Solid–Liquid Flow Analysis of Francis-99 Turbine Runner: Effects of Sediment Concentration

This study examines the behavior of solid–liquid two-phase flow within the runner of the Francis-99 turbine. Numerical simulations were carried out by Ansys Fluent software using the Mixture multiphase flow model along with the Realizable k-ε turbulence model to analyze the solid–liquid two-phase flow in the turbine runner. The sediment distribution on the turbine runner surface was evaluated for different sediment concentrations (SC = 500, 1500, 2500, 5000, 8000, and 11,500 ppm). The results indicate that sediment particles within the runner primarily adhere to the surfaces of the runner blades, displaying a uniform distribution. With increasing sediment concentration, the sediment volume fraction on the turbine blade surface rises significantly. The sediment distribution on both long and short blades exhibits similarity, with peak concentration observed at the trailing edge and mid-sections of the blades. Additionally, the sediment volume fraction is greater on the pressure side of the blades than on the suction side. This study aims to expand the research on multiphase flow characteristics of the Francis-99 turbine.