Hydraulic machine having a device for measuring the water level in the intake pipe and method for drainage

Abstract

A hydraulic machine has a runner, a guide apparatus, a draft tube, and an apparatus for measuring the water level in the region of the draft tube. The apparatus includes a first pressure measuring device, a second pressure measuring device, and a unit for generating differential pressure values. The pressure measuring devices are arranged in such a way that they may detect the pressures applied inside the draft tube and are respectively connected to the unit. The first pressure measuring device is located above the second pressure measuring device, and the unit is configured to generate the difference between the pressures that the pressure measuring devices detect. There is also described a method for dewatering the runner of such a hydraulic machine.

Claims

1. A hydraulic machine, comprising: a runner, a guide apparatus, and a draft tube; a level detector for measuring a water level in said draft tube, said level detector including a first pressure measuring device, a second pressure measuring device, and a unit for generating differential pressure values; said first and second pressure measuring devices being disposed to detect pressures prevailing inside said draft tube and being connected to said unit; wherein said first pressure measuring device is located above said second pressure measuring device and said unit is configured to generate a difference between the pressures respectively detected by said first and second pressure measuring devices.

2. The hydraulic machine according to claim 1, wherein: said first and second pressure measuring devices are pressure sensors for generating an electrical pressure signal and said first and second pressure sensors are connected to said unit by way of electrical cables; and said unit is an electronic unit for calculating an electrical differential pressure signal.

3. The hydraulic machine according to claim 1, wherein said first and second pressure measuring devices respectively comprise a separating membrane and said unit is a differential pressure transmitter, and wherein said first and second pressure measuring devices are respectively connected to said differential pressure transmitter by means of transmission lines.

4. A method for removing air from a runner of a hydraulic machine, the method comprising: providing a hydraulic machine according to claim 1; closing the guide apparatus; subsequently blowing air into the draft tube near the runner; and during the step of blowing air into the draft tube, generating with the unit a pressure difference between the pressures detected by the first and second pressure measuring devices, and aborting the step of blowing air into the draft tube when the pressure difference falls below a predefined value.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

(1) The solution according to the invention is explained below with reference to the drawings. The drawings illustrate the following, specifically:

(2) FIG. 1 Hydraulic machine according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 Method according to the invention for dewatering the runner.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(4) FIG. 1 shows a section through a hydraulic machine according to the invention. The hydraulic machine comprises a runner, marked 1, a guide apparatus, marked 2, and a draft tube, marked 3. The hydraulic machine further comprises an apparatus for measuring the water level in the draft tube; this apparatus is marked 4. The apparatus 4 comprises two pressure measuring devices, marked 5 and 6, which are respectively designed to detect the pressure inside the draft tube 3. Each of the pressure measuring devices 5 and 6 thus detects the pressure in the draft tube at the respective point. Because the runner 1 of a hydraulic machine according to the invention is arranged below the tailwater level, the entire draft tube 3 is normally completely filled with water, and the pressure that arises at a certain point inside the draft tube 3 when the shut-off device on the upstream side is closed is the hydrostatic pressure of the water column above the relevant point in the draft tube. FIG. 1 shows that the pressure measuring device 5 is above the pressure measuring device 6. “Above” here always refers to the water level, i.e. the pressure measuring devices do not have to be arranged directly above each other, but may even be located on different sides of the draft tube. The arrangement need only be such that when the water level is exactly at the pressure measuring device 5, the pressure measuring device 6 is still below the water level. The apparatus 4 further comprises a unit for generating differential pressure values, marked 7. The pressure measuring devices 5 and 6 are respectively connected to the unit 7 in such a way that the unit 7 may form the differential pressure between the pressures applied to the pressure measuring devices 5 and 6.

