1

This contribution is dedicated to the memory

of late Prof. Maciej Zarzycki,

Technical University of Silesia,

having passed this week in Gliwice, Poland

PUMPS AS TURBINES FOR HYDRAULIC ENERGY RECOVERYAND SMALL HYDROPOWER PURPOSES IN POLAND

Janusz STELLER, Adam ADAMKOWSKI, Zenon STANKIEWICZ

Andrzej ŁOJEK, Jan RDUCH, Maciej ZARZYCKI

The Szewalski Institute of Fluid-Flow Machinery of the Polish Academy of Sciences

ZRE Gdansk Sp. Z O.O

Technical University of Silesia, Institute of Power Industry Machinery and Equipment

1. IntroductionWhy pumps in turbine operation? Fields of application, Problems encountered

1. Research efforts and their results

2. Case study

3. Conclusion

3

Pumps as turbines

Advantages

Low price, high availability

Disadvantages

Limited efficiency

Steep efficiency characterictics

Poor or none regulation capabilities

ConclusionApplication of pumps in turbine operation instead of

single or double regulated hydraulic turbines may be

economically justified in case of stable hydrological

conditions, low capacities and discharges.

4

Pumps as turbines- typical application fields

oil and chemical industry- decompression processes for gas/liquid separation

and washing/clearing chemical media

- hydrocarbon synthesis

by means of hydro-cracking technique

pressure pipelines in heating,

fuel supply and reclamation systems

micro hydropower plants

5

Pumps as turbines-typical operation ranges

1

10

100

1000

1,0E-02 1,0E-01 1,0E+00 1,0E+01 1,0E+02

Q, m3/s

H,

m

single stage pumps

cross-flow turbines

Francis turbines

Kaplan turbines

Pelton turbines

1000 kW500200100

50

20

10521

pumps

Kaplancross-flow

Francis

Pelton

Source: Engeda A., Strate P.,

Rautenberg M.: Auswahl von

Kreiselpumpen als Turbinen.

Pumpentagung Karlsruhe’88,

Sektion A6, Fachgemeinschaft

Pumpen im VDMA,

Frankfurt/Main, Oktober 1988

Pumps in turbine mode of operation may be applied for heads

between 2 and almost 1000 m, with capacities up to almost 2 MW

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Pumps as turbines-typical efficiency characteristics

Source:

Engeda A., Strate P.,

Rautenberg M.: Auswahl von

Kreiselpumpen als Turbinen.

Pumpentagung Karlsruhe’88,

Sektion A6, Fachgemeinschaft

Pumpen im VDMA,

Frankfurt/Main, Oktober 1988

Surek D.: Parameter und

Leistungen rückwärtslaufender

Kreiselpumpen mit

Frequenzumrichter,

Pumpentagung Karlsruhe’92,

Fachgemeinschaft Pumpen

im VDMA, Frankfurt/Main,

Oktober 1992, Beitrag A5-01

Speed regulation

- a remedy to the steep efficiency characteristics

0

20

40

60

80

100

0 20 40 60 80 100

QT/QT,opt, %

eff

icie

ncy,

%

pump in turbining regime

propeller turbine

Francis

Kaplan

cross-flow

turbine

Pelton

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Main research directions

identifying home manufactured impeller pumps

suitable for energy generation purposes

determining performance characteristics for

specified series of types and establishing

general relationships between bep parameters

in both modes of operation

low-cost modifications of the flow part

geometry aimed at enhancing performance

characteristics in turbine mode of operation

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UM mixed-flow pump- efficiency characteristicsof a 5-blade 400UM250 unit in the pumping and turbinemodes of operation

opt = 73 %

Source : IMP PAN lab

Pump manufacturer:Leszno Pump Factory

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UM mixed-flow pump

in Polanow SHP, Poland

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UM mixed-flow pump- possible modifications of the original design

Source : IMP PAN lab

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Temat nr 3

250UM400 pump unitwith a Francis runnerJeziorany SHP, H = 12 m

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35D40 mixed-flow pump- efficiency hill in the turbine mode of operation

Pump manufacturer:

POWEN-WAFAPOMP SApreviously:

Warsaw Pump Manufacturers

Source : IMP PAN lab

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150PJM centrifugal pump- efficiency hill diagrams

Pump manufacturer:

Leszno Pump Factory

Source : IMP PAN lab

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Designation Pressure

pipe

diameter, mm

Number

of stages

speed head discharge

Labrpm Hp, m Ht/Hp Qp, l/s Qt/Qp

OS-150A 150 3 1450 62 1,27 40 2,7 IMP PAN

OS-80R/3 80 3 1450 60 1,6 11 1,65 TU Silesia

OS-80M/2 80 2 1450 30 2,8 11 1,82 TU Silesia

OS multistage radial pumps

Manufacturer:

POWEN-WAFAPOMP SApreviously:

Zabrze Mining Machinery

Manufacturers, Upper Silesia, Poland

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OS 150A triple stage pump

Manufacturer:

POWEN-WAFAPOMP SApreviously:

Zabrze Mining Machinery

Manufacturers, Upper Silesia, Polandpump

turbine

IMP PAN lab

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OS multistage pumps

Manufacturer:

POWEN-WAFAPOMP SApreviously:

Zabrze Mining Machinery

Manufacturers, Upper Silesia

TU Silesia lab

OS 80R

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Typical relationships between pump parameters in the pump and turbine modes of operation

low speed single stage impeller pumps

Qt/Qp = 1,5 2,4 Ht/Hp = 1,7 3,7

Sharma formula

8,0max, p

p

t

QQ

2,1max, p

p

t

HH

Source:

Schmiedl E.: Serien-Kreiselpumpen

im Turbinenbetrieb. Pumpentagung

Karlsruhe’88, Sektion A6,

Fachgemeinschaft Pumpen im VDMA,

Frankfurt/Main, Oktober 1988

Williams A.: Pumps as turbines.

A user’s guide. Intermediate

Technology Publications, London, 1995

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Case studya radial pump used as a turbine for hydraulic energy recovery purposes

in a municipal heat plant

Location: Lomza Municipal Heat Plant

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Case studya radial pump used as a turbine for hydraulic energy recovery purposes

in a municipal heat plant

Location: Lomza Municipal Heat Plant

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Case studya radial pump used as a turbine for hydraulic energy recovery purposes

in a municipal heat plant

Location: Lomza Municipal Heat Plant

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CONCLUSION

1. The experience cumulated so far shows that pumps in turbine operationmay be sometimes a reasonable option for the purposes of hydraulicenergy recovery in industrial installations and electrical energy generationin some micro hydropower plants.

2. While the simplified formulae used to assess bep parameters in turbiningregime basing on the pump mode performance data may be considered agreat help when planning a new installation, their limited validity shouldbe always kept in mind.

3. Therefore it is highly desirable to encourage pump manufacturers to testat least some of the offered machines also in turbine mode of operation.Providing access to pump versions modified for the purpose of possible usein turbine mode of operation may further widen their markets andcontribute to better utilization of available SHP potential.

4. The success of the energy recovery unit described in the previous sectionshows open possibilities for more rational energy economics even in caseof some critical industrial installations.