Evolution of Original Pelton Wheel into Modern Pelton Wheel

Creative Ideas for Quasi-static Execution of Iso-Rothalpy

Process.…….

P M V SubbaraoProfessor

Mechanical Engineering Department

Hydro Power Plant using Pelton Wheel

The Pelton wheel was first used at the Mayflower Mine in Nevada City,

California in 1878

A Patent on Water Wheel

• In 1880 Pelton was granted a patent with the following text. 

• "Pelton water turbine or wheel is a rotor driven by the impulse of a jet of water upon curved buckets fixed to its periphery; each bucket is divided in half by a splitter edge that divides the water into two streams. The buckets have a two-curved section which completely reverses the direction of the water jet striking them."

The Original Pelton Wheel : 1880

Meridional View of Original Pelton Wheel

Special Features of Bucket For Circumferential Arrangement

Kinematics of Flow for Actual Bucket in flow plane

Euler torque equation: owiw VVrm ,,

ijetiw VV cos,

eerbew VUV 180cos,,

For flow past a bucket: irberirer VkVVV ,,,,

eirbbew VKUV 180cos,,

i

bijetir

UVV

cos

cos,

ei

bijetbbijet

UVkUVrm

180coscos

coscos

ei

bijetbbijetb

UVkUVUmP

180coscos

coscos

Circumferential Arrangement of Buckets in rotational Plane

More Patents for Marginal Modifications

• A U.S. patent was issued to Pelton 1880.

• Shortly thereafter, the Nevada City Foundry began to manufacture the wheels and ship them all over the world.

• In 1888, with partners, Pelton established his own firm, the Pelton Water Wheel Company, in San Francisco.

• Many others made subsequent versions of Pelton's original design, with some claiming uniqueness.

• Samuel Knight, and others patented significant improvements, including William A. Doble, who became chief engineer of Pelton’s company in 1912.

• A complete implementation of Conservation of Rothalpy.

Special Design Features to Minimize Irreversibilities…..

HEPP with Pelton Wheel

Different Layouts of Pelton Turbine

• Arrangement of Jets

• Arrangement of Runners

• Arrangements of Turbine Shaft

Arrangement of Jets

Arrangement of Runners

The Double Runner Pelton Wheel

• The hydro power plant Salido Kecil was built at the beginning of the 20th century to supply electricity to the local gold mining industry.

• It was refurbished in 2007 with modern Hitzinger alternators and ELC. The scheme is operated for supplying a few households and an ice factory.

• Its location is in Painan district near Padang city, West Sumatra province of Indonesia.

• Design discharge Q = 0.83 m3/s

• Net head H = 98.65 m

• Electrical Power P = 660 kW ( 2 x 330 kW. Double runner Pelton turbines).

Parts of Advanced Pelton Turbine

• The main components of a Pelton turbine are:• (i) water distributor and casing, • (ii) nozzle and deflector with their operating mechanism, • (iii) runner with buckets, • (iv) shaft with bearing, • (v) auxiliary nozzle. • Auxiliary nozzle is used as brake for reducing the speed

during shut down. • The runner is located above maximum tail water to permit

operation at atmospheric pressure.

Key Parts of Pelton Turbine