RUNNER UNIT FOR A HYDRO TURBINE

Abstract

A hydro turbine with a runner unit allows adjusting the gap clearance downstream and between the runner end tip portion and the inner edge of the blades. This gap clearance may depend on the angular position of the runner blades.

Claims

1. A runner unit for a hydro turbine, comprising: a runner body, at least one blade rotatably mounted thereon, and an end tip portion, wherein said end tip portion is movable relative to said runner body between an extended operative position and a retracted operative position.

2. The runner unit according to claim 1, further comprising a mechanism interposed between said at least one rotatable blade and said end tip portion, wherein the mechanism is configured to adjust the position of said end tip portion based on an angle of rotation of said at least one blade.

3. The runner unit according to claim 2, wherein said mechanism comprises a piston adapted to reciprocate along a shaft of the runner unit, and having an upstream portion coupled to said at least one blade configured to cause its rotation, and a downstream portion integral to said runner end tip.

4. The runner unit according to claim 3, wherein said end tip portion comprises an annular seal member coupled to said downstream portion of said piston.

5. The runner unit according to claim 4, wherein said annular seal member is located inside said runner body when said end tip portion is in the retracted operative position, and said annular seal member protrudes out of said runner body when said end tip portion is in the extended operative position.

6. The runner unit according to claim 5, wherein said at least one blade is rotatably fitted on said runner body by a trunnion portion having a lever coupled to said piston.

7. The runner unit according to claim 4, wherein said at least one blade is rotatably fitted on said runner body by a trunnion portion having a lever coupled to said piston.

8. The runner unit according to claim 3, wherein said at least one blade is rotatably fitted on said runner body by a trunnion portion having a lever coupled to said piston.

9. The runner unit according to claim 8, wherein said lever comprises a pin eccentric with respect to an axis of rotation of said lever, said pin being connected to said piston by a link member.

10. A hydro turbine, comprising a runner unit according to claim 1.

11. A hydro turbine comprising: a shaft, a runner body attached to the shaft, at least one blade rotatably mounted to the runner body, and an end tip portion, wherein said end tip portion is movable relative to said runner body between an extended operative position and a retracted operative position.

12. The hydro turbine according to claim 11, further comprising a mechanism interposed between said at least one rotatable blade and said end tip portion, wherein the mechanism is configured to adjust the position of said end tip portion based on an angle of rotation of said at least one blade.

13. The hydro turbine according to claim 12, wherein said mechanism comprises a piston adapted to reciprocate along the shaft, and having an upstream portion coupled to said at least one blade configured to cause its rotation, and a downstream portion integral to said runner end tip.

14. The hydro turbine according to claim 13, wherein said end tip portion comprises an annular seal member coupled to said downstream portion of said piston.

15. The hydro turbine according to claim 14, wherein said annular seal member is located inside said runner body when said end tip portion is in the retracted operative position, and said annular seal member protrudes out of said runner body when said end tip portion is in the extended operative position.

16. The hydro turbine according to claim 15, wherein said at least one blade is rotatably fitted on said runner body by a trunnion portion having a lever coupled to said piston.

17. The hydro turbine according to claim 14, wherein said at least one blade is rotatably fitted on said runner body by a trunnion portion having a lever coupled to said piston.

18. The hydro turbine according to claim 13, wherein said at least one blade is rotatably fitted on said runner body by a trunnion portion having a lever coupled to said piston.

19. The hydro turbine according to claim 18, wherein said lever comprises a pin eccentric with respect to an axis of rotation of said lever, said pin being connected to said piston by a link member.

20. A method of operating the hydro turbine according to claim 11, comprising flowing water along the runner body, and, responsive to the flowing water, the runner body and shaft rotating about an axis for the production of electricity.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The objects, advantages and other features of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading of the following non-restrictive description of embodiments thereof, given for the purpose of exemplification only, with reference to the accompany drawing, through which similar reference numerals may be used to refer to similar elements, and in which:

[0022] FIG. 1 shows a front sectional view of a runner unit according to the prior art;

[0023] FIG. 2 shows a front sectional view of a runner unit according to embodiments of the present invention, wherein the runner tip is designed according to two different positions as described previously in this document;

[0024] FIG. 3 shows a front sectional view of the runner unit according to embodiments of the present invention when the end tip portion is in the retracted operative position; and

[0025] FIG. 4 shows a front sectional view of the runner unit according to embodiments of the present invention when the end tip portion is in the extracted operative position.

[0026] An exemplary embodiment will be now described with reference to the aforementioned drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] With reference to FIG. 1, a runner unit according to the prior art is shown, generally indicated with numeral reference 100. Runner unit 100 includes a runner body 2, where a plurality of blades 3 is rotatably fitted. In the example herewith described rotor body 2 includes four blades, but it will be appreciated that rotor body 2 may include only one blade. Runner body 2 ends with a tip portion 21.

