Set the required flow rate and pressure using the Regulator Valve. It is
very much recommended for you to start from low flow rate, for e.g. n
= 2000 200.
** Ensure that Regulator Valve is adjusted slowly. Move your hand
away from the valve after each adjustment and observe the value of
flow rate, n from the screen. Wait for the flow rate become stable
before any further adjustment is made.

3.

Click Start at the HM 288 software menu. Wait and observe until
Green Light appear at the screen. ( Consult Lecturer / Technician ).

4.

Slowly and carefully, tighten the Tensioning Bolts until it is observed

that the Reaction Turbine has stopped spinning.
** Ensure that the Reaction Turbine has completely stopped spinning.
Allow about 5 seconds checking and observing the Reaction Turbine to
be static or stopped spinning.

5.

Check the flow rate value, n from the screen.

** The value should be n = 0 to indicate that the Reaction Turbine has
completely stopped spinning.

6.

Click Stop at the HM 288 software menu.

** IMPORTANT ! It is compulsory for the pump to be switched off at
this stage. This is in order to avoid the pump from becoming
overheated and damaging its motor.

7.

The following steps are meant to retrieve the recorded data by the
software :
a.) Click at Show Desktop in order to return to the Desktop Menu.
b.) Click at Folder hm280 and search for your already created filename
and data. The data is in Wordpad and not properly align according
to the Column Header. You have to adjust the data on your own.
c.) Save your filename and data in your own diskette or Pen Drive.
** Ensure that you do not create your own folder at the Desktop
Menu. This is in order to avoid the data to become missing or difficult
to locate.

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Exp. 4: Reaction turbine

** Ensure that you record or remember your filename to simplify your

search and saving of your data.
** These steps from ( a.) to ( c. ) can be done each time after you
have finished one set of flow rate/data or can also be done after you
have completely finished your experiment.
8.

Repeat steps 8 until 14 for generating another set of data by adjusting

or using another value of flow rate, n. ( The value should be in the
range of between 2000 to 8000. )
**It is very much recommended that the maximum value to be used is
5000. This is due to the Turbine produce noise while rotating even at
value of 5000.

3.

Shut Down Procedures.

1.

Switch off the pump. Switch off and pull the plug away from the
socket.

2.

Click exit at the HM 288 software menu.

3.

Exit windows program. Please ensure that you have already saved
your required experimental file/data from Folder hm280.

4.

Switch off the Interface module. Switch off and pull the plug away
from the socket.

5.

Open Water Inlet Valve in order to drain all water from the Reservoir
Tank.
**Ensure the hose already being disconnected from the water main
supply tap and put the other end of the hose in the sink.

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Exp. 4: Reaction turbine

4.

Tasks.

1.

Plot the graphs of Torque ( Ncm ), Electrical Power ( W ) and Efficiency

( % ) against Speed ( 1/min ) for five different Water Flowrate value,
n.

2.

From those five graphs, choose the lowest value for Torque and
highest value for both Electrical Power and Efficiency from each
different value of Water Flowrate, n.

3.

Plot all the lowest value for Torque against five different Water
Flowrate, n and also plot all the highest value for both Electrical Power
and Efficiency against five different Water Flowrate, n.

DATA SHEET
1. Flow rate: ____________
Flow ( L/h )

Torque

Pressure

Electrical

Speed

Efficiency

( Ncm )

( bar )

Power ( W )

( 1/min )

(%)

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Exp. 4: Reaction turbine