The Measured Flow at the Inlet of a Francis Turbine Runner Operating in Speed No-Load Condition

For Francis turbines, speed-no-load (SNL) represents one of the most detrimental operating conditions, marked by significant pressure and strain fluctuations on the runner. Mitigating these fluctuations necessitates a comprehensive understanding and characterization of the flow phenomena responsible for their generation. This paper presents an experimental investigation of the flow at the inlet of a Francis turbine runner model operating in speed-no-load condition using high-speed stereoscopic and endoscopic particle image velocimetry (PIV). The measurements are made in a radial-azimuthal plane that covers the vaneless space and a large region in the interblade channel. This study marks the first-time measurement of critical flow phenomena at this operating point, performed in the runner. Instantaneous and average velocity fields are analyzed, along with other statistical data. The results not only confirm the stochastic nature of the flow at speed-no-load but also highlight the general structure of the flow observed in other studies. The high velocity fluctuations on the suction side are associated with a backflow extending into the vaneless space and a circulation zone occasionally generated by this backflow. Both phenomena are frequently present, but fluctuate stochastically. Additionally, two other circulation zones intermittently form on the pressure side of the blades. The presence of vortices, smaller than the circulation zones, near the blade's leading edge correlates with the backflow intensity.