The objective of this work package is to mitigate pressure pulsations and unsteady flow phenomena in the draft tube of Francis turbines through the development of a Draft Tube Flow Control (DFC) system. The work package addresses flow instabilities that arise during flexible operation and contribute to increased dynamic loads and fatigue.
Numerical simulations and reduced-order models will be developed to quantify draft tube-induced fatigue. Experimental investigations will be carried out to design, optimize, and validate the DFC system, demonstrating its potential to stabilize pressure fluctuations and improve turbine operational safety and performance under off-design conditions.
