Cavitation damage prediction in hydro turbines

Research Project, 2025 – 2027

The aim of the project is to do a thorough literature review and numerical evaluations of selected methods that can be used for prediction of cavitation, its location, its intensity (aggressiveness), and the amount of eroded material in hydro turbines, and together with industry suggest method development to meet the requirements from the hydropower industry. The hydropower industry needs improved methods to reduce the uncertainties regarding harmful cavitation in order to avoid or reduce cavitation erosion, maximize operating ranges, and reduce maintenance costs.
Objectives
1. Identify the state-of-the-art of cavitation research, from a hydropower perspective.
2. Clarify the needs of cavitation research for Swedish hydropower. This includes answering the
following questions: Which cavitation features are most important to study, from a hydropower perspective? Which methods are used today to do such studies? What is lacking in the output of such studies?
3. Identify state-of-the-art modelling techniques for multiphase flows (across all application areas) that have potential to better meet the identified needs of hydropower. This includes answering the following questions: What is lacking in the methods? What is required to make the methods give the output that is required by hydropower?
4. Provide numerically evaluated modeling techniques and best-practice guidelines, based on the above-mentioned identifications of hydropower needs and most promising methods.