Kaplan: adjustable-blade hydro turbine up to 230 MW, head up to 90 m
Kaplan is an adjustable-blade hydro turbine for heads up to 90 m and unit outputs over 230 MW, with efficiency above 95 %. It is installed mainly at run-of-river plants on large rivers, where the head is low and the unit output is medium. The manufacturer has installed about 3,200 such turbines with a total output of about 50,000 MW.
- Output
- up to over 230 MW per unit
- Head
- up to 90 m
- Efficiency
- over 95 %
- Blades
- 4–7 adjustable (or fixed)
Price, availability and lead time on request. We help with analogue selection, customs clearance and delivery.
Description
The manufacturer has over 180 years of experience in designing hydro turbines and over 31,900 units installed worldwide with a total output of over 471,000 MW. The overall range reaches heads up to 1,800 m and outputs up to 800 MW per unit, from Pelton machines for high heads to Francis and Kaplan turbines. Kaplan occupies the niche of low heads and medium unit outputs. The manufacturer selects the machine type for the conditions of a specific station, and for very low heads and small outputs also offers bulb units.
The Kaplan turbine is a propeller-type reaction turbine with 4–7 adjustable blades. The flow passes through the runner in the axial direction. The water pressure changes as it passes through the runner, and the water gives up energy to the blades. The runner consists of stainless steel blades fixed on a hub and a nose cone under the hub that completes the hydraulic profile. The manufacturer has experience in making runners up to 10,000 mm in diameter. Blade adjustment regulates flow and output, so efficiency stays high over a wide range of operating points. When the flow is practically constant, the turbine is built with fixed blades as a propeller turbine.
Most Kaplan units work at run-of-river stations, so the latest developments concern the environment. In the oil-free runner hub, oil is replaced by water, and there are already more than 130 such references. Water instead of oil in the hub removes the risk of lubricant leaking into the river. Fish-friendly designs have minimal clearances and blunted leading edges of the blades and guide vanes, which reduces injury to fish passing through the turbine.
For small hydropower plants the manufacturer produces axial units with an output up to 15,000 kW for heads up to 45 m. The runners have 3–6 blades, regulation is single or double, the axis is horizontal or vertical, and the range also includes compact axial CAT turbines. The turbine is controlled by a HIPASE-T digital governor with adaptive optimization of the combinator relationship (CAM) and a flushing function. The governor matches the blade angle to the guide vane opening, and this relationship is called the combinator curve. Kaplan turbines are ordered for run-of-river and dam-based hydropower plants, cascades and for modernization of existing adjustable-blade units.
Technical specifications
| Output | up to over 230 MW per unit |
|---|---|
| Head | up to 90 m |
| Efficiency | over 95 % |
| Blades | 4–7 adjustable (or fixed) |
| Runner diameter | up to 10,000 mm |
| Environment | oil-free hub (water instead of oil), fish-friendly designs |
| Installed | about 3,200 units, ~50,000 MW |
Request a price and lead time
Kaplan: adjustable-blade hydro turbine up to 230 MW, head up to 90 m. We reply within one business day.
Or email sales@usk.ua or call 044 339-50-20.
Questions and answers
What head and output is the Kaplan turbine built for?
The turbine is used at heads up to 90 m, and the unit output exceeds 230 MW. Efficiency is over 95 %.
How many blades does the runner have and what is its diameter?
The runner has 4–7 adjustable stainless steel blades. The manufacturer has made runners up to 10,000 mm in diameter.
Is there a version for small hydropower plants?
Yes, for small hydropower plants axial units up to 15,000 kW for heads up to 45 m are produced, with 3–6 blades. The axis can be horizontal or vertical, and regulation single or double.
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