Addis Ababa Institute of Technology (AAiT)

Department of Civil Engineering

CENG 5604: Hydropower Development
Assignment 2
All the questions are to be done in a group of 7 to 10 students. Please hand in your solution by 19 Jan. 2013.
Attempt each of the following problems and write down your solutions with all the necessary steps as neatly as
possible. Please note that unreadable answers may not be corrected.

1600
1700
1800
1900

Figure Diversion canal plant

For the above figure the following information are given:

Elevation of the head water level at intake: 1800 m above mean sea level

Elevation of the tail water level: 1600 m

Length of the power canal: 5000 m

The power canal traverses in high seepage geological setting.

Steel Penstock Length = 200 m;

Coefficient of friction f for the penstock = 0.02.

The maximum discharge to be diverted from the head water for 14 hour power production is 30 m3/s.

Overall efficiency (ɳt): 80%

Generator: frequency = 60 Hz; Number of poles = 24.

Turbine type to be used: reaction turbine.

Unit weight of water = 9.81 KN/m3

Borometric head = 10.3 m

Assume any other value if necessary.

1. Design the power canal

ANS.
Discharge capacity of the canal:
For 14 hours the discharge need is 30 m3/s. Making the power canal to operate 24 hours, the discharge
capacity of the canal would be, 30 x 14/24 = 17.5 m3/s (Note here that the conveyance efficiency is assumed
to be 100%. If the conveyance efficiency is given (say η) then the discharge capacity of the canal would be
17.5 /η).
Canal section:
Since the geology is pervious, a lined rectangular power canal is selected. The lining could be made from
Concrete, Masonry, Asphalt, etc. the decision shall be on the available construction material nearby the site.
In this example we have assumed that Masonry lining is economical to construct. For Masonry lined canal
the roughness coefficient is n = 0.015 (you can get this value from any standard canal hydraulic books).
Canal flow velocity:
The maximum (none scouring) and minimum (none silting) velocities allowed in masonry lined canal are
3.5 m/s and 0.3 m/s, respectively.
Power canal slope
Since hydropower needs maximization of power production, we will adopt the minimum velocity in the
design. The power canal bed slope could be computed from the Manning’s equation as:
0.015 2  0.32 2.025  10 5 b  2d 
4/3
n 2V 2
S  
 A / P 4 / 3 b  d / b  2d 4 / 3 b  d 4 / 3
It needs an economical analysis to fix the slope of a canal as the above slope might lead to larger cross-
sectional area, here we assume the canal bed slope to be 1:1000.
The flow velocity in the canal:
 1 2 / 3 1/ 2
V  R S  1 / 0.015  R 2 / 3  0.0011 / 2  2.108  R 2 / 3
n
Rmin  0.327  Vmin   0.327  0.31.5  0.0537
1.5

Rmax  0.327  Vmax   0.327  3.51.5  2.1412

1.5

A bd
R 
P b  2d
Any combination of b and d substituted in the hydraulic radius (R) formula above can be adopted. However,
site specific conditions might make you fix the maximum possible value of b, say it is 5 m.
A bd 5d
R  
P b  2d 5  2d
2/3
 5d 
 V  2.108   
 5  2d 
Q V  A
  5d  
2/3

 17.5  2.108      5d
  5  2 d  
 d  1.506m
 R  0.94
R is within the recommended region, thus the adopted dimension is safe from scouring and siltation.
The velocity in the canal, V = 2.324 m/s
Free board:
Usually it is extended to 15cm to 70cm above the design water level. Thus adopt a free board of 0.404 m so
that the total lined canal depth D is 1.90m
2. The Forebay storage capacity (if needed)
ANS
The canal, designed above, have to serve for 24 hour with a discharge capacity of 17.5 m3/s; however the
discharge needed by the project is 30 m3/s for 14 hours, thus the difference (30 – 17.5) 12.5 m3/s have to
come from a temporary storage called the Forebay. Thus the Forebay capacity shall be: 12.5 x 14 x 60 x 60
= 630000 m3. Or 17.5 x 10 x 60 x 60 = 630000 m3.
3. Decide on the number of Penstocks, diameter and thickness
ANS.

The thickness of the pipe shell (s) for penstocks should be determined by: s = PD/(2ησ).

Where s = penstock shell thickness; P = internal pressure; D = pipe diameter; η = joint efficiency of welded or
riveted joint (say 90%); σ = allowable unit stress of hoop tension (1650 MPa)

Internal pressure:

Elevation of water level at the end of the power canal is the same as the maximum water level inside the
Forebay. Since uniform flow in the canal is assumed the free surface level have the same slope as the canal bed
level thus the water level at the end of the canal length (5000 m) is: 1800 – 5000 x 0.001= 1795.00 m a.m.s.l.

Elevation at the tail water level = 1600 m;

Thus the gross head of water is 1795 – 1600 = 195 m.

 vo c 4  30 38.2  c
The water hammer pressure is hwm    vo c  c  KPa
g D p 2
D p2

0.5
  1 C1 D p 
Note c      
  K sE 

Since there no information given on the material strength, support condition, we could adopt a trial value of
speed of sound in water (1482 m/s) as a value of c.