(5) FIG. 2 shows the flow chart of the method according to the invention for dewatering the runner. A dewatering process and the associated process of measuring the water level take place as follows. At the beginning, the draft tube is completely filled with water. The guide apparatus 2 is closed and seals off the draft tube in this direction. This step is marked V1 in FIG. 2. The draft tube thus forms a U-tube with a closed end. The open end of this U-tube is the tailwater. The pressure measuring devices detect the pressure of the water column above the respective points in the draft tube. Because the water column above the location of the pressure measuring device 6 is taller than the water column above the location of the pressure measuring device 5, the pressure transmitted from the pressure measuring device 6 to the unit 7 is higher than the pressure transmitted from the pressure measuring device 5 to the unit 7. The difference between the two pressures transmitted in this state (Delta_P0) depends only on the distance between the two pressure measuring devices in a vertical direction. Now, for example, air is blown into the draft tube 3 at the upper edge of the draft tube 3 near the runner 1. This step is marked V2 in FIG. 2. A water surface forms in the draft tube that separates the air space from the water-filled space. The position of the water surface corresponds to the water level. The water displaced by the introduced air is discharged in the direction of the tailwater. Because the tailwater represents a very large reservoir, the tailwater level is not raised by the displaced water or only in a negligible way. At every point of the airspace the same pressure is present, which corresponds to the water column above the water surface (in the direction of the tailwater). As long as the water surface is above the pressure measuring device 5, the pressure values transmitted from the pressure measuring devices 5 and 6 to the unit 7 do not change (the pressure difference is Delta_P0). If the water level drops below the pressure measuring device 5, i.e. if the pressure measuring device is located in the air space, the pressure measuring device 5 transmits the pressure that is present in the air space. As long as the pressure measuring device 6 is still below the water surface, the pressure measuring device 6 transmits the same pressure value as before. If the water surface is between the two pressure measuring devices 5 and 6, then the difference of the pressures is smaller than Delta_P0. If the water surface drops so low that pressure measuring device 6 is also in the air space, both pressure measuring devices will transmit the pressure in the air space and the pressure difference becomes zero.

(6) For the pressure difference Delta_P of the transmitted pressures, the following ranges result: Delta_P=Delta_P0, i.e. the water surface is above the pressure measuring device 5 Delta_P0>Delta_P>0, i.e. the water surface is between the two pressure measuring devices 5 and 6. Delta_P=0, i.e. the water surface is below the pressure measuring device 6

(7) Plainly, in the central range (Delta_P0>Delta_P>0), the exact position of the water surface may be determined by a linear interpolation (for example, if Delta_P/Delta_P0=0.5, then the water level is exactly in the middle between the vertical positions of the pressure measuring devices 5 and 6).

(8) The air removal process is completed when the measured differential pressure Delta_P falls below a predefined limit value.

(9) In contrast to the known prior art, the present invention does not require a bypass pipe on the draft tube, and accordingly the manufacturing costs are markedly lower.

(10) The inventive concept may be realized in two different embodiments. In the first embodiment, the pressure measuring devices 5 and 6 are pressure sensors that convert the pressure in the draft tube directly into an electrical signal. These signals are transmitted through electrical lines to an electronic unit 7 that electronically determines the differential pressure values from the transmitted pressure signals. This electronic unit may also be part of the control unit that controls the hydraulic machine.

(11) In a second embodiment, the pressure measuring devices 5 and 6 respectively comprise separating membranes. The unit 7 for generating differential pressure values consists of a differential pressure transmitter, and the pressure measuring devices 5 and 6 are connected to the differential pressure transmitter 7 by means of transmission lines (capillaries). The differential pressure transmitter 7 converts the transmitted differential pressure into an electrical signal that may then be used by the control of the hydraulic machine. The second embodiment has the advantage that it is very robust against vibrations, because the actual measurement takes place in the differential pressure transmitter and may be arranged away from the draft tube. The transmission lines in this case represent a very effective decoupling between the draft tube 3 and the differential pressure transmitter 7 in terms of vibrations.

(12) Finally, it should be mentioned that the respective tailwater level influences only the pressure values at the pressure measuring devices 5 and 6, but not the differential pressure. As a result, the determination of the water level is independent of the respective tailwater level.