Hydro Turbine Runner

The hydro turbine runner is the most core and critical component of a hydro turbine, and is known as the "heart" of the hydro turbine. It is directly responsible for efficiently converting the kinetic and potential energy of water flow into mechanical rotational energy to drive the generator to generate electricity.

After the water flow passes through the hydro turbine spiral case and movable guide vanes at a certain pressure and flow rate, it is guided to the runner. The blades on the runner are subjected to the impact force (impulse turbine) or reaction force (reaction turbine) of the water flow, forcing the runner to rotate. In this process, the energy of the water flow (pressure energy, kinetic energy) is effectively transferred to the runner and converted into mechanical energy that drives the main shaft to rotate.

The hub is the central part of the runner and is usually rigidly connected to the hydro turbine main shaft through keys or flanges to transmit torque. The blades are airfoil structures evenly distributed around the hub. The shape, number, angle, and surface finish of the blades are key factors determining the efficiency, cavitation performance, and operational stability of the hydro turbine. The blades can be fixed (such as Francis, Kaplan fixed-pitch) or rotatable (such as Kaplan adjustable-pitch). The draft ring is located at the runner outlet or lower ring, guiding the water flow smoothly out of the runner and into the draft tube, reducing hydraulic losses and vibration. For Francis runners, there are usually upper and lower crowns connecting the blades into a whole.

The hydro turbine runner manufacturing process integrates a series of advanced manufacturing technologies such as advanced CNC machining, special welding, precision measurement and non-destructive testing, and digital simulation. Its products mainly serve the clean energy field, especially large-scale hydropower and pumped storage power stations, and are an important foundation for promoting energy transition and ensuring power grid security.