Abstract:
The need to predict performance of Pelton turbines in terms of efficiency and dynamic behavior under different
operating conditions is paramount. It has been established that an increase in performance leads to a decrease of
the ratio between the bucket width and the jet diameter. This leads to an increase in cyclic load and therefore an
increase in stresses on the buckets and the turbine hub leading to failure. This paper seeks to demonstrate how to
optimize the bucket profile in order to hence performance of Pelton turbine buckets for Pico hydro electric
systems. Two models of 152mm pitch circle diameter Pelton turbine buckets were designed using Computer Aided
Design (CAD) software and investigation on forces and stresses done using structural analysis on ANSYS software.
The simulations results were compared with experimental results for the two models casted from recycled
aluminium A356 alloy. The investigation indicated that there was a 14.2% reduction on stresses developed by
introducing a ridge on the buckets backside. The result was a higher power output achieved by optimizing the
buckets profile without altering the bucket width in relation to water jet diameter.
