Flexibility of Turbines


Existing hydraulic turbines have certain limitation when it comes to accommodate the intermittent power generated using wind and solar energy. Increased intermittency and deregulation of the energy market have pushed the hydraulic turbines to the extreme limit. Traditionally, the hydraulic turbines are designed for very few start-stop cycles during their lifetime. To accommodate the variable energy demand and to maintain the robustness of the power grid, a novel design approach is needed that helps to develop the next generation of hydraulic turbines. Activities under this work package aim to develop a variable-speed Francis turbine that accommodates high ramping rates and up to 30 start-stops per day.


Work package 3 has the following objectives:

  • Develop a new hydraulic design of a variable speed Francis turbine based on analytical and empirical knowledge
  • Numerical optimization of the new hydraulic design of a variable speed Francis turbine, which aims for a prototype turbine efficiency above 95% and a technical lifetime of 50 years
  • Turbine performance tests in the laboratory
  • Develop a software for turbine lifetime estimation


WP 3 is led by the Department of Energy and Process Engineering, NTNU.

Contact: Dr. Chirag Trivedi