[0028] Runner body 2 is hollow inside and includes an internal mechanism, generally indicated with numeral 40, which acts on the blades 3 to cause rotation thereof about an axis R, arranged substantially perpendicular to an external surface of the runner body 2 where the blade 3 is fitted. However, it will be appreciated that axis R may have any inclinations with respect to the external surface of the runner body 2 where the blade is fitted, depending on the particular design selected. The pitch of the blades 3 is regulated by mechanism 40 which depends on the operative conditions to maximise efficiency of the energy conversion process.

[0029] For the runner unit 100, a gap existing between an inner edge 31 of the blade 3 and the end tip portion 21 is defined and depends on the chosen geometry of runner unit 100.

[0030] Making reference to FIG. 2, a front sectional view of a runner unit 1 according to embodiments of the present invention is shown. Runner unit 1 includes a runner body 2 where a plurality of blades 3 is rotatably fitted and rotatable about the axis R.

[0031] As for the preceding case, runner body 2 in the present non-limiting example includes four blades, but it will be appreciated that it could include one or several blades.

[0032] Runner body 2 terminates with an end tip portion 21.

[0033] The flow of water along the runner unit 1 causes the runner body 2, which is integral, usually by bolting, to a shaft 11, to rotate about a central axis Z for the production of electricity.

[0034] According to embodiments of the present invention, the end tip portion 21 is movable, relative to the rotor body 2 and the shaft 11, between an extended, or downwards, operative position and a retracted, or inwards, operative position. In particular, FIG. 2 shows on the same section the two different positions: on the right side the end tip portion 21 is extracted and protrudes downwards, whilst on the left side it is shown the runner unit 1 having the end tip portion 21 in the fully retracted position.

[0035] With the runner unit 1 according to embodiments of the present invention, the existing gap between the inner edge 31 of the blade 3 and the end tip portion 21 may be adjusted, depending on the operative flow condition, to maximise efficiency.

[0036] According to a non-limiting embodiment, runner unit 1 includes an internal mechanism 4 which is interposed between the rotatable blade 3 and the end tip portion 21. More in particular, mechanism 4 is configured such to act on the blade and cause its rotation about the axis R. Preferably, mechanism 4 may also be associated to the end tip portion 21, as it will be described below, and configured to adjust the position of the latter based on an angle of rotation of blade 3.

[0037] Turning next to FIG. 3, the runner unit 1 is shown in the retracted operative position.

[0038] Blade 3 is now shown in a frontal view for clarity reasons.

[0039] Mechanism 4 includes a piston 41 (visible in FIG. 2) which is adapted to reciprocate along the shaft 11 of the runner unit 1. The movement of the piston 41 may be enabled by means of an oil-type drive (not shown). Piston 41 includes an upstream portion 411 which is coupled to the blade 3 to cause its rotation, and a downstream portion 412 which is integral to the end tip portion 21.

[0040] Blade 3 is rotatably fitted on the runner body 2 by means of a trunnion portion which includes a lever 32. Lever 32 includes a pin 321 arranged eccentric with respect to the blade axis of rotation R (which in this embodiment is substantially perpendicular to the section plane of the Figure and thus not visible), which is in turn connected to the piston 41 by means of a link member 322. The movement of the piston 41 along the shaft 11 causes the lever 32 to rotate about blade axis R, and thus such rotation is transferred to blade 3.

[0041] The end tip portion 21 includes an annular seal member 211 which is coupled to the downstream portion 412 of the piston 41. When the end tip portion 21 is in the retracted operative position, as shown in FIG. 3, the annular seal member 211 is located inside the runner body 2. In fact, in this configuration, the pitch of the blade 3 is such that the piston 41 is in an upward location.

[0042] Making reference to FIG. 4, the runner unit 1 is shown with the end tip portion 21 in the extracted operative position. The extracted end tip portion 21 is associated to a rotation of the blade in a clockwise direction. As the piston 41 moves downwards, the blade 3 rotates clockwise and the annular seal member 211 protrudes out of the runner body 2. In this way, the end tip portion 21 is movable relative to the runner body 2 such to adjust the gap clearance between end tip portion 21 and the inner edge of the blade 3.

[0043] In the exemplary embodiment herein described reference was made to the mechanism 4 associated to the blade 3, but it will be appreciated that the mechanism 4 is also associated in a similar way to all the blades fitted to the rotor body 2. Therefore the movement of piston 41 will cause synchronous rotation of all the blades.

[0044] It will also be appreciated that movement of the end tip portion 21 may be achieved with a separated servomotor, not directly linked to mechanism associated to the rotation of the blades.

[0045] While the invention has been described in detail in connection with only a limited number of embodiments, it should be readily understood that the invention is not limited to such disclosed embodiments. Rather, the invention can be modified to incorporate any number of variations, alterations, substitutions or equivalent arrangements not heretofore described, but which are commensurate with the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, while various embodiments of the invention have been described, it is to be understood that aspects of the invention may include only some of the described embodiments. Accordingly, the invention is not to be seen as limited by the foregoing description, but is only limited by the scope of the appended claims.