38.2c  0.0382c 
Thus the pressure P  hwm  h  KPa  9.81  195 KPa    1.913 MPa
D p2  D p
2


 0.0382c  0.0382c
 2
 1.913  D p  1.913D p
 D p  Dp
Thus s    2970 D p s  1.913D p2  0.0382c
2  0.9  1650MPa 2970

0.0382
 2970 D p s  1.913D p2  Take E for steel is 200 GPa and K is 2.2 GPa; use pipe with
  1 C1 D p  
    
 K 
  sE 
expansion joints; C1 = 0.85.

38.2
 2970 D p s  1.913D p2  EQ.1
 1 0.85D p 
  
 2.2 200s 

Minimum thickness (in inches), based on need for stiffness, corrosion protection, and strength requirements, is
indicated by the U.S. Department of the Interior (1967) to be: smin= (D + 20)/400 = 25.4 x (D(m)/0.0254 +
20)/400 = 2.5D+1.27 (mm).

Gordon and Penman (1979) give a very simple equation for determining steel penstock diameter for small
hydropower installations: Dp=0.72Q0.25

= 0.72 x 300.25 = 1.685 m (1.70 m) for a single penstock, s = 7.45 mm (EQ.1), smin = 5.52 mm
=0.72 x 150.25 = 1.417 m (1.45 m) for two penstocks, s = 9.35 mm (EQ.1), smin = 4.895 mm
=0.72 x 100.25 = 1.280 m (1.30 m) for three penstocks, s = 11.01 mm (EQ.1), smin = 4.52 mm
Comparing the above arrangement we require larger number of penstocks for smaller variation in diameter.
Thus adopting a single penstock is better as it requires smaller quantity of steel.
Thus adopt a single penstock having diameter of D = 1.7 m and thickness s = 8 mm.
4. Determine the maximum power output from the installation
ANS.

Net head computation:

 Elevation of water level at the end of the power canal is equal to Forebay full supply level = 1795.00 m
a.m.s.l.

Tail water level = 1600 m.

Gross head = 1795 – 1600 = 195 m.

Head loss in penstock:

Qp 4Q p
Qp = Q = 30 m3/s; v p    13.22m / s ;
Ap D p2

L p v 2p
hl p  f  20.95m
Dp 2g

Net Head (hn) = Gross head – head loss = 195 – 20.95 = 174.05 m.

Power = ɳρgQphn = 40978.4 KW

5. Decide on the type of reaction turbine.

ANS.

Specific speed:

Number of pair of poles will be 24/2 = 12.

60 f N P
N  300rpm; N s  5 / 4  96.06
p H

Francis turbine is suitable as 40 < NS < 452.

6. Decide on the number and capacity of reaction turbines for the installation.
ANS.
Use two Francis turbines having 45 MW capacity, one of which could be used as a stand by unit.
7. Design a scroll casing for the turbine.

Qϴ = Qϴ/(2π) = 4.775 ϴ m3/s

Velocity at the entrance:

v  0.2 2 gh  11.69m / s

Aϴ= Qϴ/v = 0.409ϴ

For propeller turbine

1 1/ 3
Q 3
 30 
D  a   4.4     2.042  Ri  1.021m
N  300 
4 A
RCase  Ri   1.021  0.722 

8. Determine the safe turbine setting relative to the tail water level
ANS.
y s  H b   c hn
 c  0.04320.01N s 2  0.04
y s  10.3  0.04  174.05  3.361m

Elevation of the turbine runner = 1600 + 3.361 = 1603.361 m a.m.s.l.

9. If a simple surge chamber 5 m in diameter is provided at 50 m from the Forebay determine the maximum
up surge and down surge in the surge chamber for sudden rejection by the turbine.

ANS
Area of surge chamber, As = 19.635 m2;
Area of penstock, Atu= 2.27 m2;
Length of penstock till the surge chamber, Lt = 50m.
The velocity in the tunnel vtu = 13.21 m/s

For the rejection or demand of the turbine:

Lt At 50 2.27
z max  vtu  13.21    10.14m
g As 9.81 19.635

Ltu vtu2
f
Dtu 2 g 5.24
ko    0.52 Note k o  0.7
z max 10.14

z up 2 k o2
 1  ko   0.685
z max 3 9
z up  6.95m

The maximum surge level would be (1795 – 10.14 + 6.95 =) 1791.81 m a.m.s.l. thus the height of the

surge tank should be at 1791.81 plus free board.

z down
 1  2k o  0.37
z max
z down  3.76m

10. Comment on using the Forebay as a surge chamber or vice versa

ANS.
In this installation designing a forebay as balancing reservoir and surge chamber would be economical. This
is because the surge chamber is close to the forebay than the turbines. By providing the surge chaber we
have protected only 50 m length of the penstock.